China Mission Trip Report - Rt. Col. Leif Wilson

My short-term mission trip to China with Build International Ministries (BIM) was certainly the most spiritually significant and meaningful experience I’ve enjoyed in a number of years. Let me convey briefly how subject trip impacted and impacts my walk with the Lord and how it has changed my life.

While I am a Spirit-filled Christian, unfortunately my background and culture (my flesh) has produced a suspicious, critical, and prideful spirit toward people (even Brothers and Sister’s in the Lord) and organizations; particularly some "Christian/Non-Profit" organizations. I lead off with this because my life has been truly changed by my witness that "Build International Ministries" is a genuine "love your neighbor as yourself" Christian organization; one that can be trusted to put whatever donations they receive into building the Glorious and Triumphant Church of our Lord Jesus Christ and ministering to members in particular within the Body of Christ. After this trip, the witness to my spirit by the Holy Spirit is that Sandy and Neil Anderson are truly men of integrity and honesty with a love for the lost and hurting that puts me to shame. My life has been changed by the affirmation that there are good men and women in the ministry, that BIM is wisely proclaiming the Gospel with it’s financial resources, and that the China Church, my Brothers and Sisters in China, are genuine Christians putting the love of Christ and Service to Him FIRST place in their lives. 　

The "underground and persecuted" Body of Christ in China is alive and vibrant with the Love of God and Christ AND the anointing and Power of the Holy Spirit! Unlike America with "envy and strife" caused by factions and wayward "Christian" denominations, the Body of Christ in China, with it’s hundreds of thousands of "underground" Churches, is 95% Spirit filled! And by that I mean most every Christian I met in China "had received power after that the Holy Spirit had come upon them" (Acts 1:8), was fervent in Worship, devoted and effectual in prayer (Wow; can those pastors and congregants pray), and constantly putting the love and service to others BEFORE themselves. How refreshing to see the members of the Body of Christ in China truly walking in Love and Service.　

Let me highlight several other more notable observations. 　

The food was outstanding. As one who likes "different tastes" the meals were outstanding in flavor, content, and variety.　

The Hotel accommodations were more than adequate. Bathroom facilities outside the hotels however are far from Western standards.　

It’s difficult to generalize, but to me, China is a very modern country with "bullet trains" traveling 180mph, subways, cars, trucks, and buses, vast "freeways" and boulevards in the cities, and enormous apartment complexes and skyscrapers. Rural areas host multitudinous single-family homes with electricity, internal water (wells), garden plots, and "outhouse" bathroom facilities. In my opinion, very different than "third world countries" where the rural areas lack electricity, water, and septic systems. 　

I never felt threatened or in physical danger in China. The "persecutions" to the China Church members, Pastors, and Support organizations is that of tight Governmental oversight and monitoring to keep Christian gatherings small (less than 50) and free from outside agitators. The Governmental oversight and monitoring is different in various parts of the country depending on local rules, leadership and personalities of pastors and officials. The primary threat to support organization members and visitors would be loss of the 10 year visa which would clearly negate outside organizations ability to support and serve the Chinese Churches. It was probably different years ago, but as a Christian visitor, I never felt or perceived any physical danger during the trip. Of course, Psalm 91 and 121 was my REAL shield and protection.　

My personal spiritual growth and recognition of the Holy Spirit’s guidance was greatly enhanced. We had the opportunity to personally minister the Word and encouragement at every one of the 12-13 Churches we visited. And, in every meeting, we had the opportunity to pray individually with any and all in attendance. The teaching opportunity required me to spend significant time early in the mornings with the Lord to get the lesson He wanted to give. And then, giving the message through an interpreter was another opportunity for growth. Sandy was of great help in evaluating our performance and the big-picture significance and value. I learned many personal lessons in the Spirit from this experience that will change my life for the better forever! 　

In conclusion, I really believe it was the Lord’s perfect will for me to go with Build International Ministries to China. And, that the express purpose of the Holy Spirit’s orchestration for my attendance was for me to give personal encouragement and teaching to the Church in China. What an awesome opportunity! But, as I’m sure anyone who would undertake a similar trip would attest, the trip and associations/relationships with the Chinese pastors, worship leaders, congregants, and BIM officials in China ministered in many, many life changing ways more to me, than I ever could to them. What a wonderful blessing the whole trip was and continues to be.

