DMM Mindset, No Matter the Existential Crisis

 DMM Mindset, No Matter the Existential Crisis

 

When you consider how the Father has met you as you have now moved into pocket, among your Unreached People Group Cluster, in what ways has the Holy Spirit ministered to your heart? (Ok, Rhonda, I was just sending you a quick hello, not a back-and-forth dialogue, Kim says to self!)

 

Here is the answer I would give for me...while on brief Home Assignment till end of March, the book of Daniel is what I feel I need to dig into more deeply. I take great comfort to see this written in a context of seclusionary exile over a span of 69 years of isolation from the life and people with whom he belonged. (R, is that a real phrase or did you create that term "seclusionary exile"? After all, to be secluded could be the consequence of exile, but not necessarily so!) Back to the matter at hand. Over the process of exile, Daniel chose obedience to God while being forcibly compelled to serve under a succession of despotic kings. From what the Holy Spirit inspired Daniel to record, he writes of one who tethers himself unmitigatedly to the sovereignty of God Almighty. 

 

I have been thinking a lot lately about the dreams, visions, the time in the Word as Daniel had memorized from youth, times in intercession and fasting, along with ways in which these patterns formed him into the vessel of God's pleasure. Lengthy alone times were on his daily menu. To move from having circumstances seemingly imposed upon us which feels like confining isolation, is actually a huge gift to our hearts to choose to spend lengthy times in God's chamber. I love how this life reflects the reality of both "being" in Christ, as well as "doing" as keys to bringing God glory.  

 

With this backdrop, when COVID hit Lombok in March, Sp and I were ear-to- the- heart of the Father, steeped in listening prayer with our local partners, ramped up in corporate strategic prayer with other partners. In the last few months, we praise God that we are seeing newer households multiply into baptized followers among our most immediate UPG of 3 in our area. The other 2 UPGs have been limping along due to the local partner teams not having key catalytic types among them and honestly, the life-on-life pieces of MAWL. Bad habits can run deep in each of our hearts. Certainly, we have seen some of the more distant teams pulled back into focus on the few bits of fruit versus cultivation of eyes and heart to be set on harvest of much reproducing fruit. 

 

This speaks to the joy of hearing that you and your team are on site among your UPG cluster of focus. Though the length of time is varied in the efforts of apostolic bands, as to each region of Jesus’ journey and apostles, they were doing life on life, and launching movements to Christ. With us on site in among the UPG Clusters of the Lord’s leading, the significance of constant MAWL and coaching is key to helping them to shift to listening to and trusting the HS to lead and transform hearts in a process.

Then, we arrived back for a short home assignment in America. Since returning in mid-December, we have had interestingly great interactions with our sending teams of individuals and fellowships. But then, we have also seen the stirring up of hearts who are not choosing to be set on God's sovereign hand. The fruit of fear eating alive the heart of the follower is to keep one not engaged in His purposes in making reproducing disciple-makers in one's spheres. Fear's end game in the hands of the enemy of our souls is always to cripple, to debilitate, to annihilate any semblance of living a reproducing worthy life. In short, to rob God of the glory due His name. 

 

I have been reflecting upon the counsel of a dear DMM movement brother Shadonke, who coached us through how his movement leaders and he approached an Ebola response with DMM mindset in his region of Africa back in 2011-2013. 

  

Shodonke writes, 

 

1.  Fear is the most crippling of enemies which the Enemy of our souls will use if given opportunity. 

2.  God’s people need to move toward crisis, not away from it.

3.  Worship as warfare

4.  Prayed fervently, consistently

5.  Intentionality in unity

· Spirit led-directed unity-to practice listening together to hear and obey together-Acts 15:28 

6.  Educated themselves in phases of trauma response

7.  Served in the hard places, lost many

8.  Tracking of DMM process having been in place gave us End Vision intentionality. 

Shodankeh and his Movement Leaders had seen massive reproducing of multiple generations of new followers in households prior to the Ebola outbreak. At the time of and in the immediate couple of years ensuing, the multiplication of these Discovery Groups coming to follow into forming house fellowships declined by 95%. The DMM catalysts, local generational leaders were re-purposed to serve in practical ways during this time. This actually gave them great beach heads for future harvest in formerly closed radical communities, who remembered that there were Isa (Jesus) followers who served and loved them in their hard losses and painful places. They were so moved by the gospel and the messengers that they were softened to the gospel in future years. 

The beautiful weaving of being and doing in the name of Jesus is seen here. Social gospel without the power of the gospel is good works which glorify the do-er. For God’s glory, the both “doing” and “being” the gospel of Jesus with clearly spoken reasons of the “do-er” being a Jesus follower and obeying his lead, brings glory to God alone, not man.   

 

Take the strategic long view in short term response to crisis.

 

Kimberly, I did not mean this to turn into a teach you moment. I wanted to share here what has been inspiring as we have been back for this time in a land awash with blessing, which is also flush with choosing to be carried away by the "spirit of the age". In Daniel, I see great reminders of steadfast confidence in God Almighty, no matter the existential crisis of the year, or, in his case the 69 years. 

 

May the Lord give you and War and your team an increase of knowledge, insight and wisdom in these times. And may the kingdom of reproducing groups of those who love and obey J be increased among your focus folks. 

 

Blessings, Rhonda A.  (R Nyman)