Given

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV) - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

May the divine peace of the Prince of Peace fill you and your family this Christmas season.

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Pachacutec

On Sunday afternoon about 80 of us from FRC-Lima visited the shantytown of Pachacutec, Peru. Pachacutec is a place of extreme poverty in the sand dunes about the Pacific Ocean, about 90 minutes north of our cinema church. There are about 300,000 people that live in the shantytown of Pachacutec. Many of them come to Lima from the provinces of Peru, in search of a better life, but quickly find themselves trapped, without any job hopes or money, and they wind up in a place like Pachacutec.

We brought chicken, french fries, soda, and Christmas gifts to our friends in Pachacutec. There had to be close to 1,000 people there, and we didn't even promote the visit beforehand! Many of the people that we serve in Pachacutec only eat chicken when we bring it, and the Christmas gifts that we gave out will be the only Christmas gifts that many of them receive this year.

Serving nearly 1,000 people in a shantytown can be quite chaotic, and at times it reminds me of the scene in Matthew 9:36 (NIV), when Jesus "saw the crowds, (and) had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

Just like in Pachacutec.

It was a long and arduous afternoon, but also a time of great blessing for us, as we were able to be the hands and feet of Jesus to nearly 1,000 of the least of our brothers and sisters in the Peruvian shantytown of Pachacutec.

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Settling

Thomas Merton once said, "The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little."

What are you settling for in your life and/or ministry?

Why?

Hold out for more.

Set the bar higher.

It'll make a big difference in what you can accomplish.

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Time & Attention

On Saturday afternoon we visited a girls' orphanage that we support in Lima. 27 girls live there between the ages of 4 and 20. We had a Christmas party for all the girls featuring traditional Peruvian fruitcake - a Christmas delicacy here - and hot chocolate, plus our church youth put on a great Christmas show, and of course we had a ton of early Christmas gifts for all of the girls as well.

The Christmas party and the food and the show and the gifts were all a blast, but as I look back on Saturday afternoon I think that the best part of the whole day was when we were just sitting around, talking, playing, and hanging out with all 27 of our young friends. This casual social contact seemed to be just as important to the girls as the food and the gifts and the show. We were all very happy to bless the girls with all of those things, but we were even happier to be able to bless all of them with our time and our attention. And we were even more greatly blessed by them as a result.

Your time and your attention. These are two gifts that are both priceless and free for you to give to others this Christmas season.

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Rabbi Jesus

A great book to read is "Sitting At The Feet Of Rabbi Jesus: How The Jewishness Of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith" by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.

It can be easy for us to forget that Jesus was a first-century rabbi, and reading this book helps us to better understand the history, culture, customs, traditions, beliefs, prayers, and feasts of Jesus and other first-century Jews, and the role that they all played in His ministry and His teachings.

This book puts you right into the first-century Jewish world of Jesus. You read about how Jesus' parables would have sounded to his Jewish listeners of that day and age, and you'll learn more about the conversations and debates of the day that Jesus and other rabbis were having.

It's always important to remember the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and this book does a great job of examining those roots and the role they played in the life and ministry of Rabbi Jesus.

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Send Me!

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) says, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'"

God is looking to send people all over the world in order to change it.

Will you be one of them?

God wants you to be a worldchanger.

Don't be afraid when God sends you to do His work.

Be willing to go for Him.

Tell God, "Here am I. Send me!"

Then just watch how He uses you, and what incredible things will happen!

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Blessed To Bless

On Sunday afternoon we visited the Lima Children's Hospital, & it was a time of great blessing.

The LCH is an old, very humble hospital that is greatly understaffed & understocked. We truly admire all of the doctors, nurses, & others who tirelessly toil there under some very challenging conditions. The LCH had a dire need for many basic items, & we were privileged to be able to donate tons of soap, shampoo, combs, brushes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, and towels to them.

We had a ball w/ all of the young patients there. Many of them were in extremely grave condition, & we were honored to be able to spend a few minutes w/ them, hang out w/ them, love on them, pray w/ them & for them, & brighten their faces w/ some early Christmas gifts for all of them.

The next time you are very inwardly focused on all of your own personal troubles in your life, visit a children's hospital near you.

Many people thought that we blessed all of the children @ the LCH on Sunday afternoon but, truth be told, they blessed us even more.

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Change

Max Lucado has written, "Change is a necessary part of God's strategy. To use us to change the world, He alters our assignments."

Are you becoming stagnant in your life or church or ministry?

Are you becoming too comfortable in your life or church or ministry?

Perhaps it is time for a change.

Most people fear change, because it implies moving into an unknown realm. That fills many people with fear, instead of faith.

If, however, God is nudging your heart to make a change in your life or your church or your ministry work, then do not fear. God told Abraham to change, and to leave his country, his people, and his father's household, and God promised Abraham that he would be blessed and all the peoples on earth would be blessed through him.

And all because Abraham was willing to make a change.

Be like Abraham. Do not fear when God is calling you to make a change. Embrace it. When the change is a part of God's strategy for you and your life, then He will confirm it, and He also will resource it with whatever you need.

God wants to use you to change the world, so don't be afraid when He alters your assignment.

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The Least

On Sunday afternoon we threw a huge Christmas party for more than 1,000 extremely impoverished children and their families in San Martin de Porres, Lima, Peru.

There was a Christmas show for the children, complete with music, dance, games, prizes, and superhero appearances, and then afterward everyone received hot chocolate and a huge wedge of "paneton", which is a delicious Peruvian fruitcake that everyone adores here.

The 1,000 kids and their parents all had a blast.

So did we.

The 1,000 kids and their parents all were greatly blessed.

So were we.

We were able to spend a Sunday afternoon with over 1,000 of "the least", as Jesus said, and in the end we were blessed even more than they were.

Who are you blessing this Christmas season?

Hands & Feet

Our Christmas series in Lima, Peru, this year is called "Hands & Feet." We are going to be the "Hands & Feet" of Jesus Christ to the world this Christmas season, in Lima, in all of Peru, and around the world as well.

We are basing our Christmas series on Jesus' words in Matthew 25:35-40, where He says that anytime that we feed the hungry, or give drink to the thirsty, or invite a stranger in, or clothe the naked, or look after the sick, or visit the imprisoned, it is as if we are doing it for Him as well.

How will you reach the world around you this Christmas season?

Will you be the "Hands & Feet" of Jesus as well?

We invite you to do so - to be the "Hands & Feet" of Jesus this Christmas season, no matter where in the world you are.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA, a national holiday set aside to thank God for all of His bountiful provision and blessings bestowed upon us in the past year.

While Thanksgiving is primarily an American and Canadian holiday, the purpose behind the special day is something that we all should embrace today, no matter our nationality and no matter where in the world we are doing church or ministry.

Psalm 100:4 (NIV) - "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."

What can you be thankful for today?

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Christmas Traditions

Today is November 24, and in Peru that means that people are putting up their Christmas trees and lights today and tomorrow.

In Peru, you see, the tradition is to put up the Christmas tree and lights exactly one month before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve is actually a bigger holiday in Peru than Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, families gather together and have a large dinner and open gifts at midnight. Turkey and "paneton" - which is Peruvian fruitcake - are two of the staples of any Peruvian Christmas Eve feast.

Peruvian fruitcake ("paneton"), by the way, is very popular and is happily received by everyone as a great Christmas gift. This is the exact opposite of the way it is in the USA, where fruitcake is generally received quite unenthusiastically as a gift, and then frequently is re-gifted or used as a doorstop.

In Peru, you can find pens of live turkeys on street corners in the days leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. You go up to the pen, pick out a bird, it gets slaughtered, and - voila! - there's your Christmas Eve dinner! The street corner pens are like a Death Row for turkeys at Christmastime in Peru.

What are the local Christmas traditions wherever in the world that you are doing church or ministry?

How can you embrace them and celebrate them as a means to lead others to know the real meaning of Christmas?

Preaching Without Words

St. Francis of Assisi once said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."

James 2:26 (NIV) says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Do others know you as a Christ follower just because of your words, or also because of your deeds?

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words.

So is a single deed.

Learn to preach the Gospel without using any words.

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He Shoots, He Scores!

National Hockey League legend Wayne Gretzky - also known as "The Great Gretzky" - once said, "You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

A hockey player said this, not a pastor or a ministry leader, but Wayne Gretzky might just as well have been in a pulpit, instead of on ice, when he made this "Great" commentary.

What shots do you need to take in your church or ministry? Are you afraid to do so? Why?

No shots on net means no goals, and no goals means no victories.

Start shooting, start scoring, and start winning.

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Critics

The next time someone criticizes you, or dumps all over your church or your ministry or your efforts to bear much fruit and to lead multitudes to the feet of Christ, remember this quote from former US President Theodore Roosevelt:

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again (but) ... who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

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Talking & Doing

Walt Disney once said, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

Solomon once said, "All hard work brings profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."

Where is your focus these days - on talking or doing?

Are you in the game, or only offering commentary on the sidelines?

Get off of the sidelines.

Get into the game.

Begin doing!

