shamilla | Beyond

What Kind of Dirt Are You?

Oct 5, 2022 | Stories

Matt lives and works as a movement catalyst in a remote region. He wanted some of his local Christian friends from traditional churches to think about discipleship as Jesus does. So he asked if they wanted to look over the parable of the sower with him.

After reading through the passage together, Matt asked which kind of soil their respective churches represented. They both felt their church was the third kind of soil – where thorns choke out any fruitfulness or maturity.

They read Jesus’ last command to his followers: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” They agreed that if Christians are in the third kind of soil, they are likely not keeping Jesus’ final command, and probably also not keeping many others.

Finally, Matt asked, “In which of the four soils does Jesus want his word to be planted?”

“All of them!” they replied. But they added that Jesus wants his followers to grow and reproduce like seeds in the fourth soil, producing crops of one hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.

Matt’s friends decided to invite others to join them in studying some Bible stories about Jesus. Please pray that they persevere in their seed sowing, and pray for a 100-fold harvest.

Obedience to God’s Word Overcomes Systemic Prejudice

Oct 5, 2022 | Longer Reads

by the Walker Family
The movement with which we are connected is bringing transformation—not just to the lives of families and individuals, but also to deeply rooted social problems including systemic prejudice.

The early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper: “They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity” (Acts 2:46 NLT). A few years ago, we learned of some churches in the Listening Movement that were not taking the Lord’s Supper. India’s systemic sin of casteism was the root of the problem. Casteism dictates that eating with a low-caste person makes a high-caste person spiritually unclean. “We cannot take the Lord’s Supper across caste lines,” they explained.

Sanjay,* the main leader in the area, didn’t know how to tackle this issue. We were out of the country at the time, so he wrote to us for advice: “What should we do?”

Teaching obedience is very different from simply teaching about Jesus or about the Bible. Jesus’ final command to His disciples was to make more disciples, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). At its core, casteism is racism. Prejudice in any form is unacceptable to God. It runs contrary to the truth that all of us are made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26-27). Within His Church, racism violates the Lord’s commands to both “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34), and “in humility value others above yourselves” (Phil. 2:3b). Casteism, meanwhile, teaches that from birth, some people are better and more valuable than others.

In the Indian context, caste is a huge issue. The churches needed heart changes about this systemic Indian problem. Mere verbal assents to a teaching we might give weren’t going to suffice. We needed God to touch their hearts. To get there, the churches needed to learn from the Bible, not from us. We gave Sanjay a list of verses addressing the equality of all people in God’s kingdom, and how in Jesus, all barriers – including gender – are dissolved. We also prayed like crazy.

Sanjay took these Scriptures to the leaders of the movement. They studied God’s Word together. They discussed what God was saying regarding casteism and the Lord’s Supper. Sanjay did not preach or teach. He gave them the Scriptures. He prayed. He asked questions. They all looked at Scripture together. Finally, the leaders (not Sanjay) came to the conclusion that, “If I am in Jesus, I am no longer Brahmin (or whatever caste I was born into). I can either be a Brahmin, or in Jesus, but I cannot be both. If that’s the option, then I want to be in Jesus!”

It is important to note that we are not turning the above personal application statements into doctrinal statements for all the churches. These particular churches wrestled with the Scripture, then applied it to their personal lives in this context of casteism. This is what it means to teach others to obey Jesus. From the very beginning, even before these Brahmin families called themselves followers of Jesus, they had been taught to not just listen to Bible stories, but to apply them. Thus, when this issue arose, the DNA of “obey the Word” was already established. They had no idea that casteism was anathema to Jesus’ kingdom. So we gave them the Word, they wrestled with it and then applied it to their personal lives. They chose unity over disunity, to count all things as loss compared to knowing Jesus. And since they are committed to teaching their disciples to also obey Jesus, we know they will share the Bible verses with others.

How do we know they really meant what they said? Through their actions. After declaring they wanted to be “in Jesus,” the leaders did something seldom seen in their context. They apologized. In front of each other, without attempting to save face or defend themselves, they admitted: “We are sorry; we were wrong” both to Sanjay and to their disciples. Apologizing in public is a big deal anywhere, but it’s huge in Asia. Usually, apologies here are passive at best. For someone here to take ownership of a wrong they have done and apologize, not just to someone they consider “above” themselves (Sanjay), but also to people who look up to them (their disciples), is stunning. We were speechless!

That’s not all. After apologizing, the leaders intentionally gathered multiple churches with mixed caste-background people, and they all took communion together! This may sound like a small thing to outsiders, but this is a huge thing for India. Casteism is the filter through which the vast majority of Indians think about relationships and community. God broke into their hearts and minds through His Word alone. Hebrews 12:4 says, “For the Word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart” (AMP). We have always believed this to be true. Now we have seen it in action, bringing transformation to individuals and to whole churches. What a joy!

