the Glocal Trekker Blog

Glocal Trekker Blog Has Moved to glocal.net

2007-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

We have been running Bob's blog on mirrored sites. Thatis changing today. Bob's Glocal Trekker blog with the same great content and insight is moving to http://www.glocal.net (where it has also been for some time). Join us there and find the exact same thoughts from Bob plus some sidebar stuff that you may not know about. Reset your RSS feeds and join the glocal conversations. See you there....

Jordan Fowler
Pastor of Worship and Communicative Arts
NorthWood Church.

The Cross - For The Lost & Found

2007-08-29T03:52:00.001-07:00

We have this young theologian in our church named Mark. He brought Carlos Santana to church Sunday. He brought his guitar and rocked the place. We've been studying the children of Israel and how they crossed over with implications of what does it mean for our church to cross over to the next phase, and what does it mean for us as individuals to cross over to a deeper walk with Christ. There are all kinds of metaphors and typologies of that in the Exodus out of Egypt. We were emailing about it and he said something really good, "The preaching of the cross isn't just for the lost but for the saved." I like that. For the lost, the preaching of the cross is to be received. For the found, the preaching of the cross it is to be lived.

Met two cool and prominent Dallas businessmen yesterday named Jim and Joe. They get transformation. It's what they're all about. They do critiques of various ministries generally in the DFW area in hopes of mobilizing people and increasing effectiveness. We talked a lot about moving the focus from preacher and church to disciple and society--they got it, they've had it for a good while! I'm so amazed at how we "preachers" have gotten so far behind the learning curve on all this. I don't think it's hard to understand why so much time is given to "our stuff" in terms of worship and ministries of the church that we can have all this really good stuff going on without ever connecting with the community.

The 1 and the 99 and the 1000

2007-08-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

There's a lot going on at NorthWood. It's frankly really hard to keep up with it all - even as the Senior Pastor. That's not true - it's not hard to keep up with - it's impossible. Our youth ministry continues to expand and is reformatting. Our children's ministry has just done the same. Our global work has exploded and for the first time we now have boots on the ground which has sped up everything. We've just reformatted our church planting. Our members have really taken off with working in so many projects that they, not us, are driving. Our entire staff, not just me, is dealing with the issue of other churches calling and needing help in different areas, particularly in how we engage our community and the world. It's exciting, and it's also overwhelming. Needless to say, there's been a lot of prayer, work, evaluation, restructure that has been going on to accomodate all God is doing.

Yesterday, I shared with our staff some of the unique things going on outside our church, but because of our church. I updated them, they updated me. We updated one another. Communication between staff, I've learned, is sometimes tough when your ministries are all growing at the same pace. We've never had competition among ministries at our church. I pray we never do. We've been one church on one mission serving one Savior in the context of teams, youth, children, recovery, worship, mission, etc.

Then we prayed . . . and it was rich. God was there. As we were praying and all of us realizing the scope of ministry we have before us we were praying for guidance and direction, wisdom and insight. We prayed for God to be alive within us, to keep us one, to be alert and effective in spiritual warfare. Then someone, or maybe two or three prayed - "Lord as we grow, to reach the thousands and organize to reach the thousands let us not forget the one." That's a good tension. Either extreme is dangerous. If you live for the one you never reach the thousands. If you focus on the thousands, church becomes a machine. It's not an either or, but a both and. So how do you balance . . .

I kept reflecting on this all day yesterday. The story of the 100 sheep, they all belonged to the shepherd. One wanders off and He left the 99 to get the 1. Why? Because the one mattered. But, were the 99 alone? No, they were together, watching out for one another. When He got the one, did He run off just with the one and party with the one alone? No, He brought it back to the flock, the flock was important--those other 99 mattered.

My conclusion, all 100 represent 1 - all 100 are important. We're not omnipresent. As individuals we can only reach one at a time. Therefore, the one is what I do in my personal evangelism and outreach. The 99 is what we do together as a body. So given our context, the one is our personal evangelism, the thousands are what we do as a church strategically. If I ever stop doing the one, I loose effectiveness in reaching the thousands because church merely becomes a holding pen or event. If I ignore the 300,000 around me who need Jesus for the sake of focusing exclusively on the one, there is no light on this hill for people to find their way home. What do you think?

