People in ministry often ask me about funding in missions. I often share something God has shown me: I like to read missionary biographies. I recently A CHANCE TO DIE by Elisabeth Elliot - a biography on Amy Carmichael. Amy Carmichael was a missionary to India, and she never made her needs known. She didnt want money to come to her out of desperation that was meant to go elsewhere. Instead, she presented her financial and other needs to God, she trusted, and God provided. Even if God says no, He still wont abandon you but will allow you to go through rough times to strengthen you. Sometimes its a test. Like when Peter was walking on water and was terrified - he started to sink, but Jesus still reached out and pulled him up. I usually make a need known then back off and allow God to provide for it. In other words, you presented your need - now allow God to provide. If its through this person, then trust God will provide through him. I find this helps too: I give out a wonderful book through George Verwers book distribution ministry - Chuck Swindolls THE GRACE AWAKENING. Here is an excerpt: ARE YOU REALLY A MINISTER OF GRACE? From “THE GRACE AWAKENING” By Chuck Swindoll (pp 202-205): A Strong Warning To all who are engaged in ministry, a warning is appropriate. Every project you undertake can be accomplished your way or God’s way. The energy source of human strength is impressive and logical and effective. It works! Initially, folks cannot tell the difference. A ministry built by the energy of the flesh looks just like a ministry built by the energy of the Spirit. Externally, I warn you, it looks the same. But internally, spiritually, down deep in the level of motive, you know in your heart God didn’t do it; you did it! There is no glory vertically. And equally tragic, there is no grace horizonally. Let me put it to you straight. Restrain yourself from might and power if you are a minister. Deliberately give the Spirit time and room. Consciously hold yourself back from clever ingenuity and reliance on your own charisma. If you don’t, you will live to regret it. You will become a “graceless” minister. To my pleasant surprise, while reading again Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students, written over a hundred years ago, I came across a grand discourse on the graceless pastor.” Only Spurgeon could say it so well: “A graceless pastor is a blind man elected to a professorship of optics, philosophizing upon light and vision, discoursing upon and distinguishing to others the nice shades and delicate blendings of the prismatic colours, while he himself is absolutely in the dark! He is a dumb man elevated to the chair of music; a deaf man fluent upon symphonies and harmonies! He is a mole professing to educate eaglets; a limpet elected to preside over angels…. Moreover, when a preacher is poor in grace, any lasting good which may be the result of his ministry, will usually be feeble and utterly out of proportion with what might have been expected.” All this brings us back to my opening question: Are you really a minister of grace? In yours a grace awakening ministry? Is your leadership characterized by grace? In almost thirty years of ministry, I have observed two very noticeable characteristics of those who lack grace and operate in the energy of the flesh. Both could be called grace killers. One has to do with projects and the other with people. First, I notice that those who operate in the flesh use human might in order to accomplish visible projects. There are always telltale signs. Great emphasis is placed on “success.” There is no hesitation to use strategies from the world, secular managerial styles are employed, impressive techniques are used, size and numbers mean too much, and manipulative methods are used for raising money. It is extremely important to make a good impression. Without exception, the importance is placed on impressing people, not glorifying God. Weaknesses are hidden. Vulnerability is out of the question. The great hope is to hear people exclaim, “Wow! Look at that.” There is a gnawing hunger for a place in the headlines. Second, I notice that those with a might-and-power style rely on personality power to get their way with people. Several ingredients go into this style of ministry: Charisma. Power plays. Pressure. Force. Threats. Control. Intimidation. Deceit, if necessary. Embarrassment, if essential. Rather than encouraging people to pray, to wait, to seek God’s mind, and to rely on His Spirit for clear direction, this style of leadership (I have a hard time calling it “ministry”) abuses people, uses them for unfair advantage, bullies them if they get in the way, and discards them once they are no longer “useful.” All who desire to be ministers of grace need the reminder that this counsel is not popular in a day of great emphasis on rapid church growth and highly efficient methods for making things happen. A prophet today who uses words like “not by might nor by power” is a lonely voice in the wilderness. You will not find it in newspapers or most magazines (secular or Christian), nor will you find it promoted in most churches. Sadly, it isn’t overtly taught in most seminaries either. There, you may learn to handle the text of Scripture or a system for understanding theology, maybe a fairly good grasp of church history, but being a grace-oriented minister? Not likely. My warning stands: Anything that does not result in God’s getting the glory ought to be enough to restrain our own might and power so His Spirit can do the job, which includes removing the obstacles. It is easy to forget that not all the grace killers are “out there” trying to get people under the law. Some are “in here,” within the ranks of leadership, trying to do God’s will their way. I once knew a very kind college president who framed a small sign and hung it on the wall leading to his office in the administration building on the campus. Only three words appeared, but they spoke with eloquence, inviting students and faculty in: KINDNESS SPOKEN HERE. Interestingly, after reading this I stopped strong-arming my plan of attack both with advocating for mission organizations and with raising my own financial support and started giving it all to God. I make my need known, then I back off. Two Dec ago, I was still in need of $3500 to leave in Jan for Asia. I stopped laying a guilt-trip on people for not giving and gave it all to God. I was teaching a little girl music. Her father (a pastor) asked me how much money I still needed for my trip, and I told him the amount and said that I trust God is going to provide. He gave me $200. That night, he called and asked for info about the ministry. His parents, who I never met, wanted to help. I sent them the info. Turned out that they had saved up $3500 and were praying on where to give it. They believed God wanted them to give it to this work. I contacted the ministry. And the ministry said it would now cost $4,000 to rush a ticket to Asia. Without even saying anything to this family. That night, they sent me an email saying that the costs might go up if I plan to leave in a few weeks. So they sent me an additional $500. I had an additional $800 given as an emergency fund in case something went wrong. If it didnt get used up, it was going to provide for me to get back to the reservation as soon as I returned from Asia. Something did go wrong. I ended up spending that money. I came home questioning if the reservation trip was going to happen. Once again I made the need known and backed off. A friend who partnered with one of the organizations I work with contacted me, asked me about the work on the rez, then said she felt God telling her to give me $500 for the work - it was the exact cost of the flight. My church then gave $300 for groceries and gas. Still wasnt enough to cover all expenses. So we took $300 of our own oney which we needed to pay bills. My wife started to worry but then realized God was in control. A few days later, a check from our church came to Michelle for exactly $300. The note said to use for whatever expenses necessary either for my trip or whatever loss of income for while I a away. Interestingly, I am teaching music again to homeschoolers. One Christian family asked me about my work in Southeast Asia after a lesson last year. The next week, they asked how much it costs me to do this work. After telling them the amount, the wife said that she and her husband wanted to give a donation. It was $2,000. And recently, we were faced with some hardships and transitioning that I feared might interfere financially with me going to the Rez this Fall. Today, the need was met unexpectedly. God bless you Dave and Christy!
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 17:48:18 +0000
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