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Impossible

Walt Disney once said, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

I don't know that Disney necessarily intended a spiritual underpinning to his statement, but indeed he was on to something.

In Genesis 18:14 (NIV), when God tells Abraham and Sarah that she will become pregnant soon, despite the fact that she's about 90 years old, and they laugh at the notion, God replies, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

In Luke 1:37 (NIV), when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the savior of the world, Gabriel also remarked, "For nothing is impossible with God."

In Luke 18:27 (NIV), Jesus says, "Nothing is impossible with God."

What impossibilities are you up against today in your church or ministry?

By adopting the positivity of Walt Disney, and with a faith that can move mountains, you will see the impossible become possible.

Because nothing is impossible with God.

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Church

A church is not a museum for saints.

A church is a hospital for sinners.

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Crisis

In the Chinese language, the word "crisis" is spelled by using two very different characters.

The first Chinese character that is used is for the word "danger."

The second Chinese character that is used is for the word "opportunity."

Crisis = Danger + Opportunity.

Do you see it the same way?

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Competition & Comparison

As your church or ministry grows and impacts more and more people, you're going to make a startling discovery:

Not everyone will be celebrating your success with you.

And I'm talking about other pastors and Christian ministry leaders here.

Unfortunately, as we have found out here in Peru as well as in the USA, and as many of you have learned all around the world, the church is full of envy and jealousy and pride and comparison and competition.

If you discover that you are having more success than another church or ministry, then you run the risk of being filled with pride.

If you discover that you are having less success than another church or ministry, then you run the risk of being filled with jealousy and envy.

Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message) warns against this when it says, "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life."

We're all supposed to be on the same team here.

Stop comparing and competing with other churches and ministries. Always be on the lookout for competition, comparison, pride, envy, and jealousy creeping into your soul. They threaten to serve as the deadly weeds which will choke the life out of your church or ministry.

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Pay Attention

In the past few months in Lima, hundreds of pedestrians have been hit by cars and buses while crossing the city's congested streets. The problem is that pedestrians now pay more attention to their cell phone, BlackBerry, iPod, iTouch, or MP3, than they do to oncoming traffic. Then they get hit.

There have been dozens of deaths in Lima in recent months, all because pedestrians were not paying attention.

Are you paying attention to what's going on around you?

Hebrews 2:1 (NIV) says, "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away."

I don't think that Paul wrote this as he was crossing a street in Lima, Peru, but he might as well have been. His exhortation for us to pay attention here - to the gospel message - is something that we also can embrace on a wider level.

Pay attention to those around you. Pay attention to your communities. Pay attention to the unreached wherever you are in the world. Pay attention to what God is doing in your part of the world, and join it. Pay attention to what the enemy is trying to do to trip you up, and avoid it.

Pay attention all around you, so that you and your church and ministry do not drift away!

Accounting

Jeffry Picower, age 67, was found dead on Sunday at the bottom of the pool at his oceanside, multi-million-dollar mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, one of the most exclusive communities in all of the USA.

Picower had made $7 billion off of the investment schemes hatched by now-jailed-for-life financial manager Bernard Madoff. Picower was considered the fraud's biggest beneficiary, and had been considered one of the richest men in the entire world.

Now he's dead.

And not a dollar's worth of his money went with him.

Romans 14:12 (NIV), "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."

What will your account be like?

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William Shakespeare & The Bible

Was William Shakespeare involved in the translation of the King James Version of the Bible?

The KJV was first published in 1611, when Shakespeare was 46 years old and near the end of his prolific life. He would die 5 years later in 1616.

Because of Shakespeare's literary prowess, and given the fact that the KJV was published in England during his lifetime, there have always been rumors and conjecture that Shakespeare may have been involved in the translation of the KJV.

Psalm 46 may provide a clue.

Remember that Shakespeare would have been 46 years old when the KJV was first published.

Now look at Psalm 46, verses 3 and 9, in the KJV.

Psalm 46:3 contains the word "shake."

Psalm 46:9 contains the word "spear."

Some people believe that Shakespeare was involved in the KJV, and that he deliberately snuck those two words into Psalm 46:3 and Psalm 46:9 to put his signature on the work.

Is it true?

I have no idea.

But it makes for a fascinating coincidence, if nothing else!

Twitter

You now may also follow me on Twitter:

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A Multi-Site Church Road Trip

There's another great book out that I want to recommend to you, especially if you're involved with church plants or multi-site church campuses on a national or an international level.

The new book - hot off the presses this month - is called "A Multi-Site Church Road Trip." It's written by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird.

The book details how "the multi-site church movement is changing the shape of the church" and how this "has become the 'new normal' for growing churches." The multi-site churches described in the book "are broadening their options for evangelism, service, and outreach - while making better use of their ministry funds."

The book also has a whole chapter entitled "Going Global" which details how it is now possible "for a church to have a campus in another country thousands of miles away, and many churches are developing a stronger level of missionary partnership in the process."

Warren Bird interviewed me for the "Going Global" chapter in the book, so there's lots of information about our FRC multi-site church campus here in Lima, Peru, and how we make it all work despite being thousands of miles away from the USA.

If you have gone multi-site, or if you are thinking about doing so, then this book is a must-read.

Money, Money, Money

As an international church in Lima, Peru, we have members from all over South America, North America, Europe, and Asia. Last Sunday we saw further evidence of the internationality of our church, as we received tithes and offerings in four different currencies: Peruvian soles, US dollars, British pounds, and Euros, too!

Receiving tithes and offerings in multiple currencies is a blessing, and this also presents us with an education opportunity.

For instance, we have learned that when going to exchange money into local currency, the best exchange rates tend to be with the authorized money changers on the streets of Lima. The currency exchange kiosks at the airport tend to charge the highest fees and commissions, and tend to offer the least generous exchange rates, and the local banks here are not much better. The authorized money changers on the streets, at least in Lima, offer the best exchange rates for US dollars, British pounds, and Euros.

This issue is very important to bear in mind, particularly if you are part of an international church or ministry that is involved with multiple currencies. Do not automatically assume that a bank or an airport exchange kiosk will offer you the best exchange rate. In fact, they probably will not. You may have more success on the street, if such money changers exist wherever it is that you are doing church or ministry.

As part of our responsibility to be faithful stewards of all that God has entrusted to us, it is important for us to always be cognizant of where we can get the best return rate on God's money when we are exchanging His currencies.

In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day

One of the best books that I've read in recent months is "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day" by Pastor Mark Batterson.

Batterson is the pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, USA. NCC is a multisite church that meets in cinemas located at metro stops in the Washington area. It's kind of cool to read a book by another pastor who does church in a cinema.

Batterson's book tells the reader "how to survive and thrive when opportunity roars." Batterson asks the reader, "What if the life you really want, and the future God wants for you, is hiding right now in your biggest problem, your worst failure ... your greatest fear?"

Batterson's book is based on 2 Samuel 23:20-21, when a valiant warrior named Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit on a snowy day and killed the great beast.

Most people don't chase lions.

Most people are chased by lions instead.

Sometimes that makes all the difference between success and failure in life and in ministry.

Who or what are the lions in your life and ministry?

Start chasing those lions, instead of them chasing you!

The Beggar & The BMW

BMW makes a great automobile, but there are times when I wonder about some of the people driving them.

Like today.

This morning, Dorcas and I were stopped at a red light in downtown Lima. Just ahead of us was a large blue BMW sedan. A wonderful car. Just ahead of the BMW was a beggar, a man that we know, a man with no arms. Zero arms. He spends his days by going from car to car, begging for spare change, and asking people to drop the coins directly into his shirt pocket.

As we watched the armless man go from car to car ahead of us, we saw some people drop coins into his shirt pocket. Taxi drivers, in particular, seemed to be very sympathetic and generous.

Then the man approached the driver of the BMW, a car which probably costs more money than the beggar will ever see in his entire life.

As the beggar approached the driver's side window, the man piloting the BMW refused to even acknowledge him.

The driver just kept staring ahead. He didn't roll down his window, he didn't give the beggar any money, he didn't even shake his head to say no to him.

He just kept staring ahead, ignoring the man.

This reminds me of the story of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31.

The rich man apparently ignored the beggar Lazarus for his entire life, and then, from hell, saw Lazarus resting comfortably at Abraham's side.

The rich man faced an eternity in agony, while Lazarus faced an eternity in comfort.

The rich man had lived a life full of the finest luxuries that his world could offer. Maybe he even drove a BMW, too.

But he ignored the beggar Lazarus, to his eternal regret.

The driver of the car today in Lima could have been operating a BMW or a Mercedes or an Audi or a Porsche or a Hummer.

It is not his car that matters.

It is his heart.

Who are you ignoring today? Who is it that makes you feel uncomfortable? Who is it that you are trying to avoid?

Be careful. In doing so, you may be missing an opportunity to show the love of Christ to someone.

And someday soon, be it here on earth or later in eternity, you may regret it.

French Fries

There's a great hamburger franchise here in Lima called Bembo's. My wife, Dorcas, & I go there a lot & we love it. Where else can you get a jungle-style hamburger with a fried egg and a grilled banana on it?