Way to go Vince Antonucci

2007-08-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hey, one of my young heroes is entering the blogosophere. Check it out! Go Vince Baby, Go!!!!!!

The Book That Transforms Nations

2007-08-21T08:29:00.000-07:00

One of the most incredible books out there is Loren Cunningham's new book entitled The Book That Transforms Nations. You've got to read this! It operates on the same premise as my book, but it deals with a lot of things my book does not deal with. It’s as if they are companion volumes made to go together. Read it. It deals with a lot of history and other things. It’s incredible!!

We're Back from Hawaii!

2007-08-20T05:12:00.001-07:00

Nikki and I had a blast the past week - we were in Hawaii with Veryl and Cheryl Henderson and spoke to pastors about transformation, glocalization, and multiplication. We had a couple of days to walk on the beach - play - and kick back for a much needed break. It was a wild trip. On the plane over, we found out a hurricane was on the way. Our first night - we woke up the next morning to an earthquake. The next day before boarding a ship for a sunset cruise we received a tsunami alert from the earthquake in Peru. An out of control fire had taken over 6500 acres on the north side of the island. Our hotel went on strike. On the plane back - as we boarded a little old lady was out of it - running up and down aisles taking pictures of people with an old polaroid saying "this is the one." She was removed from the plane!!!! It was crazy all the goofy stuff happening.

ALTERNATIVE VIEW TO ISREALI-PALESTINEAN CONFLICT

2007-08-11T18:36:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was interviewed on Sirius Satellite Radio by Mike Feder - it's a talk show - the following are some of the things that we covered.

A TWO-STATE SOLUTION
As we begin there are 3 core things that must be kept in mind.

First, reconciliation is the ministry all of us are a part of.

2Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

Relational diplomacy – people to people – is the key. Top down dealing with powers and bottom up – dealing with people at the most basic level of needs. It was my exposure to the Afghans and others I met in the Middle-East that began to change how I thought.

Second, understanding the divine promises related to Israel and all nations.

Third, honest historical examination. A great book is Tony Maalouf’s “Arab’s in the shadow of Israel deals with this – and is good to read because it’s from an evangelical Arabic scholar.

WHY?

First, we are allowing speculative theology to formulate foreign policy. That’s very dangerous. When conservative Bible believing scholars can’t agree – for one opinion to be pushed to the point of war is arrogant and dangerous.

Second, as a Christian we say we care about the Middle-east and Muslims and want to see them come to faith in Christ. We are saying accept Jesus, and our politics. The thing they care about most, we ignore. We are so one-sided in our position we’ve ignored the very people we would want to reach. None of us would ever support suicide bombers – but neither should we allow refuge camps to exist. We should serve people, not because we are trying to convert them – but because we have been converted. God is just to the just and the unjust alike – who are we to pass judgment on and say these can live in refugee camps, be displaced and these cannot. Tell that to a child, to a young family – what is Christian about that? Because we have not addressed it in a just manner – we are breeding the very behaviors that we all despise.

Third, we have not respected the views and situation of Palestinian evangelical Christians. Before ’67 2/3rds of Palestinians present were Christians – now that’s 8 to 12% depending on who you talk to. How could we have ignored their concerns – these are our brothers in Christ. This makes no sense. Who was better positioned to tell people in the Middle-East about Jesus than the Palestinians?!!! We’re responsible to some degree for them having to leave. I’ve spoken to seminary professors who teach there – it’s hard for Christian students there to understand. We tend to interpret Scripture in light of our own culture and experience. I was on my way to Egypt when someone showed me this verse – Isa. 19:23 “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. 24. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. 25. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” If we want to make a Bible verse come true – this one certainly wouldn’t hurt. A theology professor said, different people from different nations underline different verses – when we see the whole world – we underline the whole Bible!

