Notice how people around you impact the room. Some are invisible. Some are trying to be the most visible. Some people have the gift of discerning what is wrong with almost everything. With still others, things seem to work better when they are around. The tone of a group changes whenever anyone enters or leaves.
So what changes when you walk in the room?
God’s plan is for His people to be room-changers. Jesus was Motivated by Compassion.
Jesus often saw and felt people’s pain. People’s pain caused Jesus to act. The Bible calls this dynamic compassion.
By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. So he taught them many things. (TPV Mark 6:34).
36 When he saw the vast crowds of people, Jesus’ heart was deeply moved with compassion, because they seemed weary and helpless, like wandering sheep without a shepherd. 37 He turned to his disciples and said, “The harvest is huge and ripe! But there are not enough harvesters to bring it all in. 38 As you go, plead with the Owner of the Harvest to thrust out many more reapers to harvest his grain!” (TPV Matthew 9:36-38).
God’s plan is for His people to bring change. This is why He created the compassion dynamic.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).
But who gets the peace? On whom is God’s favor resting?
Who Gets God’s Favor?
Jesus was asked how He got authority to grant God’s favor to people.
Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19). When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we ask God for His will to be done on earth just like it is done in heaven. We are asking for bits of heaven on earth. We are asking for tomorrow’s bread today.
Seeing
One key to effective Kingdom work is “seeing what the Father is doing.” I used to often think, “If I only did what I see the Father doing, I wouldn’t do much.” In retrospect, maybe I should have done less. While we are very grateful for everything that went right, much of my work did not bear the fruit I was looking for. In the gospels we see Jesus frustrated or bewildered at the dullness of people. He thought they were capable of tuning in to what the Father is saying and doing. I am learning to spend more time in prayer in order to see more into the Spirit realm.
John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard movement, once had a vision of God’s mercy. While driving his car he saw an unusual cloud in the sky. He stopped to have a better look, and as he did so he realized it wasn’t a cloud but a honeycomb that was dripping with honey. Below it he saw people. Some were excited about the honey that rained down and they ran about collecting it and sharing it with each other. Others were irritated by the honey that dropped on them and they tried to get away from it. When John asked God what it was, God said “That’s my mercy, for some people it’s a blessing and for some people it’s not … look at it, there’s plenty for everyone.”
Celtic Christians described God’s kingdom breaking into this present age as thin places because they understood that sometimes the distance between heaven and earth is closer than others. Maybe you have experienced this at a conference or a silent retreat. We carry God’s presence with us, and God is moving all around us. Our task is to see how God is moving. With whom? Can we be helpful?
Our Adventure
God’s Kingdom is breaking in to this present age all around us. Our challenge is that we mostly are blind to what is going on. We need to learn to see and to hear. We live in 2D when 3D is available, at least sometimes. God’s plan is for a movement of Christians who are spiritually alert, awake, tuned in. The task of Christian leaders is to help their people tune in to God’s channel so they can go into the world and recognize the spiritually thin places, the places where God is close to reaching people.
We Christians are salt and light. We bring flavor, color, and vision where these are lacking. Our salt and light are more visible in worldly settings than in church, much like a flashlight is more visible in a cave than in a sunlit field.
Practice seeing/hearing God’s presence. First spend daily time with God to recharge your battery. Then let God radiate out of you wherever you are. Look for the thin places. This might be someone who talks happy but its not resonating with you. Many people are hiding pain or fear. Maybe you can be a helpful presence. This may or may not involve words. Practice letting God soak up some of their pain just with your presence. This is called empathy. Maybe you can quietly bless them, or even do something helpful. This is called compassion. Words are helpful sometimes, especially if we have equity with people. Being a healing presence will start building equity. So will hidden or visible acts of kindness.
“Are you having fun?” I have discovered that the “fun factor” may be the best indicator of whether a person is living a Theopraxic [to give all you have, every day, to living fully for God] life. It reveals whether a person is empowered by the Holy Spirit rather than his or her own efforts. The fun factor shows whether a person is trusting the Lord and has confidence in how things will turn out, or even an interested curiosity or humorous inquisitiveness about how the Lord will use some particularly difficult circumstances for His glory and our good in eternity. Fun, in this sense, is an evidence of living the abundant life that Jesus came to give us” (Sergeant, C., 2019, Chap. 6, Suffering is our Pathway, Para. 36).
Sergeant, C., (2019) The Only One. William Carey Library.
Looking at pure açai makes my mouth water and my stomach growl. It is that good.
Our internet speed here in Canada makes me happy.In 1993 we moved to Brazil.
Luke Huber strongly encouraged us to follow his lead in learning the Morse Code. “Then you can communicate for free to through short wave to Canada. You just have to join a ham radio club.” Phone calls cost US$1 per minute.
In 1995 a friend came to the mission prayer meeting in Santarem with a printout in his hand. “There is this thing now, called email. It is especially cool because you can Cc. This is when you get a copy of an email from someone to someone else, and you don’t have to answer it. “ This was the first I’d heard of it.
In 1996 we were one of the first three people in Altamira to get internet. We signed up together with a businessman and an Austrian padre. We had to dial a number in São Paulo, over 2,000 kms away. We wasted no time buying the US$1,000 phone number to get hooked up.
The nature of God is demonstrated by mango trees. Year after year they produce two crops of mangos. Lavish Abundance. And any child can pick up sprouting mango pits and plant them. Clenildo says “You can count the mangos in a tree, but you cannot count the trees in a mango.” God’s nature. Demonstrated.
The Marabá Church continues to host a soccer training for young people as a neighborhood outreach. Thank you to all who help support this property and make this possible. Note that mangos are in season.
We are seeing a faint cloud on a far horizon and we are preparing for a deluge, and the start of a long rainy season after drought. We think this will look like an army of people who are winning their private battles with fear and pride. These people delight in time alone with their Father. From this place of life, rest, and deep joy they start disciple-making church-planting movements, sweeping across the Amazon basin.
This is by far the best way
to help the most people
have the best life possible.
There are rays of hope. The Muritão Church is leading the way. And the Gurupá Church is on fire, in a good way. They send us photos of baptisms because of new believers who are entering the Kingdom through Discovery Groups.
“The Discovery Group today ended well. During the last Bible Study the people in the group realized they needed God, and made a decision to walk with Jesus. It was amazing and unusual to see how quickly they mature in the faith. Especially Junior. He was very timid and closed. Today he spoke up, stating that he needs to believe in God because God has given us the right to become His children through Jesus. I was impressed.
And about Lucas, I remember that when I was his age I did the same things he was doing, staying away from home, rebelling against everything, only returning home only late at night. Because of this Discovery Group he is being transformed. He has great potential! Praise God!!! Let’s fill heaven. The harvest is great and the workers are few!!
Other stories from Gurupá
We were at a remote location, learning about Discovery Groups. One man asked the leader, “I started reading my Bible. I realized I need to get right with God. I lay down on the floor, repented of my sins, and asked God to save me. Am I a Christian? Or do I need to do some process in church?”
The leader pointed out another man to me. “This man was saved in a Discovery Group. He owns two houses. Next week he will start renovations. He will live in one house, and use the other for a church.”
Our mentor Danny Meyer gave Clenildo and I some great advice in February. “Create a vacuum. Rather than trying to convince other leaders to do this model of church planting, get the model working. As healthy churches start to take root others will be attracted to come a learn about what is working.” The Gurupá and Mutirão churches are started to feel a bit like vacuums. Will others be interested? Will it work for them?
The infinitely creative and diverse nature of God is clearly revealed in nature.
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made” (ESV Romans 1:19-20a).
