Servant of the King

Taiwan Timeline

2009-11-04T10:15:00.000-06:00

We are looking to try and move to Taiwan by the first part of Aug. of this next year. For this to happen, we need Churches and people to partner with us. If you are willing to do this and/or can be a referral to Churches who are looking to support a church planting effort will you send me an email at wangjrpew@gmail.com? You can get more info at www.theralls.com Thanks for considering this.

Surgery

2009-08-31T09:58:00.004-05:00

Joshua (my older son) is going to have surgery tomorrow on his Achilles tendons. He has walked on his toes for so long that it has actually effected how his feet are growing, etc. so we will take him tomorrow (Tuesday Sept. 1) to the University hospital in Columbia for the surgery.

After the surgery he will be in a wheelchair for six weeks with both legs casted. His surgery is set to start around 11:30 am and will last for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Things you can pray for include:

1. Joshua will be calm and have peace before the IV, surgery, etc.
2. His pain will be manageable after the surgery.
3. He (and His parents) will have patience during the six week recovery.
4. This surgery will be successful and will correct the problem.

Thanks for praying!

Jon

We Have Waited 3 Years To Say This...

2009-08-26T13:36:00.004-05:00

We have waited 3 years to say this...we are going to return to Taiwan. Three years ago we had to leave Taiwan for medical help for one of our sons. We didn't want to leave, we loved what we did there, but it was the right choice and has been confirmed since being back. The help that we needed at the time was not available, and was not something that just being back in the States for a few months would have "fixed."

This summer we as a family we are able to go back to Taiwan for 6 weeks. A big part of this trip was to see what God's direction and will was for our lives. We loved what we did in Taiwan, and it truly hurt to leave the work there. During these last 3 years we have silently hoped that we could return someday, but didn't want to talk or dream too much about something that might not come to be. We have during this time though continued to talk with counselors, friends, other missionaries, etc. about the need, our family, and just what God wanted us to do as His servants. As we prepared to go to Taiwan this summer, our prayers were simply for God to show us whether His desire was for us to continue the work that He started through us in Taiwan, or instead to turn the page and continue with a new part of our lives in Him. We truly felt a peace that we would accept whichever direction God desired.

Through multiple counsel, many months of dialogue, and prayer we feel that God still plans to use our family in starting new churches and bringing new people into His Kingdom in Taiwan. The summer trip in so many different ways, God confirmed this decision, but what was left was more of a timing issue...when would we go? Our family, including all of the kids, did great in multiple times that would have been difficult at best in the past, but we still were not sure on the timing. We have decided that it is best to let God have control of that also. Our desire is to serve, and He will be the One who not only calls, but who will also provide and call others to support our work in Taiwan. We believe that the earliest we might leave for Taiwan would be the summer of 2011 (less than 2 summers from now), but it is all in His hands.

God has provided during our time back in the States. We have received great help for the medical issues that needed to be addressed, we have continued to study the language, and we have met many who also have a passion for seeing people come to Jesus.

What can you do? Well for one, you can check out our website that explains more about Taiwan, our family, support needs, etc. at www.theralls.com. We will be updating it periodically so make sure and check back for new info.

Secondly, you can help spread the word. We believe that God called and continues to call us to plant churches in Taiwan. We also believe that He has called others to partner with us in support. Church planting in Taiwan is not cheap, and we are going to need people who will see this opportunity and want to partner with us both in prayer and with finances. If you would like to support, and/or know of others or churches that might want to hear more about the work, please let us know.

You can contact us at:

Jon (jralls@cccb.edu or wangjrpew@gmail.com) (660-353-1704 cell number)

Thank you so much for thinking of us and considering what ways God might use us all for His glory and for the salvation of the nations. We look forward to seeing what God will do!

Jon and Amy Ralls

Talking VS Implementation

2009-05-16T09:14:00.003-05:00

Smart Christian blog had the following post that is a sad reality of how far we have gotten away from "Seeking and saving the lost." (Luke 19:10).

