DMM: Disturbance, Life Incongruent

Disturbance.

“Remember those who led you and spoke the Word of God to you, considering the outcome of their way of life, imitate their faith.”-Hebrews 13:5

Disturbance.

How is it that the Bride of Christ continues to see emotionally unhealthy men and women lead them?

The cultivation of celebrity culture of our generation has drilled down deeply into the landscape of believers in the States. Perhaps that is one driver of unhealthiness, but then again, that would be to address symptoms rather than root causes of unhealth which can develop in one's life.

“Give us a king!” cried the Israelites. God allowed them Saul. Saul was the man who fit their demand, but was not the leader who would meet their need. He fit the clothes, he fit the imagined need which the people would trust in rather the man or woman of God’s fashioning.

When I consider ministry leaders, like the husband of my friend, I think, how could this happen?

Lamentably, there is a tendency to confuse great speakers as great spiritual leaders. It is the heart which God is after. In several situations in which I have been asked to counsel, comfort, and call forth to truth, there is usually an unhealthy leader who was given the microphone in the injured person (s)’ life.

What one is like behind closed doors is a God’s glory-centric personal reflection question. The Father desires not that those whom He uses as leaders to desire any level of incongruity between the public and private walk. There is no room for separation.

Satan has a great plan for our lives: to divide us from an abundant and joy-filled, Holy Spirit empowered life. To take us off ramp from engagement in God’s promises and purposes is the same song, different follower as target. The world, the flesh, and the devil is a powerful cocktail in the life of the believer. Take care, guard one's heart in humility, is the healthy pathway, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit to empower.

Leaders who choose duplicity, choose a certain trajectory. Saul chose that same pathway, though he was given many opportunities to true repentance and transformation. He chose not the higher ways of the Father.

Leaders who choose to say one thing and do another are not new to the human scene.  For any follower of Christ to choose to reject Holy Spirit-led mooring will lead to unhealthiness. To see leaders deny the reality that their home life/internal life is in shambles, are time and again enabled by their respective ministries to lead. It is easy to think one is somehow beyond this same incongruent life. However, a wise heart knows that just as another is choosing a life not worth imitating, that same observation could be true of them, save the choice to guard one’s heart, in humility and dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Cautionary Tales

I have observed that those in the Bride of Christ who possess lavish financial resources can actually use that for great blessing in God’s purposes. I have also observed the opposite as being true: those with resources to live a hidden life of unrepentance will do so through their wealth. By gain of a financial lifetime of independence they can choose to not be close enough to be discovered.

How can this be?

Another friend, whose husband is in the Christian ministry world limelight, treats his wife with disdain. Emotionally abusive patterns are 35+ years of norm for their life.

Yet, this very same leader is a polished and respected ministry leader.

How can this be?

Recently, as I was invited to speak at Dallas Theological Seminary, during their missions emphasis week, I incurred another type of bizarre incongruent behavior.

My topic for 50 minutes was to lay out how God is moving among Unreached People Groups, as well as reached areas like America, in the launch of cascading movements to Christ. Disciple-Making Movements are now occurring in 1,370+ distinct movements: obedience-based groups of disciples who reproduce disciples, leaders who reproduce leaders, house fellowships who reproduce house fellowships.

Check out videos on www.beyond.org as well as 2414now.net.

The day after I spoke at Dallas Theological Seminary, there was a leader who represented another mission agency who, instead of speaking on how God is moving in their midst, chose to spend his 50 minutes to attack DMM. This attack posture came from those in that org's top international leadership. Interestingly, three years ago my husband and I were asked to train their international leaders in an intro to DMM. Sadly, they have an average of 14 years to plant one non-reproducing church among their overseas efforts. When it comes to the need to have leaders who lay aside their entrenchment, stubbornness, or attachments to emotionally high value ministries, they are choosing to not make reproducing disciples as their trajectory.

Those who lead with a hunger and thirst for God’s glory, no matter the cost, are set on going before the Lord and asking “God, what needs to be done so that your glory is declared/demonstrated among the ethne for the launch of cascading movements to Christ?”

Those leader types who are bent on their small kingdom building are not open to conversation. That is sad, if it were not so pathetic.

Meanwhile, Persons of Peace, among the UPGs, are longing to be found.

DMM: A Durian Debacle, & Leadership Development

DMM: A Durian Debacle & Leadership Development

“There is a foul air among us!”, decried one of the main characters in the film which depicted J.R. Tolkien’s famous novel Lord of the Rings. 

