Liberty Church International Campus

Why Reaching Asia Matters

With billions of people the answer seems obvious. Since Jesus Christ promised that men from every tribe, tongue and nation would be represented in heaven we can know that the places in the world where the majority of the world lives need to be deeply impacted with the news of Christ's salvation. And Yes the church is growing in that area of the world. But the needs remain great and the opposition organized and strong. How we go and with what resources and plan is as important if not more important than going alone. Foolish plans made in haste and without a sensitivity to local culture and religion will certainly cause more harm than good. In the fall of this year Pastor Buford Lipscomb and myself and a team of missionaries and other Christian leaders will travel to Nepal and India to explore, support and strategize regarding ministry in Asia. Begin praying now for this trip which will last from October 12th to the 29th. Beginning in Kathamandu, Nepal and stretching across great swaths of India we hope to hear God and begin to help impact that region with the good news that Jesus saves. We will be working with several missionaries and ministries in the area. Ask God to guide and give us wisdom and insights beyond our human understanding. We want to know what God is doing and cooperate with that. Thanks in advance for your prayers for this journey to Asia.

Healing in the Storms of Life

When we are sent by God to serve him whether in the context of daily life commitments of special missions outside our norm we aren't guaranteed an easy road. We should never expect our service to him to exempt us from life's storms. There are all kinds of storms in life: relational, literal, emotional, financial, spiritual.... but all demand faith and trust in God to see us through toward where God is wanting to lead us. As a missionary I can remember on every divine assignment God reminding me that his purpose goes beyond evangelism and "results". He cares just as much about character and holiness being developed in his disciples lives than our "success". While in Nicaragua with a medical team this past week we faced a literal storm named Tropical Storm Alma. Was God "in the storm". Because of our trust in him we were able to continue to praise him in the midst of potential danger and uncertainty. We give him all the praise... not just for the peace in the storm.... but for the healing in the storm as well.

Peace in the Storm

In the midst of a series of "natural" catastrophies we can easily become burdened with fear and anxiety. Today we ready about bombings in India, tornadoes in America's heartland and a massive earthquake in China. Even while this happens Americans worry about economic uncertainty. The storms seem to worsen with each passing day. And yet.... God. Only God has the power to convey PEACE in the midst of uncertainty and turmoil. Fortunately, we serve a God who command peace IN THE MIDST of storms. He invites us to trust him and follow him in and through difficult times. Yes, storms are on the horizon but we are invited to walk and live in the presence of a God who sends a way through... with him.

A Spiritual Famine

Amos 8: 11, "The time is surely coming, says the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine on the land--- not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger everywhere from sea to sea, searching for the word of the Lord, running here and going there, but they will not find it. Beautiful girls and fine young men will grow faint and weary, thirsting for the Lord's word. And those who worship and swear by the idols of Samaria, Dan and Beersheeba will fall down, never to rise again.
  In the midst of great spiritual opportunity and blessing there are still times when many if not most of God's people will miss what God is saying and doing in the earth. Our moral lives have a huge impact on our ability to receive from and hear God speaking to us.
God is concerned with how we treat the poor and helpless.( see Amos 8:4-6) He is more concerned with our attitudes and motivation then appearances. It is too easy to "go through the motions" of worship and even service and be very far from the heart of God. At some point we can even begin to lose an appetite for the word of God. We lose our way when we depend on the advice of "friends" and don't go directly to the pure word of God. There is a place for counsel from people but never will GOD counsel us in contradiction to the principles and revelation of Holy Scripture.
When we struggle in our relationship with God and in the understanding or even desire for his word we must begin with humility and brokenness. Lord, give us a hunger for your word above all other voices in the earth. Speak Lord, your servants are listening!

On Target Ministry: The Prophetic Edge

  Acts 11:27: "During this time, some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings to predict by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. ( This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius). So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sisters in Judea, every one giving as much as they could. This they did entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
  God in his grace gives certain members of his body the ability to see ahead through the prophetic gifting. This is a gift open to abuse and it takes great care and maturity to use properly. However, it's needed  and must be encouraged and developed in the body of Christ if we are to be in step with the work of the Holy Spirit in the earth. While it is good to know what's coming it still takes the mobilization of the whole body to impact and respond to the very real needs in our world. Here in the reading today we see that Agabus by the Spirit of God revealed a coming famine. The body mobilized and worked together under defined Apostolic leaders to meet the need. God was glorified and a disaster was mitigated.
  Pray for God to use the prophetic in the life of your ministry, family, church situation. What part will you play as God zeroes in on what is happening in your world? Are you praying for discernment and an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit? We need him more than ever.

