Monthly Archives: June 2017

Are You an Insubordinate Witness?

I overheard a conversation recently among friends about a company that fired an employee after he refused to follow the demands of his supervisor.  I chimed in that “he deserved his punishment” and shouldn’t have been surprised since he knew what was expected of him when signing on for the job.

Several days later while preparing for an on mission celebration in our state, I read again the familiar Acts 1:8 passage, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”. 

While the concept of insubordination is often linked with the military, it can as I’ve already referenced, also occur in the workplace.  But does it occur in the church?

Webster’s dictionary defines insubordination as “not obeying authority or refusing to follow orders”.  Before being taken up into heaven, Jesus gave final orders to His apostles, and to us in Acts 1:8.  Has the church failed to obey His authority and refused His orders?

I’m not an attorney, but as I understand it, there are several characteristics that must be present before a situation can be considered insubordination.  First of all, the order must be clear and in the form of a verbal or written statement.   If Jesus had said, “I suggest that you guys consider being witnesses after I’m gone,” it would not be considered an order or a command to follow.  God made sure that this command was recorded in the scriptures to ensure that we would understand His expectation of us.

Additionally, if it’s insubordination, the order must be proper and cannot violate the law.  Being His witnesses doesn’t violate the law, at least in very many places in the world.  But it definitely doesn’t violate God’s law.  It only seems appropriate, that if His message is going to go to the ends of the earth, His followers must be the ones to take it.

I don’t know of a church that has directly refused to be His witness.  Yet many have done their own thing and failed to be His witness in their community, state, nation and world.  However, whether direct or indirect, it’s still insubordination if the order is not carried out. So, are you guilty of insubordination or are you actively involved in carrying out the Great Commandment given by our authority, Jesus Christ?

 

A “Unique” Mission Opportunity

In far western Kentucky, located thirteen miles outside the city of Princeton, is a unique ministry that offers many opportunities to serve.  Bright Life Farms, Inc. is a residential facility, located on 27 acres, where currently 24 mentally or developmentally challenged adults, 18 years of age and older, live in a happy, protective and secure environment with 24-7 care.

Bright Life is an intermediate care facility and, while it is state licensed as a MR/DD facility, it is not state supported.  They are faith-based and, without their support base, could not do what they do.  “Bright Life is a visible testimony to God’s power to provide,” says volunteer administrator Roberta Robertson, and “we are dedicated to giving Him the honor for our three (soon to be four) homes.”  The residents can do a lot of things, just should never live alone.

This ministry is based on Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory…for ever and ever! Amen!

As a faith-based facility, the goal at Bright Life is to provide care for the whole person – body and spirit – within an environment of love and safety, structure, training and enrichments with the goal of each individual living to the fullest.

And live to the fullest they do.  When visiting Bright Life, you soon notice how happy the residents are.  They love to have visitors and make you feel so welcome.  The residents love to participate in Bible study, VBS, crafts, games, fellowship, singing, and just interacting with guests that come.  The Bright Life Family has its own choir and, seldom do you get away without them sharing their gift of music with you.  Led and accompanied on piano by Roberta Robertson, the choir travels to many churches to present their program, which includes singing, quoting scripture, and sharing testimonies.  They have blessed and encouraged so many this past year as they presented their program 56 times.  Bright Life welcomes invitations to sing and share.  Roberta says, “We never realized that the residents could be such powerful witnesses for Jesus.”  When not traveling, the residents are active in three local churches.

An 8-member volunteer Board of Directors gives hours of service to this special ministry.  Kentucky MSC Missionary Leroy Oliver serves as the property and grounds chair, manages the facility, supplies, and all maintenance.  Leroy is a favorite of the residents, and is available to help coordinate mission teams that come to serve at Bright Life.

Bright Life loves to have visitors and welcomes mission teams.  Last year approximately 550 volunteers came to serve.  They can accommodate teams up to 20-25 and provide room and board free of charge.  The teams are, however, responsible for their own food.  In addition to ministering to the residents, there are needs for general maintenance, landscaping, painting, clean-up, etc. on all existing areas and buildings.

To learn more about Bright Life Farms go to their Facebook page (Bright Life Farms Inc) or the website at http://www.brightlifefarms.org/.  For information on needs at Bright Life Farm go to http://old.kybaptist.org/missionopportunities/brightlifefarms/.  Why not consider Bright Life Farms for your next mission trip.  No place will you be more of a blessing, and in turn be more blessed, than in serving at this ministry!!