“Teach them to obey all that I’ve commanded you.” Sadly, we Christians tend to believe that lectures, sermons and codified theological doctrines will accomplish this task. But we need to ask ourselves: is all the sharing of information resulting in obedient disciples of Jesus, even when His commands run directly counter to their deeply ingrained cultural patterns and habits? When the Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, people recognize that they are accountable to Jesus for their obedience (or disobedience). Praise God that discovering His will through group study of His Word helps people learn to obey Jesus for themselves. It is a priceless, humble privilege to watch God tear down destructive attitudes and practices, and build up an out-of-this-world fellowship among people from all kinds of diverse backgrounds. Hallelujah!

This article was used with permission and was first published in Mission Frontiers

You Hate This Man But He is Good

Sep 28, 2022 | Stories

Rajbir* is a fruitful disciple maker in North India. In 2012, he gave his allegiance to Jesus, was baptized, then quickly dedicated himself to making disciples of Jesus who would make other disciples. Through Rajbir’s spiritual lineage, thousands of churches have begun, and tens of thousands of people baptized. The churches and disciples are healthy and strong.

Rajbir makes his living as a farmer. He spends his days in physical and spiritual fields. Harassment and persecution from local Hindu radicals are unrelenting. When they warn him to stop talking about Jesus, Rajbir simply responds that he will continue to obey Jesus.

Last year, right before the harvest, some local men repeatedly warned Rajbir to stop talking to Hindus about Jesus. When he didn’t, they decided there had been enough “talk.” They came to his farm, restrained him, then plowed up his harvest. The police refused to help.

Through it all, Rajbir’s “Timothys”, those he was discipling, were watching him. They took note of his response. He didn’t lash out or back down. He continued reaching out to his neighbors.

A few weeks after the attack, Rajbir visited a house church in another village. On this visit, the village leader, Pallab, approached him and said, “I sent men to cut your harvest to stop you from doing this work, but you are not stopping.”

“You have done your job by finishing my harvest,” Rajbir said. “But I cannot stop. This is truth.”

Pallab had no response. He thought about Rajbir’s answer for days. Finally, he went to speak with the house church, “Why do you call this man to visit you?”

“Rajbir is a man of integrity,” they replied. He carries no ill will for others. He speaks truth. We used to be bothered by many evil spirits, and we did bad things, but now we are healed. We feel safe and happy.” Once again, Pallab was rendered speechless. He turned and left.

A few weeks later, Pallab’s sister-in-law became ill. The family paid doctor after doctor to no avail. Finally, Pallab’s wife said, “I have heard many good things about the man whose harvest you destroyed. If we call him to pray, I think my sister will be fine.”

“No way,” Pallab said. “I won’t call him. He’s my enemy.”

His wife replied, “See our sister. She is in poor condition. He can pray, and she will be fine.”

With all other options exhausted, Pallab finally asked the local church to send for Rajbir. They did. Rajbir was afraid. Was this a trap? Even so, Rajbir and one of the local disciples went to the village leader’s home. Rajbir asked, “Why did you call me here?”

Pallab said, “I hate you, but my wife says good things and wants you to pray for her sister.”

Rajbir replied, “We have no magic. Our loving God heals people. If you want prayer, bring your sister-in-law to the next village where a house church meets. We will pray for her there.” [Writer’s note – We do not fully understand why Rajbir didn’t pray for the sister-in-law that day. We can only surmise that he was listening to the Lord, and this was His direction.]

Two weeks later, Pallab and his entire household went to the village, entered the home where the church was meeting and sat down. They participated, then went home. They attended every week for two months. The sister-in-law improved as they prayed for her each week. Eventually, she addressed her brother-in-law: “You hate this man, but he is good. You have seen the miracle of my recovery. You should invite him to visit us.”

“OK,” Pallab said. “I do love this man. I will call him and bring him to my home.”

Soon after, Rajbir and several others visited Pallab. They prayed for the family. After a few visits, Pallab apologized to Rajbir: “I am sorry for your harvest. I did wrong. I cannot give you money right now, but when I get my harvest in, I will give you some.” Then, he asked, “What do we do next? You prayed for my sister-in-law, and she is better. I know people in nearby villages who have similar illnesses and need prayer. Can you go with me to pray for them?”

To date, 11 families have given their allegiance to Jesus, and Pallab is now a spiritual leader.

Praise God. His Kingdom is advancing. Sauls still become Pauls. God is unstoppable.

*pseudonyms

How Good It Is When the Church Obeys!

Sep 21, 2022 | Stories

One team of disciple-makers in Indonesia had been praying and pondering how they could send out more national workers to unreached areas. They already had ten couples who were eager and ready to go. Those couples even had work platforms once they arrived among the unreached people groups they wanted to focus on. The question was: “How do we pay for their move and get them set up in a new place?”

Help came in the form of a timely training on generosity, passed on to them by their mentors. They, in turn, shared it with the house churches under their care. Those disciples prayed, then responded in obedience. They began to give generously.

Together they raised two-thirds of the needed expenses. Then, when the original trainer heard about their faithful giving, he agreed to fund the remaining amount. All ten of the couples were soon among their unreached people groups.

