DMM: Multiply the Super Spreaders

 

Let It Rain!

Buol People of Sulawesi (excerpt taken from GPD article written by RA)

The Buol people’s former Sultans (Islamic kings) were quite effective implementing a class system of the have’s and the have nots. Zul, a simple rice farmer, definitely saw himself as one who inherited the takdir (fate given by Allah) of the have not’s. 

Zul’s neighbors, Burhan and his wife, had recently begun to talk with him about the prophet Isa (Jesus). They invited Zul and his family to a discussion of the prophets as studied from the books of Moses, Psalms, and the gospels. These simple discussions, using 8 easy to understand discovery questions, had caused Zul and his family to be a bit bothered, yet intrigued, all at once. Something felt so different than what they had known of Allah's heart. They could not argue that their neighbors, Burhan and family were behaving in a different way than what they had experienced of Burhan's family for many years prior. Burhan and his family seemed to demonstrate love, care, and forgiveness in ways so strange to Zul and his family. 

Could this be connected to the discovery of Allah's heart and applying these stories which has brought a change?, Zul wondered.

During his last crop failure, Zul had observed Burhan and his wife standing in the middle of their rice field as they cried out to Allah in the name of Isa Al Masih (Jesus the Messiah). They asked Allah to bring rain for the parched land so that Allah would be glorified. A beautiful rain did descend at that moment! Mysteriously though, rain fell only upon Burhan and his family’s farm. 

That prayer and apparent intimacy with Allah had mystified Zul. Why did Allah answer Burhan’s prayer in the name of Isa Al Masih and not his?

• Pray for the Holy Spirit to draw the Buol people to Jesus. 
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to thrust out a local team that will implement a church planting movement approach among this unreached people group for God’s glory.

96,000 Muslims, five believers

Status: Needs committed DMM catalyst team of local laborers for engagement

Location: Northern Sulawesi

 

Daniel 4:32 

You will eat grass like cattle…until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes. 

Daniel’s fourth chapter is a kind of celebrity tract in which the most powerful king of his day tells how God broke his pride and stubbornness, and how in simple childlike surrender, he came to acknowledge the most High God as his Sovereign. Nebuchadnezzar said, “I raised my eyes toward heaven, and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High….” 

When we are tempted to believe that any individual or any nation is beyond the saving power of God, we should be reminded that the king’s heart is in the hands of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.

• Pray that God will give us the faith to trust Him for miracles in the hearts of men and nations.

 

DMM: The Only One Among the Pantheon of gods

 

The One and Only

Cascading Kingdom Movements to Christ among the Balinese Hindus...(excerpt written by RA, taken from GPD June 2013 publication)

In 1929, a visionary missionary wrote the following after surveying the Balinese peoples, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, I deliberately set my feet on the soil of Bali and claim it for Him.” To that original faith claim, Dr. R.A. Jaffrey later added, “The light of the gospel preached by Spirit-filled missionaries will drive out the millions of demons of darkness, and these people, enchained by the devil so long, will be set free.”

Rodger and Lelia Lewis were among those early missionaries who started their work in Bali in the early 1950s—and yes, demons were driven out, and people were set free. But it was a battle, according to the book, The Battle for Bali. With Hinduism intricately woven into the fabric of both family and culture, to choose to follow Christ often meant ostracism and economic isolation for the Balinese people.

 

Though Rodger went to be with the Lord in 1999, Lelia served among the Balinese until her passing in 2021. They have had an enduring influence on the island. 

Kingdom Movements leader, Steve Smith, in his excellent book, entitled Spirit Walk, on page 13 writes the following...

“A great and godly missionary leader has noticed a change in missionaries over the last fifty years…’when I was a young missionary, fifty years ago, I met many spiritual giants. But when it came to kingdom movements we were methodological pygmies. But after fifty years of change, he made this observation: Today I meet a lot of young missionaries who are methodological giants, yet they are spiritual pygmies.”

In humility of Christ, evaluate which one you have leaned toward:

qSpiritual giants, methodological pygmies

qSpiritual pygmies, methodological giants

 

A church planting movement is now in the early stages among the Balinese. 

