“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Cor. 3:6). Paul shared this secret of church growth to the Corinthians. He and Apollos were mere ministers who worked in the service of the Lord. When a farmer goes to his field he brings along several tools. His shovel, rake, and fertilizer are just instruments that help accomplish his task. In a similar way, the Christian is an instrument of the Lord’s. We all operate on the same level under the Lord’s guidance. Remember, the Lord spoke of Paul and told Ananias, “he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Our success in Peru rests upon this idea. In order to accomplish our mission, we must allow God to use us in his service, and this will be a joint effort between the team, the Peruvians, and the many supporting churches back home. Continue reading »
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04Janby Barton in Missions, Seeking Things Above.
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21Decby Barton in Missions, Seeking Things Above.
I’ve watched a few houses go up and have always been surprised by the process. It’s generally comprised of two stages. During the first, you become frustrated by the lack of progress. Building permits, surveying the land, preparing and laying the foundation – it all makes for a slow and anxiety-ridden journey. But when the foundation is finally poured, you gladly move into a quicker and more rewarding second stage. The walls go up quickly, the roof is attached, and, before you know it, you’re picking out paint colors and matching carpet. I envision our work to be somewhat similar. The first two phases will be preoccupied with laying a foundation, but the next two will have an interest in building upon that foundation. When moving into the second stage of our work, and the third phase of the overall plan, our team will finally experience development. Continue reading »
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14Decby Barton in Missions, Seeking Things Above.
Paul was a master at contextualizing the gospel message. When he was standing before a crowd of Jews, he would launch into a discourse about his Jewish heritage. In Antioch of Pisidia, Paul entered the synagogue and built a rapport among his fellow Jews by relating the stories of Egypt, King David, and Abraham (Acts 13:13ff). Later, Paul finds himself speaking to the polytheistic Athenians. His contextual instincts do not lead him to mention Israel but rather to contrast their pagan gods with the one, true God (Acts 17). The Apostle Paul was skilled at contextualization, but what exactly does the word mean? David J. Hesselgrave in his book, Planting Churches Cross-Culturally, teaches that to contextualize the gospel message is to find “ways of making the Christian message understandable to and effective for people in their specific religions, cultural, and linguistic setting” (37). Of course, this is to be accomplished without compromising the truth. Continue reading »
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07Decby Barton in Missions, Seeking Things Above.
If you’re reading this article then you are probably already a contributor to the future work in Cusco, Peru. I intend to run a series of articles in six different church bulletins that will inform our supporters about this mission. This is the first installment of the series. Because we have been richly blessed by your support, and because it is necessary for you to understand the impact you’ll have in Cusco, I hope this series will build within you enthusiasm and purpose. Continue reading »