Raising funds for your salary is often a necessity in ministry work. However, we must not forget that support raising, although necessary, is as much a spiritual work as serving at your church, praying fervently, or reading your Bible. These all take a little bit of discipline and a lot of the Holy Spirit. Each of these gives us the greatest joy when done with the right heart, but can quickly spiral into legalism and shame if we are not careful.
Everyone has a place and role in the Great Commission. God wants to use you for beautiful things! Here are some things you can do right now to start reaching the nations whoever you are, wherever you are.
What works against you in grasping Christ's love for you? When I think about this question, my answers create a long list, sadly. My sin, fear of rejection, not being good enough, not being faithful enough, being a burden, seeing and experiencing broken relationships, feelings of shame.
During my time with Cafe 1040 in Europe, our group navigated the city through a "buddy system," ensuring no one ventured out alone. When a teammate sought a companion for a rendezvous with a girl she had met at a local Korean Festival, I volunteered without hesitation, completely unaware of what God would do from this encounter.
With November in our midst, Cafe 1040 embarks on its annual year-end campaign. This year, we have invited various pastors and ministers from churches connected to Cafe 1040 to help us Draw Near to Christ with our key verse. We have new podcast episodes, an Advent Guide, and a playlist coming soon. Stay tuned for all of this throughout November and December as we strive to Draw Near and Send Far.
There are many ways to utilize your skills and serve God intentionally and internationally. We want to highlight some of these definitions and companies as they might help you understand how your current career path, whatever it may be, can be used by God in an overseas context. God is doing neat things overseas and we want to provide an opportunity for you to hear how He may be wanting to use you!
Raising funds for your salary is often a necessity in ministry work. However, we must not forget that support raising, although necessary, is as much a spiritual work as serving at your church, praying fervently, or reading your Bible. These all take a little bit of discipline and a lot of the Holy Spirit. Each of these gives us the greatest joy when done with the right heart, but can quickly spiral into legalism and shame if we are not careful.
For the past four years now, Cafe 1040’s staff has paused their usual work routines for a week of prayer and fasting. Join us to gain insight into what we are discerning from the Father, and unite with us in prayerful anticipation for the days ahead. This year’s theme was “Journey into Hope”, and we are reading Joshua 1-4.
Ramadan across the Muslim world is a time of commemorating the revelation of the Qu'ran. For a whole month, Muslims abstain from food, water, and other indulgences from sun up to sun down. It is said to be a time for cultivating a deeper relationship with Allah and refocusing on becoming a better Muslim man or woman. I have now been overseas for 3 Ramadan seasons, and each year I have felt the weight of this season more and more.
Since coming to Europe, I’ve become a bit of a runner. It began with working toward the goal of running a 10k by the end of the summer and has been used by the Father to teach me so much more. My team begins each run by reading Hebrews 12:1-2, and a few weeks ago, the phrase “fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ” struck me in a new way.
Of all the ways Paul might’ve wrapped up this passage, that wasn’t the “bow” I expected the first time I read it. Up to this point in Romans, Paul has explained and emphasized the Gospel message. But now, he turns to the role of the Gospel messengers. And in this passage, the most notable characteristic of those messengers is their beautiful feet.
I asked her, "What do you think God wants you to do?" She replied, "God is the one who will move." I said, "Yes, but Jesus has commanded us to go and make disciples of all people groups. So we need people to go to the places where there are no followers!" She responded, "Yes, God will send His people. His plans are good."
Romans 10:14-15 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
At that moment, I felt alone in my fear. I don't even know how I would have voiced what I was feeling to my group, but that wasn't the issue. It was the fear of moving forward. Without anyone else knowing this internal mess inside me, it was then how much I felt seen by the Father. He was the one to move my feet another step.
Now I had adequate experience with riding a bike back home, so I wasn’t too worried about biking every day to where we would need to go, so I began to champion the idea of disgust in my mind with one of pride and underestimation of how horrible this bike was. I thought, “I can totally ride this heap of junk”. But as I began to get on it, I quickly learned Excalibur would be the most significant tool in my experience of humility.