Pray for healthy house fellowships led by Balinese lay believers to reproduce. Pray for national and foreign laborers to walk in humility and spiritual freedom, and to appropriate the weapons of the spiritual warfare which rages before them.

3,280,000 Hindus, 5,000 believers

Status: Engaged in a church planting movement (CPM) effort

Location: Bali Island, just to the east of Java Island

 

Daniel 10:13

But the Prince of the Persian Kingdom resisted me 21 days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

This comment made by the angel of the Lord to Daniel gives us some insight into what happens when we pray. We know from this passage that the Lord responds to our prayers. In this case he sent His angel to Daniel. But notice that the answer to this prayer was delayed because of the work of the enemy, the Prince of Persia. It may take much regular prayer before the Lord breaks through the spiritual darkness. Will you be one who prays for the unreached nations until the Lord is victorious?

• Pray for laborers among the Balinese Hindus to walk in Holy Spirit balanced ways to be healthy disciple makers for the launch of Kingdom Movements.

 

 

DMM: A Lizard in a King's Palace

A Lizard in a King's Palace

How did I get here except by the hand of Jesus the Savior?
Mutmainah mused. A daughter of vagrant farmers, she now stood before the wife of a powerful regent of the Geser-Gorom people. 

Mutmainah had begun to teach women in her village area how to read. She simply did this because she felt that God asked her to teach them. All she knew of her newfound faith in Jesus was to obey what He told her. Her entire household had come to faith in Jesus through a series of Discovery Bible Studies, which focused on the thread of the redemptive blood needed to forgive sins--from Old Testament stories to the life of Jesus. The regent’s wife heard news of the learning to read program, and now Mutmainah was summoned to meet with this woman of influence. 

After Mutmainah and her family began to study the stories of the Bible, her life was ruined, that is, ruined for nothing short of God’s glory! She prayed for Jesus the Savior to place her into the lives of those who are seeking after Him. Now as she stood before these women of governmental influence, she recalled the words from the Proverbs 30:28, 

“The lizard you may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.” 

Here she stood among “kingly” types as a Muslim background believer; yet she had the confidence of the hand of God.

 

Pray that God would place obedient disciples of Jesus into all levels of the Geser-Gorom society. 

Pray for a massive movement of multiplying churches among the Geser-Gorom.

32,000 Muslims, very few believers

Status: Unengaged in a church planting movement (CPM) effort

Location: Central Maluku Island

 

Daniel 3:17-18

The God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image….

What courage and what insight! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego teach us at least three lessons as we confront the challenge of principalities and powers raised up against the knowledge of God. First, God is able to deliver His servants from danger, and give us great boldness and confidence. Nothing is too hard for Him! Second, He is not obligated to rescue His servants from physical harm; His power is directed by His wisdom. Third, a balanced view of God’s ability and His providence keeps us from timidity on the one hand or presumption on the other. 

Pray that our wonderful Lord will teach us to walk in truth and wisdom as we face challenges to His authority.

 

DMM: Unless a Grain

 

Missionary Biography: Anna Tan 

(Excerpt written by RA, published June 2013 for Global Prayer Digest)

“When your bucket gets kicked, what spews forth will be either bitterness or blessing. I can’t answer for others, but I know what I desire. When God takes me through suffering, I want to respond with blessing,” commented Anna Tan, Singaporean missionary to the Sasak Muslims of Lombok island, Indonesia. 

One morning in 2001, Anna was found with 80 percent of her body covered in 2^nd and 3^rd degree burns. Anna had awakened to the daily routine of making coffee in anticipation of her time with the Lord. The propane gas tank, which supplied the stovetop operation, had leaked profusely overnight. In her sealed kitchen area she unknowingly walked into a cloud of undetectable gas and lit a match.

Anna obeyed the Lord’s voice to demonstrate and proclaim the glory of Christ among the Sasak people. Her life represents just one from among the 70 missionaries who have come and gone in service among them in the past 23 years of modern mission efforts. For those of us still called to be among the Sasak, we jointly believe God to launch a rapidly multiplying movement of Sasak worshipers of Christ.