Fourth, we are creating an environment that creates an atmosphere for war. And whereas we would disagree with a war “jihad” from the Muslim perspective - we are guilty of the same thing when we push our troops in harms way because of our “personal” theology. As Christians we should view war as a last resort – even then in response to a Hitler who is killing millions of Jews – not someone who’s policy we disagree with.

Fifth, faith should bring us together and cause us to treat one another with respect – not fear and confrontation. This is what Jesus did – it cost him his life. This is what Augustine did. This is what St. Francis did. We need new models of Jesus followers to emulate.

Sixth, some Christians have forgot the teaching of Jesus that when the Apostles wanted a physical kingdom – he said no. When Peter picked up the sword he made him put it down. God’s kingdom isn’t temporal or physical but eternal and heavenly. God does have an eternal covenant with Israel, but it is eternal and heavenly – not temporal and physical – Jesus said this, Hebrews 11 says it. David says it in the Old Testament.

Seventh, God loves all the nations. Abraham was only Abraham when he became the Father of Nations not just the Father of a nation. The nations are not done away with. The Bible teaches they will exist throughout eternity – and that people from every tongue, tribe, and nation will be present and living in peace. Rev. 22:1-5 – Jesus will be the king. God has a commitment to every nation that has ever existed. Rev. 7:9

Eight, God’s expression of favor on Israel was not because of who she was or what she did. He loved her as the least. She was a picture of what a nation looked like when she followed God and the disaster that would come when she didn’t. She was to be a light to the nations in the world. This is why David and Abraham sought for a city that did not yet exist that would only exist in eternity – according to Hebrews 11. Abraham was a stranger on this earth – there was an eternal city, world, that he longed for and lived for. They longed for a heavenly country and city.

Ninth, some people believe that either what we do with Israel or how fast we “convert” others will hasten the coming of Jesus Christ. That is arrogant and unbiblical. The Father says no one knows when Christ will come, only when the Father sends him – not even the son. We do what we do because Jesus lives in us and we love him and others – not to manage God’s agenda – he does that just fine.

Global Leadership Forum 2007

2007-08-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

If you want to get around some really sharp-thinking people from different points of view click here. What an incredible opportunity.

Mission Accomplished

2007-08-09T07:49:00.001-07:00

Read what Colorado Home Town News had to say about NorthWood Students and NorthWoodChurch Plant Cool River.

Kevin and Amy Colon

2007-08-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Read NorthWood's impact on Kevin and Amy Colon with Cool River Church, Superior, Colorado.

A Surreal Tale of Two Exceptional Young Men

2007-08-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, watching the news was surreal. The lead story was about a car wreck that claimed the life of one of the youth in our church who grew up down the road from me - he was 17. It was followed by a story involving another youth who grew up in our youth group who was auditioning for American Idol - he is 17.

I got up early yesterday to make sure the house was perfect for Nikki coming in from Vietnam. I ran early so I wouldn't be sweaty when I picked Nikki and Jill up. As I was finishing my run, a family on my street were outside - the husband and wife sobbing. Police were there and had just told them of Micheal's death. Craig has been battling cancer - this was a double blow. When Micheal was smaller he was a part of a car pool. He was always asking me questions about being a pastor. I brought him a rock from Mt. Everest when I once trekked to the base camp. From then on out the rest of the year, he'd ask me questions about it. He read about it, wanted to know about the thin air and everything else. I've watched him grow up - a good kid. This summer he's been working at the church. I went in the auditorium one day last week and there he was, sitting down on the front row - I couldn't tell who it was at first. His head was bowed, and he was praying. I love Micheal, his heart, his warmth - everything about him.

Brandon's Dad has led many trips to Vietnam and his mom heads up our prayer ministry. Brandon has always been an exceptioanlly behaved young guy - he's been to Vietnam with us a few times. He was a chunky little kid - the past few years, all that left and he's grown very tall. His singing is exceptional - he comes by it honest on his mother's side. He's gifted and will do something significant with his life I am sure. He loves God. I freaked him out a couple of days ago - I heard of his audition and called him and said there's a sweet little lady who has done a new arrangement of "How Great Thou Art" and he should sing that song. He tried to be respectful, I could tell - "Well, can I see it?" That kid had no intention of singing that song - I promise you!

