Disciple Making Movements

“Then A Voice Said To Me, ‘I Am Jesus’”

Mar 6, 2024 | Stories

*Travis and *Lisa arrived at the party, which was already in full swing. Soon they were settled, Lisa inside with the women and Travis outside on the patio with the men.

When one of the Muslim men asked if he was a Christian, Travis answered, “I am a follower of Isa al Masih (Jesus the Messiah).”

The man smiled and said, “I want to tell you about my dream: I was in a beautiful bright green field, walking towards a brilliant and sparkling light. It was so bright I could not look at it directly. As I approached, I looked down, shielding my eyes from the brightness, and I began weeping.

“Then A Voice Said To Me, ‘I Am Jesus’”

“I could not hold back my tears. I stood with my head bowed and cried. They were not tears of sadness but of happiness and joy. Jesus is coming back. We might not recognize Him until He turns to look at us. But when He does, people of all religions will come together in Jesus.”

Travis felt the Lord gave him a response. “Your tears were worship.”

The Muslim man sat back, smiled, and nodded his head. Another man nodded in agreement and translated worship into the local language for the others. The men continued speaking about Jesus’ return and how people from all religions will gather under and around Jesus.

Glory to God for revealing His truth to this spiritually hungry man! For we know that “God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11)

But because we know that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12), please pray as Travis arranges a time to visit this family so they can read the Bible and become true disciples of Jesus.

*pseudonym

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House Raids and Interrogations

Feb 21, 2024 | Stories

*Gabriella is the first known disciple from her West Asian unreached people group in the city where Frank and Helen minister. She has grown in the Lord but hasn’t wanted to share her faith, especially with her own Muslim people group. For years, Frank and Helen have been praying that God would give her a heart for her people.

Then Gabriella had a vision! In it, she led her people in praising and worshipping before God’s throne, using their traditional dances and singing style. As they danced, her people led other nations to faith, and they began to worship too.

After that, Gabriella opened her home and prepared traditional meals for seekers from her people group. They came to fellowship and to discuss the Bible stories she prepared.

But she has faced many challenges. In February, police raided the house church Gabriella attended and interrogated the elders, who then asked her to stay away for her safety. Then she experienced financial issues. She could no longer provide meals and had to stop hosting the group.

Frank and Helen encouraged Gabriella. They cast a vision for the importance of groups, generational growth, and multiplication. Gabriella’s excitement reignited. She wanted to re-start the meals and add a new group for women. She met right away with another woman from her people group. This woman loved hearing the story of Ruth and wanted to study more with Gabriella!

Then spiritual warfare increased. . . don’t miss next week’s story.

*pseudonym

THROWN INTO SLAVERY
Bahar and his paternal uncle, Navi, traveled to a faraway province in their South Asian country in search of work. read more …

ONCE FROM PRISON …
Not long after his miraculous escape from slavery, Bahar moved his family to a new town. But catastrophic flooding read more …

HOUSE PARTIES BUILDING KINGDOM RELATIONSHIPS
*Frank and *Helen, Beyond movement catalysts, have been praying for Gabriella to have Jesus’ heart for the lost, read more …

El Roi – The God Who Sees Us

Feb 14, 2024 | South Asia, Stories

This story comes from *Jenny, a seasoned Church Planting Movement practitioner who has seen thousands of people come to know the Lord and has seen the start of several hundred movements. She shares this story of simply listening to the Holy Spirit and obeying.

“Last week I discovered my elevator card wasn’t working, an uncommon and concerning enigma. I knew I needed to go down to the management office to ask why it wasn’t working and felt the Lord’s prompting to share a story with the office manager, *Rita while I was there. I had shared with her a couple times before, just simple verses or whatever *Shema statement came to mind in the moment. I hadn’t met with any resistance but also couldn’t tell if there was any real interest there. So, I went down the 10 flights of stairs to ground level and then walked over to the building next door and up two more flights of stairs to the management office.

Rita was there as always, with a big smile on her face and a warm welcome. We took a couple minutes to sort out my elevator card issue and then sat down to chat for a few minutes. I asked about where she lived and she said that she and her son were living with her mom, not too far away. She went on to share about her difficult decision of whether to divorce her controlling husband or to give the separation more time.