One time Dorcas & I were at Bembo's and we saw a father & son approach the counter. The father ordered a small burger & fries for his son, who was probably about 5 years old, & nothing for himself.

The order soon arrived, & the father & son went & sat at a booth. The son tore into the burger & fries with gusto.

After a moment, the father asked the son if he could have a one french fry.

The little boy got a very mean look on his little face, said no, & then placed his hands over his french fries as if to keep them away from his father!

It was an amusing scene, to say the least.

But then I had a thought:

Don't we do the same thing with God?

God gave us everything. God gave us our health, our physical strength, our talents, our income, our home, our car, our food, our hamburgers, & even our french fries.

And then God asks us to give Him 10% back, in the form of a tithe.

And usually we say no.

It has been reported that only about 3% of people who call themselves Christians in the USA actually tithe to their local church.

Only 3%!

That means that only 3% of USA Christians are willing to give God a french fry.

The other 97% are saying no to God, & covering their fries with their hands.

I believe that the percentages are probably about the same all around the world.

So which camp are you in?

Are you giving God a fry, or are you covering your fries with your hands?

God made the french fries, & gave you the money to buy them, and could knock you out & forcefully take all of your fries from you if He wanted to do so.

But He doesn't want to do so.

He wants you to be cheerfully & voluntarily willing to give Him a fry.

Will you do so?

Will you give God a fry?

Or are you still covering them all up with your hands?

Circumstances

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist. He also was a Holocaust survivor.

Frankl wrote a book about his experiences as a concentration camp inmate. It was entitled "Man's Search for Meaning."

In the book, Frankl observed, "Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

Remember: Frankl wrote these words as a concentration camp inmate. His wife, his parents, and several other family members were all killed in the Holocaust. Only he and his sister survived.

Frankl's impactful words remind me somewhat of those of Paul in Philippians 4:11-12 (NIV), when he states, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances ... I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation ...."

Frankl may or may not have been content in his concentration camp situation, but he guarded his attitude, even in such a horrific set of circumstances. That much he was able to choose.

How's your attitude these days?

It's unlikely that you are reading this post from inside a concentration camp but, even so, you may be struggling with your circumstances and your attitude.

Draw stength from the words of Paul and Viktor Frankl. Both men found themselves witnesses to some of the most vile examples of evil in the history of mankind, yet both men wrote about how they were able to rise above their horrifying situations.

You must similarly choose your own way.

This is one choice that is yours, and yours alone, to make.

It is the one freedom that can never be taken away from you.

Treat it as such.

Masks

Halloween is still four weeks away, but this Sunday we are giving out masks to everyone who attends our services in Lima, Peru.

This Sunday's teaching deals with how we need to be more transparent in our relationship with Christ, as well as in our relationships with others, and so we will be handing out masks to all attendees, and then encouraging them at the end of the services to come forward and to nail their masks to the cross, as a symbol of future relationship transparency in their lives, as well as in their spiritual walks.

What mask are you wearing today that you must take off?

How can you be more transparent in your church, in your ministry, in your relationships, and in your life?

We Got A Great Big Convoy

My wife, Dorcas, and her mother, Miriam, recently attended a wedding in Chimbote, Peru, a port city which is about a 6-hour bus ride north of Lima.

Dorcas and Miriam left and returned safely, thankfully, although after they returned the Peru TV news was filled with stories of armed robberies of the buses that travel between Lima and Chimbote and back. Packs of armed robbers, sometimes as many as 15 strong, shoot out the bus tires and then rob everyone on board.

In order to thwart this crime, Peruvian bus companies have banded together, and now have all their buses travel together from Lima to Chimbote and back in a convoy, one bus after another.

The philosophy of the bus companies is that there is strength in numbers, and that it is far more difficult to attack a convoy of buses than it is to attack a solitary bus.

It's the same way in church and ministry, no matter where you are located in this big world. Many times, for reasons normally related to independence or self-sufficiency or lack of trust or fear of delegation, we try to go at church or ministry by ourselves, in a solitary fashion, and usually with bad results.

God has placed the people around you for a purpose. Work together with them and see how much more you - all of you - can accomplish together, as opposed to just one person trying to do it all.

God made you for community, and He made your community so that together it can accomplish enormous things for His kingdom.

Don't do life, church, or ministry by yourself.

Build a team.

Build a community.

Get a great big convoy going.

See how much more you will accomplish together.

The Bishop

Last night in Lima we were privileged to be part of a small gathering of local pastors who met with Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, a wonderful, God-blessed church located in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

At the meeting, Pastor Cymbala presented a DVD called "The Miracle of Hope." It is the story of a trip by Pastor Cymbala and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

The DVD features interviews with several prisoners, including those on death row, who have come to know Christ while in prison. One of the prisoners featured in the DVD was nicknamed The Bishop. He was imprisoned for 52 years - 52 years! - before being released in 2007 when he was more than 70 years old. The Bishop had spent practically his entire life in prison before being released into the custody of Pastor Cymbala and the Brooklyn Tabernacle church, where he now attends and serves.

The Bishop's incredible story reminded me that we must never give up on any person. The Bishop was imprisoned for 52 years, but God never forgot about him, and God never gave up on him, when he was serving all those long years in Angola. It's a little bit like the story of Moses, who killed an Egyptian, fled the scene of the crime, and hid out and tended sheep for his father-in-law for 40 years before God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land.

Never give up on anyone that you are doing church, ministry, or life with, no matter how recalcitrant he or she may be. He or she may wind up being like The Bishop, finding God and serving Him while in prison, and then continuing to serve Him after being set free. Or he or she may be like Moses. You never know. But don't give up on those persons like The Bishop in your life. God hasn't. Neither should you.

7 Deadly Sins & 7 Modern Sins

Last night I was invited to the opening of a new photography exhibition here in Lima which focuses on the 7 Deadly Sins & 7 Modern Sins. The photographer attends our church.

Most people are familiar with the 7 Deadly Sins, but just in case you need a refresher course, they are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath (anger), envy, and pride.

The photographer's 7 Modern Sins include genetic modification (cloning), experimentation on human beings (modern science), environmental contamination (oil), social injustice (modern war), generational poverty (discrimination), financial ambition (within the church), and drug consumption (including designer drugs).

It is a fascinating list.

We do battle with every single one of the 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Modern Sins every day, at least here in Peru. I believe that it is probably the same for the rest of you, no matter where in the world that you are doing church or ministry.

What are you doing in your church or ministry - or what more can you do - to combat each of the 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Modern Sins?

Rocky Balboa

When Sylvester Stallone was born, a doctor's forceps severed a nerve and caused paralysis in parts of his face. This caused him to slur his speech later on.

When Stallone was first starting out as an actor in New York, he was rejected by talent agents more than 1,500 times.

When Stallone was first starting out as an actor in New York, he was so poor that he couldn't even afford to heat his apartment in the wintertime. He also had to sell his wife's jewelry, and even his dog, in order to even come close to making ends meet.

In 1975, Stallone watched a little-known fighter named Chuck Wepner go 15 rounds with world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Stallone was inspired by Wepner's tenacity, and in a mere 3 days Stallone wrote a screenplay that was partially inspired by Wepner's incredible showing against Ali.

That screenplay was called "Rocky."

Stallone showed his "Rocky" screenplay to numerous agents and movie studios, but it was continually rejected. Finally, two Hollywood producers showed interest in the script, and offered Stallone a lot of money for the rights to it, but only on the condition that another actor, and not Stallone, play the lead character in the movie, Rocky Balboa.

Stallone refused. Despite his poverty, he had a vision that he would play the lead role in the movie. Finally, the two producers agreed to let Stallone play the lead role. They gave him less money for the script, but agreed to let him share in the profits of the movie.

At the 1977 Academy Awards, "Rocky" won 3 Oscars, including Best Picture, and it launched Sylvester Stallone's career as a Hollywood superstar.

Right before the Academy Awards began in 1977, Stallone went back and read every single rejection letter he had ever received.

He also bought back the dog that he had to sell when he was a starving actor. That dog's name was "Butkus", and he, too, was featured in the "Rocky" movies.

Sylvester Stallone once said, "I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and tell me to get going, rather than to retreat."

1,500 talent agent rejections. Physical challenges. Too poor to even heat his apartment during the cold New York winters. Forced to sell his wife's jewelry and his dog.

But what a story of perseverance. Sylvester Stallone is a living example of the words we find in James 1:3-4, when we are encouraged to persevere in the midst of trials and tests.

What trials and tests are you facing today in your church or ministry? Are you ready to give up? Are you ready to throw in the towel? Take Sylvester Stallone's story to heart. Go back and watch the original "Rocky" movie. Persevere.

It'll all be worth it in the end.

Labor

Today is Labor Day in the USA. It is a federal holiday which honors the nation's workers.

It is Labor Day in the USA ... but nobody labors.

Laboring in church or in ministry can be taxing, tiring, tense, pressure-packed, unappreciated, and stressful. At times you might think that nobody is noticing your efforts, or that nobody cares.

