God tests leaders. In the scene from Jesus’ ministry to the multitudes in John 6:4-6, Jesus asks a seemingly innocuous question to test Philip. Later in the Gospels, we learn that Philip was most likely an accountant, a man who dealt in exact numbers and precise records. When Jesus tested Philip, if we listen carefully, we can hear an unwarranted response from Philip to Jesus: “We don’t have enough money to do this…we only have two hundred denarii and besides, this is not in our budget.” What Philip did not say is, “I trust you, Master.”
Islam is a fast-growing religion, especially in the Western world. Christians increasingly need to be aware of Islam and, most importantly, how to engage its adherents with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 things I learned about Islam during my 20 years as a missionary in a Muslim-majority country.
The original disciples were called to walk and work together as a team. They were not called to be Lone Rangers for God.
"And He called the twelve TOGETHER and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal." (Luke 9:1,2)
“He’s Coming!”
This shout of anticipation is the heart of Advent, the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The weeks leading up to Christmas Day are a special time of reflection on God’s gift to us: the child Jesus. Rejoicing in Jesus’ birth certainly brings glory to God, but sometimes we can forget that God didn’t just send a child into the world; He sent a mighty Rescuer!
When it comes to developing as a leader…specifically as a Christian leader, here are ten imperatives for development. Though not an exhaustive or infallible list, these challenges will help develop you as a leader.
Most Christians agree that discipleship is important, even essential for Christian maturity; few understand biblical principles and even fewer apply a biblical process when it comes to discipleship. Biblical discipleship principles are universal and timeless, and they enabled the church I helped start in 1984 in Manila, Philippines to experience thirty-one consecutive years of growth.
Discipleship isn’t complicated, but it is often difficult. The difficulty lies in applying four biblical principles to each specific context. Simply put, here’s how anyone and everyone can make disciples.
Jesus’ vision of the church was not a group of people gathered around one anointed leader, but multiple leaders going out in the power of the Spirit. It’s a claim that very few of us take seriously: Jesus literally said that a multiplicity of Spirit-filled leaders would be greater than his earthly, bodily presence (John 14:12).
