Blog - Do Not Depart

Reach One at a Time for the Other Side

April 16, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 27 Comments

How can you, as one person, respond to the massive trouble in the world?

One person at a time.

Keep your relationships strong for the other side. Isolation will end. Relationships don’t have to.

Just One?

This middle phase of our global pandemic can feel overwhelming. The numbers are staggering; the loneliness is great; the needs are many.

We often feel disconnected because we’re missing our normal hangouts of work, church, social activities, etc. We miss the people who were a regular part of our lives. Even if we Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype, it’s impossible to stay in touch with everyone. We’re concerned that relationships may be damaged after the virus goes into hiding.

What can you do to make a difference now when the problem is so large?

This is God’s specialty. He knows how to turn hopeless scenarios into extraordinary miracles.

And as God did in the past, He can also do today, using one person at a time.

Go Broad

Early on in the shelter-at-home phase, my husband Jeff decided to do a remote check-in with a different person each day. One day it was a text to a college buddy from years ago. Another day it was a phone call to his brother in the next town. Another day it was a message to a family that we no longer see at church.

Jeff’s strategy is to go broad.

We saw Jesus go broad, too.

In Jesus’s ministry in the New Testament, we often saw Him pop into a person’s life at their moment of great need.

He raised a dead boy at a city gate.
He healed a bleeding woman while He was going elsewhere.
He did a remote healing for the son of a royal official.

Which one person needs you in this crisis?

Ask the Spirit to guide you. Then listen for His voice.

Who do you miss that you normally talk to?
Who have you not talked to in a long while?
Who do you know that is lonely?
Who makes you laugh?
Who says you cheer them up?
Who is afraid right now?
Who calms you when you are afraid?

Connect with that one person.

Write a handwritten note and mail it. Take pictures of things you love and text it. Create video messages. Keep up with important dates in other people’s lives. Call and listen to each other’s voices.

Go Deep

But you also can approach one-person-at-a-time by going deep.

Is there one person who needs your attention again and again? Maybe a lonely widow. A friend with depression. A single mother with young kids.

Give attention to this person’s needs by checking in frequently.

Even if you can’t help face-to-face, your remote spiritual and emotional support can be a lifeline to get them through.

We know Jesus went deep with specific people.

He had a devoted collection of friends, both men and women. He had His crew of twelve apostles. And His intimate circle of Peter, James, and John. He stayed closer with them.

No one has the exact set of relationships that you do. God placed you where you are for a reason. Let Him use you in this time, one person at a time.

Isolation Will End

The more we connect with our community now, the stronger are relationships will be when we come out of quarantine.

Concentrate on what you want to outlast the coronavirus.

I don’t know who Jeff will contact today. Except for one. In addition to his one-person-a-day, he also checks in with me everyday. I need it, too.

Who can you check on today?

Who is one person you can check on today? Isolation will end; relationships don’t have to. #TakeHeart

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Do you have someone you’re consistently checking on? Who is checking in on you?

Please share in the comments.

Three Ways to Pray While Waiting

April 14, 2020 by Jaime Hilton 1 Comment

This last weekend we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. Romans 6:9

My children are at a tender age of early understanding so we spent the week, Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, lighting candles, reading, and remembering the stories of Holy Week, leading up to the crucifixion. Good Friday was a beautiful celebration, full of meaningful conversations. Our homebound Sunday service was simple, but rich and bright. But Saturday, the day between death and life, felt strangely quiet, almost out of place, with nothing to really do.

What happened on the day Jesus was dead in the tomb?

Josh Martin, author of Saturday Nothing, writes,

“It was the most agonizing day in human history. Picture hundreds of men and women lying in bed battling tears, staring at their ceiling, wishing the day before was all a bad dream. … Fog filled the air and the heart. The pain felt personal, even more than it should. ”

I can almost imagine the overwhelming sense of confusion accompanying the grief of losing their beloved leader, teacher, and friend to a Roman cross. What would happen next? Where would they go? It was a Sabbath. There was simply nothing to do but wait.