On this Labor Day, remember the words of Paul to the church at Corinth that we find in 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV), "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Even if you think it is.

Even if others tell you that it is.

It isn't.

It's not in vain.

These are Paul's divinely-inspired words for the church at Corinth.

And for you, too.

Hold on to them firmly when you are tempted to think otherwise, and continue on in your worthy, life-changing labor. It's not in vain.

School Of Hard Knocks

Today I want to share one more part of Michael Franzese's book, "I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips From A Former Mob Boss."

In his chapter about how to learn from your failures, Franzese writes, "It's not how many times a person fails that necessarily matters. It's not called the School of Hard Knocks for nothing - it's all about what you learn. It's what a person learns from failure and how he reacts to it that leads to either ultimate success or ultimate failure. What information can you take away that will benefit you the next time around? What can you learn so you will never repeat the same mistake twice? How will you allow it to affect you internally so you don't give up, but keep on moving forward?"

Franzese lists four benefits of failure: 1) Failing can show you defects in your plan; 2) Failing can reveal defects in the execution or timing of a plan; 3) Failing can identify weaknesses in a team that need to be addressed; 4) Failing can highlight otherwise undetected variables at play.

Franzese concludes, "I got a good education from the many times I failed, and I'm relatively certain I'm not done yet - failing or learning. Once you assess the situation, you can remedy the gaps in your plan and your execution and improve your performance for the next time out."

How does Franzese's advice affect you? It's time to take a cold, hard look at your church or ministry. Have there been failures in your church or ministry, and perhaps on multiple occasions? What lessons can you take away that will help you out the next time around? Have you understood and learned those lessons well? Have you been able to spot defects in your plan or execution or timing? Do you need to make changes or transitions in your team? Are there any other variables that you need to address or confront?

The more transparent you are in answering these questions, the more likely you will learn from your mistakes, and the more likely you will become a successful church or ministry "failure" very soon.

Failure

In Michael Franzese's great book, "I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips From A Former Mob Boss", he discusses how you can learn from your failures.

Franzese writes, "Ray Kroc failed in real estate before creating McDonald's. Henry Ford's first two automobile businesses failed. R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught a buzz. Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka sold only 100 units of an automatic rice cooker that ended up burning the rice; later, they built a cheap tape recorder for Japanese schools, which laid the groundwork for the Sony Corporation. Bill Hewlett and David Packard's early failed products included a lettuce-picking machine and an electric weight-loss apparatus. Walt Disney of all people was fired by the editor of a newspaper because he had 'no good ideas.'"

Franzese concludes, "The list of successful business 'failures' is a long one. But that's not the point. Here's what is: The one sure characteristic all of these folks had in common was their willingness to pick themselves off the floor, dust themselves off, and try again. And sometimes again and again and again."

Are you on the floor today? Have you failed at some ministry endeavor or project, perhaps again and again and again? Then you're in good company. You stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ray Kroc, Henry Ford, R. H. Macy, Akio Morita, Masaru Ibuka, Bill Hewlett, David Packard, and Walt Disney. That's a group that anyone would love to join.

Pick yourself off the floor, dust yourself off, and try again. And again and again and again, if necessary. Get back in the game. Don't slink off to the sidelines. Someday soon you will be a very successful "failure" in your church or ministry.

Medicine Or Candy?

In Peru, Hall's throat lozenges are treated as candy.

In Boston, where I grew up, Hall's throat lozenges were used to treat a cough or a sore throat.

In Boston, Hall's was considered as a type of medicine.

In Lima, they're candy.

In Lima, people will give you a Hall's throat lozenge the same way that they'd give you a mint or a Hershey's kiss.

It's considered candy.

What do people consider the message and the work that you are producing in your church or ministry?

Do people see it as soul-healing medicine?

Or is it just syrupy-sweet candy, never offensive, never in-your-grill, only meant to appeal to twitching ears and sweet-laden appetities?

Is your word and your church and your ministry considered medicine - or just candy?

In Fashion

Last week I attended a fashion show for the very first time.

Why was I invited to a fashion show? Because one of our attendees at FRC in Lima was graduating from a local fashion and design institute, and some of her clothing designs were going to be modeled at the fashion show, and another one of our FRC attendees was going to be doing the modeling.

Before the show started, I was chatting with our design student. She mentioned how the show would feature both profesional models and amateurs.

"How do you know the difference?" I asked the design student.

"By the way they walk," she replied.

By the way they walk.

This quickly became obvious to me once the fashion show started. The professional models knew how to walk down a runway, twirl, and walk back. They knew how to walk the walk. The amateurs did not.

You, your church, your ministry - do people know that you are a Christ follower by the way you walk?

Can they tell?

Are you walking the walk?

Or just talking the talk?

The world is watching to see how you walk.

Mickey D's, Peruvian Style

There's a McDonald's right next to the cinema where we do church on Sundays. Actually, there are probably more than 20 McDonald's in and around Lima, Peru, and they seem to do a pretty good business. The McDonald's right next to our cinema does a particularly great business on Sundays, after our services are over, since hundreds of people are spilling out of the cinema at about noontime, hungry and looking for lunch, and the Golden Arches are right next door. It works out quite nicely for Ronald McDonald & Co. on Sundays next door to us.

Of course, you are all familiar with McDonald's, no matter where in the world you are doing church or ministry.

You all are very familiar with McDonald's, the most successful fast food franchise in the world, and a place where you can get great fried chicken, fried yuca, and Inca Kola.

What?

You say that you can't get fried chicken, fried yuca, or Inca Kola at your local Mickey D's? They only have Big Macs, Quarter Pounders, and great fries?

What McDonald's has done in Lima, and very successfully so, is to integrate the franchise with Peruvian food culture. So, of course, you can walk into any of the Golden Arches in Lima and wolf down a Big Mac, or a Quarter Pounder, or large fries, and they all taste exactly the same as they do in the USA, or anywhere else, but McDonald's also has added items to their Lima menu that specifically appeal to Peruvian taste buds, such as fried chicken (chicken is more popular than beef in Peru), fried yuca (somewhat like french fries, but not exactly the same), and Inca Kola (the #1 soda in Peru).

Any McDonald's in Lima is about 95% the same as any McDonald's in the USA or anywhere else in the world, particularly in terms of look, environment, and taste, but McDonald's also has smartly left a little room to integrate Peruvian food culture into their franchises, and this has worked to their benefit and bottom line.

How can you follow this model in your international church or ministry? While you may have certain beliefs, rules, regulations, norms, and traditions that are non-negotiable, how can you integrate your local culture more, in order to give more local flavor to what you are doing?

Doing so will benefit your church or ministry, no matter where you are in the world.

If McDonald's can do it, then so can you, and so should you.

Light Bulb

I have a postcard taped to the wall above my desk in my office. The postcard reads, "Todo comienza con una idea."

For those of you that don't read Spanish, this means, "Everything begins with an idea."

On the postcard is a picture of a light bulb.

Our God is a creative God, and He has filled you with creativity. You may not even believe that, but if He has put you in a position of leadership and authority in your church or ministry, then your creativity has played a role somewhere along the way.

Foster the growth of your creative ideas. Nurture them the same way that you'd nurture a new baby. Feed them. Attend to them. And then watch them grow and impact your church or ministry!

Study pastors, church leaders, and ministries that seem to thrive on creativity. And don't be afraid to read about non-church creative geniuses such as a Walt Disney or a Steven Spielberg for ideas. God has created you - so be creative yourself!

Everything begins with an idea - so light up your light bulb!

Stripped Down

Bishop T. D. Jakes of The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas, USA, has said, "Ministry is birthed when you are stripped down to your heart's desire. You want your life to have counted for something for God."

When you are stripped down, when you are totally naked in a spiritual sense before God, what is it about ministry that brings you passion? What is it about ministry that keeps you up at night, or makes you hungry for the start of a new day, or drives you to your knees in prayer, joy, and worship?

What are you passionate about? What is your heart's desire?

When you know the answers to these questions, and when you pursue these answers, then you will be unstoppable.

God has given every one of us at least one passion and one heart's desire.

What is yours? Find it, know it, embrace it, and pursue it with everything you've got.

Satan's Strategy

"Satan's strategy is to get Christians preoccupied with their failures."

C. S. Lewis said that, and he was so right.

So many Christians, be they pastors, church leaders, ministry volunteers, or merely pew-warmers, focus more on their past than their future.

So many Christians focus more on past failures than on future opportunities.

God knows your past.

He also knows your future.

God doesn't want you to focus on your past. He wants you to focus on your future.

God is well aware of your past screw-ups.

Perhaps you lied like Abram, or lied like Isaac, or lied like Jacob, or killed someone like Moses, or committed adultery and had a man killed like David, or disobeyed like Jonah, or were corrupt like Matthew or Zacchaeus, or stole like the thief on the cross, or had multiple relationship failures like the woman at Sychar, or doubted like Thomas, or persecuted believers like Saul, or denied Christ like Peter.

God knows what you did.

He also knows what you still can do.

