Living faithful, fruitful and fulfilled on the mission field
Sometimes our greatest transformation comes out of the moments of our deepest grief. Recently, YWAM around the world was rocked by the tragic news that eight key leaders were killed in a horrible bus accident. Our hearts go out to the families and staff who …
Is the Sabbath something we need to observe today? Didn’t Jesus ignore the Sabbath and do ministry on that day? Isn’t every day holy now? These questions about the Sabbath run through our thoughts. Why take Sabbath anyhow? Maybe when you think of Sabbath you …
Some flavors go together well. Others just don’t. Like lemongrass and coconut milk in Thai food. They complement each other and are delicious. Or palm butter and rice. Yum! But when you put minced chicken with ice cream it just doesn’t work, right? My husband used to do that as a kid! Yuck! Sometimes the flavors in our mission or disciple-making teams can be a delightful combination. Other times our team can “taste” pretty terrible.
I’ve written several blogs about team dynamics. They have addressed the differences of personality, culture, and spiritual gifts in missionary teams. Click here to see the introduction to this series.
Spiritual gifts are supposed to be just that – gifts. When we value some giftings above others or become overly proud of any particular gift, it spoils the taste. The body of Christ, represented in our missionary team, becomes dysfunctional. When every team member, and the gifts resident within them, feel valuable and important, the team will thrive.
My husband has the gift of hospitality. Unusual for a guy you might be thinking. Maybe, but I don’t see anywhere in the Bible that it says women are the ones with the hospitality gifts and men are the ones with leadership gifts. Do you? You can read more about our journey related to this, if you are interested.
His gift is so valuable to me! I often forget to do the needful, especially in Asian culture, and serve tea or welcome people well. He is so great at this! I am so thankful for him.
The leadership team I am currently on has someone who is very pastoral. Again, his spiritual gift is such a blessing! He has a gentle, loving way of interacting with people. We are different, but it’s a good flavor in our team mix.
As each person on your team discovers their spiritual gifts, the team will be able to function well. Each member will flow in their role as a part of the Body of Christ. They can be who they were created by God to be. There will be no pressure to be someone else or to operate in someone else’s gifting.
There are many different free spiritual gifts tests you can take online. This site has a free downloadable version too. A popular framework related to the five-fold ministry gifts is called APEST (Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, Teacher).
The primary Bible passages where the spiritual gifts are listed are:
1) Romans 12:6-8
2) 1 Cor. 12:8-10,
3) Ephesians 4
4) 1 Peter 4.
Take time to study these individually and together.
As you look at the lists, you will see many areas that overlap. Some gifts combine with others.
Encourage each team member to assess themselves to find out what their gifts are. Then share these with one another. Each person can also give input to the other team members. They can mention how they have seen the other team members functioning in various spiritual gifts. This is greatly encouraging to hear. It also serves as a confirmation to hear others say they also see those gifts in you.
If some team members are still young, encourage them to experiment with all of the spiritual gifts. Avoid labeling. You don’t know what your gifts are until you try something new. You may be surprised what God releases within you as you step out in faith!
I had a friend in college who was extremely introverted. She never talked to anyone and kept to herself. She had a small circle of friends. But when we went out together to do street evangelism she was amazing! She so clearly had the spiritual gift of an evangelist! Don’t just think about personality types here. These are spiritual gifts, meaning they are given to you and empowered by God’s Spirit! They are not limited to your natural gifts.
The area where team conflict can arise is when we are very passionate about the particular ministries we are called to. We naturally place a higher value on the areas of ministry we are gifted in.
Those with the gift of teaching may have a hard time understanding why we don’t require everyone to do Inductive Bible Study. “Why aren’t we doing a better job building Biblical foundations in the disciples we are making?” they may wonder.
Someone with an apostolic gift wants to pioneer in new places and move in the supernatural more. They get bored with things after a few years and want to move on.
The pastor will want to develop and care for people as the top priority.
This is why we are a body. As it says in 1 Corinthians, we must honor and value each member of the body.
The better we understand our spiritual gifts and those of the other team members, the more we can become a healthy functioning team.
Maybe it’s been a while since you thought about your spiritual gifts. Take some time to re-read these Bible passages and pray about them. Ask God to show you what gifts He has placed within you. Commit yourself to using and growing them. Encourage other team members to do the same.
What step will you take this week to discover more about the spiritual gifts in your own life or within your team? Let me know in the comments or on the Missionary Life Facebook page.
Sabbath is a day for rest and intake. I try to do things that will refresh and renew my soul. One of these for me is listening to audiobooks. Recently, I’ve been listening to a book called More of God by R.T.Kendall. Something struck me …
A beautiful story is told in the movie Fly Away Home. It is about a young girl who raises a flock of geese. She is there when the goslings hatch. Thinking she is their mother, the growing birds follow her around everywhere she goes. This …
I was out in my garden working. Suddenly there was a sharp pain on my chin. I swiped it off – it was a bee. Then there was another buzzing. I flapped my arms wildly but got another sting on my eyebrow. A few minutes later there was more buzzing and another sting on my arm. That was it! I ran inside – to escape the attack. I normally don’t react to bee stings, but this time was different. I felt sick and dizzy. My face painfully puffed up. This experience got me thinking about other times I have been under “spiritual attack”.
