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

Upon the Shoulders of Those Who Have Gone Before Us

by the ReachAcross U.S. Director
One of the drawbacks of working today in the world of Islam is the severe limitations we have in telling about it. Great things are happening, among Muslims, but it is mainly the negative news that people focus on—videos that defame their prophet, and the ensuing reactions. (For a good explanation of what is playing out in the Middle East, you might want to read what Warren Larson has written on his blog: 'Reflections on the Latest Incident: Killing and Burning in Benghazi.')

One of the advantages of working many years as a body of believers among Muslim people groups is that we have past experience to draw from. We stand, as one of our current field leaders has said, 'upon the shoulders of those who have gone before us.'

Wolfgang and Beryl Stumpf are two of those 'who have gone before.'

Because the events covered in his new missions autobiography, The Long View Forward: Looking for the Open Door, lay several decades back, Wolfgang (I use the first name because he is a personal friend) is able to tell more detail than can normally be related. Several stories in this book that not only intrigue us today, but also encourage me. Not just to keep going in the face of difficulties (even when it means driving for miles over rough terrain in reverse, because the transmission in the Land Rover is busted!), though that is certainly part of it.

The main thing is to know that Muslims are coming to faith in Christ today because of seeds that were sown back then. We see riots in the streets of Cairo, but what journalists can't tell us is how God is building His Church. Small groups—house fellowships of Muslim background believers—are forming in many parts of the world, even in the Middle East.

We learn, not only from a missionary's triumphs, 
but even more from a missionary's mistakes.
We need to know about both.

As many workers have said, 'we are being watched'—by which they don't mean so much the secret police of any particular government, but especially by the curious, among whom there are surely hidden believers. One comes away with the impression that more would like to be believers, if the cost were not so great. But we have to wonder—how many of us would follow Christ at the level

of investment that they must bring?

The record of Wolfgang Stumpf, how he went out to the Middle East, first as a single man, and then carrying on ministry as a family man together with Beryl, moves me to action, even in my Western environment. We live in a time when the first question on the minds of many Christians is, 'will I find a safe place to put my abilities to work?' 

First, we are reminded that there is not now, nor has there ever been, a 'safe' place to reach those who do not know our heavenly Father. And secondly, competency alone (as important as this is), doth not a missionary make. Even spiritual gifting is not a fool-proof indication that a worker will 'stick it out.' Nothing, not even the greatest intelligence and wisdom, can take the place of availability to the Lord and a commitment to His Word.

Wolfgang does not sugar-coat his experience. In fact, at times—for example, his brief stint at the helm of a missions boat—I found myself laughing out loud. Not at him, though, but rather because of some of my own ill-conceived attempts as a missionary in a different time and place. None of my own history comes close to exemplifying the kind of courage and fortitude that Wolfgang relates here, but the point is that we learn, not only from a missionary's triumphs, but even more from a missionary's mistakes. We need to know about both.

And we mostly need to know that God is faithful, and that those who really experience this faithfulness and His power the most are those who take His command seriously to reach all nations. I sympathized with this brave man and his companions in their futile attempts to save their sailing vessel, the Noor al-Hayat. But I'm motivated to continue because of sentences such as one on p. 73, "I began to understand that it [God's promise] did not mean we would have no problems, but He would

be with us in our troubles."