I was a lawyer for many years. One of the first things that they tell you in law school is that you need to know the other side's case and strategy as well as your own, in order to know how to defend against it and also to know how to attack it.

Congratulations! You now know Satan's strategy.

Defend against it. Attack it. Tell the enemy how you know and believe that God is not focused on your past failures, but rather on your future successes.

The Great Illusion Of Leadership

"The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there."

These are the words of Henri J. M. Nouwen in "The Wounded Healer", and what impactful words they are.

Moses spent 40 years in the desert, tending sheep for his father-in-law, before God selected him to lead the Israelites. What "desert" has God put you in? It may not be an actual desert, and it may not be for 40 years, but God has certainly allowed you to experience a time of solitude, reflection, thought, prayer, and, hopefully, clearer communication with Him, all in order to prepare you to lead at a higher level and to accomplish greater things for His kingdom.

Where is your desert? How long have you been there? Are you still there now?

Take heart, and be encouraged, for God is using this time and this experience to prepare you to lead others, for God has something big planned for you right around the corner.

Time spent in the desert with God is never wasted time.

Take Every Opportunity

"Your regrets aren't about what you did, but about what you didn't do. So I take every opportunity."

This isn't a Bible verse, nor is it a quote from a famous pastor or theologian.

This is a quote from the famous actress Cameron Diaz.

I know nothing about the faith walk of Cameron Diaz.

But I love her quote.

It's a quote that we all can readily apply to international ministry.

What opportunity do you have in your church or ministry - right now - that you will surely regret if you don't take advantage of it?

Take advantage of it - right now!

Take every opportunity!

Leadership Summit Day 1

Today was Day 1 of the Willow Creek Association Leadership Summit. Bill Hybels kicked off the summit with a timely teaching about how to lead during the current global economic crisis.

Hybels noted how we, as international church leaders, need to acknowledge that the "old normal" of steady economic times is over, and how the "new reality" of prolonged, worldwide economic challenges is going to be with us for a long time. Hybels said that we need to go back to the Acts 2 church model, and that God gave us all the gift of leadership just for these economic times and challenges.

Hybels also said that we, as international church leaders, need to make absolutely sure that during this time of great financial stress and crisis we have an "adequate replenishment strategy" to ensure that we always have a fresh spirit and a grace-filled demeanor.

Hybels said that we all need to ask ourselves, "What do my followers see when they look at me? Do they see someone who is exhausted and fearful? Or do they see someone who has a fresh spirit and a grace-filled demeanor?"

Hybels added that we must always be sure that the pace at which we are doing the work of God does not destroy God's work in us.

It was a great teaching, and just perfect for these days and times.

Red-Faced

I've always loved Jesus' words in Luke 14:8-11, and I've also always loved the way that Eugene Peterson interprets these verses in modern-day language in The Message:

"When someone invites you to dinner, don't take the place of honor. Somebody more important than you might have been invited by the host. Then he'll come and call out in front of everybody, 'You're in the wrong place. The place of honor belongs to this man.' Red-faced, you'll have to make your way to the very last table, the only place left. When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

We saw lots of examples of this on Thursday at the thanksgiving ceremony with the President of Peru.

Dozens of pastors and church leaders, all with very high opinions of themselves, marched right to the front of the church sanctuary, believing that they were all highly worthy to be seated right next to President Alan Garcia and all of the other top Peruvian government and military leaders who were attending the ceremony.

But all of these pastors and church leaders were quickly ordered to the back of the sanctuary, to the very last rows of benches.

All of these pastors and church leaders had entered the sanctuary with their noses held high in the air, but they soon found themselves flat on their very-red faces.

Thursday's thanksgiving ceremony with Peruvian President Garcia brought home Luke 14:8-11.

Show humility, and God will acknowledge it.

The same goes for arrogance, too.

By the way, we were seated in the fifth row of the sanctuary, just four rows behind President Garcia.

And we never even asked for it.

Ceremony With The President Of Peru

On Thursday, Dorcas & I were honored to be part of a ceremony with Alan Garcia, the President of Peru.

The ceremony was a thanksgiving service hosted by the evangelical church community of Peru, as part of the "Fiestas Patrias" Independence Day holiday celebrations throughout the country. President Garcia has attended each of the past four annual thanksgiving ceremonies, and we have been privileged to have been invited to each of them as well.

Romans 13:1 (NIV) says, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God."

What are you doing today, wherever you are ministering in the world, to partner with your country's leaders to help them draw near to the feet of Jesus Christ and also to help them reach their God-potential?

Felices Fiestas Patrias!

Today & tomorrow are Independence Days here in Peru. Both days are national holidays. The celebrations are called "Fiestas Patrias" locally, & everyone in Peru goes around & greets each other by saying, "Felices Fiestas Patrias!" It's kind of like celebrating July 4 in the USA - but over two days!

The first part of Psalm 33:12 (NIV) says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ...." While the author of Psalm 33, be it David or someone else, is specifically referencing Israel here, the verse nonetheless serves as an important spiritual guideline for divine blessing for any country around the world.

What are you doing today, in the country where you are ministering, to ensure that your nation is a blessed nation whose God is the Lord?

Criticism

John Maxwell has written a great book called "Leadership Gold: Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leading."

I just finished reading & leading a study group about Chapter 4 in Maxwell's book. Chapter 4 talks about how to handle criticism. I love the title of the chapter: "When You Get Kicked in the Rear, You Know You're out in Front."

Maxwell says, "when you're out front and ahead of the crowd, everything you do attracts attention." He gives advice on how to handle criticism and how to hold up under criticism. The chapter includes a great quote from Perry Noble, the Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina (USA), with regard to always defending one's self against criticism. Noble says, " ... I realized I was spending way too much time defending myself to my critics and not getting done what I really needed to get done."

Maxwell concludes, " ... (As) leaders, we will give others our best, and we will sometimes take hits from others. But that's okay. That is the price for being out front."

How do you handle criticism? How do you hold up under criticism? What are your deficiencies? How secure are you as a leader? How do others you lead handle criticism? How do they respond? Are they (and you) open to improvement and change?

The answers to these questions may determine how impactful you can and will be in your church, ministry, and life.

Swine Flu Hits Home

There are now close to 2,400 cases of the swine flu in Peru, & 8 people have died. The government has ordered all schools to begin a forced, early winter vacation here, & in advance of the "Fiestas Patrias" national holidays at the end of the month, the government also is cancelling many public events & patriotic parades.

There are now also rumors that the government may cancel other public events and gatherings, including even church services. Some churches already have begun to cancel services.

And this week the swine flu hit home for us, too, as we learned that 3 relatives of my wife, Dorcas, have been quarantined with the swine flu. Dorcas' aunt, uncle, & cousin all now have the swine flu. Please pray that they all are healed very soon, along with everyone else who is suffering from this debilitating worldwide virus.

Up In The Projection Booth

Since we have church in a cinema, there are always interest things happening.

Recently we've noticed something pretty cool happening in the cinema during both our Spanish & English services.

We've noticed how there are always a group of anywhere from 6-10 cinema workers huddled together up in the projection booth, silently watching our services. Sometimes after the services are over, they'll come down to tell us how much they liked the worship or the teaching.

It can be easy for us to forget them at times, but it's cool to think that we are reaching these cinema workers - right in their own workplace!

Who else could you reach in a similar way?

Jacuzzis For Jesus!

Here in Peru, we've held baptisms in the Pacific Ocean, in the Amazon River, in a men's maximum security prison, & in an outdoor swimming pool. We've baptized over 100 people in Peru in the last year-and-a-half.

This week we added a new locale to our list of Peruvian baptism sites, as we baptized two people in a jacuzzi!

The two folks were a couple who will be getting married later on this month, & they wanted to get baptized, together, before the wedding.

Well, it's winter now in Lima, & so an outdoor baptism in the Pacific Ocean or in an outdoor swimming pool was out of the question.

But Josue, our worship leader leader @ FRC-Lima, has a jacuzzi in his home, & so off we went! It worked out great!

As a result, we've christened Josue's jacuzzi, as well as any other jacuzzis that we'll use in the future for baptisms, with a new name:

"Jacuzzis For Jesus!"

Swine Flu In Peru

The swine flu all of a sudden has hit Peru with a vengeance.

There are now over 1,000 cases of the swine flu in the country, & 2 people have died. Many schools are closed, & it's becoming more & more common to see people who work w/ the public - especially @ the airport - to be wearing masks over their faces.

Thankfully, no one @ FRC-Lima has the swine flu. Please pray for healing for all those that do.

Religious Buffet

US pollster George Barna was recently a guest on Gov. Mike Huckabee's TV show on FoxNews.

On the show, Barna stated that fewer people are attending church in the USA, & that the influence of the Christian church in the USA has declined. This also seems to be the case in Europe. People still seem to be interested in spiritual & religious things, but they seem to be picking & choosing what they like from a variety of religions, & then forming their own, personal belief system, as if they were going through a religious buffet line & choosing different items to add to their spiritual plate.

