Compounded Interest

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

Last night Naomi and I were privileged to take part in the 25^th Anniversary celebration at Southwest Harvest Church in Duncanville, Texas. For the past quarter century this church has been led by founding pastor Sonny Conatser and his wife Susan.

Sonny and Susan have been great friends to us for over 30 years. They are models of faithfulness. Thank you, Sonny and Susan, for your faithfulness to Jesus, to each other, to the call of God on your lives and to the vision we all embraced long ago.

Sonny and Susan’s son, Christian, is a very capable fourth generation preacher. (Christian and his wife, Lisa, have just had their first child. Please pray for baby Moses as he is struggling with a serious heart defect.)

The story of God’s faithfulness traces far back. Sonny’s dad, Howard Conatser, was a leader among Baptists in the charismatic renewal of the 1970s. Howard’s father was a Baptist church planter in the hills of Virginia and Tennessee. It is a rare, beautiful thing to see this succession of four generations of Gospel preachers. It’s sort of a spiritual “compounded interest” as the blessings of the Gospel have reverberated now through five generations.

Andrew Murray wrote that humility is the “mother virtue.” Missionary statesman John R. Mott believed the greatest virtue is loyalty. Sonny and Susan, you model them both. Naomi and I are honored to call you our friends and co-workers in His harvest.

THE SEAMLESS TRANSITION

Posted on November 28, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on Thanksgiving and the Advent Season

Last Sunday, November 27, was the beginning of the Advent season in the Christian calendar. It is a time of expectancy as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the coming of Jesus into the world.

Here in America the Advent season comes on the heels of Thanksgiving. Coupled together, for me, this is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. Giving thanks to our Father God for all His goodness is the perfect prelude to a meditative season on the greatest of all miracles – the Incarnation. The miracle of our redemption, the miracle of His resurrection, the coming miracle of our resurrection – all of these are realities that are predicated on history’s greatest miracle: God became a man.

Interestingly, the Apostle Paul taught that the first step away from God is ingratitude. “Although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him” (Ro. 1:21, ESV). But the benefits of a thankful heart are not just spiritual. Recent research shows that being thankful can help reduce high blood pressure. Renowned psychiatrist Karl Menninger observed that perennially grateful people are seldom mentally ill.

Thanksgiving seamlessly transitions into the Advent season. There could be no better heart preparation for the celebration of Jesus’ birth than intentional, wide-ranging gratitude. And as we remember all God’s boundless blessings, let’s never forget His Gift that surpasses all others. “Thank God for the gift of His Son – a gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Cor. 9:15 NLT).

THANKSGIVING MESSAGE

Posted on November 21, 2011 by admin

Are you struggling to be thankful as you come to the end of a tough year? Then the story of Martin Rinkart will lift your heart.

Rinkart was a Lutheran pastor who ministered in Eilenburg, Saxony during the Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648). This devastating conflict ravaged entire regions, caused unrelenting famine, and bankrupted most of the combatant powers. Malnutrition and pandemic threatened almost all of Europe.

Eilenburg saw a steady stream of refugees pour into the city for three decades, overwhelming the city’s meager resources. Eight hundred homes in Eilenburg were destroyed in the fighting. The pastors of the city were under enormous strain, conducting multiple funerals daily while trying to minister to survivors. The Year of the Great Pestilence (1637) saw every pastor in the city except Rinkart succumb to the horrific conditions. As the sole surviving clergyman in Eilenburg, it fell upon Rinkart to conduct funeral services for up to 50 people per day. In May of that terrible year, Rinkart’s own wife died.

Rinkart lived in a world palled by death and despair. Yet his faith in Christ held firm. He did not give in to bitterness. Even after living through three hellish decades he never lost his confidence in the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Pastor Rinkart could identify with Job. After losing his family, his health, his money and his position in society, Job still declared His trust in God: “Even if He kills me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15, HCSB). Martin Rinkart profoundly understood Jeremiah’s unflinching faith. Looking on a scene of collapsed hopes and a privileged nation that now lay pillaged, Jeremiah still declared, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-24, ESV).

