A Glimpse of the Future

Some mornings when I wake up the future seems bright. Some mornings when the sun rises the future seems daunting. I suppose this is not so unusual and probably common to everyone. I assume this is due to the basic nature of the times which is uncertainty.

The first month this summer in Central America has been exciting for me. It has given me a glimpse into an uncertain future. The Lord has used it to answer at least some of the uncertainty that has to do with the future.

Our time here has been spent tweaking the final items on the punch list for the retreat center, as well as training and developing a group of ten young men. I have found these college-age-young-men to be refreshing. We have studied the Kingdom of God together. We have paid particular attention to our identity within this kingdom, and the privileges and responsibilities as citizens in this kingdom. The revolutionary and biblical notion that we are in this world but not of it takes time to flesh out, but a start was to be had. I see often in the west that we can get stuck at that point; happy to be citizens of the kingdom and basking in the glory of it all, without realizing that with great privilege comes great responsibility. This sticking point is often reflected in the west through consumerism that basically teaches it really is all about us.

In order to avoid so dangerous a sticking point, we also decided that with these young men we would facilitate a mission’s plunge into rural areas south of US. It was time to take the classroom “to the streets”, or “to the dirt roads” as the case may be. They would embark on a journey enjoying the privilege of kingdom citizenship and engaging in the responsibility of extending that kingdom into territories where it had yet to reach. They prayed leading up to this endeavor asking God where it was He was working so that they could join Him there. There was an amazing consensus among them. They were to head into a rural province in southwestern Panama.

Last Saturday morning, filled with high expectations, they pulled off for this somewhat unknown destination. On adventure or God! As they headed out to encourage, pray for, and bless a place that has not yet heard the good news of the kingdom, I shuttered realizing that I was witnessing the future.

The future is promising. The kingdom will grow. God is calling out warriors who will possess it with abandonment. The future for ATC is to be found in a generation, both young and old, who are being captured by a kingdom vision. And let’s not forget, not just the future, but the destiny of many has now been altered in a small province in southwestern Panama.

David

Father's Day

David and I did something we have never done in our entire 26 years of marriage. We remembered Father’s Day early. This past Sunday we rushed home off the mountain to call our dads to wish them a Happy Father’s Day. I think we woke one of them up. He seemed surprised and a little baffled at our call, but appreciative all the same. We were telling all the dads we saw that day Happy Father’s day. We convinced one of our staff guys that it was Father’s Day and he came down off the mountain to call his dad as well. We found out the next day that it wasn’t Father’s Day but Flag Day. I even felt bad that I had not wished Jason (ATC missionary) his first happy Father’s Day.

This is sort of like Jesus rebuking the Pharisees for not discerning the signs of the times. (Matthew 16:3) Just kidding. However, I believe there is a word in this for us. As God’s people we are called to walk in wisdom, understanding the times like the Sons of Issachar. 1 Chronicles 12:32 says, “…the Sons of Issachar were men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.” Do I mean we are to predict the future? No. Do I mean that as believers we need to be discerning the times and have knowledge of how the Lord is leading? Yes.

No one knows the DAY or the HOUR; however, we are to perceive the season. Jesus tells us to be on the alert, that we must be ready. He gives us a parable about the prudent keeping oil in their lamps so that when the bridegroom arrives we will not be caught off guard. There is a day coming when it will be THE Father’s Day. A day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. In the meantime put on your armor, stand against the schemes of the enemy, stay alert, draw near to Jesus, be encouraged for the Lord is the rock of your salvation, and continue preparing the way for the Lord’s return.

Just a quick update about things here in Central America. We had the opportunity to participate in a baptismal service for the local church. David had the privilege of being a part of the baptism for the caretaker of the ATC equipping center. He and his wife have become believers since taking this job. We are having a great time with a group of 10 young men who came for the 4-week discipleship program, Generation of Promise, that ATC conducts. God is moving mightily. We feel blessed to be a part of what He is doing.

Bless your earthly father this Sunday and most essentially. bless your Holy Father every day you draw breath. He loves you more than you can imagine.

This post is written in honor of our dads. Happy Father’s Day Dad and Pops. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for teaching us the ways of our Heavenly Father. We love you!

David and Joy

The Way of the Ants

Well, here we are in Central America for our 6th consecutive summer. Our arrival has been typical to all of our other arrivals; broken down cars, lot’s of bug bites, beautiful flowers, delicious fresh tropical fruit, communication difficulties, and unexpected mishaps on the mountain. We’ve come to expect the unexpected. God seems to teach us new things every year. And some things He seems to re-teach us.