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Bearing Spiritual Fruit

The quality of a good tree is the fruit it bears. God compares His people with fruit trees that should bear much fruit. The truth is that all of us are producing fruit but not all of our fruits are wholesome.

Just like a healthy tree produces healthy fruits, a mature Christian is supposed to produce spiritual fruits. In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus said, “A tree is identified by its fruit.” As believers, we may be breathing but we’re not really living if we’re not producing spiritual fruits.

In America, too many of us are closest Christians. When everybody is coming out of their closet with something immoral, we’re hiding! What’s up with that? We’ve become so politically correct, and “tolerant” of others, that we’ve surrendered and neglected to defend our own faith. Today, let’s talk about bearing spiritual fruits.

First, let’s bear fruits at home. Our home is the most fertile ground for bearing good fruit. Not only are we surrounded by loving people who are cheering us on, but home is also an environment where fruit is produced organically. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, we’re nurturing an environment to produce good fruit. Galatians 5:33-23 lists nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. One way we can judge our spiritual maturity is to evaluate ourselves against the Word of God. Are we operating in love? Do we have joy in our hearts and on our faces?  Are we patient and kind with our spouse and children? If we’re not producing fruit in the loving environment at home, it will be difficult to produce fruit elsewhere.

Next, we need to bear fruits at work. We spend almost half of our waking hours in the marketplace. We get up early and work late to bring home a paycheck and it is very commendable. However, if we are not producing spiritual fruit at work, we’re suppressing our saltiness. When was the last time you shared Christ at work? We’ve bought into the lie that we cannot bring our faith to work. We also believed the lie that in order to share Christ, we have to hit people on the head with the Bible or shoot scriptures out like a machine gun. We’ve created prayer rooms for others but abandoned prayer ourselves. We don’t have to be hostile or obnoxious to share our faith at work. However, if we don’t stand for our faith, we’re going to fall for anything.

Third, we must bear fruits in our community. Jesus said, “Occupy until I come.” I heard of a church in California where they’re sharing Christ with the dancers in the night club. They have eradicated cancer within a certain radius of their church. They’re influencing their community. However, the Church at large has no initiative in the community. We’ve believed a lie that we can only bear fruits within the walls of the church. Every week, we’re summoned to exalt the pastor and we’re beautifying the building instead of glorifying Jesus and helping the hurting, sighing, and dying. Let’s be involved in the chamber of commerce, mother’s clubs, little leagues, major leagues, arts, entertainment, network groups etc. If you’re a pastor, don’t just preach from the pulpit, go and serve in your neighborhood through the week and they’ll follow you to your church on weekends.  

Lastly, bear fruits in world missions. Jesus always had the world in mind. Every believer should impact the world. If we don’t have world perspective, we’re thinking too small. One reason we’re seeing such a drastic surge in terrorism is because we’ve stopped proclaiming the Gospel to the world. In the absence of the Good News, bad news prevails. Build International Ministries (www.buildinternational.org) and many others are taking Jesus to the world. There are people like you who are impacting the world by partnering with us. Pray, go, give, and bear fruit in world missions. 

Friend, let us be intentional about bearing spiritual fruits. Our lives are like vapor. We’re here for a very short time but we can outlive ourselves by bearing spiritual fruits. When we bear fruits, our descendants will continue the legacy of our faith. Are we going to exercise our faith on which this country was founded on? Or are we going to be overrun by others because we’re too timid to live out our faith at home, work, in our communities, and the world? What kind of fruit we produce will determine what kind of world our children will live in. Let us bear spiritual fruit!

Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).

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5 Lessons from the Church in China

 

As many of you know, I just returned from another mission trip to China. Every time I go there, I’m amazed at the believers. In spite of severe persecution, opposition, and difficulty, they continue to follow Jesus with their whole heart.

 

While it is not fair to compare the Church in China and the Church in the West, we can learn valuable lessons to improve our own spiritual journey. We don’t have to invite persecution or hardship into our lives, however, we all should be New Testament believers. Here are some of the trademarks of Christianity in China.

 

1. Christians in China are joyful. In spite of severe persecution and limited freedom to worship, believers in China exude this fruit of the Spirit. They travel long distances, sometimes up to three hours one way, to get to a meeting where their civil liberties taken away and even thrown in jail. However, instead of complaining about the tiring journey, the inconvenience of walking, or taking multiple modes of public transportation, they jump right into the praise and worship wholeheartedly.