Barna's conclusions were both fascinating & jarring at the same time. They require much thought & analysis. If indeed this is the typical mindset to be faced in the USA, & perhaps worldwide in the near future, then how should it be confronted? The answer to this question may change the way that we approach church & outreach & ministry, both in the USA & globally.

Apprentice

I recently participated in a conference in Lima where all of us were asked to stand up & tell the crowd about our educational background & our professional experience.

All of the conference participants immediately began to tell the crowd about all of the wonderful universities, institutes, & seminaries that they had attended, & about all of the wonderful degrees that they held, & about all of the wonderful work that they now were doing.

It was all very impressive.

And very self-congratulatory.

Then they all looked at me.

I suppose I could have told them all about my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston University, & my Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School, & my various careers as a lawyer, a writer, & a pastor.

But I didn't.

I chose not to do so.

Instead, I merely told the conference crowd what I truly was, & what I truly am.

I am an apprentice to a Jewish carpenter.

And that's all the education & professional experience that I'll ever need.

I Speak English!

Dorcas & I frequent a large supermarket in Lima called Wong. It is the largest supermarket chain in Lima, & there's a Wong right in the rotary across from the cinema where we have FRC-Lima.

On occasion when we are @ Wong, we'll notice a cashier or a bagger wearing a yellow, smiley-face button that reads, "I Speak English!"

Anytime we see a cashier or bagger wearing an "I Speak English!" smiley-face button, we immediately give them a promotional card for FRC-Lima, since we feature English-language services & many young Peruvians attend our services in order to be spiritually fed & to practice their English at the same time. We're delighted to have them!

English is the international language of business & commerce, no matter where in the world you are living & doing church or ministry. How can you leverage the English language to take your international church or ministry to another level? Are the natives in your country learning English? Can you use this to attract them to your church or ministry?

Whenever I see a Wong cashier or bagger wearing a button that says, "I Speak English!", I always respond, "So do I!" We then normally engage in a brief, friendly conversation, & it always ends w/ me inviting them to check out FRC-Lima. Happily, many of them do.

Leverage language no matter where you are in the world! Don't just babble like @ the Tower of Babel!

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has died, & it is the biggest story in the world. It's the biggest story here in Peru, on Page 1 of all the newspapers here, & the lead story on all the national Peruvian TV news, & I know it's also the lead story wherever in the world that you are doing church or ministry. It will be for weeks & months on end.

I know nothing about Michael Jackson's spiritual walk, but I do know this: He now is standing before God & giving an account of himself & his life.

We will all do this one day.

Romans 14:12 (NIV) - "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God."

Michael Jackson's death gives us a golden opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ w/ those all around us. I'm sure that 99% - if not 100% - of the conversations that you've had in the last 24 hours have included talk about Michael Jackson's death. It'll continue to be this way for weeks & months on end. Take advantage of this opportunity to leverage these conversations with the gospel message.

Carpe Diem

I recently read a devotional that was written by Bishop T. D. Jakes of The Potter's House in Dallas, Texas. In the devotional, Bishop Jakes writes about how to have a passion for living. Bishop Jakes writes:

"What good is life without living? Taste it, live it - even at the risk of occasional failure and adversity! Have you a passion to triumph? ... Wake up and play! ... God has much for you to do! Arise and breahte deeply of this moment. There will never be another moment in your life like this one!"

Bishop Jakes' words remind me of the wonderful Robin Williams film from 1989 called "The Dead Poet's Society." In the film, Williams plays a contemporary professor at a not-so-contemporary boys' boarding school in the late 1950s. He frequently says to his young male students, "Carpe Diem." This is Latin for "Seize the Day."

Carpe Diem.

Seize the day.

Taste it.

Live it.

Have a passion to triumph.

Wake up and play!

Arise.

Breathe deeply of this moment.

There will never be another moment in your life like this one.

Bishop Jakes and Robin Williams both had it right.

Carpe Diem.

Seize the day!

Seize today!

Innovention

"Innovention."

It's a word that I recently heard used @ an FRC staff meeting.

Innovention = Innovation + Invention.

I posted a blog last week about how "necessity is the mother of invention", & I gave an example from our Spanish services here in Lima. This whole idea of "innovention" is an extension of the idea.

How do you need to be more innovative in your church or ministry in order to make it grow, in order to make it be more fruitful, & in order to impact more people in this world? What do you need to invent in order to do so?

Get innovative & get inventive ASAP.

Innovention = Greater Fruitfulness & Growth & Impact (John 15:1-16).

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

There is an old saying:

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

It's very true, & by adhering to this phrase you can build & improve your church or ministry.

By way of example, when we first decided to start a Spanish service @ FRC-Lima, after having had only an English service for a long period of time, we began to receive teaching DVDs in Spanish to feature in the new Spanish service. We began to do so. Big problem: the teaching DVDs we were receivng had been translated by a Guatemalan man, & he was using Guatemalan slang & phrases in his translation.

In effect, he was using "Guatemalan Spanish."

This did not go over well in Lima, Peru.

After an initial burst of excitement, people stopped coming to the Spanish service. Their main complaint was that they did not like the "Guatemalan Spanish" translation. They didn't understand the Guatemalan slang and phrases used. So they stopped coming to the service.

Spanish, we quickly learned, is different from country to country in Latin America, just as "USA English" will different a bit from "British English" or "Australian English" - in various words, phrases, & slang.

What to do?

We remembered that necessity is the mother of invention.

Thus, we "invented" our very own translation team, & we took over all of the English-to-Spanish translation - in "Peruvian Spanish" - and we also took over the translation and captioning of all on-screen Bible verses, titles, graphics, announcements, song lyrics, etc. We even added little touches of "Peruvian flavor" to our translation, such as inserting the names of well-known Lima stores & restaurants, when & where appropriate.

Result: people started coming back to the Spanish service.

We had been faced w/ a challenging situation when people @ FRC-Lima spoke w/ their feet & left the Spanish service b/c they didn't like "Guatemalan Spanish."

We fixed the problem by embracing the fact that necessity is the mother of invention.

We became inventive. We had to. It was a necessity.

What necessity exists right now in your church or ministry?

What can you & your team invent to make it better?

Bloody Jungle Battles In Peru

Peru has been on high alert in recent weeks as native tribespeople in the jungle have been fighting with the police over the issue of drilling for oil on native community lands. These battles have left close to 40 people dead (both natives & police have been killed), and hundreds more injured. The conflict has come close to toppling the current Peruvian government, and at a minimum we will probably see the resignations of some top government officials who have been blamed for allowing the situation to careen wildly out of control.

Please pray for the natives, & for the police, & for the government leaders, that cooler & wiser & more discerning heads will prevail very soon, & that peace will be agreed to by all sides before another drop of blood is spilled in the Peruvian jungle.

Worms @ No Extra Charge

Last week we went to a restaurant in Lima to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.

No jokes, please!

The restaurant in question, which shall remain nameless in order to protect the guilty party, is a 5-star restaurant with a fine reputation in the city. We've eaten there before, many times in fact, & have always enjoyed the experience.

But not last week.

As my brother-in-law, Christian, dug into a salad that he had ordered as an appetizer, he suddenly noticed that part of the salad was moving.

That's never a good sign.

It turns out there were worms in his salad. Little worms, no longer than an eyelash. But worms nonetheless, & he sure hadn't ordered them as a side dish.

Since we didn't want to cause a big commotion, nor did we want to cause a whole lot of problems or embarrassment for the restaurant, we discretely called the waiter over and silently pointed out the worms in the salad.

Needless to say, he looked very surprised, apologized, & then quickly took the plate away.

We then took turns guessing what we'd receive in restitution for the worms in the salad. Normally in Peru, free plates & big discounts are almost unheard of. If we'd been in the USA, I bet the entire meal - for the entire table! - would've been free.

But not in Peru.

The waiter returned a few minutes later, still looking very embarrassed.

"Mil disculpas (1,000 pardons)," he said to us. "I've talked to the manager, & of course she will not charge you for that plate."

Well, isn't that big of her!

But he wasn't done yet.

"As well," he continued, as another waiter handed him a tray, "the restaurant also wants to give you this at no extra charge."

And then he handed us each a glass of water.

So, in return for a salad full of worms, we got the price of the salad discounted & free water!

Yahoo!

I could only laugh uproariously @ the absurdity of it all. As I said before, in the USA the worms in the salad probably would've meant free meals for everyone @ the table. But in Peru ... free water!

I'm surprised the restaurant didn't charge us extra for the worms!

Kneeling

One of the most impactful moments we've ever had @ FRC-Lima occurred on Sunday when the entire congregation, in both the Spanish & English services, was asked to kneel before Jesus Christ, as Savior, as the King of Kings, as the Lord of Lords, as the Alpha & Omega, as the Lion of Judah, & as the Lamb of God. It was precious to see every single person in the Spanish service, as well as almost every single person in the English service, on their knees in worship. What impact in Lima! If you've never featured kneeling in your worship service, wherever you are in the world, then try it next Sunday.

