Mere Missions

J esus I s L ord : E ndearment • 53

How was I to connect with them? God had to remind me of a deeper truth through the words of one of the gang guys. “Bob. You don’t know anything about us [sprinkled with expletives].” Basically, he was saying that I’m uneducated and common; an “idiot.” “But we know that you love us. You’re not a phony. Jesus is real to you.” The deeper truth God taught me was my endearment to Jesus is all I need for others to see Jesus.

Apostolic Missions Platform Response: Metrics for Church Planters

I. Can the potential church planter feed themselves spiritually? Can they survive in the “battlefield” when the battle is raging and they have run out of “rations” – money, job, vehicles (broken and stolen), been robbed, health, physical threats and experiences, family struggles and sacrifices, sleep, let alone the constant lies and attacks from the devil and his minions (I write from experience)? When everything runs out can the potential planter retreat into their prayer closet and find and eat upon the bread and blood of Jesus for sustenance and life (John 6.52-57)? No one can take Jesus away from you except yourself. By that, I mean, one is either disciplined or not to endear themselves to Jesus through the daily disciplines. It doesn’t matter if the planter is in Mongolia or Massachusetts, in the slums of Nairobi or the slopes of Beverly Hills. Every disciple of Jesus is to move towards maturity in Christ. Instead of others giving you spiritual milk in a “spiritual baby bottle” they move to feeding themselves. How much more the individual who feels they are being called to enter enemy-occupied territory to establish an outpost of the Kingdom of God? This is a must in our church planter assessment process. The one abiding in Christ (John 5:1-5) knows how to “eat the flesh” and “drink the blood” of Jesus each day just as