My last day at Sahara Challenge

Last Friday was the final day of the Sahara Challenge and I come away with a tremendous life-shaping experience that reminds me of a phrase I heard from my friend Dr. Minatrea:  "Spiritual formation for Kingdom impact."  That's a good summary of a disciple's goal, isn't it?   To be shaped by Christ's spirit for the extension of His glory and reign.

So what did we do Friday?  We attended a worship service in downtown Atlanta.  We arrived a little late, naturally so when you are caravaning with 120 people!  So we arrived just in time to be greeted and shown to our seats to hear the majority of the sermon.  After the message there was much excitment for a profession of faith, followed by a time of prayer, and some closing announcements which included ministry opportunities for helping refugees, a medical clinic, and assistance to the poor.  On the way out, ushers collected the offering encouraging people to "take home a blessing by giving".

Did I mention we went to a Mosque?

Yea, maybe you saw that coming, but even if you did, do you think it sounds eerily similar to a Christian service?  My point is not to say "we're all the same", which is one of the lies the Evil one defaults to when we begin comparing other religions to the claims of Christ Jesus.  There is NO other Name, in heaven or earth, by which we may be saved.  While there are many bridges we can build to help Muslims understand the uniqueness of Jesus, Islam and true Christianity are still polar opposites.  

Which is the point I'd like to make:  True Christianity.  What is that?  Does it bother you when people make the distinction?  I, for one, am an advocate of the distinction more than ever because I'm afraid I have seen too much "nominal Christianity" in myself and others that in the end is not very close to what Jesus intends for us.  By describing the "worship" service at the Mosque, I realized there is not much difference in the "religiosity" of Muslims and that of Christians - if that's what Christianity is reduced to. 

So the question is, what does your Christianity look like?  If the Spirit of God is not in control of our lives, and if the priorities of God are not increasingly becoming our priorities, then is there really much difference between the Muslim and the Christian who just goes to "worship", participates in some charity work, and then lives their lives by whatever standard captivates us most? 

By the Numbers

This one will be short and sweet. A few numbers tell the story. There are:


1,500,000,000 Muslim people in the world (1.5 billion)

230,000 churches in North America (see “0” stat below)

15,425 deadly terror attacks since 9-11 (www.thereligionofpeace.com)

1,400 years Islam has been around (and vast majority have never seen a New Testament)

125 people at Sahara Challenge training this week

2 missionaries per one million Muslims (2 : 1,000,000)

0 senior pastors at Sahara Challenge training this week

Pastor friends, I don't say this to shame you, but to invite you to lead the charge!  You are men of great influence.  Are Muslims the enemy or the prize?  How your church answers the challenge is greatly up to you!

Everything Matters

A poster.  A random mail package.  A citizenship lost.  A "four-legged" insect.  An English speaking family.  And every Friday night. 

What do these six things have in common?  This is not one of those "super I.Q. tests" that challenge us to find the commonality in a random sequence.  This is no mental gymnastic.  It's everyday, real life. 

The common denominator for the apparently random list above is simply this:  everything matters.

Romans 11:33-36 puts it this way:

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!


"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"


"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"


For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

All things are from Him, through Him, to Him. 

Now, this won't be a theological treatise on why God even allows evil to be introduced into our lives.  Tonight there's a much bigger question to ponder:  Why does God use apparently random, meaningless, mundane situations to introduce Himself - in all His majesty and glory - to human beings, even those who are not looking for Him?!    

This one stumps me far more than the evil-in-the-world question.  The only plausible answer are the last 7 words of Romans 11.  But tonight I won't try to figure it out.  Instead I will just skip and dance and sway in the wonder of it all:

•      The miracle of how God uses a "cheesy" poster of Jesus at the U.N. to stir an Egyptian man to know Him;
•      The wonder of how a French version of Luke winds up mailed to the door, and into the heart, of a Moroccan Berber;
•      The Jobian way in which a man is stripped from his only passion, the Kurdish land he lives to fight for, in order to receive a far better citizenship in the City of God;
•      The mesmerizing intricacy of Hebrew scripture saying insects have four legs (when the scientific Muslim mind knows they have six and therefore the Bible can't be trusted!), but oh wait, the Hebrews called the walking limbs "legs" and the jumping limbs something else!  Now the scientific mind turns the tables on other skeptics.
•      The mere hospitality of an American family hosting a Wahabi Saudi student (as pure as pure can get in Islam) practicing English every week, never verbally witnessing, yet ever-impressing Truth and Life into him - a seed that blossoms into a seminary student teaching us about the Trinity today!
•      And the silent testimony of not choosing debauchery every Friday night like other "pagan Christians" showing a Pakistani the true righteousness that comes from grace.  

