New Year Resolutions

We seem to have a love-hate relationship with New Year’s Resolutions.  We make them, break them, vow to never make them again, and then keep trying.  Some are specific like lose 10 pounds; some are general like give more or become a better person.  But all have one thing in common – a desire to improve ourselves and our lives.  To make a change for the better.

So why is it so hard to keep our resolutions, to make our changes stick?

I was reading in Matthew 22 this morning and the Lord showed me something interesting…

As usual, the religious and government leaders were trying to trap Jesus.  In 22:23-33 the Sadducees challenged Jesus about resurrection and eternal life.  They wanted to show just how ridiculous the idea was, so they gave Jesus riddle-like story about a woman who married, lost her husband before they had children, married his brother, and then the same thing happened down to the 7^th brother.  Who would she actually be married to in heaven? 

In verse 29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.”  Then he went on to set the record straight.

So what does this have to do with New Year’s Resolutions? 

While Jesus is teaching specifically about resurrection and eternal life, what He says has much wider application.  The Sadducees were in error because they a) didn’t know Scripture and b) didn’t know the power of God.  They didn’t know what God’s Word said, nor did they believe He had the power to make it happen.

This made me think about my own “errors” – in my thinking, attitudes, ignorance, and behaviors.  Where do I fall short of God’s will for my life?  Where do I want to make changes?  See where I’m going? … I feel like Jesus is teaching us how to change and grow – New Year’s Resolution or not.

To make our changes stick we need to a) know Scripture, and b) know the power of God.

So how do we know Scripture?  First, we need to read and study regularly.  Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes a day, we need God’s Word like we need air, food, water…daily.  Second, we need to pray for guidance and revelation as we read.  God’s Word is alive.  You’ll be amazed at how it speaks to you if you read it with expectancy.  Third, we need to mediate on it, thinking about what we’ve read.  Let it sink in.  Plant it deep within your heart so that as it grows it changes the way we think, speak, or behave.  Trust that God’s Word is working even when the results aren’t immediately evident.  Knowing God’s Word will transform us, correcting errors and making positive changes in our lives.

So how do we know the power of God?  First, we need to read and study God’s Word regularly.  Yes, I’m repeating myself, but it’s the truth.  God’s Word is the primary way He speaks to us.  Read it like He’s talking directly to you, because He is.  Second, look for God’s power all around.  Expect it.  Notice it.  Don’t try to understand or explain everything based on our human limitations like the Sadducees were doing.  God’s power is everywhere – in His creation, provision, protection, miracles, and in the lives of His people.  Don’t let the world’s point of view render Him impotent or irrelevant.  Third, have faith when you can’t see God’s power in the given moment.  Trust that what He says is true.  This passage was specifically about resurrection and eternal life.  Something we can’t see, but know to be true.  Have faith knowing that God’s ways and timing are different than ours.

So what is your New Year’s Resolution?  What change or goal are you trying to accomplish? 

What does Scripture say about it?  What is God’s role in helping you achieve it?  Trust in both and you’ll be able to make that resolution stick!

Kicking But

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (Matthew 14:28-29)

Jesus sent the disciples across the sea while he dismissed the crowd and went up the mountain to pray. In the wee hours of the morning, Jesus walked across the water to meet them. Thinking he was a ghost, the disciples panicked. (Ghost…really? That’s a whole other lesson)

As they cried out in fear, Jesus immediately reassured them saying “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” (Matthew 14:27) Like the disciples, I too have moments of doubt when what I “see” around me seems more believable than what I “know” to be true, when faith dips and fear rises up in its place.

It took courage for Peter to tell Jesus to call him out on the water. It took faith to believe in what seemed naturally impossible. But as Peter put his courage and faith into action, obeying Jesus’ command, he walked on water.

He actually did it!

But…

Too often we move quickly to verse 30 to analyze what went wrong. After all, there are great lessons to be learned. Peter took his eyes off Jesus, saw the wind and waves around him, lost faith in the moment, and let fear take over.

Sure he sunk, but let’s camp a moment on the fact that Peter walked on water. He did the impossible. We know all things are possible through Christ. We hear it a lot, we say it a lot, but do we actually believe it?

Do you truly believe you can walk on water? Accomplish that seemingly impossible goal? Achieve that breakthrough in your life? Overcome that pattern of sin that seems to be just “how you were made”?

Prove it by getting out of the boat. Kick all those buts right out the door and take the step of faith Christ is telling you to. Don’t let your fear, over-thinking, or “practicality” trump your courage, faith and obedience.

Trust that Christ will provide, protect, and empower you. Trust also that He will catch you if you sink.

Will – not can.

Peter walked on water, and that invitation is there for all of us. Come.

Get Over It

The Lord has really been speaking to me about judgment, forgiveness and the condition of my own heart. Personality-wise I tend to be sensitive, observant, and a deep thinker; yet I do not show or share my emotions very easily. One result is that I tend to shrug off conflict, not out of discomfort or fear, rather because I consider being strong and “getting over it” as a virtue; especially as a leader.

Over the past several months, I’ve been “blessed” with a few occasions where I was judged falsely. Once that was annoying, once that was embarrassing and mildly painful, and once that down-right hurt. It’s as if the Lord is turning the heat on so that I look inward, truly forgive and heal (rather than shrugging it off), and ensure my own heart produces fruit that honors Him.

The theme for our recent Enrich conference was Forgiveness and Healing Hurts, and our guest speaker was Leon De Haan, president of Thrive Ministries International. His passion is for teaching and equipping Christian leaders, and it was such a blessing to have him with us!

As leaders, we’re in visible positions vulnerable to evaluation, criticism and judgment. Hopefully we’re surrounded by team members who are brothers and sisters in Christ, passionate about the vision, highly motivated and extremely competent. But along with these admirable qualities also comes the risk for stepped-on toes and stepped-on hearts.

As leaders, we’re also in the challenging position of having to evaluate others – monitoring results, holding people accountable, mentoring and coaching. So it’s critical that we a) recognize and deal with our own hurts, such as when we are judged, and b) not judge others in our efforts to “help”.

There is a difference between judging a person, and inspecting the condition of their fruit.

Judgment says we know why they did what they did; that we know the condition of their hearts. We may think that we do – we may even guess right – but the truth is that we don’t, and it’s not for us to decide (1 Cor 2:11). Judging keeps us remembering the offense, reopening the wound, and justifying our own actions or positions in our minds. This is exactly what Satan wants because it keeps us from forgiving, and from being released from the hurt, anger, bitterness, etc. It also brings judgment down on us (Matt 7:1-3).

As leaders we need to admit to God when we feel hurt, to trust Him as our Lord and Savior and also the keeper of our hearts. We need to receive his forgiveness and truly understand what it means. We need to stop judging others. And we need to exemplify forgiveness.

Our decisions, actions and words flow from our hearts (Matt 12:34-35). So our hearts must be healthy and whole in order to lead, preach, counsel, or serve effectively.