How did Pastor Rinkart keep his faith and his sanity? He refused to be defined by his circumstances. He determined to focus, not on his circumstances, but on the unchanging character of a merciful God. If we drop anchor on any “rock” that can potentially be removed, we will be insecure and prone to self-debilitating bitterness. But if we anchor on the Rock of Christ Jesus, our moorings will hold fast (see Matt. 7:24-27).

Set against the bleak backdrop of a protracted war, economic collapse, and his own city’s devastation, Martin Rinkart penned these words for his children as a prayer of thanksgiving:

Now thank we all our God with heart and hands and voices
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still are ours today.

O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest heaven* –
The one eternal God Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.

No matter how difficult things may be for you right now, look up and remember: “His mercy endures forever.” Now thank we all our God.

*”Him Who reigns with Them in highest heaven” is a reference to the Holy Spirit

THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE CHURCH

Posted on September 13, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on the Aftermath of 9/11

This week we commemorate a week that changed your life, and mine. On September 11, 2001, life got more fragile. Worldviews were altered. Innocence was lost. The terrorists who carried out these atrocities were driven – not by money or fame – but by a destructive belief system. Don’t ever think personal theology doesn’t have public consequences.

Three measurable realities for the church worldwide are rooted in the fallout from 9/11:

• In the ensuing decade persecution against Christians has intensified.
• The 9/11 attacks fomented a deep-seated malcontentedness in millions of Muslims.
• The 9/11 attacks have made the church more missional.

Added to these realities, I’m thinking especially this week about two other effects from 9/11:

• Every day of peace and freedom is a priceless gift. We do not have the promise of tomorrow – but we do have today. This day’s twenty-four hour treasure should be infused with urgency in advancing the cause of Christ, His Kingdom, and His Great Commission. Jesus reminds us, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (Jn. 9:4). Any church today that is not seriously committed to helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.

• God’s love must motivate our actions. We must juxtapose our message – the gospel – in dramatic contrast to the pernicious message of religious terrorists. The enmity between a holy God and rebellious humanity ended when the wrath of God against sin was poured out on His Son on the Cross. God loves people. He sacrificed His only Son for us – when we were thoroughly helpless to meet the demands of His righteousness. Now, love drives us to get this Good News to everyone, everywhere (2 Cor. 5:14).

Ideologies that are weak at their core often resort to violence for their propagation. Seventy years ago the dogma that threatened the world was fascism. Just three decades ago the dogma that threatened the world was communism. These ideologies failed because their weak core eventually imploded. Current anti-Christian ideologies will fail too, and for the same reason. Ultimately, truth triumphs.

In a prayer vigil the day after the 9/11 attacks Lloyd Ogilvie, then-chaplain of the U. S. Senate, quoted the following verse. As you process how to bring glory to Jesus in the post-9/11 era, remember and rejoice: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10).

Adapted from “The Day That Changed the Church” by David Shibley which appears in the September issue of Charisma magazine. Used by permission. To access the entire article online go to www.charismamag.com, and write “David Shibley” in the search bar at the top. Then click on the article.

NEW HOPE FOR EUROPE

Posted on August 24, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on a New European Missions Force

Where is the church worldwide growing least? Where has there been the most rapid decline in Christian influence? What continent is known as “the graveyard of missions”?

The answer, of course, is Europe.

Europe is the birthplace of the Reformation. It has produced theological giants like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. In more recent times, even amidst war and hellish circumstances, this continent has given the church spiritual giants like Deitrich Bonhoeffer and evangelist Reinhard Bonnke. But for the most part Europe is spiritually dark and desolate. Secularism has strangled much of the Christian witness.

That’s why a recent conference in Budapest, Hungary was so hopeful and refreshing. Impact Now brought together almost 1000 young people from all over Europe. Their single agenda was a rebirth of world missions among Europe’s emerging leaders.

I was privileged to be one of the speakers, challenging these young disciples to re-evangelize Europe and help take the Gospel worldwide. During the conference, it was my privilege to fellowship with other speakers who are also outstanding missionary statesmen: Grant McClung (renowned missiologist), Greg Mundis (newly elected executive director of Assemblies of God World Missions), and George Verwer (founder of Operation Mobilization).