Simple scenarios sprinkled with small acts of obedience that yielded Eternal consequences. 

God loves Muslims.  Gloriously.  He proved it to me once more tonight through the lives of these men I have met.  And the beautiful thread for me to hold on to, that for God:  Everything matters.         

What did you put on today?

Sorry, it may be a personal question, but this Sahara Challenge week is getting up close and personal and I'm just sharing my week with you cause I wish you were here!  You're welcome to make it flow both ways.  I am SO grateful that this training is NOT about making us experts in Islam or Arabic!  One week would be so insufficient. 

A major emphasis of this week is our own Spiritual Formation.  Do those two words seem strange to you?  Do they spook you because they rhyme with Transcendental Meditation?  That was random Dave.

The reason I am so encouraged this week is because as we are training to reach Muslims, the first and most important step for us to take is to examine our lives and make sure we are really walking with Jesus!  Spiritual Formation is sadly a lost practice in many Evangelical cirlces, but it's essentially a set of practices that are tools for us to strengthen our daily walk with Jesus.  It's about helping us be better disciples.  All of our grace-alone/no-law theology has unwittingly stripped Christendom of our spiritual disciplines and the result has been an anemic witness that can not withstand the normal stresses of American life - much less the pressure of witnessing to Muslims!     Spiritual Formation is the re-capturing of the thriving Christian life enabling us to witness constantly, "and when necessary - use words." 

Which leads us back to the question, "What did you put on today?"  I am proudly donning my black Imagine Network polo shirt, my latest jeans, appropriate undergarments, and sandals.  I wear contacts and usually, today included, I wear deodorant (stick and spray).  But I put on something else today, which if I'm half as smart as I claim to be, I will do it habitually - daily - just like wearing clothes and body sprays.  I need to put this on as part of my Spiritual Formation: 

Ephesians 4:24 - "Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." 

Did you see that?  We have a "New Self" - the antidote to all of our self-loathing ways; "Created to be like God" - a new self we can wear that actually makes us reflect Jesus; "in true righteousness and holiness" - and this new self is 100% legit - it is TRUE rightness with God and man, and REAL holiness. 

You may think you already put this on some time ago.  Or you may think you can't really live that way in day-to-day life.  The fact is you have a daily choice to make, as seen in the previous verses: "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self..." From verse 17 on, Paul is admonishing - who? - the CHURCH - to "no longer live as the Gentiles do" with futile thinking, darkened in understanding, separated from the life (ways/purposes) of God and given over to sensuality...!  Paul is admonishing the Church to choose wisely in the way they "dress" because unfortunately, so long as we live in a fallen world, we have to get dressed daily. 

I hope you will begin to ask yourself every morning along with me, "What am I putting on today?"  Let's memorize Ephesians 4:24, and for you overachieving friends of mine, start with verse 21, and let's covenant to "put on the new self, created to be like God" every morning.  If we choose to consciously dress that way, perhaps we will find ourselves living as witnesses and not even knowing it.  Then Muslims and others will approach you and enthusiastically say, "What are you wearing today and where did you get it?"          

Two Texas Tales: Unveiling and Engaging Islam

Our vision as Christians in North America has been veiled. The wool has been pulled over our eyes. The decoy has worked effectively. What am I referring to? 

Sunday night we watched a video called “Turning Muslim in Texas”. With typical small town footage and country music in the background, we watched and listened – astounded – as three very “typical Texans” shared their stories of conversion… to Islam. Two of them claimed “strict Southern Baptist upbringings”; one of them was preparing to be a Baptist minister. What? How? Our questions exactly.

One woman, homely accent and all, gave me the only feasible answer: “I found no purpose for my life (in the church)”. The two men with beards, boots, and double-barrell shotguns claimed with clear conviction: “Islam gave us a way of life we could not find anywhere else”. Where did we go wrong?

I’m sure I can speak for most of us when we think of Muslims as the hardest, most difficult people on earth to reach with the message of Jesus. Would you agree? If I am honest, when asked about the chances of any of us “non-experts” leading Muslims to Jesus, I would say “close to impossible” – and that's generous only because I know Scripture says nothing is totally impossible with God, so I can’t say that.

So… while American Churches have been doodling with new buildings, ensuring air-conditioning works, tweaking worship service hours, igniting worship-style wars, hiring more staff, and reading Scripture from a “what have you done for ME lately?” approach … Texans have been converting to Islam because of a lack of purpose.

How can that be?? Having a sense of purpose is rooted in having a mission for your life. Each one of us knows we're not fully alive without purpose, because God created us in His image and God is a very purposeful, intentional God. In more traditional words, God is a missionary God, fully committed above all else to His glory through the redemption of nations. He is fully committed to that ONE purpose. Question is, are we?

