How Would Jesus Speak to a Peruvian?

How do you attempt to evangelize someone who has been taught from infancy to worship and serve multiple false gods?  Religion seems to affect so many areas of life for the typical Peruvian, for to them, their very livelihood depends on their ability to satisfy various deities with offerings of service and goods.  How do we go about conveying to them that all of this is empty and wrong?  It feels impossible.

I was encouraged this morning, by my reading in John chapter 4, and an article by John Piper, "God Seeks People to Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth."

In John 4, Jesus is traveling through Samaria, a land of people very hostile to Jews and with beliefs decidedly different from theirs (they even had their own version of the Pentateuch).  He merely sat down at a well and asked a woman for help getting water, and from there, opportunity arose to not only share the gospel with her, but with many in the village.

I'm encouraged by the way that God used a simple request for help to open up conversation that led to weightier matters here.  Jesus often preached to large crowds, sharing the gospel in a way that I really could never see myself duplicating, but in this instance, the gospel went forth in a very unassuming way.

Jesus was obviously tuned in to her need from the very beginning of the interaction, and He did jump at the opportunity to help her.  And when it came down to it, He flat out told her that her beliefs were wrong!  As Piper put it, "When all our efforts to be gentle and sensitive and respectful of another person's religion are done, the time eventually comes when you have to say: Biblical worship is true worship and yours is false... [The Samaritan's] knowledge of God was deficient and so their worship was deficient.  And to tell them so was as loving as telling a person with lung cancer to stop smoking."

I am thankful for the reminder that God uses mundane interactions to establish relationships that point others to Christ, and that it is OK and even fruitful to lovingly point out error in another's beliefs and practices.  As Derek and I go to Cusco, we carry with us this same Christ who spoke boldly to the Samaritan woman, and like He did in John 4, we go to a people unknowingly engaged in false worship.  I pray for the boldness to sow seeds of truth as Christ did, and for faith to see the Spirit at work - whether it be in planting seeds or reaping a harvest.

Faith of the Support Raiser

I think one area of faith that can be difficult to accept, especially for a people pleaser like me, is accepting faith to believe that not only will God call those around me to take up their cross, but that He may want to use me to convict them of that.  It's one thing to accept that God wants me to step out in faith and trust Him to provide, but it's another to accept that God wants me to ask someone else to do this.  This infringes on the patriotic concept that everyone should pursue their own happiness and affluence, and only interact with others in such a way that promotes theirs.

Right now, God has called Derek and I to spread a vision for what God is doing in Peru, and part of that is inviting people to partner with us financially.  This should not be a scary thing, as it is merely an invitation extended to God's people to join in a work that He is doing--and He won't even lead everyone to do anything more than consider partnering with us.  However I find myself putting support raising in a box with door to door sales--probably about the last job in the world I would ever want to do.  God is working on my heart, though, and teaching me to trust HIS plan for me and for others.  All I must do is obey what He has called me to day by day, and trust that His best for me is part of a master plan that is His best for each of His children (not that each of His children should be doing what I do, but that what I have been called to do will affect my brothers and sisters in Christ in a way that is for their ultimate good as well).

The hardest times for me is when God directs us to extend an invitation for financial partnership with a family who I know has struggled financially on some level.  I feel so evil asking them to consider contributing to our future ministry in Peru.  But then I am reminded of how Paul described the giving of the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians 8:

And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.

As Paul pointed out, this church gave not despite their extreme poverty, but their generosity welled up out of their extreme poverty.  God gave them the grace to give generously and do so eagerly and joyfully.  If that's not an example of the gospel turning human wisdom on its head, then I don't know what is! 

So I must trust in this crazy upside-down sort of plan that God chooses to use sometimes.  His plan is best.  I must die to self and put myself out there when He asks me to.  And just pray that people won't hate us!  :/

"Spiritual Combustion"

In his article, "True Spirituality: The Transforming Power of the Gospel," Steven Childers wrote:

Repentance and faith have been called the two dynamics of a "spiritual combustion cycle" that God means to be at work in our hearts at all times, changing us into the image of his Son.  In order for us to experience the transforming power of the gospel in our lives, we must continually be repenting and believing in the gospel.  When this "spiritual combustion cycle" of ongoing repentance and faith is at work in the heart, there will be change.  When there is no true change in the heart and life, it is certain that this cycle of ongoing repentance and faith is not taking place.

This is one (of several) idea I felt convicted by during our week at Living in Grace.  I have always had negative feelings associated with repentance.  I'm sure this is because I don't like to admit my own guilt, and would rather remain "blissfully" "unaware" of it.  Can anyone relate?

The thing that is beginning to sink in for me, however, is that repentance is merely taking one step closer to God, becoming more like Christ.  It should be a positive experience.  Not a negative one.  God already knows about all of my sin.  Christ knows about it intimately, since he already felt all of the guilt for it on the cross.  Yes, I do have to recognize a sin in order to repent of it, but repentance is not a time for wallowing in guilt.  It's a time for confessing a sin, handing over my guilt to Christ, and then rejoicing in His work on the cross, and the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work in my life.  It is evidence of spiritual growth.  Christ came to earth to bear my sin and my guilty feelings alike so that when I come to the Father repenting of a sin, I can come to Him in humble victory through Christ.  And as Childers pointed out, I should be doing continually--constantly experiencing the transforming power of the gospel in my life. 

June Travels

The Dougherty family just returned from 17 days of travel including 6 plane flights, 8 hours of driving, 2 weddings, and a week of training.  All in all it was a wonderful trip, and Finn did spectacular.  We are so thankful!  Here's a recap with pictures:

Here we are headed to Phoenix for wedding # 1.  On the second flight we were fortunate enough to have an extra seat for Finn to stretch out on!  He sure was excited when we landed in Arizona!