What a thrill it was to see all these young people press into worship and passionately respond to the call to be the first wave of a great new missions force to Europe and from Europe. I also made several new young friends – from Finland, France, and Germany – who I believe will be strategic for Global Advance’s future outreaches. These young men and women were some of the sharpest, most committed young disciples I’ve met in a long time.

This ministry to young leaders is one of the lesser known outreaches of Global Advance. We’re known for equipping pastoral leaders (frontline shepherds), business leaders, and women in leadership in underserved nations. For the last several years, I’ve also given a large portion of my time and focus to the next generation of Christian leaders – here in America and worldwide.

For ten years, I’ve mentored a few young leaders each year, downloading to them my heart, thinking, and passion for the fulfilling of the Great Commission. These Days with David are interactive. They can ask me anything. I share with them regarding personal integrity, focus, Christ-honoring leadership in today’s world, and insights large and small I’ve picked up in 45 years of ministry.

I’m also grateful that the Lord allows me to walk side-by-side with our son, Jonathan, as he serves as president of Global Advance. In many ways, he has surpassed me in leadership. His love for Christ is sterling. As founder, there are nuances of ministry and historical insights I share with him that make his leadership even stronger. I am humbled to assist him in this way.

I’m asking for your prayers as I train Teen Mania’s staff for two days next week. I’ll minister to them, sharing insights on starting well, serving well, and finishing well. At 61, my best ministry investments are trans-generational. Your prayers for this important outreach of Global Advance are appreciated. While God gives me life and breath, I’m committed to “telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done” (Psa. 78:4).

DEBT

Posted on August 4, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on What we Could Never Pay and What We Will Always Owe

Let’s talk about debt.

Of course, the recent struggles in Washington sorely tempt me to opine on the egregious spectacle we have just endured. However, our status as a non-profit ministry (and hopefully some common sense) limits any political comment. But one obvious fact can be safely asserted: debt has consequences.

Let’s look at our spiritual debt, our financial debt, and our love debt.

What we owe (and what we don’t owe) spiritually. We could never have satisfied the debt and depth of our bankruptcy before God. The just “wages” for our sin was death and severance from God and His glory (see Ro. 3:23; 6:23). But “when we were helpless . . . Christ died for the ungodly” (Ro. 5:6). This is the liberating Good News of the Gospel. Our debt of sin has been paid with Christ’s atoning blood. Jesus cried out on the cross, “It is finished!” (Jn. 19:30). His literal statement in the original language was, “Paid in full!” The debt of all our sins is fully, forever cancelled!

Now that we have been liberated, a “debt” of love consumes us. We live for Jesus – not in payment for salvation He has already purchased, but in gratitude for so great salvation. As the old hymn says, “Jesus paid it all / all to Him I owe.”

What we owe financially. For a number of years trusted prophetic voices have warned Christians to get out of debt. Now, as the frailty of our entire economic system has been exposed, this warning packs fresh urgency. Whether the debt is incurred by a government, a family, or a ministry, “the borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov. 22:7).

You should know that when you give to Global Advance, you are sowing into a ministry that is financially debt-free. For this we give glory to God and deeply felt appreciation to our generous partners. God enabled us to pay off the note on our office complex years early. We are grateful that our vision is not strapped by debt.

In this fragile financial climate, some tend to hoard and stop giving. While this may seem to be a smart course in tight times, it is actually the worst possible strategy for protecting assets. God has woven the principle of sowing and reaping into the very fabric of the universe. The planting of seed is categorically required to bring life and growth. God has hardwired this planet and people so that failure to plant seed ensures barrenness and eventual death.

So whatever you do, don’t stop giving – especially to the poor and to missions. These two Christ-honoring investments come with guarantees that are vital for you and your loved ones in this volatile time. Scripture affirms, “He who gives to the poor will not lack” (Prov. 28:27, emphasis mine.) And it was only to those who supported Paul’s missionary endeavors that he promised, “My God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

What we owe the world. In finances the apostle Paul’s counsel is, “Owe no one anything” (Ro. 13:8). Yet in the same letter he confesses a deep sense of personal indebtedness to get the Gospel to everyone, everywhere. “I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News” (Ro. 1:14-15, NLT). No race distinction, no class distinction – everyone needs the Gospel; everyone needs Jesus.

