Radical Living

Seventeen years ago I remember being blown away hearing from a missionary who lived in one of the worst places in the world that I had ever been to (a cemetery in a large city in the Middle East). I couldn’t believe someone would live there.  Four years ago a friend got me on his daily email list as this man began working in another Middle Eastern city.  Over these four years, I can honestly say one of the best things in my life has been journeying with him and his team.  We (Kelli and I) feel that they are part of our lives in a way unlike few we know.  Several times I shared with some of my classes in Israel about the incredible ministry they were having, and the almost unbelievable ways in which God was answering prayers. 

Earlier this summer we went and heard a few of the team members speak at a nearby church.  Tonight we got to see and meet the entire team.  It was a remarkable privilege.  A few observations:

These people have given everything up for Jesus.  They know they may die, and they are ready to.  Living in the situation they are in is much harder than dying.

They are not doing this out of ignorant idealism.  They’ve been working in this part of the world for a long time.  And they’re going back (after a summer in the US).  They could easily stay.  It would be easy to say that they should stay here to train others or (fill in the blank).  They know their calling, they know the cost, and they seek the greater prize.

While in many ways, they strike me as spiritual giants, they are real people.  They struggle and they fail.  What separates me and you from them is not some difference of essence.  They have simply (or not so simply) decided to do what God asked of them.

If the Lord has me teaching college again (and I believe he will), I pray that I will carefully and regularly challenge students to not resist God if he is calling them to the most difficult place of ministry.  Not for the sake of difficulty (which can easily be motivated by pride, which of course will not sustain such a ministry), but for obedience to desperate needs.  You only have one life.  Don’t waste it on yourself.

One of the team members was impacted by the team leader from a very early age as he visited their home.  I want my kids to be “in the way” of radical followers of Christ.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  I wonder how many cities and towns have ZERO believers.

Though we never met, the team leader knew who I was tonight because of many who were introduced to his prayer team in part through my classes.  I never directly encouraged that because security is very sensitive and I did not know what was allowed and didn’t want to get in trouble.  (The security issue is why this whole post is so vague.)  But I felt like I got a bit of a green light tonight if others want to join in praying for the team.  He said I could recommend people I knew and trusted to join.  So if you have been waiting for such an opportunity, email me your first and last name and email address.  He told me a few of my students were considering work with them.  I pray that God would multiply that.