A Tsunami-like wave of olfactory pungency rushed over my fellow airline passengers and me. 

There certainly was a foul air among us. Enroute home through Jta, on an early morning flight from Mdn to Jta, pungent was a kind descriptive word. Our flight was delayed headlined by a ruckus displayed somewhere between rows 38-40. This flight was delayed due to a scuffle among passengers prior to takeoff. There was a mutiny on the Lion, Lion Airways, to be exact. Pervasively so, there existed a huge cargo of the famous tropical fruit called durian.

Durian is a sticky fruit which folks either love or hate. There are no nominal believers when it comes to durian. Apparently, the durian’s odor filled our cabin, which launched a small riot. Our flight was delayed. 

The demo failed in the end, but did reveal an at once both comforting yet disturbing thought. The majority people group in that region are the Fierce people group, who once were a fierce cannibalistic tribal group. On display that day was their unregenerate old school intimidation tactic which most likely once lay their human prey immobilized. I sat there thanking Jesus that at least they were no longer cannibalistic. Regretfully so, however, though they heard the gospel over 100 years ago, they are largely known as a mile wide and an inch deep in their lack of being transformed in character by the gospel. Obedience based multiplying households of disciples are rare among this people group. The Fierce are one of only a handful of people groups in our country which have responded to the gospel but sadly, have yet to truly be transformed by it. The remaining people groups are 320 distinctive Unreached People Groups who are all Muslim peoples, excepting the Bese and the Trese, who are Hindu.   

In the Disciple Making Movements/DMM process, one of the essentials is the development/pouring into the local leaders/facilitators is the area of the need to address character issues which have yet to be surrendered unto the Lordship and freedom in Christ.

Character issues of patterned sins we simply “tolerate” is much like the choice to live with the stench (disobedience) and call it the norm. However, those who want to bring honor and glory to the only Living God will yearn to live with a holy dread of displeasing/bringing shame to God’s holy name. Imagine how different our fellowships, our communities, and our spheres of influence would be with hearts who long to obey Jesus as the norm as an expression of their growing love and adoration of His goodness.

“I do what I do as a slave to my worldview.”-JK

Leadership Development of Local Leaders

Character Issues Addressed

Worldview leads to crossroads moments when confronted by God’s heartbeat and His worldview. Altogether otherworldly, most radically countercultural, and highly counterintuitive to one’s own patterned way of seeing life is the Father’s Word in concert with His Holy Spirit’s empowerment. Unless one is personally transformed at the chewy center of heart level allegiances, contagious abundant life will be stilted, the old man worldview will prevail, and a stench will prevail.

Indeed, we do what we do as a slave to our own worldview.

My husband and I have seen the Father readying our hearts and our local partners in a purifying process of recent. One of the areas, which help to usher in the outpour of the Holy Spirit among a given Unreached People Group, is the area of personal repentance/desire to live in utter dependence upon the Holy Spirit for God’s glorifying holiness.

Excerpt from a DMM trainer colleague... 

A Word About Disciple Making Movements (DMM)

4^th Generation Movements among Unreached People Groups -- 3rd of 5 key areas -- Obedience (Accountability)

The conclusions of a group of 38 key DMM trainers who are working all over the world and are connected to over 80 CPMs reveal good clues as to what the Holy Spirit is doing around the world in these movements. 

As you read each post, use these as opportunities prayerfully to evaluate your own ministry.

Obedience (Accountability)

1.Leaders moved on when unproductive people did not produce


2.High intolerance for error; obedience-based discipleship corrects errors when measured by God’s Word


3.Importance of goal setting as we hold one another accountable 


4.Accountability for generational growth. Are you seeing children and grandchildren? Check on how 3^rd and 4^th gen are doing 


5.Mapping house fellowships and generations:  Draw / diagram out which elements of a house church they have and trouble-shoot areas lacking.  Drawing out helped diagnose actual progress


6.Periodic meetings of leaders (every 1,3,4,6,12 months for different spheres).