Take Heart with 3 Ways to Pray

This month on the blog we are exploring ways we can respond to the trouble and suffering in the world, specifically as it relates to the current crisis of Covid19. What can we do while we’re stuck at home with nothing to really do but wait?

Scripture teaches us that God is patient and that his patience has a purpose.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9

While He is capable of working things instantly He chooses instead to use time, giving us the opportunity to partner with Him.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

He works within us, transforming our hearts to be more like His.

As we shelter at home, waiting for life to get back to normal, we have a chance to check our hearts and align ourselves with the work God is doing. #takeheartClick To Tweet

Pray Humbly

Since the first time the snake whispered doubt in Eve’s ear, we humans have felt that we can make the best choices for ourselves. We think we know good from evil, right from wrong, but the Bible says we are like grass that is here for just a short time (Isaiah 40:7, 1 Peter 1:24). We don’t know what is best for ourselves, let alone what is right for the whole world. So we pray with humility, putting God in His proper place as King of the Universe and remembering that we are only exalted by His mercy.

“O LORD, make me know my end

and what is the measure of my days;

let me know how fleeting I am!” Psalm 39:4

Pray with Trust

As we remind ourselves of our place in the world, we can rest in the knowledge that God is good, He knows our needs, and he wants to provide for us. He is trustworthy.

“For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’” Luke 12:30-32

Pray Simply

Jesus taught his disciples to pray like children speaking to their Father who loves them. It’s not about putting on a big show or using fancy words. It’s not even about knowing what to ask for because He already knows what we need (Matthew 6:8). Instead, our prayers should be about positioning our hearts to see what He sees, and to want what He wants.

“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9-10

Whether we want it or not, we are in a season of waiting.

“After Jesus defeated death and left the tomb, the first thing He did was visit His followers. He found them together in an upper room…they gathered, prayed, and hoped recklessly.” (Saturday Nothing)

We may not be able to gather, but we can pray and hope recklessly. It might look like nothing to us, but God is always working in the waiting.

God is working in the waiting. Pray humbly, simply, and trust. #takeheartClick To Tweet

Don’t Take the Fear Bait—Much to Lose, But More to Gain {Psalm 91:3-4}

April 13, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 3 Comments

Don’t take the bait to be trapped in fear of COVID-19 on the loose. Take refuge in God’s resources.

This week we’re reading and meditating on Psalm 91:3-4.

An Enemy in the Midst

A mouse was in the house. I just knew it.

There were signs. A half-chewed bag of cereal in the pantry. Mouse droppings in the corner of the kitchen. And then a flash of gray flying across the kitchen floor.

My first reaction? Go higher! Stand on a chair. Call for help.

When something enters our home that doesn’t belong, we sometimes see the signs before we see the enemy.

It’s the same for our spiritual lives.

When the first threat of the coronavirus entered our consciousness—when we realized we or someone we love could actually get sick and die—we had a variety of reactions, too. Some healthy, some unhealthy.

But now that we know an intruder is in our midst, how can we handle it?

We Have a Lot to Lose

We know this invisible enemy can trap our capacity to breathe.

But just the thought of it can also trap our peace.
It can cause us to worry about our economic future. And trap our hope.
It can cause tension in our family. And trap our joy.

It can even cause us to doubt God’s provision. And trap our faith.

But it doesn’t have to. With our agreement, God can spring those traps before we walk into them and get caught.

The enemy attempting to take our bodies can’t steal our souls.

Psalm 91:3 says that God will deliver us.

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
Psalm 91:3

Is God guaranteeing us that we won’t catch COVID-19? No. We know believers who have gotten the disease. Some recover, but some die.

Does that mean God didn’t deliver them?

But We Have More to Gain

No. But we each have to grapple with this in our own way.

God wants us to talk to Him about it. To have the hard conversations. To wrestle with our understanding so we’ll come out stronger.

Whether in life or through death, we can trust that God is our refuge from traps and plagues. He longs to gather His children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Matthew 23:37).

