These people are my heroes, wholeheartedly and courageously embracing God’s individualized training programs to learn to love God and others with all their hearts.
I met Enoque in Southern Brazil and Jim in Angola. They met last week in Chicago and sent me the above photo. Enoque was picking his daughter up from University, and together they traveled back to Spain.
Deanna and I took the ferry out of Belem and, from there, the highway back to Marabá.
Steve and Elba showed us a Belem restaurant that cooks great hamburgers. We could arrange to take you there if you come to visit us.
What About all the People Living Along all the Endless Creeks?
When I was 12, I asked our Sunday School teacher, “What about all the unsaved people? What happens to them?” The Mennonite Brethren church where I grew up had recently added a Sunday School wing. We moved from a cement basement to having our own 12-year-old boys’ Sunday School room on the second floor. I was in that transition stage, moving from thinking my people knew all the right answers to thinking they didn’t know anything. This Sunday School teacher was one of my parent’s favorite teachers; very literate and very smart. He had exciting stories of working with the Shantymen Ministry in remote locations in Canada. To my surprise, I felt like our teacher just brushed me off. When I pushed for a better answer, he said, “I’ll get back to you next week.” He came back with Romans 2:14-15.
When Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them. This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares (Romans 2:14-16).
I wanted to continue the discussion. “If this is true, and I believe it is, what is the point of sending missionaries around the world?” I had several relatives who were missionaries around the world. They stayed at our house when they were home on furlough. My 12-year-old self was not satisfied with the ensuing discussion. I continued on my trajectory of discovering the adults I knew we not as all-knowing as I had assumed. Thankfully the Lord caused/allowed many situations which turned me around to understand that those I had esteemed, then demoted, were to become my heroes once again. To my great wonder, fifty years later, this man and his wife still support us each month! The way God designs our personal relationships continually fills me with wonder! I can hardly wait for heaven, where I’m hoping we’ll have time to exchange stories at length. Over the years, though, I have continued to ponder the question. Here is where I am at.
1. Humans, when left on their own, tend toward creating their own stairways to heaven, often by dominating or being dominated by others. The Bible describes this with many stories, including Cain and Abel, humanity before the flood, and the Tower of Babel (Gen 4-11).
2. Many years after the Tower of Babel, God made a covenant with Abraham to bless all people on earth.
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen 12:2-3).
God’s plan included slavery, 400 years, all the judges and kings, and finally, captivity again.
Meanwhile, the nations are increasing at a terrific rate and often trying to create their own Edens, their own stairways to heaven.
How can we help people connect directly and personally to God?
In March, I invited you to participate in a survey to explore the relationship between Daily Experiences with God and Flourishing among two Age Groups.
69 people filled out the survey. 42 were born during or before 1964 (Traditionalists / Baby Boomers). 27 were born after 1964 (Gen X, Y, and Zers).
Results
There was NO DIFFERENCE between the age groups. Everyone reports a similar relationship between their Daily Spiritual Experiences and their sense of personal Flourishing.
There was A STRONG CORRELATION for everyone between increased Daily Spiritual Experiences AND their personal sense of Flourishing.
Jesus found time to be alone with God in all seasons, from when He was the center of attention at a crusade to when the mob was planning to kill Him (Mark 6:46; 14:32-35).
I attribute my present flourishing to Centering Prayer. I have read the Bible each year for decades, prayed through lists, studied, and served others. I flourished then too, but our journey to heaven is cyclical.
God designs tests and training in increasing intensities to prepare us for His purposes.
In 2016 I was struggling to find my way forward. On January 1, 2017, I decided to add Centering Prayer to my spiritual discipline and that I would sit quietly with God for at least 20 minutes per day until something changed. As my appreciation for God and life increased, I increased my “quiet time” with God to 30 minutes per day and then 40. In April 2018, I signed up for an App that played nature sounds that reminded me of a wilderness region in the Canadian North.
I found that 30 quiet minutes a day with God, plus Bible reading, study, and praying through lists, is a good balance of getting spiritually filled up enough to last all day.
The App tracks my Centering Prayer time. I add 400 days or 140 hours to estimate how long I have been at this since I started on January 1, 2017.
I find it helps when I expect things to get better over time. In the biblical examples, people who followed God wholeheartedly were thrown into desert experiences or suffered various levels of hardship. The reward went to those who courageously walked with God through their situations, and on to greater challenges.
Which covenant did Adam violate, according to Hosea 6:6-7? When God came to talk to Adam and Eve, He found out they wanted to judge others (Gen. 3:8-13).
