I met with a leader on BCOM campus and asked him a few questions over the lunch hour. I asked him about the lifestyle of a leader, inquiring about how I can live now in a way that’s conducive to being an effective leader in the future. He shared with me some precious wisdom which I would advise all leaders-in-the-making to consider.

There are two things that extinguish a mediocre life: 1. confidence, and 2. vision. Having these two things will enable you to lead others into the extraordinary.

Confidence

-We, to a degree, define ourselves by what we accomplish and experience. We scale our abilities by what we have done in the past and the sense of achievement that we received from it.

-These accomplishments in life prepare us for the work God has for us in the future. Through our accomplishments, our confidence is built up. This isn’t the arrogance you may be mistaking confidence for. Confidence can be confused for arrogance, but they are actually quite far from each other. Arrogance is the idea that, “I’m great, I’m incredible, I’m awesome!” Confidence, on the other hand, is a simple recognition that, “I have what it takes to accomplish the goal.” A confident person doesn’t seek to exalt himself by what he does; he just knows that he has what it takes to do the job and do it well!

-Challenge yourself to make accomplishments that will build in you the confidence to do big things. People want others who will rise up to do big things for God, but in order to do that, you need another factor of leadership…

Vision

Vision is a deep motivation that keeps you going despite adversity and hindrances. If you could compare life to a race, vision is having the next mile marker in your mind’s eye as weariness and exhaustion rack your body. It’s vision that pushes leaders away from the dock, out of the harbor, and into the high seas. It’s a targeted accomplishment, a direction on a compass. A leader must learn how to inspire and cultivate vision to take people from where they are to where they are not.

Vision must begin with yourself. Have vision to grow in an area where you often hear people say, “I wish I could __________.” As you further develop that trait in your life, you’ll soon turn around and find people saying, “I wish I could _________ like (Jarred Spengler).” It’s then that you reach out your hand and say to them, “Come with me, and I’ll help you.”

Critics tell what the church should be doing, but it takes a real leader to do what should be done with such passion that people become inspired by them.

Lord, we pray that you would birth in the young people of America such a painful longing for Truth that they are compelled to seek it out with all their heart. Inspire them to be the change they want to see and become the leaders they were meant to be.

Some seasons feel as if they are bursting with life and revelation, other seasons feel like you’re plummeting. Trust in the Lord’s Word and not in your feelings. Praise the Lord that he works in seasons! How many of us rejoice at the first snow fall, or the coming of warm weather that drives the frost away? The amazing thing is that it never seems to get old. Though we experience the four seasons every year, it never gets tiring to see the first flakes or to watch the melting snow. We delight in the change of weather, and also we delight in the change of spiritual seasons.

Reflections of Esther Byington,

Red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves are swirling around outside my window, laughing and calling me to join their dance up…down…around. Fall is here, and while it is beautiful, a slight twinge of sorrow in my belly reminds me of what this season is signaling. Death is in the air. Everything that was once fresh and full of life is coming to an end…again. Funny how the literal seasons often reflect the seasons of a soul. Stranger still is how God uses sorrow, death, and distance to make us hunger for Him even more intensely. Death is in the air. But it is good, because with death comes the promise and hope of new life.

Still, people have alternative opinions…

“I blame the schools for the gangs in our towns.” “Gun laws! They don’t have the gun laws to stop these people!” “Parents need to be firmer with their children. Really, if they don’t get that discipline when they’re young, they’ll take advantage of society.” “Parents need to stop imposing rules on their kids. It’s driving the children away from their parents and putting them in the wrong crowd.” “It’s overpopulation!” “It’s anti-homosexuality!” “It’s big government!” “It’s businesses for crying out loud! They’re devouring the mom&pop shops!” “It’s all that junk food!” “It’s television!” “It’s a lack of education!” “It’s a lack of religion!” “It’s the economy, stupid!”

Round and round goes the merry-go-round. Every generation seems to think that they’re the first ones to “find” the “solution” to all of man’s problems. Little do they realize though that the previous generations thought they had the answer too, only to find out that free love, anarchy, veganism, small government, segregation, forced church attendance and so on yielded no betterment of society. Mankind is intrinsically evil; it’s not an external factor but an internal nature. Though the Bible plainly says it, the best source to point at in conversation would be human history itself and the long list of man’s failed attempts to redeem society.