7.Character issues addressed


8.Unflinching Grace-filled evaluation -- if you are not seeing multiplication after you have persevered, you are willing to change anything and everything

Practical Tool of DBS (Discovery Bible Study) on Purity/Holiness

Mathew 5:27-28, I Corinthians 6:9-10, I Corinthians 6:13-20, I Thessalonians 4:3-7, Hebrews 13:4, 2 Samuel 11:1-17, 26-27, 2 Samuel 12:1-14  (Read each passage together out loud, rephrase in own words what is said in the text without teaching or preaching the passage, just rephrase in own words based upon the text)

Discuss as a group the following discovery questions based upon text alone.

        1.  What do these verses reveal about purity?

    2.

         

Discuss your personal plan to guard your vulnerable areas in obeying these truths.Who are you making yourself accountable to in order to honor God and grow in these areas of purity? How often do you meet?

3. Take time in listening prayer to ask the Lord what practical steps of obedience is He asking of your heart.

DMM/CPM: Rhythms of Launched Movements

Rhythms of Launched Movements

"The most effective leaders spoken of in the Bible had little awareness of the impact their lives had on others. They were too busy obeying God to keep track of their successes."-pg. 787 NIV notes on life of Ezra

"Do you want to train others to start a church or do you want to train them to help launch a movement to Christ?", I recently asked a Dallas Theological Seminary Professor. He pondered the question. 

We discussed his observations of the students whom he had seen come through his classes in the two decades of his time in that context. I wondered. Therefore, I sensed the permission to ask, "Dr. Something, what do you see as the biggest need for this generation of those preparing to serve cross-culturally?"

Without skipping a beat, he lamented on how many were not making reproducing disciples in their cross-cultural context in effective ways. 

Movements to Christ are made up of transformed lives in Christ, who reproduce as disciples who make disciples, who make disciples who love and obey Jesus. 

A missionary statesman once told us that of the missionaries whom he has known, in a four decade span of life, he found the following to be true:

25 % of missionaries are highly effective

50% of missionaries are somewhat effective

25% of missionaries are highly ineffective and need to go home

In a recent survey of those who are seeing CPMs occurring among Unreached People Groups, here are some reflections on what can be considered some patterns for effective impact for God's glory. 

What is effective?-notes from S.P.

• Vision-casting for CPM emphasizing reproduction
• Do not lose sight of trusting God to raise up Persons of Peace who open the door to their households/affinity groups. 
• Efficacy/Supremacy of God's Word in Discovery Bible Study (or Discovery Group) process with dependence upon the Holy Spirit, not defaulting to teaching. 
• Abundant gospel sowing. Storying/testimony/orality increasingly important. Thematic stories, ontime stories, Spirit-led stories, teaching in parables. Teaching people to speak and bless neighbors with stories. Listen to their personal story—hear their story, tell your story then tell His story. No religious language.
• Must get our hands dirty among hardest to reach people in society: hospice ministry, jail ministry, fringe populations—hurting people, focus on those who get less attention, food pantry, ministries to addicts, focusing on inner healing, pain has resulted from lifestyle of sin
• Focusing on family and friends networks. Focus on house of peace in the neighborhood.
• Strong emphasis on lay leadership.
• Emphasis on accountability—takes time and personal relationships with those whom we coach as we are making reproducing groups of disciples.
• Technology—using internet, people opening up online using Facebook. People need people even in urban environments, even among masses, people still need other people.
• Secular people respond to action, obedience-oriented, experiential. Strong emphasis on rapid obedience. Expect immediate obedience.
• Prayer based - belief that God will answer. If there is a need—immediately pray. 