 

2. They love and care for each other. Unlike our churches in the West, the believers in China are connected with each other. If one doesn’t show up, they all go to that person’s home to make sure they’re ok. When believers come with concerns in their hearts, they’re not hastily sent away by the leaders. They take the time to pray and minister to their needs, both spiritually and physically. We had one sister crying bitterly for the healing of her four-year-old son. I was so touched by the way the whole church responded. They cried with her, hugged her, and made her feel like it was their own child who was sick. Wow, what empathy and compassion! People really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

 

3. They are a giving church. While China continues to prosper, most people in China are poor. The Christians have even less because of discrimination in the workplace. We went to many homes where they fed us their best, even when it cost them half a month of their salary or more. One lady, with a little cell phone shop, came to us twice and put a substantial amount of cash in our hands. It wasn’t much in American money but to her it was a huge sacrifice. We found that churches often eat together after the service even though it was just rice and wild vegetables and mushrooms from the village. They don’t get hammered every Sunday to bring their tithes and offerings but they give far more than 10% of their income to the church.

 

4. They are grateful. The church in China is quick to give thanks to God for everything. When we gave them your Bibles, they acted like we gave them a brick of gold. Of course, the Word of God is that precious to a believer but they were so thankful that many were kissing the Bibles. One of our teams was intercepted and thankfully everyone was released by the authorities without much hassle. Now the family/church has to relocate because it is not safe anymore. They’re grateful that they’re not in jail! We heard no complaints, only praise.

 

5. They pray. The Church in China doesn’t just talk about prayer but they actually pray. You cannot fall asleep during prayer because after every sentence the whole congregation agrees in unison saying, “Amen.” Often for security, we’d ask the believers to keep their voice down. We’d start off softly but within minutes they were praying at the top of their lungs. It’s wonderful to see their fearless petitions to God and He hears them.

 

While it is not wise to compare cultures and congregations, it is good for us to learn from each other. All these qualities in the Church of China are actually from the Book of Acts. When we love and serve God with our whole heart, our lives and church should reflect the New Testament Church. Today, instead of saying, “Oh that’s good for China,” I want to encourage you to have a closer relationship with our Lord. Let us not just seek His Hand but also His Face. Jesus said, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” When we do, like the Church in China, His blessings will overtake our lives.

 

“When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed” (Jeremiah 29:13 MSG).

 

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Let Your Light Shine

Light has a tremendous effect on people. When we encounter darkness, our instinct is to turn on the light. The tiny flicker of a flame is mightier than centuries of darkness in a cave. Light doesn’t just illuminate, it also brings life.

As a Christian, we’re called to be the salt and light of the world. Therefore, we’re at our best when we’re sharing our light in the dark. In a brightly lit room, a flashlight has little to no impact. However, the same flashlight used in the dark brings illumination and much needed guidance. Like the moon, we don’t have any light of our own but when we reflect the Light of Jesus, we cast a long shadow of hope in the lives of people surrounded by darkness.

Recently, I was on a mission trip to China. The people there have lived under oppressive communist rules for decades. We went to China to bring the Light of the Gospel to China’s 1.3 billion people. Our team had daily activities like visiting underground churches to encourage the persecuted believers. We delivered Bibles to those who didn’t have any. We touched, held, and played with disabled orphan children who have no hope of a bright future. It was great to shine our light in dark situations.

When we were getting ready to leave our hotel for the airport, I told our driver to give me a couple of minutes. Everyone thought I had forgotten something in the hotel. Instead, I ran to one of the restaurants where we ate quite regularly. It was earlier than lunch time so the restaurant workers were quite surprised to see me. I called for the owner of the restaurant, the cook, and the waitresses. They were getting nervous. I told them that we were Christians. I was there to tell them how grateful our team was for their hospitality and kindness. I thanked each and every person, shook their hands, and hugged the young people. They almost had tears in their eyes. Romans 2:4 says that the “Goodness of God leads people to repentance.” We were able to shine our light for Jesus and that illuminated their lives a little brighter.

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This is where many Christians are not bearing much fruit in producing new converts. We think only the pastor or the clergy has the right or the authority to preach Christ to others. Yes, we may have a pulpit to share the Good News with the audience. However, Christians in marketplace have much more power, authority, and influence on people than any minister on the church pulpit.