Micheal had never been to Vietnam, but wanted to go on a trip with me - Brandon has been to Vietnam. At a time in life where the mission of both those young men were emerging - one's mission is over, another is trying to find it. Our lives are on mission - we think we know what it is, often we prepare for it, sometimes it just engulfs us. God must be our mission - if he isn't, then it may not get fulfilled. Activities, actions, projects, dreams - they're all good - but God must be the mission, only he is eternal. Anything less is a false measurement. Everything else flows from the pursuit of God alone.

I love you Micheal, I love you Brandon - I'm proud of both of you. I grieve for one and weep, I celebrate for one and clap. For both of you - I've watched you pursue God - may that never stop.

I"M BLOWN AWAY BY THE RESPONSE!

2007-08-03T09:29:00.000-07:00

I see these things that tell me all these people read the blog - didn't believe it - until yesterday. OK, we're going to do it - would you want a free-for-all OR specific things. Would you want me to invite some of my friends as guests. Just yakking here. I would do it once a week for 1 hour to begin with. Here's an idea and potential outline, but I'm open to anything -

Week #1 - Global Diplomacy and Foreign Relations - invite some of my diplomat friends and just talk global nation-state issues or humanitarian issues.

Week #2 - World Religions - invite an immam, rabbi, athiest, etc. and me dialogue with them, with you.

Week #3 - Missional - church, religion and God stuff

Week #4 - Domains and engagement issues

Or do a 24 week thing and announce in advance - I'd still blog like I do, except on those days and then we'd do it -

What would be the best time.

I'll do anyway you guys want - give me some ideas.

Live Blogging Idea--What Do You Think?

2007-08-02T06:08:00.001-07:00

I'm not always good at responding to the comments--I check this about once a day and have to rock and roll, but I've thought about maybe announcing a week in advance that I'll be live blogging to questions for 2 hours to anyone who wants to ask a question. I get emails on questions on my blog and respond to as many as I can. I have many friends that follow this, Communists, Muslims, Christians, pastors, missionaries, diplomats, businessmen, etc., etc., etc., from many nations in the world. Would you guys be interested? Is this a good idea or not? Give me your two cents worth ideas.

God Lessons in the Father's World

2007-08-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

This summer I stayed home to live a normal life--for me that would be a vacation! It has been anything but. I think what I am living is what my life will be. Albeit I have to keep narrowing what I do and saying no a whole lot more than yes which is not easy for someone who likes the yes word! It has been a continuous flow of diplomats, businessmen, pastors, missionaries, organizations, NGOs and the like all wanting to explore new ways to engage this new emerging world. No one has any answers--at least that I've met. Most of us just keep walking towards the light grabbing what God puts in front of our face. It's fun having to walk by faith not knowing the next step. I like the adventure of the moment in the rain on the mountain--which, by the way, is where Nikki and Jill are right now. As I'm waking, and starting a day, they should have just finished a hike in Sapa, Vietnam with all our friends. Sapa has to be one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a computer school to go to for which one of our partner churches, Putnam City Baptist Church in Oklahoma, is responsible. Cool River Church in Colorado is opening a computer lab in another area August 3-12.

Recently, we have received a lot of press from almost all the major Christian magazines, and several secular newspapers. People call and want the "3 steps to engagement." There are none. There are 3 things I've realized though, more and more, that are key to all of this.

First, I continue to see that everything is simple obedience. My problem with saying no is what if you are saying no to something God has put in your face. I said no at first to two things this summer that wound up being huge yeses in terms of making a difference. Some of my other "yeses" were not nearly as significant. If you would put on paper by priority and significance what they were, everyone would agree what was yes or no. However, God had a different definition. It's true, to say yes to something means you have to say no to something else. Wisdom is key to obedience. At first obedience is a question simply of the will. Am I willing? Once we get that down, obedience brings lots of fruit--then obedience is a discernment of the will of God. Is it this or that? I don't believe it's God putting lots of stuff in our face. I think it's man. God has his stuff already there; it just gets cluttered with what other people want. In the early days it's easy because God speaks, and most men don't care nor have any interest in what we do. As God speaks and blesses things, then you wind up with more people around you.