MISSION is why the Church exists – plain and simple. MISSION makes us a people of purpose. But when x, y, z, and “me” get priority status ahead of our MISSION we become a people off-purpose. We become an empty religious group that offers less to men and women than even the wicked system of Islam. And that’s sad.

But this is a tale of two stories. After watching these video-stories we met a young woman named Jessica. Jessica is an American who lost her trust in Christianity and turned to Islam during a difficult time in her life. But Jessica has returned to Christ, and not alone. Her formerly Muslim husband is now a follower of Jesus too! And he is not alone. While we've been hiding our heads in the sand regarding Muslims, here’s what we’ve been missing:
• 1.5 billion Muslims now populate the earth (that's one in every 5 people). But how many of them can you name?
• At least 8 million Muslims now live in the United States. God knows we are restricted from Saudi Arabia, suspected in Morocco, and loathed in Lybia. So .. he's brought them here! They live all around us as students and servers and professionals! And MANY are coming to faith in Jesus! Fouad, the conference organizer, said he's been witnessing to Muslims since 1979 and that he has never seen a turning to Christ like today!

• The Quran tells Muslims to “read the Injeel” – the Christian New Testament! But most Muslims never have read it because they don’t have it!

• When you give them an Injeel, Muslims find Jesus irresistible! It is truly Good News to thirsty desperate hearts!
• Muslims are among the easiest people to start a spiritual conversation with!  Their favorite topics:  Politics and Religion!  They don’t know a God of forgiveness, agape love, or hope, but they want to know the truth!

Tonight we heard from people like you and me ministering to Muslims across North America. Awesome stories! Amazing love! Unbelievable influence! Simple surrender. Powerful God.

And we saw a video of a Church in Georgia positioning themselves on the front lines of the battle. Get this:

Ten days after 9-11, this church’s Senior and Missions pastors were standing on the rubble in NYC. The Senior pastor turns to the Mission’s pastor and says, “We need to decide: Are Muslims the enemy? Or are they the prize?”

Let that sink in for a minute. Ask it again. Ask it of yourself. But don't answer too quickly because your future purpose may depend on it.

What are they to you - enemy or prize?

I'm a competitive guy.  If there is a prize, I want to win it.  I desperately want to win my fantasy baseball league, but there is a far greater prize to be had!  But first thing I've had to do is confess that I have not wanted it!  I've been missing out on something far sweeter than the things I usually compete for.    

God will accomplish His purpose – His glory displayed through His redemption of people from all nations, tribes and tongues. Muslims are encountering the Savior through the simple, faithful witness of people like you and like me with one exception: These people are engaged! God’s purpose has become their MISSION. And they will set all other things aside in order to win the Prize!

Who wants it? 

The world in a day

I've experienced a lot in the last 24 hours.

But first, thank you for joining me in this season of transition. I know one or two of you are writers, and I am getting my ideas concretized for starting a mini-book, so any feedback or suggestions are most welcome!

Today was interesting. I am ending the day in a retreat center somewhere north of Atlanta (Georgia that is - not everything is in Texas guys). I am here for a week-long training on reaching Muslims. Plain and simple, this is the greatest Battle of our Age. We see it in the news daily in the form of fundamentalist Islam causing havoc and "peaceful" Islam making plans to build Mosques all over the US, including "Ground Zero". Yet what is underneath all this turmoil? Did 9-11 just happen out of thin air? Or is ALL of this a reflection of what is really going on beneath the surface of humanity - that cosmic battle of sin and self vs. Spirit and surrender?

Getting here was a microcosm of my current life. I don't have a "former life", but I think you know what I mean. I woke up and had a couple of hours with the family while checking on a wire we have scheduled to be sent to Kenya. Then hopped on a plane in McAllen and happened to see Phillip Askey, from Casa Hogar de la Montana children's home in Saltillo, Mexico, on the same flight. We caught up and I realized, "Hm, I've been meaning to contact him to see if Imagine can serve them in their mission. Thank you Lord for arranging it!"

Then in Dallas I had a long-enough lay over that I pre-arranged a meeting with a man named Kyle who works in Central Asia but happens to be in Dallas for the weekend. They minister to children with disabilities and their families and have remarkable doors opened to them in the country where they serve. But they need partners! They have a contract with the National Hospital to arrange surgeries for special-needs children. They have a fantastic vision to help restore families instead of perpetuating the abandonment of children who are not born "perfect". And they are modeling this with their own family of 8! I was encouraged by Kyle, who confessed he's come to the States "empty" in many ways, and I was challenged at the same time to work harder at building bridges of partnership that can help fulfill their visions. The potential impact on that nation is limitless... but where are the parts of the Body that are needed there? Who wants K-Stan????