He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
Psalm 91:4

He frees us from the trap of anxiety by giving us a place to shelter in Him (Psalm 91:1).
He frees us from the trap of material worries by giving us assurance of His provisions (Matthew 6:30-32).
He frees us from the trap of despondency by renewing our strength for the battle (Isaiah 40:31).
He frees us from the trap of doubt by giving us His faithfulness in exchange for our faithlessness (2 Timothy 2:13).

We don’t have to rely on our own resources.

We can depend on God’s infinite supplies. We can think His thoughts and trust His ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).

It’s His gift to us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Don’t Take the Bait

After I climbed down from my chair, I tried to find where the mouse was hiding. He wasn’t cooperating. Instead of sitting quietly in the middle of the room, in plain sight, waiting for me to capture him, the mouse had scurried underneath something, in the dark, unseen.

My husband set a trap that afternoon. A piece of cheese was the lure. Before bedtime that night, we heard a SNAP.

The mouse had taken the bait. And lost his battle.

We, however, don’t have to take the bait of worrying, of panicking, of complaining. We can go higher. Call for help. Avoid the traps.

God knows where our traps have been set, and if we’ll shelter in His nest, we will be safe. He’s got this. Let’s let him fight this one for us.

Count on His faithfulness.
Trust His goodness.
Rest in His love.

Don’t take the bait to be trapped in fear. Take refuge in God’s resources in Psalm 91:3-4. #HideHisWord

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Thank you for reading Psalm 91 with us for 8 weeks. Over 225 people are memorizing it together.

How are you managing fear in these weeks of uncertainty? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Fearful? Anxious? Leap Into the Word!

April 9, 2020 by Ali Shaw 1 Comment

(This post, Leap Into the Word, is the first in our series, Take Heart: Responding to Trouble in the World, where we examine how we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, can respond to the fear, anxiety, and trouble the world is facing.)

My two year old grandson, Tripp, stood on top of his tall toy box and yelled, “Ready, Grammie?” In wild excitement, he leapt off the edge. He sailed through the air and plopped into my arms. It took a lot of courage for him to make that jump. He had faith that I would catch him, and I did.

The whole world right now is a little like a slow-motion-version of my grandson sailing through the air. But instead of wild excitement, there’s waiting, watching, suffering, confusion, loss, separation, and fear. We’re living in uncertain times and, sisters, we need courageous faith.

Jaime poses an excellent question in the intro to this series, “How can we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, respond to the fear, anxiety, and trouble the world is facing?”

One way is to leap into God’s Word. As we do, we can learn from the heroes of the faith and be encouraged by God’s might and power.

Courageous Faith

When the soldiers of King Saul’s army were afraid of Goliath, the giant enemy, David came and said, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26) David was courageous! He boldly told Saul, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37) Yes, David was courageous— because he had great faith in God.

David leapt into action, full of courage and faith, right into God’s will. You and I may feel like we can’t be as courageous as that. Honestly? If we tried to defeat our enemies (suffering, confusion, loss, fears, and so on) all on our own, we’d be like the fear filled soldiers who ran from Goliath. But when our courage is rooted in confidence of God’s ability, it is unshakeable because He is unshakeable!

Grow Your Confidence

So the question is, how do we grow our confidence in God? It’s simple, really. We read His Word. Again, and again. We immerse ourselves in His truths and promises. God tells us that His Word is living and active and that it will accomplish the purposes for which He sends it out. (Hebrews 4:12, Isaiah 55:11)

We go to God’s Word to learn the truth about who He is and who we are.
Then, we set our minds on “things above.” (Colossians 3:1).
We “trust in the LORD with all [our] heart, and do not lean on [our] own understanding. In all [our] ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight [our] paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)
And we think of “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, … right… pure… lovely… admirable… excellent… and praiseworthy.” (Philippians 4:8)
God’s Word tells us that He will “keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you [God], because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
From our position of peace, we can then replace fear and anxiety with gratitude and thanksgiving.
We can “Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:4b-5)
And, like Peter, if we find ourselves looking at the wind and waves around us, we instead cry out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)

More Good News

Here’s even more good news to focus on!