THE SAD STORY OF WORLD MISSIONS TODAY

More than 70% of Christian effort and ministry is directed at people who already profess to be Christians, while less than 5% of our total missionary activity is focused on those who have never once had a chance to hear about the good news of the Gospel. (Source: Center for the Study of Global Christianity).

CSGC is the best source on getting accurate data on global Christianity.

“At present, some 95% of all Christian debate and discussion on these matters deals only with mission in the midst of the present Christian world. Another 4% concerns mission in the evangelized non-Christian world. Less than 1% of all thinking, discussion and action concerns mission among the unevangelized. The church’s viewpoint is almost incurably self-centered. In our opinion, the greatest enemy of world evangelization is Christian rhetoric–the continual rhetorizing, playing the orator, discussing, arguing, the endless talking and preaching about evangelizing the world without any of the crucial implementation. The rest of the world would be relieved and grateful if all Christians would once and for all replace good intentions, rhetoric and broken promises with solid achievements.”

Splinters

2009-05-01T16:09:00.004-05:00

“You are here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain but you feel it. You felt it your entire life. There is something wrong with the world but you don’t know what it is...but its there like a splinter in your mind.”
Morpheus to Neo in the Matrix

I have spent the last several months on a journey of sorts that has me asking some deep questions...questions in which I don't always have answers or answers in which I don't always like.

Fairly soon I may start blogging some of what I am discovering about myself and this world in which God has allowed us to serve Him in. Nothing profound, and probably not of much interest to anyone but myself, and yet I think it is important to be able to verbalize that which is felt...that splinter in my mind.

For me the questions have been many:

Who am I? What gift(s) has God given me that I must use? In the midst of multiple areas of interest, what is/are the things that I am the most passionate about? If I could only do one thing in my life, what would I do?

What kind of person and leader am I? Why do I seem to be obsessively curious about so many things? Why do I struggle with boundaries in my life and with saying "no" to the things which are good but not great?

What ways am I to disciple myself and my family? How do I value each member of the family, while seeing the unique gifts and abilities that they have, and help them grow in the Lord and together as a family? What things must I say "no" or "yes" to, so that I can provide for my family both financially, spiritually, and relationally?

What kind of church does God want me to be a part of? Why kind of work was I created to do in this kingdom work?

These are just a few of the questions that I have been working through the last few months. Some have been done privately and alone, while others have been done with Amy and friends, as well as with trusted counselors and confidants.

I don't have all of the answers, though many have begun to appear and firm up. These splinters are beginning to take shape, though that shape is as of yet still not clear.

I will write more later about some of the steps that we are taking to find answers, but thanks be to God that He allows us to not only know Him, but to know His will, and to make Him known.

I Have Not Blogged In 5 Months

2008-11-26T08:40:00.003-06:00

I have not blogged in 5 months and I don't intend to start today, but I will be back fairly soon. Why haven't I blogged? I will have to try and answer that when I return.

Until then...have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Hit The Mark

2008-06-24T08:40:00.002-05:00

Have you noticed how hard it is to hit the exact amount when pumping gas anymore? Seriously, I used to be able to put exactly $20 of gas in the vehicle. Today...$20.02 or worse.

That little dial is spinning awful fast and I am going to have to sharpen my ninja gas pumping skills.

As a sidenote by Harley motorcycle got 55 mpg this last weekend. Sweet.

Free (after $10,000) Water

2008-06-21T19:21:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I got up early in the morning while we were having a rain storm. As I stood in the kitchen drinking some coffee, I watched the rain just pouring down from the roof of our house as well as my man cave (storage shed). I was thinking about how much clean water was coming down that I would turn around to pay for at a later date.

With 2 growing boys we are using more and more water. Add to that our small inflatable pool, tomato, bean, cabbage plants, and flowers that we require water, and we are paying a fairly large monthly amount.

The above chart shows one mans solution that he got from a German company. When he built his new house it was going to cost him more than $10k for a well, and nearly that much to hook up his house to the water grid. For the same amount he installed a 1700 gallon rain water collection and filtering system. Pretty cool if you ask me.