God still wants to work through people to manage this awesome planet (Gen. 1:26-30).
Jesus came to show people His plan. Live your life. Walk with God. Help your people (family, neighbors, enemies, and all who cross your path) connect to God (Matt. 5:44; Lk 10:25-37).
Four Hundred Years?
Have you ever wondered about the 400 silent years between the time the last book of the Old Testament was written and Jesus arrived?
I have been thinking about this almost nonstop all week. The question followed me around in my thought life.
The Fullness of Time?
1. Jesus told His disciples. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15).
2. Paul noted, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…” (Gal. 4:4a).
My Hypothesis
I think about the planet Earth and how awesome it is, filled with an almost infinite variety of life and mysteries.
I think of God letting it spin around the sun for 400 years between the last prophet and when He came to show His people the way.
Think of all the families, bad things, and good things that happened for years.
One day, at the perfect time, God had the ideal ambiance to train His next generation of leaders. There was sufficient brokenness and pain that enough people would desire to do whatever it took to connect to God’s love and then refocus their lives to help others learn this vastly superior way to live.
Then Jesus came as a servant leader. He spent His time walking with God and loving those around Him. Then, even though the whole planet was seething with fallen humanity, Jesus commissioned His people to go out and serve those around them (Matt. 18:18-20).
This slow plan includes joy, sorrow, and going through difficult situations to get to a better place.
Suggestions
1. Spend quality time alone with God every day.
2. Experiment with spiritual disciplines, and expect to flourish.
NOTE: Flourishing does not mean freedom from hardships. Think of Joseph when he made the right choice and got jailed. And Daniel got thrown into the lion’s den, and his friends were thrown into the furnace. Saul was furious at David because of David’s success at doing the right things. All these people thrived through their hardships and arrived at better places.
3. Don’t expect a quick rescue. Why would God be in a rush? He has the perfect ambiance to raise friends and leaders. God is raising leaders for the age to come. Focus on being one of those leaders. This means a) being the right person, b) treating others right, c) working on your triggers, and d) helping others connect directly to God.
4. God hopes you will keep coming to Him so He can bless people through you.
Isaiah 61: 5-6
5. Did you know the heavenly Jerusalem is a cube?
Its length and width, and height were each 1,400 miles. As a cubic dwelling place of God (21:22), John envisioned the New Jerusalem as the “holy of holies” in the Temple, which was also a cubic dwelling place of God (1 Kings 6:20).
Mulholland, M. R., Jr. (2011). Revelation. In P. W. Comfort (Ed.), Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation (p. 591). Tyndale House Publishers.
Silmara had a risky pregnancy so the doctors took baby Lucas Gabriel out early. He has been in the hospital almost a month now, and soon will be ready to join his family at home.
Mauriçio, Lara, Kelly, and Silmara live in an apartment in the basement of our house. They take care of our place while we travel.
The Assembly of God church is thriving in Brazil. They have a unique Christian culture which many people love. This group of sincere and friendly neighbors came to bless Mauriçio and Silmara and to pray for baby Lucas Gabriel.
I never ate any of this cake Silmara made, but it sure looks like she decorated it with sand…
The city of Belem was blessed earlier this year when Steve, Elba, Camilly, and Alyssa moved there.
The Dolans relocated from Altamira to our state capitol city, located on an island where the Amazon River flows into the ocean.
Steve, Elba, Deanna, Nira, Rick, Alyssa, Camilly, Tim, Bella – Our friendship with the Dolans dates back to when Elba lived with us in Santarem in 1994.
Bella and Alyssa are both artists.
Elba, her twin sister Nira, and Deanna. Nira became the senior pastor of the Mirante Vineyard Church when Elba and Steve moved to Belem.
Tim and Steve entered into a deep theological conversation late at night.
Good bye to good friends.
Elba, Nira, and Steve, at Steve and Elba’s rental house in Belem.
Some people think Belem is the most beautiful city in the world.
In the late 1980s, I went hiking sometimes with Ross, who would later become my brother-in-law, and Lyndon, another friend. One time we decided to leave the trails and go straight over a mountain to a remote lake we’d heard about. Somewhere way up on the cliffs, I started complaining and asking my friends why they chose the route we were on. Finally, Lyndon turned to me and said, “Look, we’re lost too. Would you please quit whining?” I can still clearly remember the place and feeling. It was a life lesson. I returned to enjoying the hike. We slept on a small ledge way on a huge cliff. Later, coming down the other side, I fell and slid down a chute on my back, out of control, toward a sheer drop. Just before the drop, my pack caught on a snag sticking out of an old log and jerked me sharply to a stop. The stones around me continued over the edge to crash far below. God rescues us many times, and sometimes we are aware of it.