Here I am with one of my best friends in the world, Corrie, rehearsing for our friend, Sam's wedding.  What a fun reunion with friends this wedding was!

Our next destination was the living in Grace week at Ridge Haven in North Carolina.  Here we are with the awesome group of fellow missionaries.  Yes, I'm the fluorescent one.

While Derek and I went to meetings, which were fantastic I might add, Finn got to hang out with his Aunt Christy, Granna, and Bobby (my sister, mom, and dad came up to help with Finn each on different days so that we could attend the meetings)  Finn also went swimming for the first time ever.

At the end of our first week of travel, Finn was worn out.

 

Our next destination was Franklin, NC, where we got to spend a week of just enjoying time with my family.  Finn got to meet his Great Granny for the first time.  He also got spoiled by lots of time with his aunts, uncle, and grandparents.

Here are some of Finn's sleeping arrangements while we traveled:

Our next trip involved driving from one end of North Carolina to the other for my sister, Kelly's wedding in New Bern.  While in New Bern we enjoyed more fun times with family and friends.

Finn plays with his Bobby in the hotel.

Here we are at the rehearsal dinner.

We enjoyed spending time with our good friends Kevin and Stephanie.

Sister pictures!

Finn getting some love from the bride to be!

Lion King or Titanic?

Hanging out with Dad at the hotel.  Finn discovered that he enjoys TV...

 

 Congratulations to Kelly and Matt!

Prayer

I have been so challenged by the book, "Prayer, Asking and Receiving" by John R. Rice.  I read it when I was in high school and as a result began praying much more effectively, seeing regular immediate results, and gaining a great joy through praying to my Father often.  Since that time I know that my prayer life has slackened, and so I decided to pick this book up again recently and again I am so challenged by it.

I am not sure that I agree with everything in this book - that's how radical it is.  But regardless, I would recommend for any serious Christ follower to read it and consider how they pray.

When I close a prayer by saying, "In Jesus Name," do I really mean that I believe Jesus Christ, Himself would ask the Father for the very thing that I have asked and that I will therefore receive it?  Should I?

Do I really believe that "whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If ye ask anything in my name I will do it." ?

How often I pray without really expecting a result because I am praying for my own gain instead of the Fathers glory, I am praying without claiming promises in scripture, or I am just going through motions and not really speaking to God at all!

I desire that my prayer life might bring glory to God, further His kingdom on earth, and again result in my great joy.  If you desire this as well, I would recommend reading this book.  And if you do, I'd love to discuss it with you!

- Laura

Finn is Here!

Finnegan Samuel Dougherty, born February 7th weighing 8lb 3 oz.  

He is such a sweet little snuggle bug!

Ministry a Mercy

Several weeks ago I listened to a Piper sermon on prayer, which of course was very good and challenging, and among other things was struck by the call to pray through scripture.  Piper highlighted the value of choosing a chapter of the Bible and praying everything that can be prayed with regard to it from the first verse to the last.  I have, in the past, prayed particular passages which seem to lend themselves to prayer--passages that were in fact written as a prayer.  But the idea of praying through any passage that I happen to be reading was new and inspirational to me, so I decided that I would do it. 

This morning, weeks later, I finally gave it a shot.  But I only made it through one verse.  I have been reading through 2 Corinthians, and this morning I dutifully read chapters 4-5, stopping to think about a verse here or there as I went, but when I got to the end there didn't seem to be any lightning bolts hitting me as I'd read these chapters many times before (as evidenced by the highlighting in my Bible).  I sat and thought about what more I needed to do in order to come away from my time in the scripture with something poignant--something that would have consequence on my life this day--when the idea of praying through a passage resurfaced in my memory.  So I turned back to the beginning of chapter 4 and gave it a whirl.

2 Corinthians 4:1 says, "Therefore since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart."  I began to pray, thanking God for bestowing His mercy on me in granting that I have a ministry.  Then I stopped and re-read the verse.  Was Paul actually saying that his ministry was an act of God's mercy toward him??  I had never noticed the word "mercy" used that way before.  In meditating on this first verse, I came to see ministry--working toward kingdom purposes--not just as a duty or even a mere privilege, but as a MERCY of God.  It is God's mercy--His compassion--toward me--that causes Him to call me into ministry.  Not being allowed to minister in God's kingdom would constitute my deserving punishment - but He shows me mercy.  This has so many implications...

1. Choosing to live for my own purposes is choosing punishment over God's mercy.
2. When I choose to veer away from a ministry opportunity that God has for me, I am neglecting God's mercy and choosing punishment.  
3. When I make my "good deeds" a mere duty by doing them just because I'm supposed to rather than as a joyful response to His love, I neglect God's mercy and choose punishment.  
4.  When I boldly invite fellow believers to join me in ministry, I invite them to experience God's mercy with me.
5.  The fact that I have been granted a ministry says nothing of my own ability or merit, but speaks only of God's mercy and ability to use vessels deserving of punishment for kingdom purposes.
6. As Paul concluded in the second half of verse one, since it is God who has mercifully granted me this ministry, any opposition or barriers that I face should not cause me to lose heart.  To receive opposition as defeat would be to make the ministry a mere means to an end rather than an acceptance of God's mercy--a joyous response to His love.*

*I realize of course that God sometimes uses barriers to our ministry to show us that it is no longer His plan for us to pursue that particular ministry.  In my conclusions here, I assume the continued spurring on of the Holy Spirit toward the ministry at hand.