I wonder what else God gives us for free that we end up not using and instead pay for a substitute later on. Love, community, others?

I've Got Gas

2008-06-19T07:14:00.004-05:00

Wired has an article today talking about how high prices for gas, etc. are changing what people do. Jack Nerad (executive market analyst for KBB) states "It's no secret a weak economy has consumers spending less these days, and the survey of people in the market for a new car shows us some of the things people are doing to cope with stratospheric gas prices. They aren't buying as many DVDs. They're skipping ballgames. And going out to dinner? Who can afford it? "What was once a frequent occurrence such as the morning trip to Starbucks or taking the family to a ballgame just isn't as financially feasible when $4-per-gallon gas must also share a a place in the budget."

What about you, what (if anything) are you doing to cut corners? For our house we have replaced almost all of the regular light bulbs with CFLs (which cost just pennies per hour to use), I try to ride my motorcycle more (big sacrifice I know), and we have a standing family policy that we try to make somthing, or buy it used (Craigslist, Ebay, etc.) before buying new.

The exception to this was the vehicle that we just purchased. When I hit the deer a few weeks ago it totaled out the Buick (no more 60 year old vehicle for me). So we looked around and decided on a Dodge Grand Caravan. We were able to negotiate the price to an 07 level for a new 08 (car companies are hurting and open to negotiate right now). The kicker for us though was that the Dodge comes with a lifetime warranty on the engine and transmission. Yes that is right, for as long as we own the van they will fix (with no fees or costs to me) anything that goes wrong with the power and drivetrain. With a family of 5 we will put a lot of miles and years on this vehicle and the warranty was an awesome advantage.

So how about you...any changes due to the economy?

Missionaries To Little Green Men?

2008-06-13T08:23:00.002-05:00

In an article in Wired magazine found here the author talks about what would happen to religion if we found intelligent life in other parts of the universe.

The article states...

"Little green men might shock the secular public. But the Catholic Church would welcome them as brothers.

That's what Vatican chief astronomer and papal science adviser Gabriel Funes explained in a recent article in L'Osservatore Romano, the newsletter of the Vatican Observatory (translated here). His conclusion might surprise nonbelievers. After all, isn't this the same church that imprisoned Galileo for saying that the Earth revolves around the sun? Doesn't the Bible say that God created man -- not little green men -- in his image?

Indeed, many observers assert that aliens would be bad for believers. Jill Tarter, director of the Center for SETI Research, once wrote that finding intelligent other-worldly life "will be inconsistent with the existence of God or at least organized religions." But such predictions tend to come from outside Christianity. From within, theologians have debated the implications of alien contact for centuries. And if one already believes in angels, no great leap of faith is required to accept the possibility of other extraterrestrial intelligences.

Since God created the universe, theologians say, he would have created aliens, too. And far from being weakened by contact, Christianity would adapt. Its doctrines would be interpreted anew, the aliens greeted with open -- and not necessarily Bible-bearing -- arms.

"The main question is, 'Would religion survive this contact?'" said NASA chief historian Steven J. Dick, author of The Biological Universe. "Religion hasn't gone away after Copernican theory, after Darwin. They've found ways to adapt, and they'll find a way if this happens, too," Dick says."

Anyone want to join me in being a space missionary?

Postmodern Chaplains?

2008-06-11T10:48:00.002-05:00

One of my students (Tyler Anderson) sent me this video clip that I wanted to share. The writers of ER really got to the heart of the issue when they wrote this segment.

Currently Reading...

2008-06-10T09:41:00.002-05:00

We got rid of our Satellite service about 2 weeks ago and so I am finding that I have much more time to read, work, and hopefully play.

Right now I am currently reading, just finished reading, or am about to read the following:

"The Universe in a Nutshell" by Stephen Hawking (excellent book...especially the String Theory)

"Rules For Revolutionaries" by Guy Kawasaki

"Reimagining Evangelism" by Rick Richardson

"Unfinished Business: Returning The Ministry To The People of God" by Greg Ogden

Have you read any of these? Got any other suggestions of books that I can borrow, buy used, or trade for?