God can work with a faith as small as a grain of mustard seed. He can also help our faith grow! (Read Matthew 17:20)
David ultimately points us not to ourselves and our abilities, but to the true champion, Jesus Christ. Yes, it is He who has defeated our greatest enemy, Satan. Though Satan comes to do things like rob us of joy, paralyze us with fear, and destroy our peace and trust, Jesus has come so that we might have abundant life in Him— regardless of our circumstances. (See John 10:10)
Because of Jesus, we can have internal peace, eternal security, and hope during this peace-robbing, uncertain, and hopeless time! He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

It’s true that we may not know what will happen next, but God does. Nothing can surprise the One who holds the future. And we can have confident faith in this: the victorious Father is always there, with strong, loving arms, ready to “catch” His children when we move toward Him in faith.

Let’s be courageous and faithful, sisters. May we all leap into the Word and land in His loving arms today!

How has the Word encouraged you lately? Tell us in the comments or in our Facebook group.

In Christ,
Ali

Fearful? Anxious? Leap Into the Word! Land in His loving arms. #TakeHeart

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Take Heart: Responding to Trouble in the World

April 7, 2020 by Jaime Hilton 3 Comments

The last few weeks have been a long exercise in regularly taking my thoughts captive and putting my trust in the promises of Jesus. I feel like Peter walking towards Jesus on the water (Matthew 14:24-33). One moment he is following Jesus’ voice and the next he’s distracted by the storm swirling around him. A wave of news swells to my left and I fear I will sink beneath it. But my spirit cries out, “Be still! Remember, He is God!”

One of the things Jesus promised us is that we will face trouble while we live on this earth.

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. (John 16:33)

Tribulation is a fancy word for trouble. I can’t think of a better description of what we are facing with this coronavirus. Most of us are isolated in our homes, inconvenienced by the widespread shut down. But others are hurting. Friends and neighbors are struggling with sickness, loss of loved ones, job loss and bills to pay. We are all facing uncertainty and anxiety. It’s trouble with a capital T!

How can we, as the hands and feet of Jesus, respond to the fear, anxiety, and trouble the world is facing?

Thankfully, the promise does not end there. Jesus said,

But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Through his work on the cross and his resurrection (the very event we celebrate this coming Sunday!), He is already victorious over sin and death.

As Betsie Ten Boom (sister of Corrie Ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place) once said,

“…the lightning crack of justice has already struck, and we live in the silence before the thunderclap.”

The storm is still raging around us, but we know the happy ending is coming.

This month on the blog we’re going to be looking at some practical ways we can live and love our neighbors through the current trouble we call the covid19 crisis. May your experience be filled with the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. May He guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7)!

How to Shelter-in-Place in God With the 9-1-1 of Psalms {Psalm 91:1-2}

April 6, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 3 Comments

With chaos and corona raging outside, come in from the storm. Shelter in place in God. Find rest in the 9-1-1 of Psalms.

This is week 1 in our 8-week journey in Psalm 91.

It’s Coming

We woke up to a loud knocking on our hotel door.

It was 5 a.m. on our honeymoon. Jeff and I had spent the last 4 days in Hawaii. We had two more days to go on the small island of Kauai. Or so we thought.

The hotel worker at the door was warning us: Stay here! Do not leave the hotel! A hurricane is coming!

Isn’t this how all of us feel in our world right now? Stay at home! Go nowhere! The pandemic is coming!

If you’re like me, it’s caused you to be unfocused, to have trouble concentrating, to feel insecure.

What is safe and what isn’t?

Listen for the Announcement

A few hours later that morning, another hotel worker warned us to leave our rooms and belongings. Gather in the hotel ballroom. It would be safer there than in our individual rooms when the hurricane came on shore.

We listened to their announcement, to every word they said.

Listen for God’s announcements in this COVID-19 crisis, too. Here’s one announcement in Psalm 91:1, a 9-1-1 verse when we’re in need of protection.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1

Find Your Safe Place

Jeff and I gathered a few things to take with us to the ballroom…two pillows, my purse, a book…then locked our door, following the crowd to the ballroom. Many people were already there, huddled around tables, talking, worrying, wondering. But safe.

