the Glocal Trekker Blog

This summer I stayed home to live a normal life--for me that would be a vacation! It has been anything but. I think what I am living is what my life will be. Albeit I have to keep narrowing what I do and saying no a whole lot more than yes which is not easy for someone who likes the yes word! It has been a continuous flow of diplomats, businessmen, pastors, missionaries, organizations, NGOs and the like all wanting to explore new ways to engage this new emerging world. No one has any answers--at least that I've met. Most of us just keep walking towards the light grabbing what God puts in front of our face. It's fun having to walk by faith not knowing the next step. I like the adventure of the moment in the rain on the mountain--which, by the way, is where Nikki and Jill are right now. As I'm waking, and starting a day, they should have just finished a hike in Sapa, Vietnam with all our friends. Sapa has to be one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth. They had a ribbon cutting ceremony for a computer school to go to for which one of our partner churches, Putnam City Baptist Church in Oklahoma, is responsible. Cool River Church in Colorado is opening a computer lab in another area August 3-12.

Recently, we have received a lot of press from almost all the major Christian magazines, and several secular newspapers. People call and want the "3 steps to engagement." There are none. There are 3 things I've realized though, more and more, that are key to all of this.

First, I continue to see that everything is simple obedience. My problem with saying no is what if you are saying no to something God has put in your face. I said no at first to two things this summer that wound up being huge yeses in terms of making a difference. Some of my other "yeses" were not nearly as significant. If you would put on paper by priority and significance what they were, everyone would agree what was yes or no. However, God had a different definition. It's true, to say yes to something means you have to say no to something else. Wisdom is key to obedience. At first obedience is a question simply of the will. Am I willing? Once we get that down, obedience brings lots of fruit--then obedience is a discernment of the will of God. Is it this or that? I don't believe it's God putting lots of stuff in our face. I think it's man. God has his stuff already there; it just gets cluttered with what other people want. In the early days it's easy because God speaks, and most men don't care nor have any interest in what we do. As God speaks and blesses things, then you wind up with more people around you.

Second, I cannot deny the sovereignty of God. I'm not a 5-point Calvinist. BUT, God has orchestrated so many things that in a million years I could have never brought about. I would say I'm more "Calvinist" than "Armenian." This doesn't come from the logic of the Calvinist for me. I get exhausted and frustrated with some of the arguments and mental gymnastics over the Scriptures and how some seem to contradict. It comes from seeing God work and how he orchestrates things and brings them together. I have an incredible story but it will be years before I can share it publicly. But, man, in the past week, I watched 3 people, 3 nations, and one pastor in the middle of 3 major events where they all converged and brought people together for one thing, but each had a unique thing as well. Just too, too wild! I could never have done what happened in a million years--the stars lined up and someone had to move them.

Third, we've so underrated, minimized, and pigeonholed the Holy Spirit--it's sad. Either we ignore the Spirit, or we make the Spirit our feel good bless meter for the Christian life. Truly incredible things happen because of the Holy Spirit. In my life I've only felt led to prophesy over someone or thing twice. That's it. Last week, I had a strong and clear word from God and I shared it with a group I met with. God fell on the place. Already I'm seeing fruit from that and there is much, much more in the works that maybe ten years from now I'll be able to share publicly. We need the gifts of the Spirit so badly--not for us--but for the completion of the will of God in our lives and our world.

What are you learning, seeing, or experiencing??