All nations are attempting to solve their problems but are getting nowhere. The progress of technology and information has soared upward as the ages have passed, but the human heart, which is the crux of society, has continued its downward spiral ever since the Fall. That is why we go to the nations: there is no answer aside from Jesus. And until the nations come to realize this, they will continue treading the merry-go-round of evil.

Finally, consider the people who have been changed by Jesus: drunkards, addicts, drug dealers, thieves, killers, psychos, basket cases, racists, terrorists, cheaters, bums, the list could go on. If you hang around sincere Christianity, mere Christianity, for long enough, you will see that people of all kinds have been changed by the power of this man they call the Messiah. Aside from the more popular stories of C.S. Lewis and others who have come to know God in the past, consider the ‘normal’ and not so famous people. Reading Shetler‘s book Can We Know puts into words the truth that those who sincerely have a relationship with Jesus will always have a story as to how it happened. Go out, ask people to tell you their story, and you will be amazed at the change in their life.

We carry with ourselves the Gospel everyday. Whether we talk about it or not, if you truly have the life changing power of Jesus inside of us then the unbeliever can tell. It’s because we hold the one faith that claims restoration of God’s relationship with man not because of something man did, but because of what God has done on the cross. We carry in ourselves the testimony that God forgives and makes new the lives of men.

Click on the thumbnail to see the picture closer and you will see the tears in the father’s eyes. The artist  caught a thousand words in this piece, capturing the biblical truth that the Father loves to forgive. Every culture can understand what it means to be forgiven, and because of that we confidently go into all kinds of countries with the news that God is beseeching all mankind to receive his forgiveness.

Mercy and forgiveness cut to the heart of all mankind, touching something deeper than any other means of evangelism. A living demonstration of the gospel in our lives will be far more effective than even the most eloquent of sermons or dynamic of teachings. It’s under the canopy of forgiveness that the lost will crowd under to escape the rain of an unforgiving world, whether they be nominal Christians, Muslims, Satanists, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, etc. The Asian, the African, the European, the Australian, the North and the South American are all seeking this quenching spring of forgiveness. If you want to stand out in the world and be a light in the darkness, then forgive.

Thailand, a country where some of our global interns are currently serving in, is statistically the number one country for the sex trade. What’s conducive to this trade is the high tolerance of prostitution and it’s acceptance such as long as the prostitute is over twenty years old. A terrible truth is how many teenagers are brought into the trade as long as they look of age, but what’s even worse is the children who are deceived into this slavery. Brothel owners come into the village and promise factory work and income to the children of needy village families. The families being poor, the parents will often be enticed by the thought of sending their child to this alleged factory where they will be able to make some money. They agree, and off the child goes to the “factory”. The veil is then removed, and the girl is found shackled and being abused by up to twenty men a day.

Also contributive to the sex trade is the corruption of the police force, which turns a blind eye on the obviousness of the situations. As brothel owners take advantage of defenseless refugee children (refugee children make up 80% of child prostitutes in Thailand) the police lift not a finger to defend the defenseless.

I was able to speak with a brother in the Lord named Justin Stech who has been working with Destiny Rescue since March of 2009. Through his extensive travels he saw the vigor of slavery in full strength throughout the world. His eyes were opened and, tailspun by the face-to-face encounter with the truth, he met with the Lord and asked what he could do to stop this, to change things. It was then that he was introduced to Destiny Rescue.

And that is exactly what all of us must do as well. We must seek the Lord, crying out “O Lord, What can I do!?” It is my honest hope that this blog compels people to the mission-field, but I can only inspire you for a moment. It takes something far greater than emotions or even beliefs to compel you to cross the ocean. Emotions are fleeting and beliefs can change, but convictions are worth dying for. And it’s by conviction that people of faith, such as Destiny Rescue or the MST project, can do what they do.

I read this post I have written and cannot help but ruminate over the reality of the sex trade. What a horror it is. I mean, there’s no condemnation for living in America, but if this is really happening… how can I sit back and do nothing? How can I stay here in the States?

I just feel like there’s so much more that I can do.

The king could probably walk out onto the roof of his palace and see the Assyrian army off in the distance. All confidence was lost as the enemy commander blatantly threatened the quaking city of Jerusalem.

Here was the situation: Assyria was north of Jerusalem with a buffer of Israel, Samaria, and a few small kingdoms between them. At this time Israel and Judah are two separate nations with the city of Jerusalem in Judah.

