Over the years I’ve been privileged to hear missionaries recount various interesting anecdotes and facts, but one, in particular, has remained over time in the forefront of my mind, because of the powerful principle it represents in how God often prepares us for maximum effectiveness for His service.

Years ago I was struck by the fact that brand new missionary aircraft are stripped of any non-essential material, to reduce the overall weight, in order that the plane might fly faster, farther and carry more needed supplies. It’s a powerful image to envision a direct from the manufacturer aircraft having seat cushions, headliners, dash boards…anything non-essential torn from its hinges and discarded. And yet I believe that often God must remove the “excess payload” in our lives, “stripping off every weight that slows us down” (Hebrews 12:1) in order that we might soar faster, farther and offer more in His name and for His glory.

However, admittedly this can be a painfully lonely, unsettling, and humbling process, as we are stripped of our:

• Normal routines
• Closest relationships
• Familiar surroundings
• And cherished identity

in preparation for a new God-ordained destination in our lives.

Pastor Charles Swindoll recounts such an instance in his own life in the book “A Life Well Lived,”

July 1, 1994 began a period that I can best describe as a long, cold winter – a stark lonely season during which I found myself without all the things that gave me comfort, purpose, meaning and identify. It helped a little that I had entered this season willingly. It was a necessary transition from a very successful, almost twenty-three years in Fullerton, California, to an uncertain future in Dallas, Texas. I never doubted that I was where the Lord would have me and I knew it would be difficult, but I never imagined just how much it would challenge my character and stretch my faith. I felt more than lonely. I felt alone.

I was living in a small apartment over a friend’s garage while pouring myself into my new duties as president of Dallas Theological Seminary, the institution that had launched me into ministry thirty-one years earlier. The world of academic theology, while strange to me, was stimulating. Those with whom I worked could not have been more gracious or kind…but nothing was familiar. It would be another two years before we could move the headquarters of Insight for Living from California to Texas, so my wife Cynthia had to divide her time between Anaheim and Dallas. That left me with a lot of solitude, something I typically enjoy. But this was far more than I had anticipated or wanted. I was separated from all my children and grandchildren for the first time since they were born. The deep friendships I had cultivated for twenty-three years were fifteen hundred miles away. The home we had lived in and enjoyed belonged to someone else, and the ministry that had given me such joy and fulfillment was now only a memory. Moreover, I was a shepherd without sheep. That loss kept me on my face before God.”

Like Pastor Swindoll, the Apostle Paul also allowed discomfort to draw himself to God,

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Cor. 12:7-9)

Where did Paul go? He didn’t go to Timothy, Titus or some other friend. He didn’t look to an earthly formula, man-made therapy or technique to find the path to comfort. No, he went to the Lord. That was and is the right response, and itself the rationale for God stripping away the excess in our lives: that we would find our sufficiency in Him alone. Is this stripping away a humbling process? Without a doubt. However, God must have humble servants. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “You have two choices. You can either be humble or humbled.”

The Israelites were a forgetful people, often failing to remember God’s provision and intervention on their behalf. The book of Judges contains just one example of their falling to recall God’s involvement, love, care and pursuit of them?

“And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side.” (Judges 8:34)

As a result, God commanded the Israelites to erect Stones of Remembrance throughout the land, to trigger memories of God’s involvement in saving the nation that He loved so much.

Last Monday, as a result of God’s provision through McLean Bible Church’s New Years Aid event, Emanuel House was able to add 25 new students to its pre-school program. After visiting the students in their class, meeting the new teacher and watching Mirqueya greet each student’s parents at pickup, we “built our own Stones of Remembrance,” gathering the staff, and stopping to remember God’s provision and intervention over the years, to enable the Emanuel House ministry to have grown to 135 children daily, in a building that Mirqueya and her team could not have envisioned in their wildest dreams.

As we move forward, we echo the thoughts of Joshua that “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord” in light of His most gracious provision, but instead “we will serve the Lord, for He is our God!”

“Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods, for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight and preserved us in all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed. And the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’” (Joshua 24:16-18)

As I was driving home one recent morning from the airport, after being stranded in Detroit overnight on my way back from a meeting in Buffalo (neither, take note, are coveted winter destinations), I ran across a powerful message from Dr. Tony Evans entitled “The Concept of the Calling.”  The message was both relevant to me as an individual and our team as an organization, in “serving God’s purpose in our time” in the same way the Bible describes David,

“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” (Acts 13:36)

Dr. Evans wisely reminds us that we MUST have a calling greater than ourselves, which maximizes the Lord’s glory and expands His Kingdom, both of which I believe are at the heart of this new endeavor: Empowering Action.