Where is the best place for us to shelter-in-place from a pandemic? God’s presence. God’s presence is the safest place for us any time, good times or bad.

When we dwell in His shelter (remain, abide, take a seat and stay awhile), we are shaded from the heat of the storm. The storm doesn’t go away, but we have a layer of peace covering us in the midst of it.

Talk to the Chaos

But the hotel ballroom wasn’t our final hiding place that day of Hurricane Iniki. Before long, the strong winds broke windows of the ballroom and rain came in, mixed with shards of glass. The staff led us all to a part of the hotel I’d never seen before, the tunnels underneath.

There was more people than room to spread out in the tunnels. We scrunched together along the walls in the narrow hallways.

Everyone was tired, hungry, anxious. But a strange thing happened. No longer able to hear the winds we knew were furiously ripping into everything above us, we filled the room instead with conversations, with singing, with prayers.

Psalm 91:2 does the same thing. After hearing the announcement in verse 1, the psalmist responds:

I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:2

We need to say this, too. Speak it over your chaos.

And say it to the Lord, even when you’re wavering, even when you’re scared, even when you’re uncertain of what will happen next: “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Declare who you know Him to be, even in the midst of your doubts.

It’s enough from us. The heavy load is on God.

And God is bigger than our faith, stronger than our fears, and more peaceful than our storms.

This Storm Will Pass

By nightfall, Hurricane Iniki left. It had devastated the island of Kauai, Hawaii, throughout the day.

But now it was still. Quiet. Dark. Most of our hotel was still standing. And everyone inside the hotel was safe. We had stayed put, and it made a difference.

We were each given a candle and released to return to our rooms. Our room was still habitable, although it was wet and contained debris, despite the door still being closed.

We finally went to sleep that night, not knowing how or when we would get home (that’s another story).

But we were alive. And together.

Regardless of the devastation that the coronavirus threatens us with, we can rest assured that if we stay in our shelter, once the storm passes, our souls will have survived.

And we will still be with God. Together.

He’ll help us pick up the pieces and put our lives back together. Then, as now, He will remain our refuge, our fortress, our God.

In Him we can trust.

Find your safe place. Words to say in the storm, the 9-1-1 of Psalms. #memorizepsalm91 #hidehisword

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Is your state under a “shelter-in-place” order? How are you doing with it?
Do you have a prayer room or favorite chair or other place in your home where you can quietly meet with God?

Please share in the comments; we’re in this together.

What to Expect When You Memorize Psalm 91

April 1, 2020 by Lisa Burgess 1 Comment

If you’d like to embed a set of powerful words about God deep into your heart, memorize Psalm 91 with us beginning April 6. Here’s what you can expect and NOT expect.

Who We Are

The memorizing community at Do Not Depart has been introducing itself the past two weeks in our Hide His Word Facebook group.

Here’s who we are so far.

We’ve been preparing to memorize by sharing Psalm 91 songs, praying for each other’s healthcare friends, and preparing our resources and hearts.

What to Expect from Us

Here’s what you can expect from us if you join.

When you sign up, we’ll send you an email with links to resources you can print at home, including journal pages, 3×5 cards, etc.
Each week for the following eight weeks, we’ll send you an email on Monday morning as a reminder of the two verses we’ll be learning that week.
We’ll also post a short devotional thought on the week’s verses here at the blog each Monday morning.
In our Facebook group, we’ll have daily conversations to get to know each other better and to share insights from the text and to tell how we are seeing the Lord show up.

What NOT to Expect

What you WON’T get from us is harassment if you don’t memorize every verse (or any verse!). It’s less about memorizing the words and more about spending time with the Living Word.

We also don’t promise agreement on the interpretation of each verse or the prediction of what God will do next. We will share our insights with each other, but it’s between you and God to figure out how He wants to use the text in your life.