Museums & Hospitals & Saints & Sinners

Recently, I was teaching on Luke 18:9-14. In this passage, a Pharisee in the temple prayed, "God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers - or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week & give a tenth of all I get."

The tax collector stood at a distance from the Pharisee. The tax collector, beating his breast & w/ his head bowed, prayed, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Jesus commented that the tax collector, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified before God. Jesus added that "everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted."

It is w/ this passage in mind that I pass along to you a wonderful phrase that I have heard on various occasions in ministry. I do not know who originally said it, but here it is:

"A church is not a museum for saints. It is a hospital for sinners."

Is your church full of self-proclaimed saints, like the Pharisee, or is your church full of head-bowed, breast-beating sinners, like the tax collector?

Is your church a museum, or is it a hospital?

The fruitfulness of your church will be determined by your answer.

Religious Liberty & Equality

This is Religious Liberty & Equality Week in Peru. We have participated in conferences about these issues @ the Peruvian Congress, we have met individually w/ members of the Peruvian Congress to discuss these matters, & today there is a large march in Lima to press for the passing of laws which will guarantee religious liberty & equality throughout Peru.

Does religious liberty & equality exist wherever you are doing international ministry? What is the state of religious liberty & equality in your country? What can you do to improve the situation there? Many have fought & died for religious liberty & equality throughout the world. While that may not necessarily be your destiny, nonetheless it is important to see what you can do to bring about greater religious liberty & equality wherever in the world that you are doing international ministry.

Visa

Last week when Dorcas & I returned to Lima from Miami, I was stopped @ Immigration in the Lima airport. The Immigration officer said that my Peruvian residential visa, which I've had for 5 years, had expired. I politely told him that it had not, & that I had just received a new residential visa a month earlier, & that I'd even already travelled internationally with it, & without any problem when I had returned to Lima before with it. He reluctantly accepted my answer, but then also added that I didn't have the appropriate tax stamps on the back of my visa card. I once again answered him politely, telling him that at the Peru Immigration Ministry they had told me that I did not need any tax stamps on my visa until 2010. Once again he reluctantly accepted my response, implying that they - his bosses - were wrong in what they had told me. He said that I should have them prepare a letter for me, saying that I didn't need any tax stamps until 2010. I asked him why I would need such a letter from them, since they already had told me that in person, & plus I already had travelled internationally and re-entered Peru without any problem.

Sometimes bureaucrats just like to be bureaucrats, & I think that was the case with the Immigration officer @ the Lima airport. At the same time, however, the incident served as a good reminder to anyone doing international ministry to make sure that your residential visa, or work visa, or religious visa, or missionary visa, or national ID card, or whatever ID you are using wherever you are doing ministry in the world, is up-to-date & current. Sometimes you may get hassled at the airport or at the border for no apparent reason, but at the same time it's wise not to give the officer in charge any further reason to delay your passage. International ministry is challenging enough without adding unnecessary immigration burdens to it.

Without Words

Last week I blogged about how Chuck Swindoll blogged about giving & living God's word to others.

Give it & live it.

Along the same line, today I present a quote from St. Francis of Assisi:

"Preach the gospel at all times, & when necessary use words."

Are you able to preach the gospel at all times?

Are you able to preach the gospel without using words?

Is your life testimony powerful enough to do so?

It may be a difficult question to ask, & an even more uncomfortable one to answer, but it may be a good measure of the quality & the quantity of fruit that you are bearing these days.

See how far you can go this week in preaching the gospel without using words.

Give It & Live It

Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite pastors & teachers & authors. He is the Senior Pastor @ Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, USA, but most of you probably know him best from his "Insight For Living" radio broadcasts &/or from the 70 books that he has authored.

Recently, Chuck posted a blog in which he wrote about how relieved he was the day that God told him that he was not responsible for how others responded to the gospel message.

God also told him, however, that he indeed was responsible for giving the gospel message to others, & that he needed to show the gospel to others by living it out daily.

He was responsible for giving it & living it.

Swindoll continued on in his blog post to say that a godly life is the most effective tool that we have for evangelism.

Sometimes we forget this very basic point, even as we work away diligently in our churches & ministries.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the machinations of church & ministry that we forget how effective a testimony it is to others when we simply live & show a godly life to others.

Give it & live it.

Are you doing it?

Cash

Dorcas & I were back in Florida this week to pick up materials for the new series that we are starting in Lima called "The End: Is It Near?"

While in Florida, we stopped at a couple of malls & some other stores in order to pick up various items that are not available for us to purchase in Lima. The malls & other stores were all fairly crowded, but many mall workers & many store managers told us that most people were only looking, & very few people were actually buying anything. They fear a worsening of the global economic crisis, as more people, both in the USA & worldwide, lose their jobs & cut their personal spending. It's a crisis that feeds on itself. It also fits right in to "The End" series that we are starting in Lima, as people everywhere around the world anguish over the economic crisis, as well as the swine flu pandemic, the rise in terrorism, and the increase in natural disasters, among other things.

Back in the 1980s, the well-known theologian named Paul Hewson made a comment about money & finances & economics that we should all bear in mind as we confront this worldwide economic crisis & try to be as Christ-like as we can be in the midst of it.

Hewson said, "The God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"

Amen.

It's very easy for us to worry & fret & anguish over money, or the lack of it, as this economic crisis swirls all around us. It's very easy for us to put more trust & faith in our bank statements than in God during these challenging times.

But the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister.

By the way, just in case you've never heard of the famous theologian, Paul Hewson, then perhaps you might know him by his other name.

He is Bono, the lead singer for an up-and-coming Irish band by the name of U2. Perhaps you've heard of them. I think they have a really bright future in the music business.

Air France

Please pray for the families of the 228 victims of the Air France flight which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil late Sunday night.

Dorcas & I were travelling from Lima, Peru, to Miami, Florida, at approximately the same time on Sunday night when the Air France plane crashed. Since we, too, were travelling northward from South America, we would have been in the same general area as the Air France flight. We, too, experienced much turbulence & difficult weather conditions all throughout our flight, but obviously nothing to the extent of that which downed the Air France plane.

We are very grateful to God for His hand of protection over us on Sunday night.

Marathon

There was a marathon this morning in Lima, Peru. 26.2 miles of running. Part of the marathon went through the rotary where the cinema is located & where we have FRC-Lima. Normally this is not a good thing for us, as it normally means closed streets all around us & extreme difficulty for many people to arrive @ church. But today, thankfully, we had large, energetic crowds in both of our services, so it appears that not too many folks had to deal w/ closed streets & hundreds of marathoners on their way to church.

I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, in the USA, & every April I'd watch the running of the Boston Marathon. Every year I'd see the winner of the Boston Marathon conquer Heartbreak Hill & then burst across the finish line, dog-tired, sometimes limping, sometimes vomiting, but always full of the pride & the glory & the unequaled thrill of winning the race.

I also always noticed that the runner who was ahead early in the marathon never was the winner @ the end.

Ministry is the same way.

There are those in ministry - pastors, church leaders, denomination leaders, etc. - who may flash on the ministerial stage for a season or two, but then they flame out quickly. Ministry is a marathon. Ministry is 26.2 miles, not 100 meters. To win in ministry, you have to pace yourself, keep your eyes on the prize, & persevere.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV), Paul says, "Run in such a way as to get the prize."

In James 1:3-4 (NIV), James writes, "... the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature & complete, not lacking anything."

You & I are running a marathon, not a sprint. Your feet may be bloody & blistered, your stomach may be weak, & you may be ready to throw in the towel, but hang on. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Pace yourself. Don't burn out too quickly. Don't flame out too quickly. Don't sprint. Keep an appropriate pace.

Persevere.

In doing so, you'll finish the marathon, & you'll get your God-blessed prize @ the finish line.

Blessing In Prison

Yesterday a team of 7 of us visited the men's maximum security prison in San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru, about an hour away from FRC-Lima.

San Juan de Lurigancho holds 11,000 prisoners in a space meant to hold 1,500. The majority of the prisoners there are former terrorists, serial killers, & narcotraffickers. It is a place of violence, mayhem, grit, grime, & disease. It is estimated that more than half of the prison population @ San Juan de Lurigancho is suffering from AIDS, HIV, or tuberculosis.

In the midst of this scene, yesterday we held an evangelistic outreach in Pavilion # 11 at San Juan de Lurigancho. About 300 prisoners attended the outreach, & about 60 accepted Christ as Savior & were ready to be baptized right away.

In Matthew 25:36 (NIV), as Jesus is talking about how He will separate the sheep from the goats, He mentions how visiting those in prison, among other things, is an example of doing something directly for Him, & worthy of a divine blessing & inheritance.

If you have never ministered in a prison, then try it. It is an unforgettable experience, & shows obedience to Jesus' words in Matthew 25:36. If you do it, you will see how, in a place full of violence, mayhem, grit, grime, & disease, the light of Jesus can shine forth in a brilliant way. You will bless many prisoners, but you will be blessed even more.