Then I arrived in Atlanta, after some eye-opening reading on Cross-Cultural Partnerships on the plane. Even though I have "done it" for many years, with some level of success, I realized I still have SO MUCH to learn about the beautiful diversity of the cultures of earth and how it requires a special skill to know how to maneuver relationships across these cultures!

In Atlanta I was met by the Crescent Project staff, who asked me "what do you do?" I hate that question right now, (bleeding-heart missionary response is just not my natural thing) but to be honest, each time it is asked helps me to focus. So in short I said, "I'm a freelance Mobilizer" and lo and behold, they understood what I meant! Not only so, but they even went further and said we should explore working together Mobilizing churches in Texas to engage the Muslim world....

So, I am here for a week to learn. I am sure I will be bringing teams here in the future to also learn and prepare to engage in the battle of our age.

Just yesterday I was speaking to college students in the Valley serving one a three week mission. We hit on the amazing thought together that God invites us to live in His purposes, in His story, even though we all have the freedom to choose to write our own. Coming to this training makes me ask, "Am I relevant?" Because the answer lies in one simple reflection: "Am I living for God's purposes or for my own? Am I living missionally or am I simply existing for self-preservation?"

One story will endure. All others will be forgotten. And God is inviting us NOW to engage in His story, to be part of His work in redeeming the nations of the earth. What are we waiting for?!

I've experienced a glimpse of God's perspective on the world in a day. I'll let you know what else I learn this week!

Riding a Wave

I don't swim, so I don't ride waves although I admit I am envious of those who do. Yet the metaphor of the Spirit of God moving like a wave draws me in and causes only one reaction within me: I want to be on it! I know I can't swim in it, control it, steer or maneuver it, and that is 100% alright! All I can do is ride it, and the out-of-control sense that comes with it is simply something you have to be willing to trade in for.

That's how I've felt, out-of-control, and it has not been very pleasant. But today I am reminded that I'm riding a wave, and I'm fairly certain it's a Spirit-generated wave. What is it?

Can you think of the answer to this question: What do Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, South Korea, and China have in common? Probably not a lot of things, but most likely more than one. Can you think of one?

Regardless of what you came up with, I can bet it wasn't this: People from those nations of the world are answering the call to become the Next Wave of cross-cultural world-changers. That's right, nations who are typically considered "recipients" of God's global mission are clearly and confidently and with no lack of abandon jumping into the movement of God and declaring themselves wave-runners, surfers who ride the wave of God's Spirit as He continues to bring His purposes for the world to His grand conclusion.

What's just as fascinating is that the wave is of the same Spirit as previous ones - most recent the wave North American Christians rode as the leading pioneer missionaries of the 19th century - but has unique specifications of its own. God's plan is so intricately marvelous that you can't predict His movement, you can only hope to stay close enough to His heart to catch it. And that's precisely what our brothers and sisters in these and many other nations have done: They have heard the voice of God, they have been captured by His heart, and they have embraced His mind (and global strategy) for making His glory fill the earth.

And wouldn't you know it, God doesn't just forget the former wave-runners, but He invites us to take up our role in this New Wave and eagerly hopes we say YES to His designs and desires for us! Our understanding of World Missions has been severely challenged and changed over the past 10 years. And instead of Kristi and I just being two more American missionaries out in the sea of global chaos, His wisdom has drawn us to a far better task than we could have imagined - of being servants and facilitators for the multitudes who will ride that wave and perhaps, just maybe, be that generation that sees the Great Commission to completion.

And if you're reading this, the best part is that you too have a chance to be part of this tidal movement. While the peoples of the world who once received the Gospel are now positioned to lead the Gospel movement of the century, they still need us! We are tasked with equipping, strengthening and encouraging their role on the global stage, like "Barnabases" who support the emergent "Paul's" who are about to revolutionize the world.

The world has changed, and God's purposes have anticipated every single move! He is calling His servants from all corners of the earth, and giving us a special role in the process. The Imagine Network will serve as fuel for the propulsion of this movement by serving the local church all over the world to be the instruments of global change. The Gospel will be planted afresh in old places, and anew in places long barren. And behind every Kenyan, Kyrgyz, and Korean who does this, there will be a wide cloud of cheering Western witnesses saying "Go ahead! We are with you heart and soul" (1 Samuel 14:7).

So, are you riding the Wave of God's story in the vast sea of His purposes for humanity? Or are you in a kiddie pool creating and riding your own waves as long as you can make them last?

Imagine ... changing the world.