…this is what the Lord has been speaking to my heart…

Veggie Tales - Preservation

With the garden planted and the fencing up, my job is not finished. I wish! How do I keep my garden in good condition? How do I preserve it and care for it to ensure good crops? There’s still work to be done and lessons to be learned as I await the harvest.

Preservation.

As I’m writing this our weather has been in the 80s, with barely any rain so far this Spring. So when I think preservation, I think watering. As I planted the seeds, I noticed that the packets said they needed to be kept moist. That could mean watering them 1, 2, even 3 times a day until they grow roots deep enough to sustain the scorching sun. There’s something soothing to me about watering the grass, flowers, and garden. And it reminds me of an impactful teaching from Craig Mayes I heard at Kensington long ago.

Hebrews 6:7 says “Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.”

Farmers and gardeners know that rain is key to the survival of their crops. The same is true for our spiritual lives, our spiritual harvests. We need God’s rain - His Word, His Spirit, His Living Water - to fall upon us and nourish us so that we can grow.

So what does Hebrews 6:7 teach about God’s rain? First, when we drink it in it helps us to produce good crops, useful crops. Second, that the crops we produce are intended for our good and for the good of others. Third, that when we produce good crops we receive blessings from God.

But to me, the most important thing we learn from this verse is that God’s rain is “often falling.” Through His Word. His presence. His Spirit within us. God is available, accessible, and a generous provider of what we need. God’s rain falls on us frequently - constantly really. All we have to do is drink it in on a regular basis. I think of the spiritual disciplines or practices of Bible reading, meditation, memorization, prayer, fasting, solitude, etc. Those are ways we drink in God’s rain on a regular basis.

And like the seeds in my garden, I need to be watered every day. We all do. Without God’s living water on a daily basis, I know that I’m prone to wander in search of nourishment, comfort, wisdom, refreshment…or whatever…from other places…my own cisterns of water.

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13, NIV)

Picture a cistern. They come in many shapes and sizes, but I’m picturing one that is partially sunken into the ground, lined with cement or limestone to collect water. Because the water is stagnant, it gets kinda gross. Then when the lining cracks, water seeps out and the mud seeps in. No matter how hard I try to keep that cistern filled, all that remains is a gross, muddy puddle that’s unable to clean, quench, or refresh.

So I had to ask myself, what is the cistern that I keep returning to that never seems to satisfy? What do I need to do to exchange that broken cistern for God’s spring of living water, His rain that is often falling?

The alternative is hardened, sun scorched land that produces thorns and thistles, and hardened hearts far from God that produce rotten fruit. As Hebrews 6:8 goes on to say, “But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.” Worthless. Cursed. Burned. Ouch.

What is the condition of the soil of my heart? What am I doing to protect and preserve it? What am I using to water, and doing to keep it free from thorns? Am I producing the fruit God intended?

Boy, this is a lot of work…I sure hope the Lord is patient with me, and gives me a good dose of patience myself.

Veggie Tales - Protection

When we first moved into this house, one of the things I was most excited about was having a yard with real grass – the green, barefoot-walking kind. With the big yard, came a decent-size garden at the one end. I saw through the overgrown weeds and strewn-about trash to the potential it held, not realizing at first that while I was going to work on the garden, the Lord was going to work on me.

Protection.

How do you guard a garden? Well, it depends on what you’re protecting it from. In my case it’s those small but pesky critters including our Yorkie puppy (pictured here) who loves to dig up bugs. So a small fence should do the trick. Now that the fence is up, however, I’ll need to continue to be on guard to see if anything else is getting through my defenses – bugs, birds, bigger pesky critters. Being on guard takes continued monitoring, alertness, and effort…Yeah, I know, this is just a garden we’re talking about, but as usual, the Lord is using it to teach me some important life lessons.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Jesus compares our hearts to soil in a garden – conditions have to be right in order to receive God’s Word and reap its fruit in our lives. (Matthew 13) God’s Word also teaches us that we need to guard our hearts above all else.

“Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23, AMP) The NLT version says “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” These are some strong words about guarding our hearts – with all vigilance, above anything else that you guard.

Guarding our hearts means protecting it from tempting influences that can distract us from God - temptations which can quickly lead to sin, destroying the good fruit in our lives.

Being on guard also means recognizing where we are weak or vulnerable and amping up our defenses in that area especially. As I’m protecting my garden from puppies and rabbits, a small, chicken wire fence will work. When we lived on the mission base, Pastor Abram needed to protect his garden from horses, blesbok and wildebeest. His fence was a lot different than mine. This isn’t about the size of the fence; rather it’s about recognizing we need the right fence for the job.

I’m amazed, and convicted, at how much effort I put into guarding “stuff”. We have locks on our doors, gates for double protection, bars on our windows, a sophisticated security system, and a ferocious guard dog (also pictured here). Not to mention the mental and emotional energy I spend thinking about security, even worrying about it…

Do I guard my heart with the same effort and energy as I guard other things in my life? Do I guard my heart with all diligence, above all else that I guard?

Ashamed, the answer is no. I think I underestimate the power of the influences around me, thinking that they won’t affect me that much. But that’s the way the enemy works, deceiving us into thinking a behavior, risk, influence, or thought is no big deal until it’s too late.

So I’ve had to ask myself, where am I most vulnerable and therefore need to guard my heart? Where do I need to strengthen my defenses through time in God’s word? And where do I need the fellowship and accountability of others to keep me on track?

It’s critical to protect our hearts by keeping them focused on God, because our hearts determine the course of our lives.

Wow, the garden looks great! Now how do I keep it that way?

Return on Investment

For the past 2 weeks, we have been celebrating FlashPoint graduations. What an incredible year this has been!

FlashPoint is our Leadership Development and AIDS prevention program in the schools. Our bi-weekly classes teach about topics such as living for God’s purpose, purity, character, HIV and AIDs, drugs and alcohol, and other tough issues youth face.

Over the year, our students have worked hard and grown in incredible ways. It’s a blessing to see young people being shaped, stretched and used by God, discovering His purpose for their lives.

As we celebrate the thousands of graduating students, we also celebrate our coaches who have invested so much into their students as teachers, mentors, counselors and friends. Their impact is seen on the faces of their students – in their smiles, laughter, and tears. Their impact is heard in each testimony shared. And their impact will continue as these students live what they’ve learned.

Please join in praying for our FlashPoint graduates, that they continue to grow as leaders for Christ.

Veggie Tales - Preparation

One of the hobbies I’ve taken up since moving into town is gardening. Given my suburban roots, this has felt like a pretty massive undertaking. As I await an equally massive harvest, I’ve also been reflecting on how the Lord is using these veggies to teach me about my faith. While I’m sure there are many, my biggest lessons learned have to do with preparation, protection, preservation and patience. Hang in there; you’ll see what I mean…

Preparation.