I shared with her what had been my prayer verse for the preceding week: “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’”(Psalm 32:8) I told her that I would be praying this for her and she seemed really grateful. She continued to share, especially about how painful it was being cast out by her husband and how she felt that she always had to put up a brave front for her son and others and not let people know her pain and fears about single-parenting.

Immediately it struck me what story I needed to share – just that morning, a friend had suggested I read the story of Hagar, in relation to something totally different that we had been discussing. I had meditated and prayed about that story for over an hour that morning before I decided to go down and deal with my elevator card. As I shared the story of Hagar – a woman with a small child, cast out by her husband, alone and afraid in the desert, but seen by God, taken care of by God, Rita began to cry. I told her, “God sees you, Rita, He sees your pain and your fears for your son, and He will help you.” She thanked me several times for the story and the encouragement. Please pray for me as I go back in the weeks to come to visit with Rita again and share with her about God’s love and His infinite mercy for her.”

*pseudonyms

**Shema is the Hebrew word often translated “hear” but better translated “hear and obey” in Deuteronomy 6:4. Among movement catalysts, “shema statement” or “shema lifestyle” is often used as a shorthand description for a spiritually fragrant word or deed which invites but does not force a spiritual response to God

MENTIONING GOD …
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DESPERATE TO BEAR MORE FRUIT
… we’ve seen God encourage us when we’re down, challenge us to stay engaged with local people, and reinforce best practices for multiplication. read more …

I AM NOT CHRISTIAN. I’M THAI
They associate their ethnic or national heritage exclusively with one religion. The two are inseparably tied read more …

Freedom from Demons, Baptism and 40 New Churches

Jan 31, 2024 | South Asia

Moon (literal translation of his name into English) is from a poor, nomadic, unreached people group in India. Illiterate and low caste, Moon had no job and no prospects. He lived on the side of the road in a plastic tent, sleeping on adirt floor. Moon was estranged from his wife because of his abusive anger. He was once arrested for getting violent with a girl. He fought anyone and was afraid of no one.

Sanjay and a friend, Jacob, had been working closely with Moon’s community leaders for a couple of years. The leaders asked the two men for help. Sanjay and Jacob’s first impression of Moon was that he was simply crazy. He even drank the blood of goats when they were butchered in the market. What kind of person was this!?

For months, Sanjay and Jacob returned to Moon’s community to visit with him and pray for him. Most people avoided Moon. Sanjay and Jacob loved him. During the course of a year, they saw change. Moon became a follower of Jesus. He became peaceful. He and his wife reconciled. They now have a son. As a family, they eagerly share their story with others.

Sanjay estimates that over 40 new house churches have been birthed through Moon and his wife’s efforts. Moon has even baptized new followers of Jesus who he is discipling.

Like the story in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 5, Jesus is still in the business of rescue. Rescued new disciples are making more disciples. The movement churches reported more than 100,000 baptisms in two months, across 16 states in India. This is the power of multiplication—every disciple making another disciple.

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The Bridge of Hair and the Lamb

Jan 24, 2024 | Austronesia

Kent was prayer-walking, which is simply walking while praying for people along the way and the area. On his walk, Kent visited an Indonesian mosque. Quickly, he was surrounded by young men curious about “the foreigner.”

Abruptly, a young man shouldered his way to Kent and sternly asked, “How can you claim Jesus is God if he cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?’”

Kent answered briefly, then met with him on several other occasions. When Kent moved to another city, a coworker continued meeting with the young man.

They discussed a story well known among his people group: On Judgment Day, people will be trapped at the edge of a fiery abyss. The only way to God will be over a bridge the width of one-seventh of a hair. The bridge breaks from the weight of people’s sin, and they fall into the fire below.

Occasionally, they say, God sends a pure lamb across this narrow bridge. Anyone who rides this lamb can safely cross the abyss to God.

Nothing spiritual happened during the first discussion of this story. Yet weeks later, perhaps through the working of the Holy Spirit, when the story was mentioned again, he looked startled. He slammed the table and said, “Jesus is that Lamb; isn’t He?” That day, he trusted the Lamb to carry him safely into God’s very presence!

We give glory to the Holy Spirit for this revelation and acknowledgement that He is the best teacher. May the Holy Spirit continue to reveal His truths and multiply disciples in this region!

*pseudonym

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