So how can we shine our light effectively? Most of the time, people pay closer attention to our actions than our words. When we are at work and everybody is bad-mouthing the company, we can shine our light by being grateful for the job we have. When a fellow employee is spreading false rumors about us, we can be the light by not retaliating. When the commissions check that you worked so hard for goes to another sales person, we can shine our light by taking the high road and ask God to pay us back. At home, when things are stressed and everybody is on the edge, we can shine our light by going with the flow and overlooking an offense. We can certainly go to the nations of the world and preach Jesus with our words but our actions, wherever we are, will most likely produce more of a result than our words.

Jesus was the ultimate preacher of the Gospel. He spoke to thousands. People came from all over the place to hear Him teach. However, the most effective sermon He ever preached was not with His words but by laying down His life. We too have the same capacity to shine our light when we reach out to the people God placed in our lives. When we’re living a Godly life at home, we’re shining our light for Jesus. When you have integrity and honesty in your business, you’re being a bright light. When you empower Build International Ministries to take the Gospel to the nations, you’re being the light of the world. When we love our enemies and forgive them, we’re shining our light. Friend, let us be effective, powerful, and influential Christians by shining our light in dark. When we reflect Jesus with our lives, multitudes will come to know Him. Shine your light and remember it works best in the dark!

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16 NAS).

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Taking Jesus to the World

 

One of the greatest pleasures of being a Christian is to win others for the Kingdom of God. The closest, and dearest thing, to the heart of God is lost souls. Every believer is commanded to win people to the Lord.

 

Bringing lost souls to Christ is one of the main spiritual responsibilities of a believer. For the most part, the Church in America has abandoned the call to world missions. We’re too busy beautifying our sanctuary and building our own kingdom. If America wants to regain her former glory, we must get involved in world missions. One of the best ways to combat international terrorism is to bring Jesus to the world. When the Gospel changes a man’s heart, it revolutionizes everything!

 

Recently, I was talking to a fellow minister and he was lamenting that churches have given him the cold shoulder regarding reaching the lost in foreign lands. He shared how pastors won’t allow him any pulpit time to share the vision of reaching the world. Once, he preached his heart out and many signed up to receive further information from his ministry. My friend was excited to see the response but the very next day he got a call from the pastor warning him not to contact the people who signed up. Not only that, he was told that should any money be given to his ministry, it would have to be done through the church. What a small mindset!

 

America is still the number one voice in world Christianity. However, we’re losing our place of authority simply because the church has become too commercialized. Our focus has been to pack the house so that we can pile up more money to provide a luxury lifestyle for the leaders. Worldly ways have consumed us. Church has become a business. While a workman is worthy of his hire, we’ve put Christian leaders on a pedestal. In many countries, a pastor has to be in prison defending his loyalty to his congregation before becoming their leader. Until we make Jesus the Savior of the world our first priority, we’re not going to have the influence we once had. Do you know what country has pledged to send 100,000 missionaries to the world? China!

 

God is doing mighty works in communist China. In spite of hardship, persecution, and even death, Christians there are taking Jesus to the world. They have very little and they know even less, but how refreshing it is to see that they have their priorities right. Jesus is the main attraction in China. The Holy Spirit is working to bring at least 25,000 people to Jesus every day. Chinese leaders and believers don’t spend their time, effort, and resources to buy acreage and build magnificent buildings. Rather, they invest everything into reaching lost souls. They realize that people are the only thing going to heaven. Everything else that we try to beautify and idolize here on earth will be burned with fire. Is it any wonder that China is becoming the largest Christian nation in the world! At the present rate of growth, will have more Christians than America by the year 2025.

 

We’re going back to China on August 3, 2014 to train pastors and leaders. We will work with orphans. We will deliver Bibles for the persecuted. It has been stated that every Christian in China is an evangelist. However, many believe that for every Chinese Bible, an average of five people experience salvation.

 

We’re all called to world missions. We’re all called to make a difference in reaching our world for Jesus. We’re all called to win souls for our Savior. When we partner with others who are bringing the lost world to Christ, we’re heaping up treasures for ourselves. The Great Commission has been the great omission in modern Christianity but every individual should be involved in taking Jesus to the world. Imagine your impact! If one Bible can bring five lost souls to Christ, what will be the impact of the 30, 50, 100, or 500 Bibles you can provide? A Bible only costs $3.00. Will you please help? Will you please share this with your friends and family? When we become engaged in God’s dream for this world, He will make sure to fulfill our dreams. Let’s take Jesus to the world!