Lima Street Children

There are tens of thousands of street children all over Lima. It's impossible to avoid them. They come up to you on the street, sometimes to try to sell you a piece of candy, other times w/ nothing more than an outstretched hand. They're also at the intersections, juggling balls or doing somersaults or offering to wash your front windshield, then looking for a tip. Other times street children are accompanied by an adult woman who claims to be their mother, & who begs for assistance for her "children." Recent news reports in Lima, however, have shown that frequently this is a scam, & the women & children are not at all related, but are posing as mother and child(ren) in order to collect money for a third party who gives them room & board & little else.

There is a movement afoot in many municipal districts in Lima to discourage people, & particularly tourists, from giving money to street children. The belief is that little, if any, of the money stays w/ the children, & that almost all of it goes to adults who are using the children for exploitative purposes only.

Locals & tourists are split on this. Some feel that it's almost impossible to say no to a child who is begging you for a coin, while others are wise to the fact that whatever money is given to a child will quickly be turned over to an adult somewhere around the corner.

How do you handle this issue in your corner of the world? How do you show the love of Christ to others, including to street children & even to their adult handlers, while at the same time not being manipulated by them, or by not serving to enable a system which exploits children?

By The Way

We arrive every Sunday morning @ 7:00 AM @ the cinema where we have FRC-Lima in order to set everything up & to have everything ready for the first service which starts @ 9:00 AM.

When we arrive @ 7:00 AM, there are always one or two members of the cinema cleaning crew there w/ us. They clean the cinemas for us as we set up.

We have services @ 9:00 AM & @ 10:30 AM in the cinema. Usually the second service is done prior to 12:00 PM. The cinema management, however, generously gives us another hour or two to tear down & store all of our items & equipment, & also to use the cinemas for any after-service meetings, band rehearsals, or auditions that we may have. We're usually out of the cinema entirely by 2:00 PM.

Yesterday, well after the end of the English service, one of the cinema workers came up to me & casually informed me that, by the way, the cinema had booked a movie in the cinema where we have our worship services, & that the movie was scheduled to start right away @ 1:00 PM.

The cinema worker told me this @ 12:55 PM.

Incredibly, the cinema worker had been w/ us since 7:00 AM! He had been w/ us for 6 hours, & had never said a word to us about a 1:00 PM movie.

I asked him how this was possible.

He just shrugged his shoulders.

I told him that we need much more than another five minutes for tear-down & storage, & that I needed to speak to his manager right away. At this point he became a little nervous.

I went back inside the cinema & told our team to do the tear-down & storage as quickly as possible, & I also informed the cinema manager about how we had just received the news of the 1:00 PM movie @ 12:55 PM. The manager was very apologetic, & our team worked @ a lightning-like speed, & the movie started only about 10-15 minutes late.

What's the lesson for today, everyone?

C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

And be sure to do it w/ more than 5 minutes to go before a deadline!

The Weakening Dollar

The economic crisis which began in the USA, and which now is worldwide, has caused the US Dollar to decline in value.

Has the weakened US Dollar affected your church or ministry?

It has for us here in Peru.

We pay some of our church bills & accounts in Peruvian currency (known as the Peruvian Sol), while others we pay in US Dollars. As the value of the US Dollar has declined, however, more & more of our vendors have requested that we pay them in Peruvian Soles instead of in US Dollars. This, of course, means that the price of doing church here in Lima has risen for us as the US Dollar has declined.

When the US Dollar is strong & healthy, everyone wants to receive it.

When the US Dollar is weakening & in decline, as it is now, nobody wants it.

How has this affected your church or ministry? If it has not yet had any affect, it probably will at some point in the near future. Many economic analysts predict that higher inflation is coming soon to the USA, which of course will only serve to devalue the US Dollar even more. Given the role of the US Dollar, at least at the moment, as the prime currency of choice worldwide, a further devalued US Dollar will affect much day-to-day business & ministry, no matter where you are in the world.

I don't know what the currency of heaven is, but I doubt that God is panicking & running to the Bank of Heaven today to change His US Dollars into Euros.

You & I, however, as stewards of His money here on Earth, need to be cognizant of how a continually weakening US Dollar may affect our churches & ministries & plans & projects, & what we need to do about it.

Swine Flu: Precaution Or Panic?

The swine flu has arrived in Peru.

There are already two verified cases of the swine flu in the country, & at least four more probable cases. The infected people are Peruvians who brought the virus back w/ them from the Dominican Republic & the USA.

Churches & ministries here in Peru are reacting to this news in varying ways. Some churches are closing children's ministries. Other churches are closely inspecting any children that arrive on Sundays, to be sure that they do not appear to have any flu-like symptoms. Other churches are also inspecting adults on Sundays. Other churches have doctors &/0r nurses stationed on Sundays. Other churches are telling people to stay home on Sundays if they feel even an iota of sickness or flu-like symptoms in them.

I'm not here to tell you what you should do in your case, or in your church, or in your ministry, or in your part of the world.

But I am here to tell you to seek God's wisdom & discernment before making any decisions.

Take precaution, but do not panic.

In Deuteronomy 20:3 (NIV), God is addressing Israel before they go to war against an army greater than theirs. God says to Israel, "Do not be faint-hearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic ...."

Keep the same counsel.

Don't give the enemy a foothold in your church or ministry by panicking in the face of the swine flu. Others will be watching to see how you & your church or ministry react. Will they see panic, or will they see a person or a church or a ministry that clearly believes - and that clearly demonstrates - that God is in control.

Precaution before panic.

That's the best antidote you have against this swine flu pandemic.

Impossible Is Nothing

Dorcas & I work out @ a Gold's Gym in Lima. We were there this morning. As we were leaving the gym, I noticed a promotional poster for a marathon in Lima on May 31 that Adidas is sponsoring. The slogan used by Adidas for the marathon is: "Impossible Is Nothing."

"Impossible is nothing."

It's the mirror image of "Nothing is impossible." It has the same meaning.

What seems impossible for you right now in your church or ministry? What challenge is out there for you right now, & you don't think that there's any way in the world that you can accomplish it?

Remember what God asked Abraham & Sarah in Genesis 18:14 (NIV): "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" God asked them this question right before He made Sarah a mother when she was around 90 years old.

The angel Gabriel echoed the same thought to Mary in Luke 1:37 (NIV) when he foretold the miraculous virginal birth of Jesus: "For nothing is impossible with God."

And Jesus told his disciples in Luke 18:27 (NIV): "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

What seems impossible to you today in your church or ministry, wherever you are in the world? Remember that we serve a big God, & He has limitless plans & limitless resources & limitless possibilities for you & your church or ministry to reach the world.

Because "impossible is nothing" for Him.

Stinketh!

Lima, Peru, is located right on the Pacific Ocean, and in the port of Lima there are many factories and processing plants which produce fish meal.

Fish meal smells terrible.

And that's an understatement.

For a few days every month in Lima, the horrible smell of fish meal permeates the entire city. I'm not sure why it happens, but it makes the whole city smell just awful.

What sort of aroma does your church or ministry give off to those around you?

Is it "the aroma of Christ" or "the fragrance of life" as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NIV)?

Is the reputation and are the works of your church or ministry sweet-smelling?

Or is the reputation and are the works of your church or ministry more like the decayed corpse of Lazarus, which his sister, Martha, described in John 11:39 (KJV) as something that "stinketh!"

Does your church or ministry "stinketh"?

Almost no one is going to answer "yes" to that question, but take a good look around you. Is your church or ministry making a difference in your corner of the world? Are you serving others, loving others, & leading others to the feet of Christ? Are you bearing "much fruit", as Jesus commands in John 15?

Or does your fruit "stinketh"?

Too many ministries do too little & reach too few. Instead they focus on pettiness, criticism, & competition. These types of ministries "stinketh."

Just like Lima does a few days each month.

Take stock of your church or ministry. Weigh your fruit & examine it closely.

Make sure it has "the aroma of Christ" & "the fragrance of life" around it.

Make sure it does not "stinketh."

An Offer You Can't Refuse

As a Christ follower & church leader or ministry leader, the best advice you can follow is that of a Mafia boss.

Huh?

When did Don Corleone & John Gotti & Tony Soprano become church leaders?

I just finished reading a book called "I'll Make You An Offer You Can't Refuse: Insider Business Tips From A Former Mob Boss." The author is Michael Franzese. He was a capo (like a vice president) in the Colombo crime family. He is now a Christ follower, and speaks frequently @ churches & conferences.

While Franzese's book is not written from a specifically Christian standpoint, & is more business-oriented in nature, he does liberally quote from Solomon & the Book of Proverbs, & he offers many lessons in leadership that will benefit you as you lead your church or ministry.

Some of the points that Franzese makes are:

1. Get a plan
2. Work it hard
3. Work it smart
4. Surround yourself w/ people who know how to help you reach your goals

Franzese also offers the following advice:

1. Nail down the basics
2. Lead w/ your brain, not your mouth
3. Master the art of the sit-down
4. Keep your eyes on the bookies
5. Learn from your failures
6. Pick your philosopher: Machiavelli or Solomon

Franzese's book is a fascinating read, & I highly recommend that you pick it up. It's an offer that you can't refuse!