Second, I cannot deny the sovereignty of God. I'm not a 5-point Calvinist. BUT, God has orchestrated so many things that in a million years I could have never brought about. I would say I'm more "Calvinist" than "Armenian." This doesn't come from the logic of the Calvinist for me. I get exhausted and frustrated with some of the arguments and mental gymnastics over the Scriptures and how some seem to contradict. It comes from seeing God work and how he orchestrates things and brings them together. I have an incredible story but it will be years before I can share it publicly. But, man, in the past week, I watched 3 people, 3 nations, and one pastor in the middle of 3 major events where they all converged and brought people together for one thing, but each had a unique thing as well. Just too, too wild! I could never have done what happened in a million years--the stars lined up and someone had to move them.

Third, we've so underrated, minimized, and pigeonholed the Holy Spirit--it's sad. Either we ignore the Spirit, or we make the Spirit our feel good bless meter for the Christian life. Truly incredible things happen because of the Holy Spirit. In my life I've only felt led to prophesy over someone or thing twice. That's it. Last week, I had a strong and clear word from God and I shared it with a group I met with. God fell on the place. Already I'm seeing fruit from that and there is much, much more in the works that maybe ten years from now I'll be able to share publicly. We need the gifts of the Spirit so badly--not for us--but for the completion of the will of God in our lives and our world.

What are you learning, seeing, or experiencing??

Article in New York Times

2007-07-30T08:14:00.001-07:00

New York Times July 29 article. Bob loves the Jews, the Palestinians and the whole world.

NorthWood in the News

2007-07-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was historical in the life of NorthWood to say the least. You can read about it HERE.

Relating to People of Different Religions

2007-07-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked, "How do you relate to people of different religions, work with them, keep your own faith, and even in the midst of that be a witness?" This weekend's sermon illustrate it. Faith is most powerful--not when it's held in a closet or huddle for those who merely believe it, but when it's passed out and shared by those who live it and it can't simply be contained. Here is the mp3 interview I did with Mr. Nguyen Van Kien:

Dallas Morning News Blog

2007-07-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hey guys - this is what's up the next few days at NorthWood - it's neat to be a part of making the world a better place. Who wudda thot?

Rock on Richard Haas & Council on Foreign Affairs

2007-07-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty wasted tonight - started early this morning to get to Decatur, Illinois and got stuck on the tarmac at LaGuardia for a few hours - I made it, spoke. I wanted to write now because tomorrow will be a zoo and I don't want to forget last night.

Richard Haas spoke and I can see why he is where he is. The guy is brilliant. I'd already read "The Opportunity" a while back and read his articles in Foreign Affairs, but after hearing him - I had a lot of things stirring inside of me. Some key things he said about people of faith and global issues:

--Timing is everything in global affairs - and the timing is now for the discussion of faith and foreign affairs.

--People and ideas matter - they always have.

--Current world described not so much by great powers of of a diminished order.

Each one of these you could talk all day on. I would have liked a day with him to probe him on these issues - and a lot more.

The thing that stuck in my mind the most though - was the question of how to do foreign policy for America. Is the starting point the world, or is the starting point America. Not sure where he comes out on that one. But it sure reminded me of our current "debate" of the church. Our starting point is not the church - but the world. Our seed - the Gospel of the Kingdom. I hope to get to know this guy a lot better.