My missions-hearted father, Warren Shibley, said it so well, “Missions involvement isn’t first charity or philanthropy, it’s just an honest man paying his debt.” Why have we gone to the nations for decades? Why will Global Advance send eight teams to five nations this month? Because, with Paul, we know that we owe our generation the Gospel.

Financial debt is insidious on many levels. One abhorrent consequence of debt is feelings either of helplessness or entitlement. Regrettably, most people somehow intrinsically feel the world owes them something.

Then there are those wonderful few who believe they owe the world something. When these folks read Paul’s passion-driven declaration of debt to reach everyone with the Gospel – they get it. They know what he meant. They feel what he felt. They live to give. They love to sow seed. They expect a harvest – yes, even in times of drought.

Bottom line: Transfer your debt – out of your financial portfolio and into your heart. Your greatest debt has been paid! Now, you are both free and obligated. You owe Jesus everything. Make a payment on your debt of love today.

Thoughts on Praying for America

Posted on June 30, 2011 by admin

It’s a family tradition. Almost every Fourth of July, our family gathers together and I read Paul Harvey’s essay, Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor. It’s “the rest of the story” of the heroic, sacrificial lives of the fifty-six men who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor by affixing their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. For almost every one of those men, their pledge was prophetic. America’s tearing away from tyranny cost these signatories their fortunes, their reputations, and in some cases, their very lives.

Today in America it can often seem that the hopeful, blazing vision that burned so brightly in these patriots has been reduced to a few smoldering embers. As we prepare to celebrate our beloved country’s birthday, we’re drowning in a vast ocean of red ink. Little rogue despots flaunt their nuclear saber rattling, taunting and deriding us. And our culture seems hell-bent on change – away from biblical values into an abyss of secularism.

Yet today – at least for today – we remain free. While our nation may literally be living on borrowed time (we’ve borrowed everything else), we still have the privilege of proclaiming and propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I, for one, intend to seize this day. At the same time I’m crying out to God for His intervention and heaven-sent revival for our nation.

Katherine Lee Bates’ magnificent words in “America the Beautiful” contain an often misunderstood phrase –

America, America, God shed His grace on thee.

When I sang those words as a boy I thought she was stating a fact, that God had indeed shed His grace on us as a nation. But if you look carefully at those words, you realize the writer is actually praying – petitioning God for His mercy on America. When the next phrase is added, its construct as a heart-felt prayer is clear:

America, America, God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

This is my prayer for America too. But Bates’ heavenward plea continues. How pertinent is her petition amidst the rabid corruption and greed wrecking havoc over our country:

America, America, God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self control, thy liberty in law.

America, America, may God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness and every gain divine.

It’s a good thing to fire up the grill this Fourth of July. Take in a ball game. Watch the fireworks. Let’s enjoy our precious liberty that came at such a great price.

But let’s do more. Let’s pray for America. And let’s gather our families and pray for America. Another national hymn contains another powerful prayer:

Our fathers’ God, to Thee, Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing.
Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might, great God, our King.

Article written by: David Shibley

MAGNIFY HIM

Posted on June 13, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on How We View God by David Shibley

When I was a little boy I loved to play with a magnifying glass. Holding this glass a few inches from my hand, I could see lines and creases not seen by the naked eye. Putting the magnifier close to the ground, small bugs looked like man-eating monsters. When magnified, things quickly got out of real-life proportion. It was somehow comforting to remove the magnifier and once again ascribe true size to things.

But this doesn’t work when we contemplate the greatness of God. Only by magnifying Him can we even begin to grasp His true “size” – the infinite expansiveness of His might, His love, His holiness, and His glory. He is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), all encompassing (omnipresent).

In David’s call to worship he says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together” (Psa. 34:3). The Hebrew word translated magnify literally means to make large or make larger. Of course, this doesn’t mean we make God bigger than He already is (an impossibility). It means He is made larger in our perception of Him. Some lenses are constructed to either magnify or diminish the true size of objects. Too often we tend to magnify the objects we see while we reduce the size and scope of God. The inverse should be the way we view life – the true proportion of our problems is smaller than what we perceive. And the size of God – well, He is God. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jer. 32:27).