Apostolic ministry and end time judgements

  About 1:30 a.m. I woke up last night with a phrase in my mind and heart: "Apostolic teams and FAMINE". For a few weeks I have been reading how a series of events and decisions have come  together to produce what the U.N. is calling a "Tsunami" of hunger and food shortages globally. The price of all the world's food staples has shot up astronomically and we are about to witness perhaps the greatest famine in modern times. This morning I read from Revelation 6:5, "When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "COME!" And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And a voice from among the four living beings said, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine."
  The next verse talks about how one-fourth of the earth's population will be decimated by war, famine and disease. As we think about ministry and international outreach we need to know this is the world we are headed into. The depravity of humanity should never be underestimated. Neither should the grace and love of God. Now is the time to be preparing teams of Godly men and women to minister in the midst of increasing need and danger. One of the keys in understanding the success of the early church was they counted the cost in spreading the gospel of Christ: danger, difficulty, trial, persecution and even death. The vision of Liberty International Campus is not just a "neat idea" of doing good works but ultimately a vehicle for extending the Kingdom of God in the midst of a world in turmoil and despair. Pray for God to use you and all of us together in sharing the truth of God's love in a world that quickly will see more and more of the end time judgments become reality. We need God's wisdom, faith and love to resist the worldly spirit of fear and retreat in the midst of danger.

Overcoming Fear

2 Timothy 1:7: "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and self discipline". Fear is often described as an emotion or a response to danger. But fear is also a spirit and can so deeply and profoundly affect our lives that we need discernment from God to deal with it. Fear as a believer in God and in ministry is a "killer" to the life God desires for us. Before we can overcome we need to recognize that God does not want our lives to be controlled by fear. He has given us an altogether different spirit: The HOLY SPIRIT. God has nothing to fear and since we are related to him by our new birth we can overcome fear and it's paralysis. The pressures of life can sometimes squeeze faith and hope right out of us. We need to daily RENEW our minds with God's promises in order to strengthen our faith. As fear comes into your mind and life resist that spirit with the truth that God has given us power, love and self discipline to overcome the attacks of evil.

The Kingdom of God

The teaching of Jesus was not embraced by the prevailing religious leaders of his day. Jesus was not someone who "went with the flow". Jesus was the personification of TRUTH. He being God could speak without concern for how it was going to be perceived. His teaching drew the hungry and thirsty and caused the content and powerful angst and fear. Religion and religious leaders will come and go but the KINGDOM will remain. This leads us to ask ourselves some serious questions about our  lives and our service to God: First, do we know the KING?   Second, do we know what the King is saying to us with regard to our daily lives? Third, if we lack certainty with regard to hearing and knowing him are we committed to spending time daily on our knees crying out for a fresh revelation? Fourth, Are we living on fresh/daily bread or are we living on past "meals" of stale inspiration and appointments? The Kingdom of God is not meant to be a philosophical or spiritualistic teaching but instead a call of humility allowing God to RULE us in every practical dimension of our lives. IS JESUS OUR KING TODAY?

Pastoral Care for Missionaries

No matter where we are called in the world and regardless of our spiritual gifting we all need a Pastor. Missionaries living in far flung locations and dependent on financial giving from donor churches are often left between a "rock and a hard place" when it comes to getting needed Pastoral input into their lives. Lurking in the minds of most missionaries is the fear of how vulnerability might impact support and ultimately the ability to carry on the call of God. So many hunker down and suffer a  slow spiritual/emotional and relational death. Thomas Merton said, "No man is an Island." One might add that missionaries often live lives so isolated emotionally and spiritually that they sure feel like the island is shrinking in the storm. When we stand before God to give an account of our lives I believe Jesus will probe deeper than the numbers game we often run through our head. How many saved, baptized etc..... How did we treat our wife or husband, our children, our co-workers? Did we do our own "thing" or were we God centered, empowered and directed? Yes, God calls us but not apart from the body of believers but from them. At the center of safety and protection and provision there is still a vital need for a "real" Pastor for you and your family. Do you have a Pastor in your life? Do you have a church that you relate to beyond the money they send? Who cares for your soul?

Great Commission/Missions Conference

As I prepare to speak in and help facilitate a missions conference in Pensacola, Florida I am humbled by God's great love. His love continues to draw peoples from all over the world into his salvation through Jesus Christ. In spite of the difference in language and culture the message of forgiveness, healing and everlasting life brings hope to people who are lost and hurting in a very tough world.I hope if you are reading this you would consider praying for the conference which begins on Sunday, April 13th and runs through Wednesday evening. Participating churches are Liberty Church (Blue Angel, Eastern Shore & North) Charity Chapel & Cross Faith Church. Contact Globe International for a detailed schedule at www.gme.org  God is doing a great work around the world. Come out to some of the services and participate in worship, prayer, giving and testimony.