When I was here 6 years ago God taught me many things pertaining to the body of Christ through the observance of the Leafcutter ants. The other day I was having my morning coffee on the porch when I noticed a trail of Leafcutter ants next to me. I began recalling all that God taught me through these fascinating creatures. Proverbs 6 tells us to be wise and observe the ways of the ants. See if you can draw some parallels to the body of Christ in the way that the Leafcutter functions.

There are several varieties of ants within a Leafcutter colony. They each have their responsibilities and play different roles. For example, some of the ants stay together in large numbers around the food gathering columns. These ants are the first line-of-defense and continuously patrol the surrounding terrain attacking any enemy that threatens the foraging lines. There are other ants that do the actual cutting of leaves and bring them back to the nest. Some tend to and care for the fungus gardens. This is where they bring the leaves in order that they harvest into a fungus. There are worker ants that act as soldiers defending the nest from intruders and clearing the main trails of large debris in order that the actual cutters have a clear path on which to travel. Then there are cleaners. These ants ride around on top of the leaves looking for harmful foreign matter so that nothing is carried into the nest. According to Wikipedia these ants are capable of defoliating an entire citrus tree in less than 24 hours. I would say that is a pretty productive ant colony.

My bible happened to be opened to Proverbs 30 when I noticed the trail of ants. My eyes fell upon verses 24-25. “Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong people, but they prepare their food in the summer.” The Lord had my attention. I began asking Him what He wanted to communicate through the ants.

Ants prepare in one season so that they will be ready in the next. They are focused and diligent to stay on their assigned task. They make room for other ants to do their job. They work with purpose. They work together for the greater good of the colony. They are meticulous in keeping intrusions and obstructions from their path.

It particularly struck me that they prepare their food in the summer. Summer is upon us and I believe we are in a season of preparation. Of what, I do not know exactly. Perhaps it is different for each of us; however, I humbly ask you to go to the Lord and seek Him on what the preparation is for your life. He wants us to be a people prepared so that in the next season of our lives we will have the provision we need, not being caught off guard. Proverbs 6:9-10 describes what happens to one who is not prepared. “How long will you lie down O sluggard? When will you arise from you’re your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest. Your poverty will come in like a vagabond and your need like an armed man.” May we be awake and wise. I would love to hear what the Lord says to you.

Joy

Joy of the Jungle

Missions can be exciting and venturesome. The last day on a recent trip to D.R. Congo our team decided to go into the forest, (a.k.a. jungle), to see the Silverback Gorillas in their natural habitat. I had no idea what we were in for; I just knew that the atmosphere among our team was brewing with adventure. This is the kind of stuff my husband and 2 man-child’s LOVE! I am much more reluctant to step out into the unknown. But, on this day I mustered the courage to do so. And I didn’t even have my 3 men, (a.k.a. husband and 2 boys), to talk me into it. May I add that I was a bit proud of myself and was sure they would be too.

We hopped into our beloved Congolese friend’s 4-wheel African safari vehicle, (a.k.a. van) and off we went. After two and a half hours on a very rough road, a flat tire, a busted radiator, which we stopped several times to fill up, we arrived at our destination. We picked up 6 more participants, (a.k.a. armed guards), who would join us on our adventure. Now, on the one hand I was glad to see them but, on the other hand, I thought to myself, “Why do we need six armed guards?” It was at this point I began wondering if this was such a good idea. It was also at this point I began to remember why I leave this kind of stuff to my men. Maybe the word for it is FEAR! But, I was NOT going to back out. I had to save face among my team members. And I knew that my men would be merciless to me if they found out I had chickened out.

As we began our trek into the forest, I noticed that 2 of the guards went ahead of us. I realized later that they were actually cutting a path with their machetes for us to walk. There was no path because the brush was so thick. Too late now; I was all in. Not too far into the jungle my legs began to feel as if they were on fire. Did I mention I had on Capri’s, (a.k.a. pants that don’t cover your entire leg)? There is this plant that when you touch it little stingers come out and do what they are supposed to do. OUCH!