I began my venture by doing a little research on growing vegetables in South Africa. Experts agree that preparation is crucial to ensure that the soil is in good condition. Our weather is dry and our soil is predominately clay, so I had to begin with the back-breaking task of breaking up the soil, removing rocks, and working in good soil (compost and manure, yuck!).

All this hard work reminded me of the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. Jesus compared the condition of our soil with the condition of our hearts, and conditions have to be right in order to receive God’s Word and reap its fruit in our lives.

So, what is the condition of the soil of my heart?

Is it like the path mentioned, hardened from years of being trampled and baked in the sun? When God’s Word is sown on hardened soil, it’s not understood or even welcomed. The seeds are quickly snatched away.

Does the soil of my heart contain rocks that prevent God’s Word from taking root? I think of rocks as internal things like sin, negative thinking, stubbornness, insecurity, unforgiveness, or pride. Without deep roots, plants wither away in harsh conditions. Without deep roots, people fall away when tested or tempted. As the Lord exposes the rocks in our soil, it’s critical to do the often times back-breaking, heart-breaking work of removing them. To answer the question, yes - I definitely have some rock removal to do.

Does the soil of my heart contain thorns allowing God’s word to be choked out? I think of thorns as external things like temptations, worldly pressures, false teachings, or the expectations of others. Weeds compete with the good plants, depriving them of much needed water, sun and nutrients. The worries and pressures of life can do the same thing, and like weeds, if left unattended, they have the amazing ability to grow huge, spread fast, and ultimately take over the place.

Whether the soil is hard, rocky, or full of thorns and weeds, the result is the same – little to no fruit. “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

So I’ve done the heavy lifting of preparing my soil and planting my vegetable seeds. And along the way, the Lord has been teaching me about my heart condition as well.

So now what? ... Eish! Those pesky critters!

Power Unleashed

“I care.” “I can do more than you think.”

“I have power.” “Even my small acts can change the world.”

“I love a challenge.” “All I need is a chance.”

These are among the many powerful statements from our youth.They want to be heard, valued, appreciated, and used by God. They are the voice of the nation, it’s very future. So at our recent Enrich conference, 75 local pastors and youth ministry leaders gathered to become better equipped in reaching our youth.

Pastor Jodie Stehouwer from Resurrection Life Church Mid-Michigan and Mike Benson from the Conquerors International Strength team were our guest speakers. Both have godly wisdom and practical experience in reaching youth, and huge hearts for unleashing their power and potential.

Historians say that 11 of the 12 disciples were young people. When Jesus went to be with his Father, he placed the future of the church into their hands. He unleashed the power that surrounded him, the passion within them, and the potential before them.

Something Pastor Jodie said really jumped out at me… When we’re only doing things within our reach, it also means our own strength and our own results. God’s plans are bigger than that. He wants us to reach beyond our abilities and comfort zones, to trust him, and to need him.

God does not qualify us through age or experience. He looks at our hearts. That is why it’s so important to equip young people, and release them to do what God has called them to do. Sure they will make mistakes – but everyone does. They might even fall into sin – but who is without sin?

As leaders, we need to have faith in our young people, but more importantly, we need to have faith in God as they step out. We need to believe in them.

Why? Because God does.

Forever Changed

I remember walking into Michigan Theological Seminary (now Moody) filled with excitement and fear, anticipation and intimidation. I was hungry to learn and deepen my faith, but I also felt like I was stepping in over my head.

Seminary was an incredible, life-changing experience for me - one that helped launch me into full-time missions. So it’s troubling to think that I have more formal training than 90% of the pastors here in South Africa. I am truly blessed, and now I’m thankful for the opportunity to bless others as well.

For the past 13 weeks I’ve been teaching Foundations for Christian Growth - a rigorous course that provides certification to graduating students. One of my highlights has been seeing incredible growth in each student. Deeper understanding of God’s Word. Better application in daily life. More intimate relationships with God. Increased faith.

The Lord knit together a diverse class consisting of pastors, church leaders, and laypeople; young and old; mature believers and seekers. Caroline (far left) came as a seeker wanting to know more about God and why she should give her life to Him. She attended faithfully, completed the homework on time, and did well on her tests. Yet as her mind was immersed in information, her heart experienced a transformation.

Her life was forever changed. Caroline came seeking, and left surrendered to Christ.

“I was not born again before, because of this class I’m born again. The Spirit of God is dwelling in me. I know what God is expecting from me and he delivered me out of Satan’s authority and power. I was full of anger and revenge from the past, but now I know I have to plant forgiveness so that God can forgive me too.” - Caroline Mofokeng

Please join us in praying for Caroline and the rest of our FCG students as they continue growing in their faith.

More Than Conquerors

Words can’t even describe what it’s like to stand in the middle of 900 high schoolers cheering at the top of their lungs! That’s what our school assemblies have been like.

This week we are blessed by a team from Resurrection Life Church Mid Michigan and the Conquerors International Strength Team. They have been treating our youth to amazing feats of strength, music, and break-dancing and the kids absolutely love it!

But this team is so much more than conquerors. Along with these amazing gifts, they are also sharing the gift of hope in Jesus Christ.

With each powerful testimony shared, we see youth light up with the recognition that God loves them unconditionally and has a purpose and plan for their lives. A purpose that can be side-tracked by poor choices, or a lived out abundantly when lived for Christ.

We were talking to a teacher after one of the assemblies and she echoed the same thing. That her students were greatly impacted as they were challenged, inspired and equipped to surrender themselves to Jesus.

Please pray with us for the many youth who have made decisions to live their lives for Christ.

Created for Relationship

God created us for relationship – to love Him, to be loved by Him, and to love others. Because of this, one of the most powerful and effective ways Satan can sabotage us is through our relationships. Broken marriages, unhealthy relationships between parents and children, sacrificed friendships, and division in our churches…all within the body of Christ.

During our recent Enrich leadership conference, more than 100 pastors and church leaders joined to learn God’s design for relationships, and how to handle challenges and communicate in a godly way. Our final session was an open discussion where folks could ask tough questions, exchange ideas, and encourage one another. It was a pretty amazing day!

Based on the feedback, it was clear that these leaders left inspired and equipped to nurture their relationships with God and with those whom the Lord placed in their lives. After all, it’s what we’ve all been created for!

“Today I learned how to strengthen my relationship with God and prepare myself to win battles against Satan with the Word of God alive in me. It is my heart’s prayer that God gives me strength and increases my faith to make a difference in the lives of my children, my church, my relatives, and community.” - Masetjhaba Magdelin Tau

From Our Coaches

One of the many highlights with our Ignite Mission Team was the opportunity for them to meet our FlashPoint coaches, get to know them, and hear straight from their hearts. I thought it would be cool for you to hear from them as well.

We asked everyone to share their highlights from the year thus far, and here is what they had to say.

Thabang: Seeing kids giving their lives to Christ.

Pheelo: Reading testimonies from the kids and seeing how their efforts are really making a difference.

Joseph: Seeing learners become more open in sharing and seeking help about their personal struggles.