Pastor John Piper states regarding this passage,

“The people whom God raises up from generation to generation are meant mainly to serve the purpose of God in their generation…It may be our prayer—that the ripple effect of our lives will go on for Christ’s sake after we are dead. But God’s will for us is that the burden of our ministry be on this generation. ‘David served the purpose of God in his own generation.’ His ministry goes on through psalms and through his seed. But they are the providential ripples of a life given to the purpose of God for his generation.”

And so in light of inspiration from King David, Dr. Evans, Pastor Piper and the faithful servants we have the privilege to work alongside in the Dominican Republic, our prayer, as individuals and an organization, is:

• “to serve the purpose of God in this generation”
• “a ripple effect of our lives that will go on for Christ’s sake after we are dead.”

When McLean Bible Church met Mirqueya Guzman, neither party could have foreseen where the relationship would lead.  However, four years later, with a brand new building, a ministry to over 110 students, and tremendous spiritual impact in Quisqueya, God has certainly been good!!

In December, Empowering Action was approached by a donor who had visited Emanuel House with the goal of providing the students and staff at Emanuel House with a party for 3 Kings Day, the Latin-American equivalent of Christmas.

Through this generous donation, a party was held on January 6, 2013 to the surprise of the Emanuel House students!

In true Emanuel House-fashion Mirqueya balanced instant gratification with lasting need with:

• Each boy receiving a large toy car and each girl receiving a large doll
• Every student receiving a brand new pair of black school shoes
• Every student receiving a brand new school uniform (button-up shirt, and blouse or pants)
• Every student receiving two brand new Emanuel House uniforms (a long-time dream of Mirqueya, which has finally been realized!)
•  All students enjoying a generous helping of cake and soda as a treat!

Those who have visited the former Emanuel House site, a cramped, two-room apartment where 55 students sat on the floor to learn, can appreciate just how far the Lord has brought Mirqueya and her precious children. This ministry emphasizes so greatly the spiritual, educational, and physical development of the children. To be able to take a small break from the work, and bless the children with such a memorable party was a special gift from the Lord.

This week, as I took an early morning run I found myself reflecting on what makes Christmas such a special time for me personally. As I ran through a neighborhood filled with Christmas decorations, visiting relatives, and fellow runners brimming with holiday spirit, the word that came to mind was “idyllic,” because in so many ways Christmas can be a perfect occasion:

• Surrounded by the company of loving friends and family,
• Christ momentarily taking center stage, even in our increasingly secular society,
• A temporary diversion from the pressures and problems of life.

In truth, Christmas is in many ways a small glimpse of heaven, as in heaven:

• We will forever be in the company of our heavenly father and heavenly family.
  • “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
  • “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” (Revelation 21:3)

• The Lord will eternally be the focal point
  • “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God,who sits on the throne,and to the Lamb.’” (Revelations 7:9-10)

• We will forevermore be free from pain and suffering.
  • “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Mid run, however, I was awakened to the reality of our current state, as an ambulance sped past me, reminding me of the imperfect, fallen world in which we live today, a world desperately in need of the gospel, and believers committed to “no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

As 2013 begins, Empowering Action is committed to find and assist global, Gospel-centered ministries led by Christian brothers and sisters, working to eliminate the pain and suffering of poverty. Join us in this effort by supporting this cause.

On my return this week from a brief missions trip to the Dominican Republic, I was struck, as I went through U.S. Customs, by the need to indicate whether the purpose of my trip was, in fact, business related. Truthfully, the trip felt more like a family vacation, as a result of the wonderful people who accompanied me, including Joanna Elam, a nurse from Reston Hospital, picture above with Charina, a lovely girl suffering from Down Syndrome, raised for years in horrific conditions including backyard isolation and treatment as an animal, but now in the loving care of Pasitos de Jesus, an orphanage for girls.

In fact, when we look at God’s Word I believe it is clear that the trip was in fact business related, more specifically an “Investment Outing.”  Matthew 6:20 calls us to “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”  So, as the team provided medical care, spiritual encouragement and “cared for the least of these,” they were in fact making an eternal investment. An investment, unlike earthly investments, that can never decrease in value.

The great missionary C.T. Studd said it well when he wrote*,

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

So, as we approach a season increasingly associated with Expenditure, ensure you take time for Investment, as you give of your time and treasure to Christ-centered service organizations, remembering “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

*Full Text of Quote can be read here.

Below is a great email devotional from Pastor David Jeremiah, particularly in light of November 11^th’s  “Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church,” for our brothers and sisters around the world who daily must rely on God as their “source” for provision and safety.