Today with Richard Haas - Council on Foreign Relations

2007-07-17T03:42:00.000-07:00

I fly early this morning to Manhattan for a workshop Richard Haas is leading with other speakers on religion and foreign policy. There is no such thing as a secular world. The old days of diplomats trying to develop foreign and public policy apart from faith is over. There was the idea that faith was a private matter. Does anyone believe that anymore? When you see our current world situation and the future prosepects only dialogue and new ways of thinking about faith in the public sector can save us from all out destruction. I still believe what Jefferson wrote is our best hope of learning to live together. In his "wall of separation" between the church and the government - it was never a denial of faith or a minimalization of it - only a way to allow people of different faiths to communicate without making it public policy. I'm excited about some of the people who will be there and the presenters. At a time globally when we need "religious" statesmen the most - who is there? Why are they not there?

Ben & Ashley Marry Today!

2007-07-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

I've already journaled, prayed, and about to run. This is going to be a fun and exciting day. My son is marrying Ashley. We love her very much and are very proud of both of them. They have both prepared themselves in every way and I 'm really excited about what is going to happen in their future. I'll write more on this later - - - -

THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT FROM THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

2007-07-14T05:50:00.001-07:00

For the past 100 years the charismatic movement has swept the church and the world. Something specific in history happened at Azusa Street, but I also believe many of those same things were happening prior to that, there just wasn't a vocabulary. There are many things that can be debated about it - but as I was running yesterday I was thinking to myself there are two incredible gifts the charismatic movement has blessed the entire church with. I think it goes beyond the supernatural expression of the miraculous.

First, because of the emphasis on the Holy Spirit I believe there came a strong passion for worship. The charismatic movement has taught the church to worship in ways that are profound and deep that impact mainline churches today. The freedom of the Spirit afforded by the charismatic church spread in music, expression, and a desire for spontaniety that even mainline churches emulate in many ways. I'm so so grateful for that. I can go in most churches and sing worship songs, lift my hands, and worship regardless of the denomination. I would also be quick to say, that as one who discovered the joy worship, when we discover the object of worship - we can "worship" in the highest of the high or the lowest of the low.

Second, because of the emphasis on the Holy Spirit - anything is possible - even outside the realm of human engineering. I am very grateful the charismatic movement has impacted the world as it has. We've all heard the stats that 75% of the church globally is charismatic. There are reasons for that - yes sociologically, culturally, identification - but you cannot minimize the belief in the power of the Holy Spirit that makes anything possible - even taking the Gospel to the most difficult places on the earth.

The lines between "charismatic" and "non-charismatic" have blurred dramatically since the 70's and they will continue to. So, how do you reconcile some of the differences? I don't - they're there. Like the debate about free will and human responsibility - it's a tension that will exist. But I woudn't want to do away with a God that is in total control - neither would I want to follow a God that made me a robot. Excesses? Yes. Need for more excesses out of some who never get enough steam up to even come close to making a wrong turn so don't do anything at all? Yes. What's the answer? Learn from one another, bless one another, work with one another, and even challenge one another. BUT for God's sake and his kingdom - don't villify one another or isolate ourselves from His Body - something we have no right or perrogative to do.

Power of the Church verus Power of the Gospel

2007-07-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

The power to transform a person, a family, a tribe, a nation, and the world doesn't lie in the engineering of the perfect church - but lies in the planting the the seed of the perfect Gospel in the dirt of humanity. There, left to dirt and rain - the Gospel grows and works to a point that the church emerges. Form follows function. We think function happens if we get the right form. We may never which comes first, the chicken or the egg - but we know the Gospel before the Church.

GLOBALIZATION'S IMPACT ON INSTITUTIONAL MISSIONS

2007-07-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

There have been several articles in the past year from many mission organization publications dealing with laymen, churches, and even other ngo's (non-governmental humanitarian organizations) that are working around the world and and their impact on missions. At heart, I believe the real question that we struggle with is when the world is won for Christ, who will win it? Who will lead it? Who will be up on the front edge? My response is two-fold. First, we all will. Second, typical, normal, everyday national and international laymen will be up on the front edges--not religious professionals. Why? Theologically, the Great Commission was given to the whole church, not religious professionals like me. It is my job not because I'm a religious professional but because I'm a follower of Christ. Those of us that are religious professionals are to be more than anything equippers for the entire body--not the superstars. Biblically, you cannot ignore Antioch. It wasn't the Apostles. It wasn't the missionaries sent there (there weren't any--it was these two lay guys who are on fire and a church emerges out of what they are doing.) Practically, we will never be able to fund enough missionaries, institutions, and organizations to do what God has called and commissioned the entire church to do. The Great Commission is great because it will take all of us. It's too great a thing for a handful of people or institutions to accomplish.