 

Anna is a reminder of the high cost and the privilege of obeying God’s voice to the least reached peoples. She spewed forth blessing as she clung to Christ’ sufficiency, even as she died.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to plant blessings in the hearts of disciples of Jesus who face suffering.

Isaiah 25: 7b-8

On this mountain He will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; He will swallow up death forever.

The end of shrouds, funerals and the stench of death; that is what Isaiah is proclaiming. And this is a promise to the faithful in all nations. How can anyone say no to such a promise? Though the majority of humanity will say no, there will be a remnant from all nations that will say yes to the Lord, and yes to life. That is why we pray for them. 

Pray that the Lord will bring unimaginable life to the nations that we intercede for this month.

DMM: Be the Faith Shoulders Worthy to Climb Upon

 

Missionary Biography, Darlene Rose Diebler (excerpts written by RA from Global Prayer Digest June 2013)

The year was 1942, and the Japanese invasion and occupation of the Dutch East Indies (present day Republic of Indonesia) was imminent. Word had spread rapidly throughout the region regarding the human atrocities experienced by captives of the Japanese aggressors. Missionaries who stayed would have to suffer alongside Indonesians.

 

Russell and Darlene Rose Diebler's mission agency had begun to implement their evacuation plans as they gathered in south Sulawesi. Their leader, Dr. R.A. Jaffrey, drew a line in the sand before the missionaries gathered that day. Those who chose to stay and suffer alongside the Indonesians were to remain standing in place, and those who were led to escape stepped over the line. The missionaries were given a time to seek the Lord before the last boat left the coast.

 

Darlene and her husband chose to remain. She lived through the next several years in a Japanese internment camp, while her husband was never to be seen again after the Japanese whisked the men away from the women. Darlene’s story of trust and obey, as relayed in her book entitled, Evidence Not Seen, in the midst of unspeakable suffering at the hands of her captors, is one of the many stories of those who gave seed to the advancement of the gospel in the eastern area of Indonesia.

Pray for today’s missionaries to have the presence of mind to hear the Lord’s voice when they encounter persecution and face death.

Pray for tenacity in every disciple in reproducing house fellowships, to hear, love and obey Jesus and His Word.

 

Daniel 6:10 

Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed…just as he had done before. 

Just like Daniel, Darlene Rose had to choose between safety and obedience. Put yourself in her place. Would you find it hard to hear the Lord tell you what to do in such a crisis? How would you go about finding His perfect will when one option means relative safety and the other means facing brutal oppressors? Though she faced years of brutality, her actions were a strong testimony to the Indonesian Muslims. She was willing to suffer and even die for the sake of taking them the gospel.

 

Pray that you will clearly hear the Lord’s voice when you face difficult choices.

 

DMM: A Tapestry-Woven and Spun for God's Glory

Missionary biography, Hendrik van Dijken 

(excerpt from published Global Prayer Digest 2013, written by RA) 

The year was 1866. Four young Dutch missionaries were sailing through the Straits of Malacca. The intended port for these glory bearers was present day Papua, Indonesia. Enroute to Papua they met a Christian man named Moli. He appealed to the four missionaries to begin mission work in the Maluku islands. They heard a “Macedonian Call” much like the one described in Acts 16:6-12. Three of them, Hendrik van Dijken, T. F. Klaassen, and A. De Bode, answered that call, changed their plans, and began a work in this area. The work was slow and painstaking. 

The first baptisms took place in 1874 when they dedicated the first church. The growth of the church came after 1900 when a perceived “new” missionary method was applied. People were baptized in groups (households). This rapid growth began in Tobelo in 1898 and developed quickly throughout the islands from 1900. “Perintis Injil” (pioneer of the gospel) reads the inscription at the base of the present-day bronze statue that memorializes Van Djiken’s obedience to Christ. 

Several mango trees from that time period shade the land where Van Djiken and his colleagues planted the gospel in the Maluku area of Halmahera. Present day traditional churches are not making disciplemakers, as Jesus commands for all disciples. 