And lastly, we don’t offer a guarantee of immunity from the coronavirus. Praying Psalm 91, even every day, is not a good luck charm to keep the virus away from our bodies.

He Is With You

But what can you expect from God?

We pray that as we draw closer to the Lord through these words in Psalm 91 that He will keep fear from overwhelming our souls.

And cultivate more peace in our hearts.

We expect His presence among us as we gather together for this memory challenge.

No matter what happens next in this crisis or any other, when we dwell in the shelter of the Most High, the Lord will be our salvation.

We need a refuge. It isn’t a list of words. But words can guide us to our Fortress.

Let’s put our trust in the Lord.

Need Extra Grace? Store Up Psalm 91

March 27, 2020 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

“The Word, stored in the heart, provides a mental depository for the Holy Spirit to use to mediate His grace to us, whatever our need for grace might be.”
– Jerry Bridges

Do you have a special need for grace in this season?

Don’t we all?

One way that the Holy Spirit hands out grace is through truths we’ve stored in our hearts about who God is and what He does.

Join us in storing up more Word in your heart as we memorize Psalm 91, beginning April 6.

Learn more about the memory challenge here.

[UPDATE: Registration now closed.]

Series Re-Cap: Missions Right Where You Are

March 26, 2020 by Cheli Sigler Leave a Comment

Throughout this month at Do Not Depart, we have been reflecting on how we participate in The Great Commission from our own corner of the world. In Matthew 28:19-20a, Jesus gave His disciples a command to share the “Good News” of God’s mercy and grace through Him:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

It is my prayer that you have been challenged and inspired to join in The Great Commission from right where you are.Click To Tweet

Missions

In addition to the The Twelve, this command is for us as well. Important to note, completing Christ’s mission does not necessitate a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Over the course of a month we have highlighted large and small, global and local, and Gospel-proclaiming and Gospel-serving organizations. It is my prayer that you have been challenged and inspired to join in The Great Commission from right where you are.

Let’s re-cap what we’ve read this month.

Missions Right Where You Are Re-Cap

What acts of humble service is God calling you to today?

In writing, Small Acts of Humble Service, Ali reminded us of Jesus’ servant heart and how that inspires her to serve others. By cutting shelf liner for an organization who helps hurting girls, she writes, “I provided a small, menial task so that others in the ministry would be free to focus intently on doing the work of healing, teaching, and ministering.”

How is God leading you to use your gifts and talents for Him?

Through her God-given talents, love for God’s Word, and theater; Jaime shares in her post, The Word That Returns, about her participation in Piercing Word. This organization proclaims God’s Word in compelling ways through theatrical performance. I love what Jaime shares, “Though I wasn’t always aware of how He would use me and my enthusiasm for the arts, I realize now He was equipping me to be a part of sharing a Story the world is desperate to hear.”

Are there “helpers” in your life who need your support?

Sometimes we aren’t qualified to help where we are called. Lisa encourages us to “help the helpers” in her post, Not Gifted for That Ministry? Help the Helpers Who Are. Lisa and her husband volunteer with a disaster response group, PAR (Prepare and Respond). Lisa learned that “When we expand our idea of how we can work in a ministry, God may surprise us with opportunities we didn’t see coming.” She adds, “Whether in front or behind the scenes, the outcome is the same: the good news is spread and the love of God is felt.”

Who do you know who needs God’s Word?

As I share in the post, Challenge and Opportunity: Bibles For the Bibleless, God uses our gifts and talents for His purposes. From my home-base in Orlando, FL, I get to use my gift of teaching at the USA Headquarters of Wycliffe Bible Translators to train new missionary kids and play a small role in ending Bible poverty around the world. Interestingly, God uses my love for His Word in more ways than one. I am privileged to participate in the “God. Plan. Move.” mission of Hello Mornings, which I write about in Digital Pathway to the Gospel. Serving in these two capacities God has given me a front row seat to watch Him work.

Who are “the nations” in your neighborhood?