 

“Proclaim his glory to the nations, his mighty deeds to all peoples” (Psalm 96:3 Good News).

 

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What Would Jesus Think of Church Today

Going to church on Sunday has become a Christian tradition all over the world. For some, Sunday is the holy-day when we rest and honor God. For others, church is becoming less relevant to their busy lifestyle.

What would Jesus think if He walked into our church service today?

While a part of being a Christian is to connect with other believers, wanting to be social for personal gain should never be the reason for going to church. When our motive is to get close to the pastor, leader or other believers for personal advancement, then we’re jeopardizing our faith. WHY we do what we do is far more important than what we do. Remember, God still looks at the intent of our hearts!

A major emphasis is placed on what we’re going to “get” when we go to church. We use phrases like, “What did you get from church today?” For a New Testament believer, it should be just the opposite. We don’t go to church to “get” but to GIVE our praise, worship and adoration to God from whom all blessings flow. We also should bring hope, encouragement and practical help to one another while we’re in church. Sure God will give us what we need for our daily life but our goal should be to GIVE rather than to get – an attitude of gratitude.

What would Jesus think of our leaders in the church today? Jesus looked at Peter and commissioned him to “feed my sheep.” Yet, many pastors today are using the pulpit to “beat the sheep.” Often congregations are put through guilt trips for not coming to church often enough or not giving more of their money to church. Other pastors are obsessed with their theology and doctrines. Their ego is bigger than life! Church leaders, here’s what Jesus would remind us, “Feed my sheep and lead them to green pastures where My presence is.” As leaders our main job is to create an environment for people to encounter God. Sinners need hope, the sick need healing and the oppressed needs to be set free. Saints need to be empowered into action; not just to come to church on Sunday and coerced into giving 10% of their income to the church (by the way, why are we obsessed with the 10% when 100% belongs to God in the first place?) but also to live the rest of the week being salt and light to the world.

I wonder what Jesus would think about “bodyguards” in the church today! Jesus made Himself vulnerable even to His enemies who came to kill Him. He willingly gave Himself up for us. Why is it that leaders have to surround themselves with secret-service-looking body guards? Do you know how a church leader and his church get recognized by the government in communist Laos? In my recent trip to the country, I was told that every pastor of a new church is arrested and put in prison for 6-12 months. If they survive the persecution and torture without giving out the names, protecting his members, they come out free to conduct services and recognized by the government. This test of commitment is the same in majority of the world including communist China, where Christianity is exploding! In return, believers remain committed to the church for the rest of their lives.

Brothers and sisters, going to church should not be an obligation. We should go there to worship God. We should congregate to lift, encourage and help one another. We should go to church to be saved and healed from our hurts and pain. A church should be a hospital to heal the broken, hurting, sighing and dying people not a showcase to display perfect people. Pastors should be more concerned about delivering people than delivering sermons. When we allow the Holy Spirit to move among us, we will see the power of the church restored to her original glory. Heathens will be drawn to church when they see our love for one another. God is far more interested in our lifestyle rest of the week than the weekly two hours we spend in the church. Jesus said, “My house will be called a house or prayer.” Let’s pray. Let’s worship. Let’s learn and become Disciples of Christ. When we reflect God’s love and light to our lost world we will encounter His glory again!

“He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves!" (Matthew 21:13 NLT).

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The Great Commission

Many in the Church today are unaware of what the Great Commission means. It is the instructions given by our resurrected Savior to spread the teachings of God’s Word all over the world to evangelize, baptize and plant churches.

Most churches don’t make mention of evangelism and world missions anymore. Yet, it is the fundamental teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Church’s existence is to win the lost to Christ. In the West we’re not only neglecting the vision of world evangelism but we’re also threatening our own existence. Today, we want to discuss how every believer has a part in fulfilling the Great Commission.

In 1983, I was freshly out of college. I went to visit a little country called Nepal. There, I fell in love with the people. The children were extremely poor and barefooted; it was one of the coldest and poorest countries in the world. It was the only Hindu kingdom and there was severe persecution by the Monarchy. I had just graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce but I couldn’t resist helping the locals in spite of danger, challenges and persecution. What started out as a simple service to the people in the name of our Lord turned into a life time of fulfilling the Great Commission. After twenty seven years, I’m still hooked on to world missions.