Assyria was described by a teacher of mine as the ancient world’s Nazi regime. Brutally they conquered one people group after another, reducing the buffer of small kingdoms between Jerusalem and the prevailing Assyrian army. First, one kingdom was defeated, then another. Perhaps this was no big deal to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but I imagine that everyone’s foreheads started to perspire a little when they heard that Samaria was defeated. With Samaria (a larger nation) taken over, only one nation stood between the Assyrians and Judah’s border: Israel.

Israel didn’t hold out, it was defeated as well, and to make matters worse, the fortifications of Judah dropped the ball too. The enemy blazed a trail through army after army until finally it was on the doorstep of Jerusalem with sword in hand.

At the darkest hour King Hezekiah received a letter from the Assyrian king further threatening Jerusalem that it’s destruction was imminent and that there was no hope.

And in this desperate state, Hezekiah took the letter he received from the Assyrian messenger and laid it out before the God of Israel. He then prayed this prayer:

“O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, O LORD, and hear; open your eyes, O LORD, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God. It is true, O LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God.” (Isaiah 37:16-20 NIV)

Did you catch the last part? so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD, are God. Once again we see the fame of God taking precedence over everything else. It’s true that God protects us, but never let that be the main theme. If you read the rest of the story, you’ll see the way that God steps in and saves the day. Could you imagine the conversations that would go on in all the neighboring nations, Assyria included? Imagine people standing around a fire, one of them mentions the invasion of the Assyrians, and then another one speaks, “Did you hear about the God of the Hebrews and what he did to the Assyrian army?” and the story is told.

In fact we see the nations react to this incredible story in 2 Chronicles 32:22-23. Tribute is brought to Hezekiah, and he is honored by many kings. But what do you think happened when these nobles and kings went to Jerusalem? They saw the temple, they saw the priests, and they saw how different Israel was compared to all other nations.

For the entire story, read 2 Kings 18-19, 2 Chronicles 32, and Isaiah 36-37.

This post applies to everyone, I’m sure, but I would like to specifically dedicate this to our August freshman who have just recently left for their summer break. Some of them may feel that they are in a snailing period over the summer, but I would like to encourage them that the Lord can make snailing periods into sailing periods. The Lord can take the season of you working at Burger Hut and teach you wonderful things through it. Trust me, I’ve been there.

In the moment you may feel like it’s never going to end, but keep going, brother! Press on, sister! When it’s all said and done you will look back at the season God put you in and realize that it was a terse paragraph in the story of your life, a short season that was done before you knew it. But what’s even better is that you’ll actually look back and think to yourself “those were good times,” only if you apply yourself to seeking the Lord in that time and obeying his voice.

Consider this proverb:

For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. -Proverbs 2:6-

Understand that all wisdom and understanding are in the hands of God. If you apply yourself, you can learn from any situation, whether your job is slaughtering cattle or cleaning apartments.

Here are some good ideas I would recommend:

1. Get involved in ministry, whether it be youth ministry, outreach ministry, intercession, hospital visits, etc. It will keep your heart engaged in working with God in this darkening world.

2. pretend like you’re in Bible college all the time, give yourself some homework and study God’s Word.

3. Be optimistic and thankful always.

Lastly I would like to give you a quote:

“The only way to live above reproach is more time spent with God.”

Kick your devotional times up a notch. Keep seeking his face.

We’ll see you soon. And for those of you who aren’t coming back for further schooling… God bless you in your walk with Him!

The Plan was a teaching that revolutionized my entire perspective behind the Bible, which in turn, redirected all of my aspirations. It started off with the very familiar story of David and Goliath:

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Sam 17:41-47 NIV)

Notice what I put in red: and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. take a look at it in your own Bible.