Thapelo: Having an opportunity to teach leadership lessons to his fellow coaches, and that Ignite is building him up as a leader so he can build others.

Pheko: Seeing growth in his learners, and seeing lives changed as kids apply what they learn.

Thulo: The impact Assemblies are having in new schools including many new commitments to Christ.

Amanda: Seeing the growth and boldness of each of the coaches.

Jill: Seeing the coaches use their gifts in mighty ways and also be willing to step out as God calls them to.

June: The huge step of faith each took as we made the transition from Thrive Africa to Ignite South Africa.

Dan: Learning so much from the leadership lessons, and being equipped as a leader and teacher.

Busisiwe: How the coaches work together as a team, and how they allow themselves to be stretched by God.

Amos: Being invited to speak to a 12^th grade class over the holiday break.

Constance: Teamwork among the coaches, and also opportunities to learn new skills and roles.

Dimakatso: Seeing how she is making a difference with her learners.

Nnini: Seeing learners being changed, and also growing as a leader herself including teaching leadership lessons to her fellow coaches.

Disebo: Having an impact and building friendships with the learners.

Sibongile: Teaching grade 9 where kids are older than she’s used to; at first she was intimidated, but now they know and like her, and the class is going so well.

The team was excited to meet our incredible coaching team – their passion for God and raising up young leaders is so evident! Please pray with us for each of our coaches and the impact they are having for Christ.

Cultivating

This has been an incredible time of ministry with our Ignite Mission team. It has been such a blessing to serve together sharing the hope of Christ. As we ministered, the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 kept coming to mind. Gardening involves more than just scattering seeds. It also requires cultivating the soil so that the seeds can flourish. Evangelism is similar with our hearts being like the soil that needs tending. As we cultivated relationships, we also cultivated the soil in which the seeds of God’s Word were planted.

Each person we met had a unique story, a unique need – each relationship we built was divinely appointed by God. Just like soil, our hearts are cultivated in stages, and I loved how the Lord used each team member to do that cultivating based on their own gifts and testimonies.

We met hardened hearts that were softened through kindness, serving, and thought-provoking questions. We encountered rocky soil where we helped to counsel and comfort. We encountered the weeds of traditional, ancestral beliefs and sprayed them with “Round-up” from God’s Word. We encountered strong Believers with fertile soil whom we simply encouraged.

Sharing God’s Word may seem intimidating; something best left to pastors and evangelists. But it’s definitely something we all can do, and are called to do. As we built relationships, God used us to tend the soil of many hearts – sowing the seeds of His truth that will reap a harvest in His perfect timing. And as this happened, the Lord ministered to us as well, tending the soil of our hearts - removing rocks and weeds, and planting His truths down deeper.

I’m excited for the great harvest this will bring in the lives of each of us!

Catalysts

Acts 9 is a pretty amazing story of Paul’s conversion and launch into ministry. And where would we be if Paul has not been obedient to God’s calling on his life?

Paul’s testimony is so dramatic it’s easy to overlook the role of Ananias – the one who obeyed God, went to Paul, and prayed with him to receive the Holy Spirit. Ananias was the catalyst who launched Paul into an amazing ministry. Both men had life-changing and life-giving roles to play purposed by God.

This weekend we welcomed our Ignite Mission Team – 3 wonderful ladies excited to share the love and hope of Christ! Jaime began our first day of Relationship Evangelism by teaching us how Ananias’ seemingly small act of obedience had a significant and eternal impact. Our prayer for the next 2 weeks is to be used by God in similar ways.

As we go where God sends us, build relationships, serve and pray, the Lord is sure to do incredible things in and through us. We have great expectations for this trip.

• To be stretched by God and become bolder in fulfilling the Great Commission.
• To serve people in need as the hands and feet of Christ.
• To hear clearly from God as we step out of our comfort zone and rely solely on Him.
• To sharpen and encourage each other, as we each have unique gifts to share and roles to play.
• To be the catalysts that God uses to encourage, edify, and equip others.
• To expect the unexpected, after all God has more in store for us that we’ll ever know.

While we have great expectations for this trip, we’re sure the Lord will exceed them by far.

Please pray for us. And please ask yourself, how does God want to use me today?

Snow Day

While friends in Michigan are sweltering in 90-100 degree heat, we just had a freak snow storm in Harrismith, South Africa. Did you even know we had winters here? We sure do, and being near the mountains we even get the occasional snow. Winters average 20-30 in the evenings, and as high as 50-60 if we’re blessed with a sunny day. But people are saying this has been the coldest winter in a long time - many of our nights have been in the single digits.

Now you Michiganders might be saying Boo-Hoo! That’s nothing! But we don’t have things like central heat, heavy boots and coats, snow shovels…and it’s as cold inside as it is outside, usually even colder. I have a new appreciation for warm weather States that basically shut down when it snows. You just wait it out…

As we hunkered down to endure the freezing temps, blustering winds, and several inches of snow next came a major power outage leaving the entire area dead in its tracks. Eish! Thankfully, our nearby truck/traveler stop (called the One-stop) had a generator so we hung out at Mugg&Bean for most of the day. Thank God for great food, hot filtered coffee, and free Wi-Fi.

As we drove through Harrismith we saw kids and adults alike enjoying their unexpected snow day. Snowmen were a bit hit given that it rarely snows enough to make one. Also interesting is that our small town became a parking lot for truck drivers stranded during the height of the storm. Trucks were parked everywhere – along the streets, in open fields, in empty lots. Wild!

Anyways, we survived and have some cool pictures to boot! But please, stop hogging all the warm weather and send some our way!!

Life for Dry Bones

Imagine walking through a valley where lifeless bones are strewn about. Sounds kind of eerie and scary, doesn’t it? In Ezekiel 37, the Lord led him through such a place. Back…and forth… so he’d see just how many dry bones were all around. Then the Lord asked him “Can these bones live?” and Ezekiel didn’t know the answer. “Sovereign LORD”, he replied, “you alone know.” That’s when God told him and showed him that if he spoke out God’s Word Ezekiel could bring life himself. There is power and life in the Word of God, and we’re called to proclaim it.

This past Sunday Pastor Abram and I attended Pastor Shadrack’s church service. Pastor Shadrack is active in our Enrich program, working hard to grow as a leader and lead his church well. (In this picture are Pastors Shadrack, Abram and David).

As Pastor Shadrack taught from the story of Ezekiel, I was gripped by what it means for us here and now. There are dry, lifeless bones all around us – people suffering and struggling in different ways. Sickness, pain, poverty, addiction, abuse, hopelessness…spiritual and physical death.

Isaiah 61:1-3+ says the Lord has anointed me (you, us) to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom to captives, and to comfort those who mourn – basically to speak life to the lifeless.

Pastor Shadrack encouraged his church to reach out in Qwa Qwa. Please pray for them as they do. And please pray for me also, as sometimes the needs seem so overwhelming I can lose perspective on what God has called and equipped me to do – proclaim the life-giving Word of God.