Why do we segment everything all the time? Haven't we learned there is no break between the sacred and secular? Now we want that division between the "vocational" and the "avocational"? What a stupid debate. Who is most important the vocational missionary (Paul) or the laymen (Antioch businessman) who owns the Great Commission and does business globally in secular non-Christian societies to bless those societies and model what faith looks like? You have to have both and trying to implement a pecking order is arrogant, prideful, flesh filled, and self-centered. Kind of reminds me of Jesus dealing with the apostles when they were arguing over who is the greatest. We now have over 15 couples out of NorthWood working world-wide as vocational missionaries. We have others in the pipeline. I do believe we are in need of radical redefinition of missionaries almost to the extent of the radicalness of what Carey did in his day. I also believe we are in need of our missions institutions radically redefining. Many of them are and I love it when I'm in the room of some of the leading missions organizations and they struggle with this openly and honestly. I believe God's going to bless them. I also believe when the world is won for Christ the whole body will be up on her feet--read Glocalization.

Mission institutions have to respond to this because like never before laymen are rising up to engage the world--with or without institutions. What do they do with them? Laymen who are educators, businessmen, health professionals, etc. go and see things and want to do things. That's good as long as it fits into the overall strategy of the local missionary or mission agency. But, if it doesn't, that's percieved as a headache by some mission agencies. Is the point "the missionary" or "the Gospel?" If the point is the "Gospel" then you want that seed planted all over the place in a thousand ways springing up in uncontrollable enviroments. If it's the "missionary" then we must preserve the institution. I'm convinced many mission institutions really want short-term mission trips, because if that's the case, then the missionary will always be the focus--no short-term trip, approach, changes any nation. I don't support short-term trips. I support and promote long-term, comprehensive, kingdom, wholistic, local church, engagement from a church to a city using all of the members vocations to engage the society as a whole--not just religious work. This is how business, communication, education and other people operate in domains globally. Why can't the church? Why? Because as a Christian there is no sacred and secular divide. And be-bopping all over the place doing a little project here and one there isn't and hasn't changed anything.

So many people today are worried about the form the Church. For God's sake, how inward focused, self-serving, have we become that we're more concerned about our own nests than we are a world that's suffering, hurting, and in need of the hope that we believe we have. My call to the church is not innovate and contemporize, but "Get up on your feet!" And then, "Move 'em chunky legs!" You can put a dead or lethargic body in a new set of clothes, but it still ain't dancin! Mission preceeds form--only live things multiply--another book on the way in a few months.

What is this all about? Sadly, the American church has never been that global. Part of that is our geography and isolation on the Western Hemisphere. That's why we speak one language--except for our immigrants. We understood globalization primarily as economics at first. Globalization is so much more than economics. The most globalizing force in the American church has been the mission agencies, until the past 30 years. Globalization radically has changed the world. Laymen began to engage the world. Businessmen would come home from global trips and challenge their pastors to do something with what they had seen. The response was to call the denominations or churches missions agency to do a project in that country with the missionary, which isn't always bad if the missionary gets a global world. (I contend you can live around the world and still not be global.) These guys don't want a project, they want to engage their life and business for kingdom endeavors. Neither the local church nor the institutional agencies know what to do with these guys and feel threatened when they start moving because they put money and activity behind it. The other reality is the missionary who gets globalization is incredibly indespensible in strategically harnessing and focusing those resources for an intentional impact.