The reason that the teaching was titled The Plan was because it meant to reveal an overarching battle plan found throughout the Bible. The plan found throughout the Bible has to do with global evangelization, that is, missions. Far too often we look at the stories of the Bible as illustrations of what God can do for us. An example would be David and Goliath. We were told through Sunday school that the moral behind this story is that God will protect us, take care of us, watch out for us, etc. It seems though, that throughout the Bible we see the agenda of God’s fame moving forward. Take a look at these other passages and see if you can detect the common thread:

Deuteronomy 4:5-8, 28:9-10

Joshua 2:10, 4:23-24

1 Kings 8:41-43, 60

1 Chronicles 16:8, 17:23-24

2 Chronicles 32:22-23

Psalm 22:27, 145:12

Isaiah 12:4-5, 37:20, 49:26

Jeremiah 33:9

Ezekiel 30:26

The idea of global evangelization (missions) didn’t begin in Matthew 28:18-20. I would submit to you that it began far earlier. God’s heart, ever since Genesis, has been that all people may know the Truth. That’s why we go on missions, because what’s on God’s agenda is the fulfillment of the Great Commission and the restoration of all things. We don’t jump borders so that we can wear a grass skirt and eat bugs. We go so that they might know. We go to make God known.

I’m not saying that you go against wisdom. I don’t really see wisdom behind, say, playing with a rabid dog or running around while waving scissors in the air. But there are always going to be situations in life where there’s a chance of success and a chance of failure. I suppose that’s how you tell if it’s an adventurous risk or absolute foolishness: first ask yourself if there is any kind of success, secondly ask if the success is worth the risk. That’s how we can take such great risks for God, because we know he’s well worth it. Just make sure what you’re doing is pleasing to Him.

Some of you may be sensing a call to dive into an unknown country or people group to administer the Gospel. Just remember that things are a lot clearer under the translucent, mysterious surface of the calling you feel. What I mean is that it’s when you’re actually in-country when you have the most clarity. While you read this blog and ponder hopping on a plane, your mind is only filled with the possibilities of what could happen. But if you go for it, things will become a lot clearer.

Before you go though, I would recommend doing a few key things:

1. Make sure your heart is in the right place. I ascribe more towards ‘go until He says no’, but that’s just me. Regardless, sound the depths of your motives and  make sure your heart is pleasing to God.

2. Get the opinions and thoughts of trusted leadership (thank you, God, for pastors and youth pastors). Inquire of people who truly know you. They seem to have an uncanny ability to pick out things you may have overlooked.

3. Pray pray pray pray pray pray pray about it! Give it some time too. See what happens.

There are some times that you just have to take a risk. You’ll never know what happens until it happens. That seems to be the exciting part of missions-minded life. But please, use your head.

(Please, be mindful that your friends and family are probably saying these things because they love you and want the best for you. Be mindful of this, and always be respectful to them. They love you.)

“But (your name),” they might begin, “America is a mission field too.” This first one is for you who may have recently talked to your parents about going to Peru or Uganda or some other place far away. Your response could be something like this: “Yeah, I totally agree, America has lost people in it as well. We definitely need to reach them, but the people in Peru are equally as lost. They are just as far from God as the people here in Minneapolis. Americans aren’t more important than other peoples, all must be reached with the Gospel. That’s why I’m going.”

“But (your name), God tells us to use wisdom. It’s not very wise do do this.” This is more for those who have a heavy burden to fund missions. Your family may be objecting to you giving away huge amounts of money. Perhaps your response should be as follows: “This is true, God does tell us to use wisdom and to think all things through. But Jesus tells us to not collect for ourselves treasures on earth which will spoil and fade, but treasures in Heaven which will do neither. Jesus also said not to worry because God will provide food and clothing for us who follow him. I am using wisdom. One of the wisest things to do is to trust the Lord and believe what he says. I’m thinking clearly. I’m choosing to believe that the Lord will provide, just like the Bible says.” (Matthew 6:19-34, Proverbs 3:9-10, 25-26, Malachi 3:10)

Again, always be respectful, but don’t be afraid to be firm. Always keep your emotions in check while responding to people’s objections, bringing forth your rebuttal in meekness and humility. If you find yourself losing your temper, stop talking. You’re not being zealous if you’re talking over people while they’re questioning you, you’re just being stupid.

The thing is, they can’t stop you from going (unless you’re a minor), they can only question you. Their questioning will help determine whether you are going to Zimbabwe because of some zealous emotionalism or because you feel a legitimate call from the Lord.  And indeed your going overseas must be from God. If it isn’t, you may find yourself flying back to the U.S. with your tail between your legs. So be appreciative of the hassle they may give you.

For those who are going the way God wants us to go, obedience is the greatest pleasure one could ever have, even when it is painful. Don’t write out a script while answering those questioning you. Be honest. What’s the cry of your heart?

This is no sacrifice, God, here’s my life…