Pray for present day remnant believers to transformed into disiciplemakers: to hear and respond to God when He calls them to re-direct their efforts. 

Pray for entire households of unreached people groups to embrace Isa Al Masih (Jesus, the Messiah). Daniel 6:28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Scholars have estimated that Daniel was about 90 years old; he was toward the end of his lifetime of civil service to a couple of regimes when he experienced God’s miraculous protection in the lion’s den. God honored Daniel’s faith and obedience and used him to bless Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, and Persians. 

We may confidently expect to enjoy fellowship together around the throne of God with members of each of these ancient peoples, partly because of what Daniel did. Daniel was faithful to his mission. Will Daniel be able to enjoy fellowship at that same gathering with representatives of other people groups because we too have been faithful to the task to which the Lord calls us? Pray that God will give us the perseverance to serve Him well like Daniel of old. 

Missionary Biography, Continued. 

Fast Forward to Today Only a short walk from the present day tribute to the faithfulness of these three missionaries lies a sharply contrasting memorial to a more recent story. From 1999 to 2002 one of the largest jihad efforts to eradicate the few Christians in this eastern area of Indonesia was launched. This second and more recent memorial stands less than 100 meters from the bronzed likeness of the first bearer of the gospel; two divergent kingdoms are represented therein. The moss covered remains of a bombed out church building chronicles the stark contrast between the transformational power of the gospel and the cruelty and fallen-ness of man. 

A mass grave reflects a small representation of those who were killed at that time in the conflict. This mass grave tells the tale of those who were eviscerated, bludgeoned, decapitated, maimed, and hunted down by Laskar Jihad and other Muslim terrorist groups. Many of their children were stolen and shipped back to Java to be raised in Islamic boarding schools and madrasas. This has resulted in a generation of stolen children and many eradicated families who dared to say the name of Jesus. 

The challenge is to finish what Hendrik Van Djiken and others began by faith. The Lombok Riots of January 17, 2000, which targeted the few Christians in this area, were incited by the violence unleashed in the Ambon, Maluku, and Poso areas of Indonesia. Islamic solidarity and prowess expressed a higher stakes commitment from that day forward. Pray for Muslim Indonesians to understand God’s perspective on these two “monuments” offering such contrasting spirituality.  

Habakkuk 1:5 Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. It sometimes seems today that God is silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves (1:13). But as we watch the ebb and flow of international affairs through the centuries, we can be confident that God is wisely and fairly working out His purposes until the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (2:14). Those who lost their lives to Laskar Jihad did not die in vain. God is using the blood of His martyrs in Indonesia, and all over the world. 

Pray for the nations to watch and understand what God is doing in Indonesia, even when it involves tragedy.

DMM: A Shaman Befuddled

 A Shaman (Folk Islam Witchdoctor) Befuddled 

 
Shaman Ina appeared a bit befuddled. Overtly she was undone by what she heard. Our time in her village began as we prayer walked the border of her island home in our area. Toothless, bright-eyed, and fully enthralled sat this Islamic witch doctor. As she and her adult niece interacted with me and another of the summer teamers, Maya, Shaman Ina could not believe what she was hearing. Maya had just shared her personal story of how Jesus transformed her life. Shaman Ina could hardly contain herself from trying to comfort Maya. As I translated Maya’s story, and as we train others to do, Maya was sharing the condition of her life before Jesus drew her to faith in Him.

It was at this point that I realized that Shaman Ina felt compelled to tell Maya, “Oh, honey, don’t worry about those sad things in your life.” I shared with Shaman Ina that she is so kind to want to comfort but she is going to be so elated when she finds out how Isa Al Masih brought healing and comfort, better than any human words could ever bring.

Maya continued by sharing how Jesus drew her to Him, and how He has indeed brought healing and comfort in not just that “area” of life but brought His hope and purpose for all of life abundantly. 
 
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!…-Matthew 6:21-23

Again, we felt prompted to ask Shaman Ina if she wanted to know what we see in her eyes.
 