Psalm 118 talks about the enemy swarming around us like bees, “but in the name of the Lord I cut them off.” This is a great Psalm that teaches us about the reality of spiritual attack.
In my distress, I called to the LORD,
and He answered and set me free.
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
The LORD is on my side; He is my helper.
Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were extinguished like burning thorns;
In the name of the LORD, I cut them off.
I was pushed so hard I was falling,
but the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation.
Ps 118: 5-14
How can we tell when pain is from spiritual warfare or natural occurrences? If it is warfare, what can we do about it?
When negative things happen, the first question I ask is, “Lord, where is this coming from?”
1 Cor 12, says the Holy Spirit can give us a gift to discern spirits. We should ask the Lord for discernment, rather than trusting common sense, or what we see with our eyes.
We must find out. Is something allowed by God to train and strengthen us? Or, is this something sent from the enemy to discourage and destroy? Or, is this just part of living on a fallen planet?
Most things in life are not controlled by spirits. We don’t want to give the devil credit for everything!
God created the natural order. Folk Islam and animism create fear. They teach that everything is caused by spirits, jinj, or the supernatural. The Bible teaches that is not true. The world is not controlled by demons. We are part of a rational universe. There are laws that govern it, and consequences to choices.
God made the world, and not everything that happens is because of a demon or angel. Much of what happens is caused by the natural order or the effect of a human decision. This means that science works because of the laws of nature that God created. We also know there is a spiritual dimension because God created the heavens and the earth – (Gen 1:1).
We do have a personal enemy who opposes God. We do not want to be unaware of his schemes or be undone by them. Nor do we want to elevate the devil to view him as an equal to God. They are not even close in their power!
The way the enemy works, however, has similar qualities to bees. It’s good to be aware of this.
Demons sense fear. In the Bible, we are frequently exhorted to be strong and mighty. We are told not to be afraid. This is because fear, pride, and unbelief are all part of the enemy’s strike power.
Fear makes us withdraw. That is what the enemy hopes will happen. Satan wants to hold his territory. He does not want us to bring light into darkness. He wants us to stay away. If he can make us afraid, then it will make us leave, stay silent, or disobey God.
How to deal with the enemy?
With bees, and spiritual warfare, you should work in pairs – one has the smoker, one handles the hive. Spiritually, we need the Helper – we need God to be at our side. He is the one who strengthens us to overcome any opposition.
If you are being effective for the Kingdom, demons will try to get rid of you. They want to make you go away or leave your place of calling. Some scriptural examples are; a demonic storm in Mk. 4, and Jezebel in 1 Kings 18.
Demons seem to be attached to places. In the Bible, they are often named after cities or nations. For example, the “Prince of Persia,” or in Mark five, the demons did not want to be sent out of their location. When we proclaim the gospel, we are a threat to the demons in that location. They want to get rid of you as quickly as they can.
There can be many types of opposition: discouragement, sickness, thoughts of giving up, financial or material loss, or even attacks from others. When there are setbacks, do not take it as guidance that God wants you to give up. Jesus promised us that in this world we would have difficulty. He said that servants are not above their master (Jn 15) and if people hated him, they would hate us as well. Jesus faced many instances of physical and demonic opposition. He did not give up, but finished the task the Father had given him.
We must “Commit ourselves to God” and persevere. Then we will overcome. Our God is far, far greater than any demonic power!
Smoke deals with bees, as the intercession of saints deals with demonic opposition. If the bees are swarming, get the smoker and puff lots of smoke. It confuses, distracts, and disorientates them.
In the Bible, smoke, incense, or the lighting of the lamps is often symbolic of prayer. Jesus dealt with opposition, both physical and spiritual, through prayer. He rebuked demons. He commanded them to be silent. He prayed for those who crucified Him and told us to pray from our enemies – to bless and not curse.
To discern if the opposition is a spiritual attack, check your heart. Is there anything you are doing that you feel guilty about, or that is not good for you? Are your choices causing the problems?
For example, if I lack self-control and stay awake too late at night watching a movie, I feel tired the next day. If I feel flat, or find it hard to concentrate and then make bad decisions, it is my fault – not spiritual warfare. If this is the cause, be honest with God. Repent and make life choices to love him and please him. That is the place of greatest safety – in the refuge of God.
To be under God’s shadow you need to stay close to him. Resisting sin and walking in holiness helps push away the enemy.
When you work with bees, you should wear protective clothing. In times of spiritual attack; holiness, and walking in obedience to God protect. Loving God and others by choosing to be in unity is like the bee suit we put on to keep the sting of the enemy at bay.
Lastly, bee stings are painful but don’t usually kill you. The same with the enemy. He may harass, or incite other people to hurt you. But in the end, his sting will be destroyed. He does not hold the key to eternity. His attack, painful as it may be, is short-lived. One day he will be vanquished totally, and we will say with the rest of those who love Jesus:
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O Death, is your victory?