Righteous Anger?

2008-06-03T09:02:00.002-05:00

Todd Rhoades at the MMI blog posted a video clip of Mark Driscoll sharing his anger at some of what is happening in Christianity today. Watch the clip and tell me what you think.

Uh...

2008-05-20T21:50:00.002-05:00

For some reason I feel like I am in a blogging rut. I think of tons of things that I should mention, but instead I just don't blog. Strange...

Here is our life in a few short paragraphs.

1. Went to Alaska. Amazing. It is beautiful, the people are my kind of people, and the church has so much going for it. I felt really honored to be able to share and be a part of the Pinkerton's life for a little while. I spoke 5 times and was pleased with the response. On monday during the trip, we went ice fishing. There is something about 60 degree weather, but yet we are sitting on 4 feet thick ice on the middle of a lake. I will try to post some pictures at some other point.

2. Got really sick when I returned from Alaska. I got so sick that I couldn't even make it to CCCB's graduation. I haven't been that sick in a LONG time.

3. College is done, and the boys are almost done with their school. I am going to be working through the summer though. I am teaching a class at the school during the summer as well as an online class. The other part of the summer will be spent developing several other online classes and preparing for my fall classes.

4. Spoke last night at a men's fellowship in Houston Missouri. On the way back I hit a deer going 65 mph (me not the deer). It caused $3500 of damage to a car that is only worth $4000. I don't think we are going to fix it. We only have liability insurance so basically it makes no sense to keep putting money into a car that isn't worth much. We are probably going to try and get by with just the truck for awhile. It is leaking oil, but I am going to get that fixed so that it will be reliable.

One other thing that I would ask you to pray about is my friend Mike Worstell. We have known Mike and Dezi now for several years and they were a big reason that we moved to Taiwan. Today Mike had someone pull out in front of him on his motorcycle, and he had to lay the bike down. He broke several bones (collarbone, and leg bones) and is going to be laid up for quite awhile healing. Please pray for their family and thank God for protecting Mike as He did today.

Catching up...

2008-04-29T19:57:00.002-05:00

It seems like I haven't made the time to sit down and blog lately (BTW, why does Blogger flag the word "Blog" & "Blogger" as misspelled?). Here are a few things going on:

1. I am SO excited and proud of my brother Bryan, who was selected for the open conductor spot for the Army band. There are 20 total conductors and my brother is one of them. He will be stationed in Virginia and work at the Army school of music as well as conducting. I need to post at some point just how amazing God was in leading this whole transition and how Bryan and Jenny's faith was strong.

2. Sean won his football game tonight. He scored 2 touchdowns and played really well. The whole team is playing better. I am helping coach which is a lot of fun!

3. I leave for Fairbanks, Alaska this coming Friday for a retreat put on by the Farewell Ave. Christian Church. I will be speaking 4 times around the subject of "Real..." I am really looking forward to seeing some old friends, and making new ones. Oh and I am extremely stoked at being in one of the most beautiful places in the world. If the weather holds on Monday, I am going to go flyfishing in Alaska...how cool is that?!

4. School is just about done. It has been an amazing year and I am thankful for the students that God has brought to Central. I will be teaching during the summer both face to face classes as well as developing and teaching online during the summer. It should be a very busy summer.

5. We are having the basketball team over for steaks tomorrow night. I promised them a steak dinner if they won a certain game. They did and now we are going to have a feast!

Well, I have to go put my kids to bed, but I wanted to get something up from the last few days. Hope your days are blessed!

For A Moment I Thought I Was Back In Taiwan

2008-04-18T07:52:00.003-05:00

Amy and I were both awake because of Abi (teething...yikes!) when the house started moving. When you are sleep deprived you can not trust your senses, but it sure seemed like we were having an earthquake.