The Source of All

“Give me neither poverty nor riches — feed me with the food allotted to me.”
– Proverbs 30:8b

There is little in our culture today that encourages contentment. We are constantly bombarded with messages to make more, get more, and have more. Certainly, we should maximize the gifts and abilities God has given us, but not for the sake of personal indulgence. Every blessing of God is meant not only for our sustenance but also in ministry to others — and all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

A wise man in the Old Testament, Agur (Proverbs 30:1), prayed that God would bless him with just the right amount — not so much that he forgot to acknowledge God as the source and not too little that he might steal to get more (Proverbs 30:9). It would have been Agur’s responsibility, of course, to honor God in the midst of much and refuse the temptation to steal in times of want. That was the perspective Paul took — he said he had learned to be content in times of plenty and want (Philippians 4:12). Paul’s entire life was in service to Christ and so he trusted God to provide what he needed.

Contentment — trusting God for daily bread, as Jesus taught the disciples to pray (Matthew 6:11) — is the best way to be reminded daily that God is the source of everything.

“Contentment is an inexhaustible treasure.” – Unknown

**************

The picture above of a Rwandan child is from World Help’s African Director, Cyrus Mad-Bondo. Additional photos of Cyrus’ current trip can be viewed on Cyrus’ facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/madbondoc?ref=ts&fref=ts

The central activity of missions is the communication of the gospel. Why? Because as Mark 8:36 notes,

“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”

So called “Missions” efforts that only address physical needs have missed the point and left their recipients “for dead.” It’s not an “either or” but a “both and.” Jesus himself healed, cast out demons, raised the dead, and fed the hungry, but all these activities were secondary to his primary mission of the proclamation of the gospel.  In fact, communication was so central to Jesus’ “mission trip” from heaven to earth that one of his key names was “Word”

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”(John 1:1,14)

Eric Wright says it well in “A Practical Theology of Missions” when he writes,

“Missionary activity that fails to focus on the proclamation of the gospel fails to be missionary. Philanthropy, perhaps; missions, no. However, as sinners grow in grace they increasingly manifest both love for God and love for their neighbors. Works of concern and compassion spring up as believers see neighbors in need. Evangelism precedes and produces, social action.”

 Billy Graham stated,

“Rejecting Christ leaves people dead on the inside. Dead Spiritually. 1 Timothy 5:6 says, the soul separated from God is dead even while she liveth.”

 Missions must address both the body and the soul. Otherwise, people are “left for dead” in “their trespasses and sins” (Colossians 2:1).  The above picture shows a mother of a student in the Emanuel House Ministry in Quisqueya, Dominican Republic who received in August a much-needed new floor and latrine, as well as well as the all-important need of Christ as her savior.  Missions: addressing both physical and spiritual needs.

This past week I had the opportunity to be reunited with friends from Casa Juvenil Tercer Cielo (“3rd Heaven Youth Community Center”), a ministry started by Damaso Marte, former MLB player and pitcher for the New York Yankees World Series Champions, to help children in urban poverty in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Damaso started investing in Santo Domingo after coming to know the Lord later in his professional baseball career. The focus of the ministry is to give children a place to escape, learn about the Lord and learn how to play music. Through ministering to the 150+ kids and teaching them how to play, they have ministered to the families in the area and seen the Lord truly impact these children’s lives. As we look to the future, this is one of the ministries Dale Sutherland, Andy Manfredi and I are extremely excited to partner with, as individuals, such as yourself, step forward to helpus2helpthem. Please pray for Damaso and his team as they act in obedience to Proverbs 3:27, which states,

“Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

Last year at this time I wrote a seminary paper on what the Old Testament says about the treatment of orphans, widows and the needy, entitled “What Our Treatment of Them Says About Us.”

The foundational verse from the paper was Proverbs 29:7, which states, “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”  This verse makes clear that an individual’s relationship to God is demonstrated in his attitude toward the needy.

God’s Word states that a “righteous man” will:

• “share his food with the poor” (Prov. 22:9)
• “lend to the poor” (Prov. 19:17)
• “help the powerless” (Job 26:2)
• “save the arm of the feeble” (Job 26:2)
• “refresh others with his generosity” (Prov. 11:24-25)
• “open their arms to the poor” (Prov. 31:20)
• “extend their hands to the needy” (Prov. 31:20)

Job, who was described as “blameless and upright,” noted, “Have I not wept for those in trouble? Has not my soul grieved for the poor?” (Job 30:25)

But his grief grew into action and he:

• “rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist him”
• “made the widow’s heart sing”
• “was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame”
• “was a father to the needy”
• “took up the case of the stranger”
• “broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth” (Job 29)

The video below demonstrates an example of “grief growing into action” on the part of Dominican and American believers together, “extending their hands to the needy.”

Our ability to further “rescue the poor who cry for help, and the fatherless who have none to assist him” is limited only by those who would choose to offer financial support to “helpus2helpthem.”

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/49910789 w=500&h=281]