I don’t expect everyone to have a career in the ministry like me. However, the Bible teaches that every believer ought to be a part of sending or going to evangelize the world. Jesus never commissioned us to warm the church pews but He commanded us to preach the Gospel to the whole world. North America and Europe are not the whole world! Those of us who live here have an obligation to collaborate with our brothers and sisters in Asia and other unreached nations.

Every once in a while I meet people who ask, “Brother Sandy, what’s wrong with winning souls in America and evangelizing our neighborhood?” My reply, “I see nothing wrong in that.” But here’s what God told us to do. Imagine a large estate owner went away to a far country. Before he left, he assembled all his servants and said, “I’m going away for a little while but while I’m gone, I want you to cultivate the whole estate.” They all agreed and the landowner goes off to a distant land. After many years when he returns he finds most of the land is filled with weeds and unprepared land. As he nears his mansion he finds the garden looking prettier and grass looks lush. He’s got a smile on his face but there’s also a frown. He’s confused! He calls one of his servants and expresses his pleasure for the rich garden. He goes closer to his house and it gets even more beautiful. Finally, he can’t stand it anymore and he asks one of his servants, “This is all so beautiful but what happened to the rest of the estate?” The servant asks, “Master, don’t you like the flowers, the lawn and the landscape around your house?” Then says the owner, “Yes, I like it very much but I told you to cultivate the whole estate and not just a corner of it!”

Friend, this is the plight of world missions today. We have twenty four hours TV, radio, churches in every corner and this is all good. Nothing should be taken away from the blessings we have in the West. However, if we call ourselves Christians, we also have an obligation to share the Gospel with two thirds in Asia who have never heard the name of Jesus. The Church at large is asleep to the Macedonian Call. We’re satisfied with our multi-million dollars buildings, fancy choir and polished church pews but what about the lost billions? Christ cannot come until the whole “estate” is “cultivated.” I’m asking you today, “What is your part? Will you pray? Will go? Will you send? Will you share with others?” I know you’re as eager to reach the lost as God is. I’d love to connect you to the missions field. We’d love to represent you. Let’s go into all the world and preach the Gospel and then shall the end come. Great Commission is not an option; it’s His last command!

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV).

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How to Build God’s House

 

Every time I come back from a missions trip I’m fired up about the Church in America. Any attempt to bring people to church is commendable. As in the Church in Asia, if we follow God’s ways, our churches will explode.

 

We do so many things to attract people and often with very little results. I know pastors and church leaders have good intentions but when we’re building God’s House, we’ve to use His blueprint. Today let’s discuss how to make your church grow.

 

Check your motives. Why is often the answer to how! If we get our motives right, we’ll find God on our side to attract people to His House. The main reason for a church to exist should be to worship God corporately and win souls to Christ. Anything less than keeping the focus on God will stifle our church growth.

 

Focus on praise and worship. Teach your congregation to come to church to worship God. We need to shift our thinking from, “What I’m going to get” to “What I’m going to give to God.” When we go to God’s House to give for what He has already done this week, we’ll find more of God’s blessings following us. Where there’s a heart full of praise there’s little room for complaints. Gratitude should be our attitude for going to church.

 

Meet the needs of the people. A church is not a place to display God’s perfect saints. Church should be more like a hospital where the broken-hearted, hurt and lost people find love and hope in Christ. The Church in Asia is thriving in spite of severe persecution and hardships because every believer going through rough time is prayed for personally. One of the best ministries you can establish in a church is a prayer ministry team who will take time to pray for the lost and hurting people.

 

Minimize the money talk. Commercialism is rampant in today’s modern church. Problem is the more we talk about giving money to church the more we turn people away from it. Begging, pleading and manipulating people to give more every week isn’t very inspiring. People know it costs money to pay staff, electric bills and maintain a building. A better way to encourage people to give is to tell and show them what their money is doing to change people’s lives.

 

Feed, not beat the sheep. Not your church; but many churches focus on preaching messages that are condemning and loaded with guilt trip. We all need correction and exhortation from time to time. But if we preach rules and laws as staple then we’ll lose people. Sinners know they’ve sinned. They need to know that God still loves them and they can return to Him. Facilitate people to encounter God! Preach the message of hope, healing and personal empowerment for daily living. Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

 

Promote community. We have a need to belong. God made human beings to live in community. Our churches should have small groups where they can interact with each other, know their names and do life together. When we serve each other in homes, we add value to each other and make them feel like belonging to the family of God.

