Raising funds for your salary is often a necessity in ministry work. However, we must not forget that support raising, although necessary, is as much a spiritual work as serving at your church, praying fervently, or reading your Bible. These all take a little bit of discipline and a lot of the Holy Spirit. Each of these gives us the greatest joy when done with the right heart, but can quickly spiral into legalism and shame if we are not careful.
Everyone has a place and role in the Great Commission. God wants to use you for beautiful things! Here are some things you can do right now to start reaching the nations whoever you are, wherever you are.
What works against you in grasping Christ's love for you? When I think about this question, my answers create a long list, sadly. My sin, fear of rejection, not being good enough, not being faithful enough, being a burden, seeing and experiencing broken relationships, feelings of shame.
During my time with Cafe 1040 in Europe, our group navigated the city through a "buddy system," ensuring no one ventured out alone. When a teammate sought a companion for a rendezvous with a girl she had met at a local Korean Festival, I volunteered without hesitation, completely unaware of what God would do from this encounter.
Ramadan is 30 days set aside every year for Muslims to fast from sun up to sun down. For some places in the world, this could mean over 18 hours of fasting each day. Fasting is one of the five pillars in Islam. It’s a time set aside to focus on prayer and the reading of the Qur’an in an effort to seek God.
I was deeply challenged by that, and I realized that I want the same for myself and everyone else who follows the Father. We should all be able to look back at our own lives in twenty years and say, despite what fruit or lack of it may be present, that we were faithful through and through. It's that mindset that God has been drilling into me since the day I got here, and it has been redefining what I strive for in my future, my relationships, and my prayers.
At times it seems hopeless-- the task is so large. But I continue to be drawn to the feet of Jesus. I'm reminded that our reality is Zion-- we are sons and daughters of the living Father. I'm reminded that Jesus bridged the gap for us. Because of His loving kindness, we do not have to build ourselves up to Him.
It was so sweet to be able to see what a people group looks like after the Good News has taken root and how the Holy Spirit can work. As we hiked through the mountains our host would often stop and ask us to lift with her for the surrounding villages that have yet to come to the Father. I have been so encouraged by her faith and that of her people.
n a country where so much hope is lost and so many people are lost, I was reminded constantly of the Father's plan for redemption. I am just in awe of what He is doing in this place... For the movement of the Father's Spirit in this village and in these people. It was so uplifting getting to see the heart of our guides and the people throughout the village. A memory that will be stamped in my mind and heart forever.
I then looked out and begged God to lift the fog. To lift the fog around those peoples hearts and minds. Because there is the most beautiful sight, the most high God, just on the other side. And I asked God to lift the fog in my life, to take away all that obstructs my view of him. I know that God is lifting that fog.
Eventually, my husband’s new friendship with Chuck, a passion for the unreached, and a similar love for college students led John to join Cafe 1040's mission! He now serves as a mobilizer and is using his strengths and desires to help students find their way to the mission field. For us, it all started by investing in a ministry that we believed in."
We all have a role to play.
You run up to the blind man with the painting in your hands, excited to share the intricate masterpiece with him. The painting is so unique to anything that you have ever seen before. By just glimpsing at the painting, it leaves you in such awe that you know that the painter must be a master artist.
Q: If you could summarize Cafe 1040 into one sentence, how would you summarize our program?
A: A semester of a lifetime that broadens your perspective of missions work and bring transformative growth to your walk with the Lord. You truly see God’s heart for the nations, but not how you expect. You see God’s creativity.