Here are lessons from those seeing CPMs in the Hindu  world.-notes from S.P.   Signs and wonders create breakthroughs. They are tuned into spiritual nature             of the world.             God is showing up relevant to peoples’ needs, vision and dreams.             Public and private—internal wonders of transformation.         2.   One key is extraordinary love and compassion demonstrated personally by believers.                Hindus respond to genuine authentic compassion. Value of relationships—              relationship driven.               Model authentic community as it relates to family lines as well.        3.   God is at work in and among Hindus as He’s drawing them to Himself.               Luke 10—walking as Jesus sent them—walk with intentionality, be ready               to share the hope within you.         4.   How to share? Action oriented, incremental stories, storying, orality, parables,               redemptive bridges --              be able to speak the truth as they go. Give an overall framework and fill in the gaps.               Does not have to be 50 weeks, but a Creation2Christ framework.         5.  Obedience based accountability - they want to see action and people living               out their faith as it contrasts with what they see in the Hindu world.         6.  Discipleship is critical—how they come to Christ not as important as               how they are discipled.               Focus on heads of households. More apt to reach urban than rural,               family network carries the gospel. CPM Lessons in the Muslim World-notes from S.P. There are a growing number of CPMs among Muslims. Chaos in various areas is leading to freedom and desire to ask questions.  God orchestrating and changing nations. Run to chaos and get organized for it.  Be ready when someone asks questions. Key strategy to avoid visibility by outside foreigners.              The outsider can become a lightning rod, esp. with white skin.             So have key training outside target group area. Trainers who are MBB are better             and do it differently. A growing number of MBB’s are taking people and              modeling and showing how. Focusing on refugee groups who are dispersed—social political, etc.              Focus on family evangelism and not individual evangelism. Let group process             take place.              Strategic focus on women as gatekeepers spiritually. Importance of husband-wife              teams.              Husbands as early adopters and influencers, wives as holding keys to spirituality.  Find natural ways to talk about Isa, so that in second encounter you are already              talking about Isa in your life. People of Peace, finding them in the mosque,              going in for the late night and early morning prayer time. People who come to pray              at that time are desperate and don’t want to be seen. Some are finding large             number of people of peace at those times. There are growing instances of seeing the larger mosque community brought to faith -              as the leadership, imam and others become seekers and lead the rest.              An increasing number of teams focus (prayer and witnessing) on winning              the leaders first to win the community. Some start with the Quran and talk about Isa as a bridge. Others find other              redemptive bridges. Then move into introducing and following through on              obedience-based discipleship using the Bible. CPM Lessons for Effectiveness in the Buddhist World  and Tribal Peoples-notes from S.P. Buddhism is like a chameleon-- it layers over the underlying belief systems.  There is a need for clear vision casting for CPMs among Buddhist and  Tribal peoples and people who know what they are seeking to accomplish.  Clear vision and purpose and implementation. What is showing fruit? •        There is a consistent pattern of people receiving signs and wonders          and dreams and then an evangelist(s) who comes and reaps the results. •        Often people consider becoming a Christian due to a tragedy/crisis •        Prayer and prayer-walking. Dealing with demonic strongholds. •        Among tribal people radio has been effective •        Oral teaching approach is very effective all the way up. •        Redeemer theme is important. Theravada world has a belief           in the redeemer who is to come -- parallels with Jesus Christ. •        Obedience to Christ and what obedience to Christ does to a person           as they become a leader. Need for: •        Transparency •        Accountability •        Discipline

DMM/CPM: The Heart Cry of the Oikos (Households, Affinity Groups)

DMM/CPM: The Heart Cry of the Oikos (Households, Affinity Groups)

Rice Fields in SaSumBi

“Go away”!, cried Nisa. Not even a momentary silence calmed her tormented soul. The “spiritual guide friends” the local dukun had bestowed upon her would continue to torment her. She was plagued night and day with demonic faces, fears, and voices. “If only there was a way to get out from under this curse,” lamented Nisa.

It is a common occurrence among the SaSumBi people to take girls at age 13 to a dukun to invoke and secure a spirit to accompany her. This spirit is employed to imbue her with powers to attract the opposite sex. Nisa’s parents want her married early to a man of means, and they think the dukun’s efforts will help her find this man.

The SaSumBi people consider themselves staunch Muslims. Yet, they also practice many traditions that seek favors from the spirits said to reside in the holy places of former Islamic leaders. They are known as high-level practitioners of sought-after guardian spirits.

Pray for the revelation of God’s truth that Christ is the all-powerful deliverer. Pray for national laborers trained in church planting movements to be sent among the SaSumBi people to proclaim the matchless Name and power of Jesus Christ.—RA

5,000,000 Muslims, <100 believers

Status: Engaged in a Disciple Making Movement (DMM) effort

Location: SEAsia

Isaiah 37:20

Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.

It could be a big trial like a possible takeover from a hostile nation, or it could be a personal trial as serious as the one faced by the girl in this story; but God can deliver, and when He does, His Name is glorified among the nations. Have you prayed for someone oppressed by demons or sickness? Do you pray for their relief so that the lost may see His deliverance? Is the purpose of your prayer personal comfort, or the glorification of our Lord?Are you asking God to lead the DMM/CPM workers among these UPGs to be led by the Holy Spirit in finding Persons of Peace who then open their households to God's truth. 

Commit to God in prayer the crises of your life. Pray that He will answer our prayers in ways that will glorify Him among the nations.