In the same wooden house on stilts sat the head of the village, alongside various family members, some of whom were Imam level Islamic adherents. While Maya and I shared with Shaman Ina and her niece, two others in our group shared similarly with the Imam and Village leader. 
 
We praise God for the recent summer team of college students, which we were able to train in that which helped to launch even more Discovery Groups of Muslims being brought to Christ.

These students, as well our local Indonesian teams are trained in a process, when one is starting out in a given Unreached People Group, for the desired launch of Disciple Making Movements:
 

7 High Value Weekly Disciple-Making Movement activities

1. Focus on God’s Word and the Holy Spirit  (John 6:44-45)
2. Multiply Extraordinary Prayer and Fasting  (Matthew 11:20-25)
3. Look for Persons of Peace, who will open up their households/friends group (Mt. 10, Luke 10)
4. Help start newer Discovery Groups (27 of 30 cases reaching households in the book of Acts)
5. Vision cast to others to do likewise (Revelation 5:9-11, Revelation 6:9-11, Revelation 7:9-11, Habakkuk 2:14, Matthew 24:14)
6. Train others to do likewise (Model-Assist-Watch-Leave/Coach)(2 Timothy 2:2)
7. On-going coaching in making reproducing disciplemakers (Matthew 28:18-20)

Prayer Requests:

• Ask God to open these households as they are followed up
• Ask God for continued breakthrough, in persistent shameless unrelenting intercession for the SaSumBi. Luke 18 (Parable of the persistent widow=Shameless in the Greek)

 

DMM/CPM: Becoming the Kind of People Whom God Uses

By Dottie Collins with R Nyman

For the last decade or so, I have had the honor of praying with both men and women working on the mission field in many different nations. I have seen in my many conversations and prayer times that living life on the field is not simple or easily understood. Challenges include not only cultural differences but also issues closer to home: dealing with teammates, spouses and children, organizations, and loneliness.

Becoming Transformed Ones

No matter how much head knowledge we have or how well we can accomplish tasks, if our heart is not transformed and healed we can burn out quickly and become easily offended and bitter. I believe we can many times do things from a sense of obligation and not from a place of love – receiving the love God gives us as His precious sons and daughters so we can pour out His love on others. We struggle with getting things right and can easily slip into faulty attempts to earn God's love, rather than receiving and resting in His love. I don’t mean that if you feel burned out and at the end of your rope you are doing something wrong! I desire to see both men and women healed and hearts transformed before they go to the mission field so the pain can be minimized. I have seen this as one of the costs of going to the field and one of the greatest sacrifices "sent ones" make: the tendency to pour themselves out until they have nothing left to give.

I hope for men and women heading overseas to have as much of their heart healed as possible before going. If the past is not addressed, it is even more difficult to deal with the stresses of the present. I have repeatedly heard misguided Christian leaders say that Christians don't need counseling. As a result, those whom these leaders influence tend to show up on the field with “land mines” from their past which Satan eagerly triggers. 

Hearts Transformed…Hearts Released

How can hearts be transformed and greater damage prevented? The issues which seem to surface most frequently, tend to be triggered by past hurt and pain. The past experiences of not feeling heard, validated, or valued tend to be strong areas of wounding. Also, I very often see a tendency to carry unforgiveness. Whether birthed through major trauma, taking offense, or from molehills that have been coddled as mountains. These choices to not forgive others, when unchecked, become significant opportunities for strongholds to take root. Small things, when unforgiven, eventually pile up into large things.

Through my own experience of feeling misunderstood and not heard, I have realized how such feelings can turn into unforgiveness, hurt, feeling rejected, feeling as though everything you do is wrong, resentment and anger.

Launch of Movements or Taking on Water?

Cultivating a heart that God can use is crucial to the launch of cascading movements to Christ among UPGs of the world. In reality, we will all be misunderstood and unheard at times. So, how do we deal with it? I recommend that we first recognize times when we have felt misunderstood and taken up an offense.  If we haven't dealt with such issues from our past, they tend to be exacerbated in the present. This can lead to feeling rejected and hopeless, and often self-pity enters in. Once we recognize these feelings, we can take them to God and talk honestly with Him about them. The Lord has reminded me repeatedly how gravely He was misunderstood and yet He has great compassion. It helps me to be reminded of how deeply our Savior was misunderstood and yet He did not defend himself. Yielding to Christ’s ways empowers me to let Him defend me and to choose to not defend myself.