Sometimes, on overnight hikes, I tried using a stone for a pillow. Flat rocks about 2 inches thick kind of worked, but I soon returned to using my jacket or a pair of jeans. I never found a rock that was a good pillow. So what is the deal with the following Bible story?
Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. 12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder[b] set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. . . . Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen. 28:10-17).
The ESV version, quoted above, has a footnote beside the word “ladder” in verse 12. The Hebrew word may also be translated as “stairway.”
Communion with God
Back a few stories in Genesis, people had conspired to build a stairway to heaven on their own terms (Gen. 11). They used their modern technology, the brick. Archeologists discovered the oldest pyramids had stairways to their top.
“Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens'” (Gen. 11:4a).
In Genesis, heaven is where God lives. When people try to define good and evil on their terms and build their way to be like God, it is not good. God interrupts their plans.
Three Habitats
The creation story sets the pattern, and in the rest of the Scriptures, you will find three habitats. The heavens are God’s space, the land is where humans live, and the chaos waters are where no one flourishes. In Genesis and the rest of the Bible, people often encountered God on a mountaintop. Eden is described as a mountain garden in Ezekiel 28:12-14—the Tree of Life in the center of the Garden (Gen. 2:9).
God’s Revelation to Jacob
Jacob was like the snake in the Bible story. First, he comes out grasping his brother’s heel. Is that an odd detail to include in a story? Do you remember any other Bible stories about heels? (Gen 3:15). Then Jacob deceives his brother to gain God’s blessing. Then he conspires with his mother to deceive his blind father. Who is the deceiver in the previous stories? Finally, Jacob is exiled from the promised land.
Earlier in the biblical story, God asked Abraham if he would go to “a far country” to start over and to start a salvation plan for the nations (Gen. 12). It is when Jacob is leaving the promised land because of his deception and striving, that he lays everything down, stops struggling. He takes one God-made stone, as compared to the man-made bricks, puts his head on it, and goes to sleep. Most of his body is still on the ground.
Lesson 1: When we stop struggling but continue actively pursuing God’s plan for our lives, God reveals that He wants heaven and earth to overlap. On His terms. He will build the stairway.
Lesson 2:There are two ways to go through life.
A) We can either think people are the problem. We strive, overpower, deceive, and define good and evil on our terms. Option A does not lead to peace, well-being, or favor with God.
B) We have a deep conviction that God is ultimately in control. We choose whether or not we want to participate with Him. We stop striving but continue to actively watch for God’s provision and leading, always ready to relax and enjoy, or to move out into unknown territory with God. Option B leads to peace, well-being, and favor with God.
Lesson 3:The Old Testament is a long story about how God wants to set up residency on earth in the Tabernacle, in the Holy of Holies. Then Jesus came, and God “tabernacled” among us. Later the heavy curtain was ripped, allowing free access to God’s presence, and Jesus was given all authority in heaven AND on earth.
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:49-51).
A BIG QUESTION: Why did God take so long to come to earth? For example, why didn’t Jesus get born to Eve, maybe in the place of Abel? Why did God choose such an extended plan?
Of course, God’s ways are far beyond our ways. Creation is infinitely more complex and wonderful than we understand. On the other hand, how do we make sense of chaos, pain, and suffering? I believe struggles are critical to developing leaders for the age to come. God is watching for those who will embrace the chaos and questions, confidently walking forward along the narrow path between overpowering others and being overwhelmed by others. God’s people spend daily time with Him to learn to walk that narrow path of joy and peace despite circumstances. They watch eagerly for God’s provision and direction and follow God into the promised land. When we embrace our struggles, instead of trying to escape them or blaming others for not rescuing us, God will use the thorny people and circumstances to change us into His image. Our trials become our friends as they propel us to God. The Good News of the Kingdom is that the Christian life is far superior to any other life, even in this present age. Heaven and earth now overlap, and we can access that realm, the Kingdom of God, through Jesus. Your thoughts?
Deanna says goodbye to Bella and Tim at the Belem airport.
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
The transition from a dependent relationship to a peer relationship, whether in families or church plants, is so important the principle is woven into Chapter Two of the Bible.
The saying, “Don’t cry because it’s over, be happy that you were together,” has helped us over the years. Bella and Tim left after two glorious weeks with us.