Where, O Death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:54-55,57)
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen?
Are you facing bee stings? Spiritual attack and harassment from the enemy? Reach out for prayer to a group of trusted friends. Ask them to help you discern what is happening and to intercede with you for victory. Share your prayer need on the Missionary Life Facebook group. We’d love to pray with you.
*This blog was written by guest author R.M and edited by C. Anderson.
It is so easy to walk right past people, to not even notice them. I almost did that yesterday. He was standing out in front of his food stall. Looking for customers. About fifty years old, balding, and with a roundish figure to match his …
We sang the translated song with its complicated chords and transitions. The words were Nepali, but the tune (loi) was not at all Nepali in style. “Prabhu ouchalchu tapaiko nao” (Lord, I lift your name on high)…we sang. The first part isn’t so hard, though …
Our world is increasingly noisy. I’m not talking about the traffic noise we became used to when living in India. Nor the barking dogs and blaring puja chanting…though that was there too. I’m referring to the noise inside our heads. Finding silence is not easy. When we finally can escape external noise, our inner thoughts increase in volume.
Sometimes I find myself saying things like, “Why didn’t I get that done yesterday? I should have worked harder. So and so was distant to me, I bet they don’t like me. Why did I wear that outfit yesterday, I looked ridiculous. Was my message boring? That lady on the front row seemed sleepy….”
Maybe these aren’t the things your inner voice says. I’m pretty sure, though, that it says something the moment you stop and sit still before the Lord. Am I right? We have to learn, not only to remove external noise but to shut down our inner voices too.
The practice of silence and solitude is essential to our relationship with God. Unless we quiet the voices screaming in our head, we will not hear our Master speak. Oh, how we need His voice! His conviction leads us to repentance. His direction leads us to fruitful, meaningful ministry.
We were on a retreat. “Go outside and find a quiet place to sit,” they said. “Try to be quiet before God. Don’t pray. Don’t read your Bible. Just be still.” It sounded easy. It was not.
Finding the quiet bench in the garden of the Catholic retreat center where we had gathered…was not so hard. But I was so accustomed to talking to God. I’d not learned to be silent. Or at least not very well.
I set a timer on my watch. I was going to do this for five minutes.
Concentrating, when my inner voices began to speak, I pushed them away and focused on my breathing. In…out. In…out. Looking at my watch I thought the five minutes must be over. Nope. Only 42 seconds had passed.
Practicing silence is a discipline. It takes time to learn and grow in this habit. Well worth the work to learn, it can bear great fruit in our lives. Silence is essential to the development of our inner life.
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.
So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
1 Kings 19:11-13 NKJV.
I’ve sometimes wondered why it’s possible for Christians, who love God, read their Bibles daily, and go to church, to get so off track. Why do ministers and leaders fall into sin? How are we so easily deceived?
Part of the reason is we don’t take time to be still and silent before God. We are so busy working for Him. There is no space for His Spirit to convict. We do not give room for Him to shine His light on our hearts. This is not only unhealthy, but it is also dangerous.
Daily repentance, cleansing the soul before the Lord, is as essential as brushing your teeth and washing your face.
We live in a broken world and are surrounded by wounded people. Inevitably, we get bumped and bruised as we make our way through life. God wants to heal these wounds. Some are surficial and some go deep. Childhood pain also makes us stuck. We can’t move forward until God touches and ministers to those things in our lives.
I often find myself avoiding silence when I’m in pain. I don’t want to feel what’s going on inside my heart. I’d rather suppress and avoid it.
That habit; working more, and distracting myself with things like TV or social media, never leads to healing. Honestly, nor does praying. I need silence. To sit before the Lord and allow Him to come into that place of pain and touch me. Silence is where that happens.
In John 15, Jesus said, “Abide in me and you’ll bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing.” Silence is part of abiding. It’s just being with God, without words. Silence gives God a chance to guide us. Are we on the right path? Are our priorities in alignment with His for the day?
Regularly, when I am silent, God reveals answers to me. Solutions I never could have found, apart from that time of stillness before Him, rise to the surface.
Our hearts were not made for 24-7 noise. Yet the moment we awake, the radio or TV goes on. The noise in our world is relentless. Psalm 23 says, “He leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” The quiet, the stillness, it renews us. Are you weary? Come to Him and rest. Don’t pray. Don’t work. Don’t read. Just rest before Him and let Him touch your tired soul.
Start small. Don’t think you need to begin with 20 minutes in silence. Start with two or three minutes each day. Then add to that.
This week, would you take 3 to 5 minutes each day and be silent before the Lord? No praying. Quiet your own inner voice and simply be there with God.
Let us know how it goes on the Missionary Life Facebook group, or in the comments below.
Some relationships are just plain difficult. No matter what you do, it feels like lose/lose. This is particularly painful when those relationships are with the people you came to serve. Navigating cross-cultural relationships can be a rough road. How do we do it well? It …