Gods Vision for His Church

The Lord has an incredible vision for His Church, with each local church having a unique and instrumental role to play. That’s why it was such an exciting blessing to teach local pastors in our recent workshop - “Achieving God’s Vision for Your Church.”

As I prepared, I gobbled up advice from Bill Hybels in his book “Courageous Leadership.” It’s a great book! One that I read long ago, but I’m re-reading with new eyes as I try to help local African pastors put sound leadership principles into practice.

Bill defined vision as “a picture of the future that produces passion”. Both components are critical. While the picture of the future reflects where you are going, passion fuels the action needed to get there. Vision is the most powerful tool a leader has. Vision is what unleashes the power of the local church.

During the workshop we trained pastors in how to define and communicate vision, maximize their receptivity in hearing from God, and then turn their God-gifted vision into action through strategic plans and measureable goals.

Plans, metrics, and goals…Oh, my!

Someone once told me that they didn’t want to run their ministry too much like a business, and I’ve often wondered myself if this is possible. How much is too much? Especially when working with rural churches that are significantly smaller and less resourced than churches like Willow Creek and Kensington Community, or companies like Ford, Chrysler, and GM.

Along those same lines, Bill reflected on the following questions. “With our emphasis on leadership are we at risk of strategically planning the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit right out of the church? Or can and should church leaders learn from the best leadership minds and best practices in order to do God’s work with excellence?”

I loved his answers! Answers that I totally agreed with, shared with the local pastors, and they whole-heartedly agreed as well! That God has given them an important vision. That whether or not they achieve that vision matters. That their success or failure impacts lives, not only today, but for eternity. That the local church is the hope of the world. There is no other company, organization, or government that can accomplish what God has called His Church to do.

All that said – we clearly need to do everything we can to lead God’s churches well, with vision and passion, with diligence and effectiveness, maximizing our God-gifted leadership potential.

Based on feedback, our local pastors clearly left equipped to carry out God’s vision for their churches… but more importantly, they left feeling inspired knowing that God has called them to bring His hope to the World. Please say a prayer for these local pastors as they do.

Rebuilding

I’m thankful that the Lord is with us through trials, redeeming them through His mercy and grace. Like Nehemiah, I’ve been praying earnestly for the Lord’s wisdom, guidance and favor as we rebuild – our temple, our walls, our city, our nation. We’re 8 months into it, and it has been an incredible journey!

Rebuilding our temple.

I think of our temple as our spiritual foundation, a foundation that crumbles when leaders stumble and fall. With Ignite South Africa, we have the opportunity to learn from the past, to ensure a solid spiritual foundation, and to prioritize protecting it moving forward. There’s wisdom to be gained through the redemption of past mistakes.

As leaders we all need build-up our temple, our faith, our worship, our spiritual disciplines – first individually, then collectively. It’s the critical first step, and one that doesn’t end there. Ongoing maintenance and growth will always be needed.

Rebuilding our walls.

Like Israel, our first need was for survival – somewhere to live and work, a new “mission base” so to speak. We also had rubble to move out of the way; processing, healing and planning to do. Then we began rebuilding our walls as the Lord directed.

Nehemiah prayed for favor with the king. We too prayed for favor with the King (big K) because He cares about the details big and small, and knows exactly what we need to survive. I’m thankful for what the Lord has faithfully provided beginning with our home, office, and other needs. It’s remembering examples of the Lord’s faithfulness that gets me though moments of doubt or fear and keeps me moving ahead towards His purpose.

Rebuilding our city.

After the walls were built and folks felt safe, Nehemiah raised up leaders, and people started resettling into their hometowns. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but here I think of rebuilding and restructuring our departments, embracing the Lord’s fresh vision, and poising ourselves for future impact and growth.

We’re praying, dreaming, and planning for the future. We’re excited to rebuild God’s ministry – spiritually, physically, strategically, and tactically. Our home, office, and programs; our coaches, schools and youth; our local churches, pastors, and villages...That’s my city.

Rebuilding our nation.

Rebuilding our temple and walls will meet our needs for survival. Rebuilding our city poises us for significance and eternal impact. Rebuilding our nation is the next step in achieving it. It’s our God-gifted mission. A mission that hasn’t changed but is ready for fresh vision to move it to the next level. And I’m thankful that the Lord has invited us to be part of His plan.

Nehemiah led for survival, and once that need was met he led for significance. How can we do the same? And who wants to come with us? I’m excited!!

Shout out again to “Becoming Nehemiah – Leading with Significance” by David L. McKenna

Haunting Last Words

Nehemiah faces another crucible in chapter 13. He has to report back to the king so he entrusts various responsibilities to others. When Nehemiah returns, he finds far-reaching corruption beginning in the house of God. Everything that Nehemiah had worked so hard for stood in jeopardy, and he had to turn things around - again.

As his role changes his attitude does as well. He continues to seek God and pray, but he also takes some pretty aggressive, angry actions as he tries to clean-up all the corruption. Threats, curses, beatings, banishings. He even pulled out people’s hair. Per Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” great leaders look into the mirror for blame and out the window for credit. Nehemiah does the opposite; losing the edge of greatness he had risen to.

So why does Nehemiah act so out of character?

Granted Nehemiah made a HUGE mistake in appointing Eliashib as a leader and we can learn a lot of from his experience… But Nehemiah is the only one responsible for his own reactions and actions.

One speculation is that Nehemiah burned out and became distressed feeling like all of his work had been in vain. Have you ever felt overwhelmed? Like things were hopeless? Like efforts were futile and it didn’t matter how hard you tried?

I hate to admit it, but I’ve felt this way. It sounds so - I don’t know … “unspiritual” - given that I’m a missionary, but I’m also human. Ministry is hard work! Sometimes prayers aren’t answered the way we expect. Sick people die instead of being healed. For every person saved and every student reached, there are tens of thousands more to go. And sometimes one grievous mistake can undo 5, 10, or more years of hard work.

Perhaps Nehemiah was in over his head in terms of competency. Perhaps he needed to learn more about selecting and training leaders. Perhaps his faith weakened and he lost sight of God’s presence and calling. Feelings of futility are a red flag that tells us we’re burning out and need to take immediate action to restore ourselves and our relationship with God.

I’ve often heard it said that character is what squeezes out of us when we’re pressed. In Nehemiah’s case it became some pretty yucky stuff. His words haunt us at the end. “Remember me with favor, o my God.” It’s like he knows he’s far off track and in need of favor, even mercy, grace and forgiveness.

What can we learn from Nehemiah’s example about heeding the warning signs and staying on track? I know I’m learning a lot.

Making Melodies

This week I visited 2 school assemblies – what a hoot! Our FlashPoint coaches did such an amazing job!

Great singing, funny skits, powerful testimonies, such a special way of relating to the kids, all topped off with a wonderful talent for teaching God’s truths in ways young people can understand and get excited about. Kinda like a Triple Threat of ministry (if there is such a thing). And judging from kids responses, everyone had a great time!