Come to find out...we did have an earthquake (5.2) Now for my Taiwan friends, I know a 5.2 is something you probably don't even feel any longer, but remember...we live in wood houses not concrete on this side of the pond.

If we have a typhoon in Missouri, then I really think I am going to have Taiwan flashbacks!

Busy

2008-04-10T21:32:00.003-05:00

I'm tired and just finished making Powerpoint, so sorry for the short post. Haven't had much time to post much lately. I have had several speaking engagements lately and have a few more still coming up.

I will be teaching a session at the Missouri Christian Convention tomorrow (Friday, April 11) on how churches can promote and support missions. The session starts at 6:15 pm, so if you are there make sure and come by.

At the end of this month I am going to Fairbanks Alaska to speak at a retreat for 3 days. I have never been to Alaska and would love to stay longer, but this trip is going to be a fast one. If I can take some pictures, I will make sure and post them to the blog.

Perfect

2008-04-04T07:38:00.002-05:00

Who is the only undefeated team in Major League baseball?

R-o-y-a-l-s

Their pitching is strong, Gordon is hitting, and they aren't spending tons of money. It probably won't last...but we can enjoy it while we got it. Right?

(BTW, no hate from the Cardinal fans. I follow them also and they are 2 and 1, but they are not selling out Busch stadium so far. That is going to cost them some major money right now, but once everyone is healthy...watch out N.L. Central.)

The Royals Are In First Place!

2008-04-01T07:23:00.002-05:00

All you loyal Royals rejoice...they are tied for 1st place (at least for one day)!!!

Google Docs Works Offline!!!

2008-03-31T19:38:00.003-05:00

Google announced today that their Google Docs software will work even when you are offline.

Check out this video to learn more...

Joshua's New Look

2008-03-27T16:49:00.003-05:00

Like Father...like son.

Happy Resurrection Day

2008-03-21T09:31:00.004-05:00

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Is. 53:1-6)

Jesus died on this day (Friday) for you and for me, and thankfully He conquered death and rose again. May you find the only true peace, hope, and joy that comes from our Risen Lord Jesus.

Macs Make You More Creative

2008-03-19T21:57:00.002-05:00

In an article found here they found that...

"Apple is for creative types. If that fact has not been burned into you brain yet, it's a pretty remarkable thing indeed, according to a new study. The idea is, in fact, so indelible that the mere sight of an Apple logo may cause you to think more innovatively. Ah, to be sheep.

New research published in the April issue of the Journal of Consumer Research shows that quick (even unnoticeable) exposure to well-known brands has the potential to cause people to act in a way that mirrors the brand's values. Researchers chose to measure the effects of the Apple logo (branded to represent innovation and creativity) versus the IBM logo (associated with tradition and responsibility).

The study, conducted by professors from Duke and Waterloo universities, gave 341 university students a visual acuity test, during which was flashed either an Apple or IBM logo. The exposure to the logo was so brief that even when offered $100 to identify which logo they'd seen, no one was able to. Participants were then asked to think of uses for a standard brick (other than building a wall), a task designed to measure how creative their thinking had become. Those who had seen the Apple logo came up with more unusual and creative uses for the brick than those who'd seen IBM. (I know I'm staring at a Windows PC right now, and I've got nothin' beyond "make a paperweight.")

A follow-up experiment tested Disney and E! Channel brands, and found that participants exposed to the Disney Channel logo behaved much more honestly than those who saw the E! Channel logos.

Other tests to the theory may include (one can only hope):
• Does Almond Joy really make you feel like a nut, whereas Mounds does not?
• Can Sunny-D actually brighten your mood more than the "purple stuff"?
• Will Jiff make a mom choosier more so than Skippy, which just makes them prancier?
• Does Visa make you feel accepted, and AMEX make you feel like an outcast?"

Who Controls Your Schedule?

2008-03-18T09:56:00.003-05:00

I want to quote a post by Perry Noble that he posted on his blog. This is from a list of things he wished someone would have told him. Below is number #10...

"#10 - Senior Pastor/Church Leader–You MUST Take Responsibility For Setting Your Schedule.