There has never been a time, or as condusive an enviroment, for mission agencies and institutions to engage the world like there is today. If it happens, Mission agencies and institutions are going to have to:

1. see themselves as connectors of the whole body of Christ to the whole world.
2. release control or lose any control at all because people aren't going to sit around and wait.
3. train not just local culture and practices to a missionary but global culture and practices.
4. redefine how missionaries work, what they do and how they operate.
5. be a revolving door not just of sending western missionaries but of "global" missionaries from every society.
6. be a recieving entity for missionaries coming to America who feel called to work here . . .
7. value local churches and laymen beyond just seeing them as cows to milk for their institution (I'm convinced the key to raising funds is not asking for money but partnering and doing things together--there will be more money than they could ever imagine.
8. view themselves not as funders of people who want to be vocational missionaries but partners "gospel" seed planters of the kingdom throughout the world.

There have been new churches not just to reach the lost, but because in history the church refused to be relevant and listenning to those coming up. Mission agencies run the same risk. People are going to work with people that are willing to work together and ignore those who aren't willing to partner. The days of a huge bearacracy telling a church that is funding it what it can and can't do are numbered. Getting a bunch of young guys in a room and telling them "we want to hear from you" won't cut it. Getting a bunch of youngs with a radical "newlight" missionary--saying there's a city, now take it, and the skies the limit. You empower them all, you infuse enthusiasm, and you learn from one another.

And, I could go on and on and on because more than anything I long for "thy kingdom come, thy will be done. . . " and one day I accidently stumbled outside into this new global world and and I saw this massively active, complex, simple, and big God who was orchestrating everything and it changed my view of an Old Church and a New World to a lamb on the throne and masses from every nation worshipping, and so shall I see and be a part of one day--but why not this day . . .

Kingdom Builder or Castle Builder

2007-07-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

I'm involved in a project that is bringing together some pastors from all over the world. We are learning from one another and trying to partner to see this world transformed. The group is small by design and to be involved it has little to do with your vision but your fruit. I had the opportunity to visit with both Ralph Neighbour, Jr. and Ralph Neighbour, Sr. today. I've known Jr. since I met him almost 20 years ago in the LA area. He's always reminded me of Martin Luther for some reason. Sr., I met years ago and went to one of his cell church conferences. He had a significant impact on how I would develop in my views of ministry and the world. I was sharing with them some of the things that we're doing globally and some dreams as well as some of the partnerships. Sr. called me up and gave me some profound advice. "All of the kind of men you want to work with will be inovators. But I've discovered there are two kinds of men. One is a castle builder and the other is a kingdom builder. A castle builder has his own agenda to build his castle. He wants notoriety and recognition. A kingdom builder wants God's kingdom established. Be discerning of castle builders!"

How do you look in a man's heart and know what is there? Texans are a lot like Asians. We smile and nod our heads, are warm, start in politeness, but want to get to know someone before going deep. In working globally, and in the US, one of the lessons I had to learn was that just because someone smiled at you didn't mean they liked you or shared your values. How do you distinguish the two? Can you distinguish the two? At first, everyone and everything looks as it should. Time and conflict expose it for what it is. That's easy and obvious. My question is, how do you see it before you go deep with someone so it doesn't sidetrack what God's call is. Maybe you can't avoid it. Paul dealt with it, Peter did--everyone does. Maybe the point is, don't freak out when it happens--it's just part of the deck of cards.

Recently, I've been recieving a lot of "unsolicited prophecy" and I feel it has been from God. Some of it has been more "here is the direction" and others have been "watch out." In my study on prophecy, God speaks through someone else to challenge you. It comes at the right time, from the right person, for a speciic situation. I think this word from Sr. was "prophetic" and sadly reflective of the "pathetic" condition of leadership today.

Another reality is this--any kingdom builder can become a castle builder without constant tilling of the soil of their heart. I can, you can--anyone. The weeds of pride, self-centeredness, arrogance grow in all our hearts and without pulling those weeds and somtimes even getting others to help us pull those weeds we can become overgrown into arrogance. God deliver me from that. God, give me discernment - when the grass is cut low, and its very green, it's hard to see the weeds in the grass, only when the grass begins to grow does it become clear and by that time, they can take over a good yard!