2008-08-23 Saturday 5:30a Guatemala City

“Now Daniel, in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” (Dn.6:10)

Yesterday (Fri)

Why does Steve think he needs a doctoral degree to be more effective in his mission?

Well, the degree is not the goal, it’s the specialized training that is needed to help the Guatemalan Church get back on track. Guatemala needs highly trained experts in God’s mission. Many Seminaries and Universities from the States offer degrees cheap, with little effort for Latin Americans. But that doesn’t meet the need of the Body of Christ for Churches becoming oriented by God’s mission. The Latin American Doctoral Program (PRODOLA) is the best contextualized mission training that exists for Latin America. All my authorities tell me to “Go for it!”

One of the first things I learned in my studies this year is that on a whole, most Christians are unaware of how influenced their thinking is by modernism. Our education and culture formed us to think “rationally” instead of spiritually. The Enlightenment paradigm, based on scientific logic, affects the way we interpret the Bible, perceive God’s will and do mission. Even when we use biblical vocabulary, our thinking is more rational than inspired. David Bosch brought this to light in his magnum opus, Transforming Mission (1992), that has become a cornerstone in the theology of mission today.

In my class, “Historical-Social Analysis of the Church and Latin American Reality”, Dr. Deiros, apostle and professor at Fuller Seminary, President of International Theological Seminary, Buenos Aires, shared with us an effective way of doing “prayer evangelism.”

Ask someone you want to share the Lord with, “How do you feel about the future?” You’ll get an array of answers. Then ask him/her, “What do you feel the future holds for you personally?” Here you’ll pick up on specific interests he/she has. Then you can ask if he/she would let you bless them in prayer. Pray a special blessing over some of the things he/she mentioned in response to your question. Then ask if you can have coffee with them in the next few days. If the reply is negative, give them your phone number and ask them to call you if they see an answer to your prayer for them.

Compare that with using the 4 spiritual laws, which focuses on intellectual concepts, and is more Enlightenment programmed. The laws are true, but the method that seemed to work well 30 years ago, doesn’t jive today in our postmodern world. People today are looking for authentic spirituality in a God encounter. A one day old Christian can evangelize this way. We are all called to flow with God’s mission. It’s not about defining our own mission, but about discerning what God’s mission is around us (the needs) and flowing with what He’s doing.

Jesus’ Latin American Bride needs to be able to dialogue and self critique her own practice of mission (or lack their of). European and North American theological admonitions are not adecuate for Latin America’s context of extreme poverty, economic oppression, political, social and family abuse. One has to live in solidarity with her in order to lead her to overcome, as she learns to reflect scripturally and missionally by God’s Spirit.

Prayer Power…
Jesus, Lord of our heart, thank you for equipping us for your final harvest. Help us be sensitive to what you’re doing around us. Help us feel your compassion for the needy and your creativity in providing for those needs. Thank you for the spontaneous power gifts of your Holy Spirit. May they be released in the market places of your lost sheep through every member of your Bride. Amen.

“Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed. Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” Psalm 85:10-11

AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I will be sensitive to the needs of those around me and to how God is wanting to meet them through me.