Our assemblies are ½ day events for schools that do not currently have FlashPoint classes. It’s a way we can teach and inspire even more youth about God’s purpose for their lives. This year our goal is to reach 3500 kids.

We begin with a group assembly for all 7th- 9th graders filled with singing, testimonies and skits to teach valuable lessons. “Making Melodies In My Heart” was hilarious with the goofy motions. Even the teachers got into the action. Next Coach Thapelo shared about his struggles growing up poor and feeling like poverty would prevent him from achieving his goals and dreams. Thapelo shared how discovering God’s love, purpose and help changed his life, and how God will also help each young person become who they were created to be. The skit reinforced that lesson in a funny, memorable way. Afterwards, the kids divided into classrooms for a 2 hour lesson about Living on Purpose – one of our FlashPoint curriculums.

These assemblies have a great impact with the students, and the educators as well. We spoke with the principals and they were excited, thankful, and honored that Ignite South Africa came to their school.

Please join us in praying for our assembly schools – that these kids make godly decisions in their lives and that someday we’re able to expand with weekly classes for them.

Second Only To Love

In talking to pastors and church leaders, we’ve found that Finances is an area where many struggle due to lack of training and limited resources. Did you know that the Bible has more than 2300 verses about money, second only to Love? Or that 2/3 of Jesus’ parables were about wealth, possessions, giving and stewardship?

Why the emphasis on money? Because it’s where we are tempted...humbled...and where we often struggle to trust in the Lord. It’s a source of life and blessing, but can also be a trap Satan uses to separate us from God. It’s the means by which we can do God’s work and bless others. And it’s a powerful witness, positive or negative, to Believers and non-Believers alike because it captures everyone’s attention.

How we manage our money – whether we have a lot or a little – reflects our relationship with God. So on June 13th, we pressed in to managing our money God’s way. Our workshop topics included having the right attitude about wealth, achieving financial freedom, tithing and giving, goal-setting and budgeting, and teaching biblical principles in the church.

When I asked the pastors how many had ever developed a budget or used one to manage their church or business finances, no one raised their hands. By the end of the workshop, all agreed that the information learned and practiced would be helpful in leading their congregations.

“As the teaching was given, I learned that I must do things God’s way, then implement what I learn in my life, business and church. I will teach my church the importance of tithing 10%, and also managing the other 90% well as stewards of what God provides.” – Pastor Thulo Shadrack Mile

“I will teach the church God’s principles about money and how to implement them. I will also apply what I have learned for myself and my household so that I can model what I teach.” – Pastor Stella Charlotte Molefe

Please join me in praying for these leaders as they model and teach what they have
learned.

Heal Our Land

On Sunday people from different churches within Harrismith gathered together for the Global Day of Prayer. It was amazing for me to see! And it reminded me of the EACH movement going on in metro-Detroit.

South Africa is such a beautiful and diverse country – and this gathering was just as beautiful and diverse. Black and White. Old and young. Different native languages. Different denominations and styles of worship. All united to pray and honor our one true Savior - in a small town in the middle of South Africa, across the nation, and around the world.

Check out www.globaldayofprayer.com for more info including statistics on each country participating. It’s pretty interesting.

In the 10 days leading up to this we had been praying for different things each day – for God to revive and unite His people, for Him to reveal Himself in mighty ways and be the Lord of every area of our lives, for transformation and provision, for forgiveness and reconciliation, and that the Lord be glorified across the world.

As we prayed, we also studied and reflected on Joel 2:12-32 which calls God’s people to return to Him, gather, reignite hope, celebrate all He is doing, and trust in His promises. The passage is a good reminder that even as Believers we can drift away in the currents of day-to-day life.

2 Chronicles 7: 14 “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Who could use some healing these days?

From Survival to Significance

After success rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah becomes governor of Jerusalem and then governor of Israel. Nehemiah’s leadership path takes a turn and everything changes – scale of responsibility, scope of duties, and complexity of role. Is Nehemiah still the right man for the job?

When Jerusalem was rebuilding the walls, their primary need was for survival and protection from their enemies. That’s a pretty strong motivator and unifier of people. We know Nehemiah faced challenges, but they were very different than what he faced as governor. After the walls were up, the need became for significance, restoration and renewal – spiritually, politically, and socially.

So Nehemiah jumped in with both feet.

Nehemiah began by reestablishing the spiritual, moral and legal foundation. They “assembled as one man” to hear Ezra read the law. They confessed, repented, and celebrated their newfound freedom and potential. Next they signed a binding agreement to show their commitment to God’s commands.

Nehemiah appointed leaders over the towns and provinces, and people resettled into their homes. We already know from previous experience that Nehemiah is gifted at motivating and mobilizing people, and the people had learned to respect and trust him. Next Nehemiah tackles economic reform – establishing a national treasury, making the first and largest gift himself, and revising tax practices to promote equity and protect the poor. And these are just a few of his accomplishments…

Nehemiah’s character and spiritual maturity served well in this new role as governor. Nehemiah also proved he could adapt his leadership to the new situations, and make decisions for the greater good often at personal cost.

The last year at Thrive Africa was survival mode and ultimately the Lord launched Ignite South Africa so that the work could survive. In some ways we’re still in survival mode as we build and gain momentum. I thank the Lord for his faithfulness and provision. For providing the leadership, vision, and resources we need. For raising up prayer and financial partners who make our work possible. For miraculously meeting our needs each month. I praise God for all these things. He’s clearly still with us.

And I look forward to the course in front of us – a journey that is rounding the corner into significance, restoration and renewal.

If our crucible experiences refine us as leaders, what can I learn from Nehemiah’s next one? What can you learn?

Graduation Celebration

One of the highlights at our recent Enrich conference was honoring the 5 graduates of our Foundations for Christian Growth class. The course was a rigorous 13 weeks complete with attendance requirements, homework, extra books to read, and TESTS! Pastor Abram and I took the class as well so we’d be officially certified to teach future classes.

After we presented the certificates, each graduate shared what the class meant in their lives. Joy in receiving the certificates. Heartfelt thanks for teachers, interpreters and tutors who helped them succeed. Gratitude for everyone who gave generously to equip them as leaders. And most importantly, praises to God for helping them make it through a challenging course – “with great sacrifices come with great rewards”.

“I’m so thankful for the classes and graduation. What I liked most was how Mme June taught with the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and how through each lesson the Holy Spirit worked in me. I got so much out of each class. They increased my knowledge and strengthened my spirit. I greatly encourage others to take this course as well. It’s important for us leaders because God works in us through these classes. They equip us and give us solutions and answers. Thank you Ignite South Africa.” – Pastor David Moeti

Our next course begins June 30th and we’re excited that these testimonies encouraged so many to step out and sign-up.

Please pray for our recent FCG graduates, our next group of leaders taking the course, and for Abram and me as we prepare to teach. It’s such a joy to build-up leaders and to see God use them in incredible ways.