 

Talk about world missions. There’s a severe drop in churches that are talking about reaching the world. Those who are talking are not doing much about it because they feel it’s a drain on their finances. Yet, just the opposite is true. If you want your church to flourish, put world missions on the forefront of everything. The dearest and closest thing to God’s heart is the salvation is mankind. When we challenge our people to reach the world, we invite God’s favor into our churches. Last but not the least, support Israel!

 

“Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT).

 

Click Here to Reach the Most Unreached: www.buildinternational.org

 

Invite Sandy Anderson to Speak: Call 972 800 4346, Email: buildinternational@sbcglobal.net 

 

Stay Inspired: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BUILD-International-Ministries/113937368637778?ref=hl

God’s Thoughts on the Lost

Lately my life has been surrounded by people who are passionate about sharing the Gospel with those who are hurting, crying and dying. What is God’s heart for the lost?

I’ll tell you, the closest and dearest thing to God’s heart is lost souls. He is not sitting up their waiting to punish us but the burning desire of His heart is to reconcile man/women to God. It’s God’s will that none should perish but have eternal life.

Religion is mean and condemning but God is love. In the heart of God is mercy. God hates sin but He’s not repelled by the sinners; He is drawn to redeem us with the blood of Jesus. Yesterday, I met Dr. Pool who is a Cardiac Surgeon. His testimony touched me deeply. He’s the only doctor I know who prays for each of his patients out loud. He’s healing the heart of his patients in more than one ways.

I’m fully convinced that God is speeding up the harvest all over the world. Recently I met a young man who used to be a member of a Satanist Church right here in Dallas. After God saved him miraculously, he began to debate with a young lady about the Gospel. All her life she has been a Mormon. After talking back and forth for about six months, she gave her life to the Lord. Today, they’re happily married and can’t wait to share the love of Jesus with others. I see God is working intensely to reconcile man to God everywhere I go.

Many Christians look at our society and gasp at where our culture is heading. It is easy to throw up our hands in the air and give up in despair. This is what happened to Paul in the Bible. Once He was in a city that was so filled with idols that he was filled with righteous indignation. Yet, before he left that city Paul’s heart was filled with compassion; he preached the Gospel to them and many came to know the Lord. Friend, let’s not gripe about what’s going on in our culture instead take the time to share Christ with those who are lost. Love – conquers all!

In the heart of God is mercy. We too must not condemn people but show them God’s mercy. Once, the religious leaders caught a woman in the adulterous act. They dragged that woman to Jesus wanting his approval to stone her. I always wonder why they didn’t condemn the man! Jesus loved the sinner and He still does. He said those that are without sin cast the first stone. Everyone left. He was the only one without sin qualified to cast the first stone. But He didn’t. He showed mercy, forgave her and said, “Go and sin no more.” Friend, if you want to be like Jesus, quit stoning people!

What is the value of one soul? The Bible says that Jesus crossed the sea to reach one man who was filled with demon spirits. Today people are in all sorts of troubles, some are filled with demon sprits and they cannot help themselves. Yesterday, I met a young man. His marriage is falling apart. He told me that nobody would counsel them for more than two times. They want them to go to the “professionals.” Sadly, people don’t want to help unless they’re paid! Where is the heart of compassion? Jesus crossed the sea to set one man free. We should have compassion for our fellowmen.

What is God’s thought about the world? Millions in Asia are racing towards eternity without hearing the name of Jesus. They’re into idolatry but they don’t know any better. We just came back from China touching over 3,000 lives. The communist government says we cannot preach the Gospel but God is working in China, India and other parts of Asia where the world’s most unreached people live. Should we live in the luxury of America and forget about the crying, sighing and dying world? God forbid! Let us have the heart of love and compassion like Jesus. The closest thing to the heart of God is the salvation of mankind. You and I are called to be ambassadors. We have the Gospel of reconciliation. Like my friend Dr. Pool, let us also share Christ with as many we can. For God so loved the world… We too must love people!

“We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart” (I Corinthians 2:16 AMP).

Click Here to Spread the Message of Hope: www.buildinternational.org

Book Sandy Anderson as Speaker: Call 972 800 4346, Email: buildinternational@sbcglobal.net 

Stay Inspired: http://www.facebook.com/pages/BUILD-International-Ministries/113937368637778?ref=hl