Are you magnifying your problems – and reducing God’s true size? I have a word from the Word for you today: Magnify the Lord! There is nothing too hard for Him. “The reason some of us are such poor specimens of Christianity,” wrote Oswald Chambers, “is because we have no almighty Christ.”

Years ago J. B. Phillips wrote an important book with the provocative title Your God Is Too Small. Is your God too small? Is your perception of Him too limited? Come now to the almighty Christ! “God also has highly exalted Him, given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9 – 11).

In Prince Caspian (C. S. Lewis’s second book published in the Chronicles of Narnia series), young Lucy experiences a personal visit from her old lion-friend, Aslan. (Throughout the series Aslan is a type of Christ.)

Lucy: “Aslan, you’re bigger.”
Aslan: “That is because you are older, little one.”
Lucy: “Not because you are?”
Aslan: “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

God does not grow, grow older, or get bigger. But, as “children of dust” we grow and grow old. Hopefully, in our perception of things we also get bigger. How? By magnifying Him. We will never have to regret that we made God Almighty too large or magnified Him too much. Every year we grow in Christ, we find Him bigger.

SMALL ACT, BIG IMPACT

Posted on June 8, 2011 by admin

Last Friday John E. Brown, Jr. went home to be with the Lord at the age of 89. He was the son of an early twentieth century evangelist, John E. Brown, who also founded John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. John Brown, Jr. would succeed his father and become the second president of JBU. In later years the trustees named him Chancellor of JBU.

My first remembrance of Chancellor Brown is still vivid. It was 1967 and I was a junior in high school. Jim Whitby, our Tulsa Youth for Christ director, invited me to drive with him to Siloam Springs. He was to preach that morning at the campus Sunday service at the Cathedral of the Ozarks. At that time I was planning to apply to another Christian college. However, the beauty and warmth of that worship experience impressed me deeply. Dr. Brown’s demeanor impressed me even more.

After the service Dr. Brown, Jim, and I went to lunch (“Sunday dinner” in the South) in the school’s cafeteria. Dr. Brown unpretentiously took his place at the back of the line behind dozens of students. This simple act of deference was a profound lesson in servant-leadership and helped change my mind on where I wanted to go to college.

The decision to attend that particular college affected many other big decisions. Most life-shaping of all, it was at JBU that I met Naomi, the love of my life and my wife of almost 39 years.

New nature acts like Dr. Brown’s are literally second nature to us as an expression of the fruit of the Spirit, and they have high impact. In just living under the lordship of Jesus we are modeling a counterpoint quality of life people notice – and, trust me, they are watching us. Dr. Brown’s seemingly small act of Christ-like courtesy helped shape one of the biggest choices I ever made. May we yield to the new creation life within us. The results will one day amaze us.

JAVIER’S FEET

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

Thoughts on What God Esteems by David Shibley

I took a good look at Pastor Javier’s feet.

Along with another Tsetsil Indian pastor, Javier had walked three days through the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, to be trained at our Frontline Shepherds Conference. Like most of the developing nation pastoral leaders Global Advance is privileged to serve, Javier had no formal training for ministry. But having heard that there was ministry training in his area, he thought it was worth a three-day walk.

I watched Javier throughout the conference. Sometimes he would just drink in the teaching with a big smile. At other times he was feverishly taking notes. Sometimes, he would just silently weep as God’s Spirit ministered to him throughout the training sessions.

At the end of the conference he came up to me to say thanks. He did not speak English or Spanish, and I didn’t speak his Tsetsil dialect. So he thanked me for the training in a more profound way – he just put his head on my chest and cried.

As I embraced this precious brother, I looked down at his feet. They were still swollen from the three-day walk. They were dusty and calloused. Their only protection was a pair of thin moccasins that appeared to be hand-sewn. I looked again and remembered, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation” (Isa. 52:7).

Thank you for helping us equip and encourage thousands of frontline shepherds like Pastor Javier this summer. These are the hidden heroes of the church. They may not walk the corridors of power, but where they go and how they serve Jesus is beautiful to God. In His eyes, they are highly esteemed. At Global Advance, we highly esteem them too.