Lead by the Spirit

On May 25th, more than 100 leaders joined us for our second Enrich leadership conference of the year.

We continued our Kingdom Leading series digging deep into leading by the power of the Holy Spirit. June taught on our identity in Christ and how our spirits, souls and bodies are transformed by the Holy Spirit. I taught on the fruit of the Spirit as evidence of that transformation (Galatians 5:16-25), and how the Holy Spirit gifts us with power for building ourselves up and leading our churches (I Corinthians 12:1-12). June followed with teaching and prayer for baptism in the Holy Spirit, and Pastor Abram concluded with a powerful lesson on healing for our bodies and minds.

“but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” (Galatians 5:22-23)

We need the Holy Spirit working in us to bear this fruit in our lives. Given our human natures, we need supernatural help to love the way God does, have supernatural joy and peace through difficult times, remain faithful through all circumstances, and have self-control when our flesh wants what it shouldn’t have. As followers of Christ, we will be recognized by our fruit.

“God has given me power to go out to the world to show His power and lead people to salvation. This conference has given me courage. I have learned that God wants us to be complete and filled always with His Spirit, and I have gained insight about God’s Spirit in me.” – Nakeli Masilo Shadrack

Treasures in Heaven

I hit the ground running when I arrived back in South Africa. We had just 2 weeks before an Enrich conference and then June heading to the US for 6 weeks. We were also blessed with 2 ministry guests who stayed with us for a week, getting to know Ignite and serving with us. I’d like you to “meet” them…

Alison and Doug are fellow missionaries with an organization called Love For the Sake of Love (http://www.loveforthesakeoflove.com/). I met Alison when she served as a summer intern with Thrive Africa 2 summers ago. Afterwards, she felt called to help launch a new ministry for college students. L4L’s heart is to help students discover Christ’s calling on their lives, and to mobilize them to use their gifts to serve others. They accomplish this through both local outreach and global mission trips. I know what a life-changing experience a mission trip can be, so I love that L4L’s heart is to facilitate serving opportunities for students.

While here, Alison and Doug spent time with our FlashPoint coaches, attended an FCG class getting to know some of our local pastors, and served at our Enrich conference. They also helped with a HUGE book project – sorting and inventorying the more than 1000 books we have in storage. Wow! I’m sure there will be treasures in heaven for that tedious project!!

And I’m soooo excited about it because it helps us make these much needed resources available to our coaches, pastors and church leaders. My heart is to have a small library someday where they can study for classes, access books and other materials, prepare for sermons, ask questions, etc.

It has been such a blessing to get to know these young leaders. I’ve been so impressed by their vision, leadership, focus on Christ, and heart for fellow college students. I recommend you check out their site for more information, especially if you have a heart for students, or a student of your own.

Leadership Lessons Learned

Despite numerous challenges, the walls of Jerusalem were completed in 52 days. Pretty amazing really! I love that the Bible says the people worked with all their heart – that God noticed and acknowledged it in His very own Word. This speaks highly of the people and also of Nehemiah’s ability to lead.

There are soooo many lessons we can learn from Nehemiah. I’m just going to brainstorm some that I gleaned from my self-study and from reading David L. McKenna’s book “Becoming Nehemiah – Leading with Significance.”

Character

Nehemiah was a man of great character. He demonstrated traits such as integrity, courage, confidence, self-sacrifice, loyalty, authenticity, and consistency. Character is key because it transfers into any leadership situation. Competencies, skills and experience don’t necessarily.

Nehemiah also had great compassion. He personally identified with the needs of the people. So often leaders are chosen based on vision, initiative, creativity or charisma, but unless these gifts are matched to the needs of the people, they can become what McKenna describes as “self-serving handicaps of personal ambition.”

Spiritual Maturity

Nehemiah demonstrated spiritual maturity in that he was fully devoted to God. He had confidence in the sovereignty of God. He prayed regularly in confession and worship, for wisdom, protection and guidance. He did not compromise his faith when faced with challenges. And his trust in the Lord was evident and a witness to others.

Leadership Traits

Nehemiah was a servant leader. He served the king as cupbearer, and excelled in menial tasks as he rose in responsibility and trust. He served his people as well. He felt their needs and responded, and was willing to do whatever he asked them to do.

Nehemiah also proved he could motivate, mobilize, and direct people, adapting his approach as needed. Mobilizing “employees” of the king would have been very different than mobilizing “volunteers” building the walls. If you’ve led both, you know what I’m talking about… With “volunteers” Nehemiah motivated people by their felt needs, mobilized them by their personal relationships, organized and energized them through manageable tasks, rewarded them by tangible results, and encouraged them by working the hardest of them all.

Nehemiah learned to serve under authority before leading others. That way, he knew the importance of authority – inherited and earned – and did not take it for granted. He also adapted well to new situations, challenges, and crisis, taking ownership of issue resolution.
Nehemiah succeeded, but he also failed. Leaders can (and should) learn from both.

Competencies and Practical Skills

Nehemiah also possessed the competencies and practical skills to get the work done. He observed, analyzed, planned, organized, and implemented in order to achieve measureable results. He was a quick learner who could see a broad field of vision, as well as attend to detail. Spiritual maturity is not a substitute for practical skills - Christian leaders need both.

There are so many rich lessons to learn from Nehemiah. Another important one is that he was just an ordinary man that God used to accomplish extraordinary things. Sometimes I forget that part.

Just Cute

I can’t believe how fast time here in Michigan is flying by. Some of the highlights have been spending time with family and friends, reconnecting with mission team members, and celebrating all the Lord has done through Ignite with personal and ministry partners. It’s been super-busy, but great fun as well!

Another highlight was visiting Brandon’s first grade and Paige’s third grade classes. The kids were excited to hear about living in South Africa. We found South Africa on the world map, and talked about differences in things like sports, money, and climate. We looked at pictures of animals and the kids loved the story of how an elephant actually stuck his trunk inside our safari vehicle to what-seemed-like sniff my friend’s head. (Scary at the time, hilarious after the fact).

We also learned about all the different people in South Africa including the Basothos. The kids enjoyed learning a few Sesotho words and then practicing the handshake with each other. At the end, they got to see some souvenirs with the drum being the biggest hit. (Get it? Hit?)

And the questions were great as well. Do they have ice cream in South Africa? Mc Donalds? Toilets? Cars? What are schools like? Are the animals endangered? Is everyone black? Is there enough water? Are there pirates? Is there buried treasure? Is it safe to live there? Do they have dogs and cats? Pigs? Is there tall grass? Is it always hot?...

The teacher asked about the greatest challenge to living there and one is that there are so many languages. We get by with English and have interpreters when needed, but most people who live there can speak multiple languages – Afrikaans, English, Sesotho, and other African languages and dialects. So I asked the kids in the class how many speak other languages in their homes, and many did. We went around the room sharing, and the kids thought it was a pretty cool thing to learn about their friends. I love that they appreciated the differences and thought they were cool!