Me, myself and I had a very difficult conversation on the way. It went something like this. “What were you thinking? You, (a.k.a. stupid), should have just stayed back. You should have worn long pants! You are going to die out here! Ok, you’re here so just suck it up. You can do this. You’re going to get to see the gorillas. How many people get to do that? Couldn’t I have gone to the zoo? Be thankful! Do these guards really know where they are going? How much longer do we have?! To get home that is!” Do you ever have these kinds of conversations with yourself?

One thing sustained me during the trek through the jungle. I would look up every now and then and see Desire, (a.k.a. our beloved Congolese friend), smile at me. Or I would see his look of concern for me. Sometimes I saw a look of excitement as if he knew something we didn’t, like what we were getting ready to experience. I took comfort in each of his looks.

We continued for about 2 miles and then came upon a vast open field full of bamboo reed. We still had a ways to go but this time it was not brush we were walking in, it was water, (a.k.a. swamp). It actually felt good on my plant-stung legs even though it was black and mushy. The guards gathered us close together and told us to be very quiet. I was nervous. Then I heard bamboo moving. I was more nervous. Then I heard grunting. I was really nervous. And then there he was, in his element, very aware of our presence and yet so unaffected by it. And here I was, standing in the middle of a bamboo reed marsh 10 feet away from an entire family of Silverback Gorillas in the wild bush of Africa. It was beautiful. Desire was smiling big at this point!

Sometimes in life we have no earthly idea where we are going. And sometimes even when we know, we have no road map on how to get there. At times we feel stupid because we are very aware of our shortcomings and failures. We wonder if we've made the right decision. We question whether we can keep going. We somehow know, or want to believe that where we are going is going to be good. But we get stung along the way with a few surprises and doubt and fear set in. We try and talk ourselves into thinking positive and we just can’t.

And then we remember that we have a friend, (a.k.a. Jesus), who is concerned for us, smiles at us, knows exactly where He is leading us and what awaits us. We may not know the way, and sometimes the where, but we can know the Who. He is good and He is intentional on the journey towards our destiny. There will be intrusions, but He will bring us into our element, a wide open space where we will be unaffected by them. Adventure is before us. Beauty awaits us.

Joy (a.k.a. Joy of the Jungle)

Just Like You and Me

There are two things that you can be assured of in the Middle East, a call to prayer and bad coffee. Knowing this we went prepared with Dunkin Doughnuts coffee. We came out of the airport early in the morning and the hotel shuttle we had expected was nowhere in sight. The airport was empty and so was the parking lot. All that was there were a few taxi drivers in old cars. We told the gentleman on the curb where we wanted to go and he directed our team to two taxis that would take us to our hotel. As we loaded up and drove off to our hotel, I thought to myself, “There is no better time than now to trust Him who has safely gotten us this far.”

Our goal on this particular trip was to teach a conference on Spiritual Warfare and minister to those working in the country. The enemy in the Middle Eastern culture is subtle and seductively evil. After about 2 and half days, softness fell over the group and they began to open their hearts to be ministered to by the Lord. You cannot imagine how draining the spiritual climate is there. Part of this softening was triggered by a word of knowledge that had come from two friends who were praying for this trip. The word was “fence.” As we shared it with the group, people were challenged to tear down the fences they had built to protect themselves and allow God in to work. They are not much different than we are. We build up walls, or fences, of unbelief and fortify them with what God hasn’t done for us. As we fortify this position of unbelief, our hearts grow hard, callous, and numb to the voice and tenderness of the Lord. From this position, we are unstable and can end up on the sideline of life quickly. As the conference concluded, over twenty workers and their families were re-energized, encouraged and ready to continue in the battle that has been placed before them.

Towards the end of our visit, we traveled to an older market section of town to do some shopping and prayer walking. As we walked through the shops and interacted with the people, we began to gain real understanding that we are not so different from them. Behind the head coverings are women who desire to be loved and the men desire pleasure and success. As we understand this, our hearts should grow tender to the point of interceding daily for this region.

As we flew out, two words have stuck in my heart and continue to resonate with me even now as I write, “STAND FIRM.” Paul tells us this at least three times in Ephesians 6:10-20. These days are peculiar and I believe He is calling us to a position of standing firm in Him, dwelling in His shelter and abiding in His shadow. We must continue to STAND FIRM and believe that God’s Kingdom will come to the Middle East where people are just like you and me; people in need of a relationship with the God who created us.