Practical Steps to Become the Person Whom God Uses

§   If you have someone in your life who is safe and trustworthy, share with him or her how you feel and have them pray with you and for you.

§  Ask the Lord to show you any places where you have not recognized a hurt or offense.

This leads us to a second area in our lives: unforgiveness. When we don't forgive those who have wronged us, it becomes an obstacle to receiving the forgiveness and freedom the Lord has for us.

Identifying the Usual Suspects

These are the main areas of unforgiveness I have seen occurring among mission field workers, both expat and local:

§  Unforgiveness toward those who have wronged us (people or organizations).

§  Unforgiveness toward God.

§  Unforgiveness toward ourselves.

Step by Step…A Transformed Life

Here are some steps to take toward forgiveness:

§  First, name the person who has been hurtful to you.

§  Name each event, big or small, that God brings to your mind. After you name the person and the event,

§  Verbalize how you felt as a result of interaction with this person or event. For example it could be something like: “My father didn't come to my graduation and it left me feeling unworthy, unloved, rejected, and unimportant.” We often tend to rationalize rather than facing all the reasons the father couldn't come. We tend to not admit how badly we have been hurt. That is why it is important to list every person, event and emotion God brings to your mind. This doesn't mean you need to dig up and ruminate on everything ever done to you; simply focus upon the things revealed to you as you pray.

Many other traumatic things can happen in our lives and forgiveness alone doesn't bring total healing. However, the pathway to move toward healing ways is to honestly acknowledge and repent of any reactions we personally need to own, and to begin to replace those thoughts. This allows us to move into and receive the comfort and compassion that our heavenly Father wants to give us.  The areas of trauma and abuse especially need to be addressed with a safe and compassionate counselor.

Why might a human sometimes need to recognize and repent from how one has withheld from God, and/or held against God? Obviously God can do absolutely no wrong. Yet sometimes we hold things against Him because life didn’t go the way we wanted or imagined. Sometimes the simple reality that life has been much harder than we expected can build a wall of distrust. I personally have experienced holding resentment toward God, admitting anger toward Him and needing to let go. Then, the healing can begin and freedom can flow.

Another area of forgiveness is toward ourselves. In intercession with others, I have seen a tendency to hold it against ourselves when our ministry doesn’t succeed the way we thought it should. Especially among full-time global workers, I have seen that when our children have difficult lives resulting from their own sinful choices, we sometimes tend to blame ourselves and/or God. As parents, we can fall under the weight of self-condemnation. This is a common area where we need to forgive ourselves. Obviously we need to take responsibility for our mistakes. But once they are confessed, the Lord forgives us and wants us to forgive ourselves and receive His forgiveness; not to walk in condemnation and guilt.

If our relationships are not right with others, it will be much harder to have an impact for the Kingdom. When we walk in woundedness and offense, we see life through a filter that is clouded. We have an enemy, Satan, who helps fuel our woundedness, pain, offense and self-pity. He would love for us to live from a victim spirit, inviting us to take offense at every turn.

Andrew Murray describes well these realities in "With Christ in the School of Prayer": 

"When God's forgiving love takes possession of our hearts, we live in love. God's forgiving nature, revealed to us in His love, becomes our nature...If great injury or injustice occurs, try first of all to assume a Godlike disposition. Avoid the sense of wounded honor, the desire to maintain your rights, and the need to punish the offender. Take the command literally: 'Even as Christ forgave, so also do you'.........Our forgiving love toward men is the evidence of God's forgiving love in us." In John 13: 34, 35 Jesus says: "A new commandment I give you that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  

We can advance God's kingdom by loving each other: through forgiveness, mercy, grace, compassion and love.

God births movements. We, as followers of Christ, need to become the kind of vessels whom God uses in order to partner with His Spirit for the launch of these movements.