After one year, the team leaders evaluated how things were going. They are happy to report that over 80 groups of believers — over 750 people — are meeting together to study God’s word. A few of those ten couples, along with their local teammates, have seen fruit to the fifth generation and beyond! That means new movements have been birthed among previously unreached areas!

How good it is when the church obeys 2 Timothy 2:2 by passing on godly training and the Good News of Jesus! “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

OBEDIENCE EVEN WHEN IT’S DARK
One night at a prayer event on campus, she heard about the C people. She heard God speak to her very clearly, “This is the group to whom I am calling you. read more …

OBEDIENCE SO GRANDMOTHER CAN HEAR
As *YouLin and *Amy greeted one another and sat down, YouLin said excitedly, “Thank God I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time with read more …

Someone Has to Be First (Part 2)

Sep 14, 2022 | Longer Reads

The Power of Promise

by Steve Smith

There was a time in Israel when there was no precedent for killing giants. Less than a generation earlier, Israel was paralyzed at the very thought of approaching a giant in hand-to-hand combat. 1 Samuel 17 describes Goliath as a giant of a man who stood over nine feet tall (v.4)!

Saul stood head and shoulders above the men of Israel (1 Sam. 9:2), yet in his own strength he cowered in fear. For weeks, the Israelites camping in the Valley of Elah followed Saul’s example, frozen with fear (1 Sam 17:10-11, 23-24). Each day Goliath taunted them. Each day they fled from the battle. They lived a lifestyle of fear and lack of faith.

When David saw this scene unfold he was appalled. David believed the promise that God would overcome this giant because he understood the heart of God. God had promised to give His people the land and to give them victory over their enemies. In David’s mind, it was Goliath against God. Goliath didn’t stand a chance.

What do you do when you have no precedent? All you have is a promise. The promise is enough!

What’s going through David’s mind? We are not told, but he begins to shout the promise out loud to the enemy:

“You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts….” (1 Sam. 17:45, NASB)

Whether fear was creeping in to David’s heart or not, we don’t know. But his heart meditated on the promise of God in the face of the enemy.

The promise is enough
At the end of the day, if you have no precedent for a church-planting movement, and all you have is a promise, it is enough. David acted on the promise and became a giant killer. His example served as a precedent (model) for others to follow. What’s radical today is commonplace tomorrow.

Fifteen years ago, CPMs were only a dream. Today, CPMs are almost taken for granted in many places around the world. Why? That’s the power of precedent.

But when you don’t yet have a precedent, the promise of Scripture is still clear. God will harvest a great multitude from every people group and He will launch discipleship revolutions that will rock the world (e.g. Matt. 24:14, Rev. 7:9, John 4:35, Matt. 9:37-38, Mark 1:15-17, Matt. 13:23, Matt. 13:31-32, Mark 4:26-29; Acts 19:10). Live your life based on His promise. He wants to fulfill it in your place, at this time, through you!

Epilogue: Forgotten Precedent
Sometimes there is precedent from history but we have forgotten it. CPMs are not simply a modern-day phenomenon. Throughout church history, there have been CPM-like movements.

Sometimes, there is precedent from history but we have forgotten it. Such was the case with the story of David and Goliath.

According to Joshua 15:14, 400 years earlier, Caleb, at the age of 85, drove out three giants from the mountain God had promised him. The ancient record indicates the race of giants Caleb defeated were even larger than those that David and his men encountered.

Forty years before that, Moses and his army defeated Og of Bashan (Num. 21:33-35). According to Scripture, Og was even bigger still. The Bible says Og slept in a 13-foot bed (Deut. 3:11); remember Goliath was only nine feet tall! Og was so frightening that God appeared to Moses personally to promise his deliverance, announcing:

Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon. (Num. 21:34, NASB)

Moses had a promise from God. And he had personal precedent on a smaller scale (Sihon). It was enough.

Did the army of Israel, camped in the Valley of Elah, taunted by the giant Goliath remember these stories?

If they did, they apparently dismissed them as irrelevant:

That can’t happen here. Our situation is different.
That can’t happen through us. Moses and Caleb were special.
That can’t happen today. It’s ancient history; God no longer works that way.

If they had forgotten them, it was their loss. It was a precedent they could have used.

Did David know those stories? We don’t know. If so, then perhaps they inspired him as he ran toward the battle line. He had precedent.

If they were forgotten stories, stored in musty scrolls in a tabernacle, unavailable to a common shepherd boy, it didn’t matter. He knew his God. The promise was enough.

This article was adapted from the final chapter of Steve Smith with Ying Kai’s book T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution (Richmond: WIGTake Resources, 2011), the inside story of the world’s fastest growing church-planting movement. It was first published in Mission Frontiers Magazine.

About Steve Smith: Steve Smith planted a church in Los Angeles and then helped initiate a church planting movement (CPM) among an unreached people group in East Asia. He trained believers in CPM and worked with the International Mission Board (SBC) in reaching Southeast Asian Peoples. Steve graduated to heaven in March 2019

*CPM numbers have since grown.

Missed Part 1? Read it here: Part 1

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