I Have a Dream, too . . .

Martin Luther King, whose memory we rightly esteem in this country, and whose sacrifice improved the lives of millions of black Americans, gave his stirring, ‘I have a dream’ speech just over 50 years ago.  As we know, it was not just the words he said, nor the rhythm and cadence with which they were delivered—it was the man and his context. He had already suffered before for his people’s cause, and he, his family, and his friends would go on to endure much, much more.  

I am not nearly as eloquent as King, but please allow me to attempt to express another, similar kind of dream for  a cause that may be even more crucial:

I have a Dream . . .

• That one day, firmly rooted in the Scriptures, and in the command of Jesus, American Christians will so grasp the truth of God’s Word and the significance of the Christ who lives in them, that they will be salt and light in a dark world that so desperately needs to see Jesus demonstrated in practice.
• That one day, we will set aside the colonialism that has distorted our views of the world, the paternalism that has dominated our attitudes, and the materialism that has paralyzed our obedience, and together with our partner believers from every nation and country, we will without regard for risk or fear, send our young and our old to the unreached peoples of this earth.
  
  
• That one day, the young people of this land will not get their identity from their class in society, or how much education they have, or the extent of their wealth or success, or the abilities with which God has endowed them, but will find their lives by losing them in the service of the Lord of history, paying the price necessary to serve those in need, those sick and in prison—in a word, those who are powerless to help themselves.
  
  
• That one day, the resources of the church will not be used primarily for programs designed primarily to bolster our feelings about ourselves, but will increasingly empower others around the globe to glorify Jesus.
  
  
• That one day our true wealth—our own lives, and those of our children and grandchildren—will be invested sacrificially and strategically in coming alongside those condemned to an eternity without God, through learning their languages, understanding their longings, and identifying with their true needs.
  
  
• That one day, Christians of this land will join hands with believers from every country, partnering, not in a spirit of superiority, but of recognition that without Jesus we can accomplish nothing, and without the wisdom and help of brothers and sisters from every people group, we can accomplish too little.
• That one day, we will once again follow in the Spirit of Him who energized countrymen like Lottie Moon, William Borden, Jim Elliot, Martha Myers, and a host of others who gave their lives with joy to the work of making disciples of all peoples, paying the ultimate price, as our Master did.

A Bigger Vision

I have a dream, and I believe that it is part of God's bigger vision, revealed step by step throughout human history:

Isaiah’s dream (Isa. 11:9), that the earth shall be full of the knowledge and experience of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

Daniel’s dream (Dan. 2:44-45), that the little Rock will bring down all the massive, powerful systems of human evil arrayed against the Lord and His Own.

Ezekiel’s dream (Ezek. 47:12; 48:35), that the Church will live out the abundant resources of Jehovah Shammah, ('the Lord is there') flowing out of its great community, the Temple of the Living God.

Solomon’s dream (1 Kings 3:10-14), that the one true God will give wisdom and inspire leadership willing to learn to incorporate the gifts and resources of all nations of the world to build His dwelling place,

The Apostle Peter’s dream (Acts 10:17-28), that no people or culture will be excluded because their skin color is different, their customs too strange, their food deemed unpalatable, all because of traditional Christians carrying, largely unaware, an innate, proud sense of superiority.

The Apostle John’s dream (Rev.4:9-11), that people from every nation, tribe, clan, political party or religious background will be so consumed with love for Jesus alone that they will one throw down at His feet every sense of personal identity and accomplishment, lost in wonder, love and praise.

In light of the corruption of human nature, it is a totally absurd and unrealistic vision and yet, because it expresses His heart’s desire, will absolutely and most assuredly one day be fulfilled.

U.S. Director

Update from South East Asia: Who Is Teaching Whom?

These are not our participants, for security reasons we cannot photograph those brave brothers,
 but it is simple working men like these that are leaders of house churches in South Asia

As we have been teaching this church planting seminar to South East Asian Muslim background believers, we are continually impressed with their faith, and with just how much we from the West have to learn from them.

‘Samuel’ is a grandfather in the faith. He led ‘Simon’ to faith in Christ, and Simon did the same for ‘Ruha.’ All three are currently attending the training sessions here in South Asia, and all three are pastors of house fellowships.

They don’t necessarily use the word ‘church,’ or even the word ‘Christian’, because both terms are associated with negative ideas. The main problem is that the old wineskins just aren’t the right fit for the new ‘wine’ of God’s transforming power. They don’t want the buildings, programs, or entertainment of Western Christianity, they want a real life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ for themselves, their families and their communities. They spent their day Saturday looking for Muslims in the local area and sharing God’s love with them.

Even as we teach them, they are teaching us. Here’s what I mean:

We are teaching them theories and principles. For example, we taught them Jesus’ parable about the houses built on the rock and sand: ‘Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock’ (Matt 7:24-25).  We analyzed the story with them using the education we've been blessed with. We looked for the key words and ideas, and stressed that the rock is obedience to Christ, not simply knowledge of Christ.

They are teaching us the practice. These are, for the most part, farmers, fishermen, and handworkers, who labor by day, and minister to others at night. They left their jobs in order to come here for this three weeks of training, and at the very least, they will lose their whole monthly income (maybe around $200) in order to be here. They might get their job back when they go home, but they will struggle to feed young families. The ‘winds’ of persecution and hardship are slamming against the ‘house’ of their lives and families all the time.

Most of them pastor at least two fellowships of Muslim background believers who meet in homes at least once a week, and some more often than that. All know what it is to suffer rejection for Jesus.  Some can never go back to their extended families.

So who are the real teachers here, us or them? Sure, we have perhaps more knowledge and resources. We come from a part of the world where Christianity has a long history of dominance and we are the heirs of this history. They live in a land dominated by other religions and live in constant danger of persecution. They aren’t yet acquainted much with principles of Bible interpretation and background information, but they are experienced in the area of spiritual warfare, and have seen many people delivered from demonic oppression. They know Jesus personally (many have had first-hand encounters in dreams or visions). As we have shared with them, we have learned amazing lessons in faith, obedience and trust.

Even if I were to never come back to this place, I will never forget these brothers: Samuel, Simon, Ruah, Nehemiah, Philip, Samson, David 1, David 2, Silas, Abraham, Pontus, and Timothy. Then there are the new ones who came just this week: Peter (also a father in the faith), Philemon, Titus, John, and Barnabas. 

Thanks for praying for them, and for us:—Joshua, Titus, Eric, Miriam, and John—we have five more teaching days with them. Pray that the Lord would use us to fill them and encourage them for the last five days of teaching. Also pray that God would use these men to teach us what true obedience and faith looks like.

-Eric Adams

P.S. You may wonder how all of these men are named from the Bible. For security reasons, no real names are used in this post. These South Asian brothers each chose a name from the Bible to identify with. Please keep them in your prayers.