Lastly, Jennifer reminds us that “the nations” are all around us in our neighborhoods and towns. Among other ministry, she and her husband support Bridges International, that supports, encourages, and shows Christ’s love to international students on college campuses. In her post, International Ministry: Right Here, she challenges us to “look at your own community, you may also see that the nations are coming to our doorstep. May we share the Good News and the Grace of Christ while they’re here, for the Church is comprised of every nation.

A Blessing as You “Go”

When Jesus commissioned His disciples to share the Gospel, He left them with a blessing. Re-read the Great Commission with this blessing:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

Yes! When we “go,” Jesus’ power and presence goes with us— always.

Thank You

Thank you for joining us this month. Have you learned something, thought a new thought, or have questions about the organizations we’ve highlighted this month? If so, let us know in the comments.

International Ministry: Right Here

March 24, 2020 by Jennifer Hong Leave a Comment

As she opened our March series, Missions: Participating in the Great Commission Right Where We Are, Cheli asked us, “So, what does it look like when we participate in the Great Commission right where we are?” I’d like to turn our focus to the “all nations” aspect of the great commission. How can we do international ministry, right here?

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

International Ministry… Here, or There?

I was a medical student in the international health track, looking forward to a rotation at a missions hospital in Kenya, when the man I had been dating for a few months anticipated a geographic conflict. My husband, you see, is a planner. It is never too early for him to anticipate and solve a problem. David was beginning his career in cancer research and drug development, which would leave him firmly rooted in a major American medical center. Although I would complete some of my training in Africa, Spanish had been my college major. I knew I was called to serve the Latin American community. David pointed out that, if God had called me to move to Latin America after my graduation, we needed to re-consider our relationship. He did not want to stand between me and the Lord’s leading to international ministry.

In the season of prayer and discernment that followed, I saw that God had opened doors and equipped me to work with the immigrant community right here, in Houston. Though many are called to carry out the Great Commission abroad, my personal international ministry was here. As a medical student and then pediatric resident in Houston, the majority of my patients at the county hospital and primary care clinic were from families that had immigrated from Mexico and Central America. It was a blessing to connect with my patients, encourage them, and pray with them personally, without the use of a translator. After graduation, I joined a pediatric practice serving this same community.

International Ministry at Home

Right here in Houston, the Lord has opened a multitude of ways for us to love, serve, and minister to people of many nations. Each year on the Saturday preceding Thanksgiving, my husband invites the faculty and fellows of his cancer medicine department over for a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. David speaks briefly about the holiday and shares his gratitude to the God who is the Giver of all good gifts before we share the dishes from our own cultures and backgrounds. We provide the turkey and dressing, but the favorite dishes are often the rich flavors of Indian cuisine. These dinners open the doors for more meaningful friendships and conversations. Many years we have six or eight nations represented, and their spiritual backgrounds are just as diverse. Just counting off the top of my head, we have welcomed families from Turkey, Brazil, S. Korea, China, Japan, Egypt, the Czech Republic, Peru, England, Spain, and India.

Student Ministry

Of the organizations doing international ministry right here, we are particularly glad to support Bridges International. Our friend Daka, who grew up in Kazhakstan, is on the staff of Bridges International here in Houston, serving international students at University of Houston, Rice, and Houston Community College. Bridges International has chapters at universities and colleges all across the country and describes itself as “a caring community of Christ-followers committed to serve, promote social connections and engage in spiritual conversations with international students so that students become leaders internationally.” Daka and his wife Heather welcome students into their home and connect students with host families for holidays and other gatherings. They support students through difficult personal times as well as larger events like hurricane Harvey and local floods. Additionally, Bridges has a wealth of resources they have made available online for holding spiritual conversations.

The Nations are Here

I have been encouraged and challenged by each the Do Not Depart team’s reflections on local missions this month. Ali encouraged me that no act of service is insignificant, and Lisa‘s perspective on supporting those with needed skills may keep me from dismissing opportunities in ministries that appear to be outside of my abilities. I hope that, as you look at your own community, you may also see that the nations are coming to our doorstep. May we share the Good News and the Grace of Christ while they’re here, for the Church is comprised of every nation.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10