Air Guitars, Chickens, and the Great Commission

Several years ago, I was on a short-term mission in Africa.  While gathering with a local church in an outdoor courtyard, amongst the chickens running around, one church leader came up to “play” and sing as we began our time together.  To our team’s surprise, he began “playing” the air guitar…or, maybe it was the air bass guitar.  Either way, play it he did.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to think.  As he continued to play and begin singing, I realized, “He’s pretty good at the air guitar.”  Side note, it takes quite the talent to both “play” the air guitar and sing at the same time, but he pulled it off. (Go ahead, give it a try).  His song?  “Soon and Very Soon.”  By the time he got to the third verse—“No more dying there, we are going to see the King”—he had taken it up several notches in pitch and enthusiasm!  About that time, a chicken flew from behind me and landed on my shoulder.  Needless to say, my pitch and enthusiasm rose as well!!

The Lord’s coming should excite us.  We should be eager for that Day.  However, the work of the Great Commission must continue until then.  Our responsibility to make disciples of all nations remains until the coming of the Lord.  But how can we ensure that the gospel spreads among a growing world population at over 7 billion, of which over 4 billion are unreached?

In short, multiply disciples.  As we examine the life of Paul, we see a man who continually poured his life into the lives of others.  He was strategic about multiplication.  He understood that for the gospel to advance well beyond his life or any of our lives, we must continually raise up disciples who will make disciples. In other words, our lives are meant to multiply the gospel by making disciples who make disciples.

Paul’s final words to one of his disciples, Timothy, serves to illustrate this principle.  While awaiting execution on death row, the apostle charges the young disciple, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim 2:2).  Paul challenges Timothy to pass on to others what was passed on to him.

That is the essence of the Great Commission.  In fact, Jesus’ last words to His disciples ring with similarity, “Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you…” (Matt 28:20).  In summary, what I have taught you, you must teach others.  Remember though, the goal is not simply the dissemination of information, but transformation.  We multiply in the lives of others not simply to know, but to do.

So, as long as Jesus’ return is still to come, we have the responsibility to multiply disciples.  Let me briefly suggest three ways to multiply disciples.  Find a Timothy and regularly:

  1. Pray together.
  2. Read and discuss Scripture together.
  3. Serve together (in the church, in the community, across cultures).

This much we know.  “Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King” (insert air guitar here).  Until that Day, we must multiply disciples in order to join in that multi-cultural chorus, “Hallelujah, we are going to see the King.”

The Importance of Prayer

Haiti - 3I have learned that there are some problems in the world that are bigger than us, and some tasks that are beyond our human ability of achieving.  There are some things in this world that only God can do.

One of those God-sized tasks is the Great Commission. Taking the Gospel to every people, tongue, and land is beyond any of our abilities, but with the Lord, all things are possible.  God has promised a coming time when he will gather people from every tribe, language, and corner of the globe around His throne of grace.

Our calling as the church is to “Go” and make disciples of all nations.  As we go, we need to remember that this is only possible by the power of God’s hand.  This is why prayer is vital.

Jesus commanded us, “But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

Power to change the world will come through prayer.  Power to reach the world will be released through prayer.  The Great Commission will be achieved through the prayers of God’s people.

How can you be a vital part of reaching our world for Christ?

  • Establish a daily time of prayer, and be serious about it.
  • Adopt a method of praying.  Change your routine from time to time.  Develop a prayer journal.  Try prayer walking.  Pray through scripture passages (the Psalms are one of the best tools for this method).  Meditate on Scripture.  Make a prayer list and faithfully pray for each of the requests.  Make sure that praise, thanks, and confession are part of your prayer time.
  • Pray for a specific people group and for missionaries by name.
  • Pray for the Lottie Moon International Mission Offering, the Annie Armstrong Mission Offering for North America, and the Eliza Broadus Offering for Kentucky State Missions. Pray for the Cooperative Program as it remains the lifeblood of Southern Baptist mission work across the globe.
  • Pray for God’s calling on your own life.  How does God want to use you to fulfill His Great Commission?
  • Pray fervently and with passion.  You are going before the throne of God, and spending time with the one who sits high and lifted up.
  • Seek to be known as a person of prayer.  What better way to be known by God and by others?

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” (Colossians 4:2)