The day was a total treat for me, topped off with these awesome thank you cards!

One Question One Answer

Forgiven? Accepted? Loved? These are just some of the one word questions being asked around the Metro Detroit area. They are popping up on billboards, t-shirts, buttons, etc. Challenging questions with no answers...yet.

The billboards are part of the EACH campaign - Everyone a Chance to Hear. What began as an idea for Bob Shirock and Oak Pointe church grew into a unified group of more than 500 churches and organizations – all with a heart to bring hope to a hurting region.

I saw an interview and read an article from WXYZ.com. Here is what Bob Shirock had to say. “Everyone’s life is a story and it revolves around a word or an issue, and what you’re seeing right now is the first half of the story,” Pastor Bib Shirock says. “But hopefully there’s a second half to the story that’s better than the first half… you’ll be seeing it soon, after Easter.”

The prayer walk this Saturday was AMAZING! Tens of thousands of believers from different cities, churches, denominations, racial and economic backgrounds, all united for fellowship, worship and prayer. We began at Comerica Park, walked along Woodward to the Spirit of Detroit, then headed back to Comerica Park, praying for the city along the way. I know the Lord has great things in store for Detroit if we just turn our focus back to Him. Sharing His Gospel. Teaching His Word. Being His hands and feet. Living His purpose.

Purpose is huge for me. If you know my story, I searched long and hard for purpose and meaning in my life. And that search led me astray. However, when I recommitted my life to Christ, He answered my questions. I discovered my purpose in Him.

Purpose?

Purpose.

Bob Shirock continued in the interview “I’m also hoping that the world sees what’s happening in Detroit, because you know Time Magazine said the world is watching Detroit with an interest to see if it can rise from the ashes. And this is our time in the body of Christ to say to the world, look at what just happened. Churches came together, denominations came together, races came together, and they loved each other and they brought good news and good deeds. I hope the world sees that.”

We all do. My prayers are already lifting and my mind is already whirling about the potential to impact South Africa the same way. To help the region of Qwa Qwa rise from the ashes, lifting the entire nation as well.

Purpose.

My question. Christ’s answer.

Get Angry

In Nehemiah 5 the people cried out because they were suffering in poverty. They were running out of food due to famine and being excessively taxed by the nobles. When Nehemiah heard their outcry he became very angry.

Contrary to belief, anger is a God-given emotion. God gave us the capacity for anger to arouse us against evil and to propel us into action. When anger is controlled and directed in the right way it can lead to positive change. And that’s what happened in Nehemiah’s case.

Nehemiah was angered by the injustice, and because people he cared about were suffering. They needed his help. First, he pondered what to do demonstrating wisdom and control. Then he went directly to the nobles to discuss the problem with them.

We can learn a lot from Nehemiah’s approach. Nehemiah appealed to their humanity. He pointed out how the nobles were mistreating their own people, essentially enslaving them once again. Nehemiah also appealed to their faith. He reminded them they needed to fear God and live beyond reproach as witnesses to their enemies. He was convincing and convicting, while still being compassionate. He was assertive without being aggressive. The nobles agreed with Nehemiah, repented, and cooperated in correcting the situation.

Three things stuck out to me in this passage.

First, how Nehemiah heard the cries for help, got angry, and directed his anger toward positive change. Nehemiah led wisely, boldly, and practically. He also led spiritually keeping in tune with God - praying, praising, and proclaiming his name. He didn’t let his anger get the best of him, nor did he run ahead of God. This is such a temptation for leaders including myself. With the job of leading and the capabilities to do so, sometimes I run ahead of God, strive on my own, and then ask God to bless it later. Sometimes it’s intentional or conscious, but most times it’s not. I just forget. I take off from the gates before thinking or praying. Nehemiah got it right. I need to as well.

Second, that Nehemiah was willing to do exactly what he was asking others to do. He showed that he cared and set an example when he stopped receiving taxes from the people. And he went above and beyond by generously giving back. He set an amazing example.

And third, Nehemiah had the courage to hold himself and others accountable to God. He challenged people to fear God, live out their faith and to be a witness to others. He modeled it as well. As Christian leaders, this is key. We need to be different, to be light in the darkness, to be a fragrant aroma that attracts others.

What makes you angry? What is God prompting you to do about it? What makes you different? I’m asking myself these same questions.

Michigan Visit

After a loooong flight and unexpected delay, I finally made it to Michigan late Friday. I’m not sure what was better – seeing my mom and dad, or eating Little Caesar’s, both were pretty AWESOME!! After a few days with my folks, I’m now staying with my brother’s family in Wixom. So far it has been wonderful to catch up with family and friends. A year is a long time to be away. In some ways it’s like I never left – Kohl’s is still having a sale, Kwame is still making headlines… In other ways I’ve missed a lot – like how fast my niece and nephew are growing up.

Over the next several weeks I’ll be visiting with personal and ministry partners. I’m looking forward to sharing and celebrating all the Lord has done through Ignite South Africa. I’m also excited to invite people to join with us, either by supporting me personally or by getting involved in our ministry.

This has been such an exciting year! As I think about the bold yet anxious steps we took in starting a new ministry, I’m amazed at what the Lord has blessed us with.

• A growing youth ministry • Coaches who are mature, godly leaders • Bigger leadership conferences • An opportunity for in-depth workshops which are new this year • Discipleship classes • Mission teams

We have so much to be thankful for…and so much more to do.

Please let me know if you’d like to get together while I’m in town through May 10th. I’d love to catch up. My temporary phone number is 248-686-9554. And please pray for me as I meet with current and potential partners, that the Lord would ignite additional people with a heart for raising godly leaders in South Africa.

Enriching our Leaders

On March 14th 14 pastors and spouses joined us for our first Enrich leadership workshop of the year. Our theme was Healing the Wounded Heart, and June and Abram did an amazing job teaching.

We began with establishing a firm foundation - our identities based on God’s truths. Next we taught about bitterroot judgments, ungodly beliefs, inner vows, and hearts of stone – areas in our lives that need to be identified and overcome in order to minister effectively to others. We concluded with the power of forgiveness and how to continue applying God’s truth to our lives. In between each session, there was time for prayer and reflection so that the Lord to minister to each person individually.

Based on our feedback, it was clear that many experienced a release and healing from past struggles, leaving them better equipped to lead and counsel their congregations. Several pastors also expressed an interest in offering the workshop again for their congregation members.

“Today I found myself loved by God in a great way. Since the morning, I felt God speaking to me. Every word as being prophecy. There were things that affected my life a lot, especially in rejection and forgiveness. The church I live at, I will teach more about forgiveness.” - Moloi Mantwa

“God has blessed me so much by revealing about inner vows and how they can ruin our lives. I’m so excited because I’m free from them by the grace of God the Father. This has been an eye-opener that will help my ministry grow in knowledge of God’s word.” - a church pastor