When I first became a senior pastor I thought every time opportunity knocked that it meant that God was knocking and so I had to say yes…and it caused me to set a pace that no human being could EVER sustain.

When people would call and ask me to go to lunch, I would go. When people would ask Lucretia and I over to supper–we went. When organizations would call and ask me to speak for them–I obliged. At one time I did ALL of the weddings, the funerals, the follow up…and just about anything else you can think of–AND, as I mentioned above…I NEARLY FRIED MYSELF.

Something all senior pastors must battle through is the guilt associated with saying no. Why? Because the previous generation of pastors did it all for the flock, never really asking for help and not allowing others to discover their potential in Christ…THUS today we have hundreds and thousands of impotent churches who were built on the ministry of one man–and thus died when he left.

One of the statements I make all of the time around NewSpring Church is, “The church IS NOT effective when the pastor ministers to the people, but rather when the body ministers to the body!” One of the most liberating things I’ve ever seen in Scripture is the story of Acts 6:1-7 where the apostles actually said that it would not be right to wait on tables…BUT they raised up leaders who made sure the job was done. (Thus freeing up their schedule so that more people could be reached for the kingdom–see Acts 6:7)

Pastors, hear my heart…you cannot base effective ministry on whether or not you are meeting the expectations of everyone in your church. If THAT is the definition of success then Jesus pretty much missed the mark, didn’t He? BUT…even a casual glance at Scripture clearly points out that Jesus refused to allow the expectations of others to dictate the direction of His ministry. He FAITHFULLY followed the Father.

I took responsibility for my schedule two years ago…and it has set me free. I say NO to an overwhelming number of the “opportunities” that come my way so that I can say YES to the greatest opportunities that God has given me - Lucretia, Charisse and NewSpring. (In that order!)(Note: His family and then church. Jon)

Pastors, one more thing…and I am just being honest. You can work your butt off for the church, completely fry yourself emotionally, spiritually and physically, begin making bad decisions (maybe even some REALLY bad ones) AND…the church you’ve slaved for, when you begin to “fall off” in your performance, will DROP YOU like a bad habit! I’ve seen it–you have to!

I am NOT trying to cause doubt and division…but I do want to warn you of the church that will work you to death and scream your praises while you do so…I once heard a wise man say, “Those that deify will also crucify–they screamed “Hosanna” on one day…and in less than a week were yelling “crucify Him.”

I say this because I am sick and tired of seeing pastors work their tail off for lazy church members and then, when their lives fall apart OR marriages go bad OR children begin to rebel…those SAME church members who once sang their praises often turn on them and begin to want to “vote them out” so that they can obtain some more fresh meat to tear into…all in the name of Christ. (For some reason…I am thinking He is not happy about that pattern!)

Pastors…our job is to seek Jesus with every ounce of energy and passion we have…and to train the people to do the work of the ministry. (Ephesians 4:11-16 is VERY clear on this!) THAT WAY…everyone gets to participate in advancing God’s Kingdom and seeing God build His church.

SO…go ahead and set realistic expectations from the beginning. Raise people up to DO the work of the ministry instead of trying to do it all. Love your wife, your children and then your church…and don’t let the expectations of others trump the expectations and calling of God on your life.

One more note on this–YES, tragedy’s take place…things come up…audibles MUST be called from time to time…but those should be the exception, NOT the rule."

I have done terrible in this area at times. Anyone else?

First Memory

2008-03-17T20:29:00.002-05:00

Do you remember your first memory? Last night I was driving up to Bethel Missouri to speak at a revival and I began to think about the first memory that I could recall.

For me it was sitting in the back of a jeep or truck with my dad and one other guy in the vehicle, as we were driving through a pasture looking for a lost calf.

Maybe it was because I was going to be preaching from Luke 15 (Lost sheep, coin, son), but this memory really struck me.

What is the first thing that you can remember?

BTW, the other thing I first remember is a bright light, feeling cold, crying, and some stranger in a doctor's outfit spanking me. JK, JK. :)