Mark Tippett

The Other Side of the Cross

I had a moment of panic last night. I realized I was in big trouble when it dawned on me that my husband is out of town and will not be here Easter morning. (Sad face!) I gasped at the thought, “There is no one to cook Easter lunch!” (Bigger sad face!) “And who in the world is going to hide the Easter baskets?" (Yes, we do Easter baskets; yes, we hide the Easter baskets and yes, and we have a 15, 18, and a 21 year old married daughter, all of whom have asked me if they were going to get a basket this year.) I am scrambling to get it all together before Sunday!

My husband welcomes any occasion for fun, adventure, and excitement. So, whatever the holiday, he knows how to work the magic, creating fun for everyone. I don’t have to think so hard which allows me to sit back and enjoy the festivities. He will be sorely missed this Easter. I am not as good at this kind of thing as him. However, I will venture to do my best at making sure fun is had by all.

I know full well that Easter is not about the Easter bunny, getting baskets, or hiding eggs. I have actually been thinking about Easter for the past 8 or 9 months believer it or not. I read a book last summer entitled “When Heavens Invades Earth” and since then God has been reworking some of my thinking regarding the Cross and the Resurrection. I have come to realize that many Christians are stuck on this side of the Cross. Let me explain.

Mankind had a debt. This debt was called sin. The debt had to be paid and sin had to be settled. So God sent His son Jesus to pay off that debt by death on a cross. When one realizes he has a sin problem that he can’t settle on his own, and turns to Jesus for the settling of that debt, he has embraced the cross. This is a wonderful thing. However, many believers stay right there never realizing the life that is available to them on the other side of the cross. Never fully realizing that they have become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). Never realizing that their old nature is buried with Christ and they are now raised up and given new life (Romans 6:4). Never realizing they are seated in Heavenly Places with Christ (Ephesians 2:6). Never realizing they now possess the same power that resurrected Jesus from the tomb (Ephesians 1:19).

Am I saying the cross is not important? NEVER! It is essential. However, I fear that Satan has kept the church from her full potential by concealing the whole truth from her. As long as he can keep the focus on our sin, our flesh, and our old nature, he keeps us in the grave, or at best, on this side of the cross begging Jesus to do something for us that He has already done. He would love nothing more than to keep us from understanding the all powerful, jaw dropping, knee knocking, life breathing, mouth watering, resurrected life that is available to us because Jesus came up out of that tomb! We must now live on the other side of the Cross. This is the Resurrected Life.

It has been said that one of the greatest tragedies among the church is that we spend more time focusing on the sins we have committed, or commit, than we do on the life we are now called to live as co-heirs and friends of the most High God.

Do me a favor and ponder the other side of the Cross. It is:

Exciting Abundant Satisfying Transforming Everlasting Rejuvenating

Joy

Dare To Say It

It is a foregone conclusion; we live in a troubled world. Of course, the world has been in trouble since Adam. Read history, re-read the Bible and page after page records the growing consequences of garden variety sin. Add to the mix, the full-blown results of greed, hatred and indulgence and the outcome is a dangerous world. Behind it all the Ruler of this world stirs the pot.

Hopeless? Intimidating? It should not be for the people of God. We have not only been saved from this world, we have been saved for it. Salvation is not for our private consumption. Rather we are meant to be God’s merchants of hope in an otherwise hopeless world. What a day to be a Christian!

The once popular song “Who Will Answer” sends out its distress signals, “If the soul is darkened by a tear it cannot name; If the mind is baffled when the rules don’t fit the games, Who will Answer?” Fellow Believer, what a door is opened to us by such despair! It is our moment to shout, “Christ is the Answer!”

Parade magazine recently published a story captioned “The World’s Ten Worst Dictators”. As I read the article I suddenly realized we at Answering The Call have Christian friends and fellow servants of the Lord living under some of those very dictators. With God-given courage those Christians work to penetrate their surroundings with the Gospel of Jesus and it is our privilege to encourage and to equip them. But isn’t it dangerous to do all that? That is the point. If Christ is the answer it is inherently risky to say so.

As if he wrote it for this blog, the apostle Peter said:

“Who is there to harm you, if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation and do not be troubled but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…” (I Peter 3: 13 – 15)

There are sensitive Christians today who want to run some risks for Jesus’ sake. That is why they are looking for churches with bigger things in mind than customizing the status quo. What an opportunity for those who know Jesus to dare to say to the surroundings of a troubled economy and a troubled world, “We have the Answer!”

Charles Fuller