Sep. 18, 2024

Our Eternal Adventure Chapter 7

The Power of Relationships

Recap: The Gentiles are being brought into the Kingdom of God as the disciples are scattered after Steven's Death. Jesus' plan to take the Gospel into the 'uttermost parts of the Earth' is beginning. Now He will show us all how He provides the personnel and resources needed to make disciples

Selah- a meditation moment

How has God use your relationship with others to accomplish things beyond your own abilities?

How has your life experiences prepared you for the ministry that God has called you to?

Mabel, her friend Mamie and Aunt Polly

Mabel and Polly were sisters who grew up on a farm in Casey County Kentucky. When they got old enough, they left for the Big City, which was Cincinnati, where Polly enrolled in Cosmetology School. Mabel married a career Air Force guy, and traveled the world. In their middle age, they both ended up in Vero Beach Florida, where my Aunt Polly owned “Richard’s By The Sea” beauty salon, and my mother Mabel worked as the shampoo girl.

One of their customers was a sweet lady named Jo Ann, who owned a travel agency. When I needed a ticket to Maui in 1986, Jo Ann made the flight arrangements. A few years later Jo Ann introduced me to her son Don, who was my age, and a very “fun” guy. He came on a trip to the Rio Coco with us in 1989, and returned a year later. Don, Laura, and I shared many “fun” moments traveling in the Miskitia together. We all got sick on the same food one day while traveling through the jungle! Don and I spent many moments on that trip at our jungle latrine, often standing together over the ditch. We both had a severe case of diarrhea and could do nothing else!

One night in 1996, I was sitting with my friend Truman on his porch downriver in Sawa. It was a pleasant night, and the bugs were manageable. I asked him a serious question: “Truman, what are some of your dreams in life?”

Without hesitation he said, “I want to go and see where Jesus lived. Nobody from my people has been there.”

I was stunned. I replied “So do I!”

Michael, Laura, Truman and Mirna

I had often dreamt about a trip there myself. A few years earlier I had gotten on the mailing list of the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem which offered a Master’s program in archeology with three summer sessions. I really desired to see the Land, walk it, and understand Biblical culture better. I wanted to understand the Bible in its physical, cultural, and historical context. But the travel to Israel and the archeology course was very expensive, and I did not see how I could afford the time or money to go. But being accustomed at this point to God doing the impossible, I requested the program application. When I received it and began to fill it out, I sensed the Lord telling me “No”. That didn’t really make sense, unless the Lord had something better.

My response to Truman’s unusual request: “Truman, let’s start praying about this. If God wants us to go, then He will make it happen.”

I began to tell some of my friends about our desire to go to Israel, and I asked them to pray about it. A few months later I was in Florida, where I had to chance to see my friend Roy Kendall, who had been our worship leader at Central Assembly for many years but had left in 1990 to work with the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. I told him about Truman’s request and asked if that was even possible. Roy said: “Of course it is! Each year the Embassy hosts the Feast of Tabernacles, and Christians from over 100 countries come! You can bring Truman and some others.”

The Bagby and Kendall Families, Jerusalem 2000

“Wow” thought I. This might actually be possible! “Pray for us Roy, that we can bring our friends to Israel.”

In the spring of 1997, we returned to Hawaii for our time working with our churches there. The first Sunday, we were at Laura’s home church, Moanalua Gardens Missionary Church (where we were married) where a lady named Zee, who sponsored one of our Miskito students, approached us before the service. She handed me a Big Ben ($100 dollar bill) and said: “This is for your trip to Israel.” I asked how she knew that we had been praying about this trip and she said: “Laura’s mom told me, and I want to help.”

I turned to Laura and said: “Well I guess we are going to Israel.” The following day, we were with our friend Bryant Smith, who was a builder, working on the Hope Chapel Kanoehe construction project. Bryant was from Arkansas and had started a chapter of the Full Gospel Businessmen’s Association on Oahu. He invited us to tour the building site, and that night we attended the meeting of the FGBM. Bryant surprised us that night by announcing to the group that “Laura and Mike are taking their little Miskito guys over to Israel, and the Lord told me to give them $1000 for their trip. In addition, I will match any donation from any of you towards this trip.”

We were surprised a Bryan’s announcement, as we had told Bryant about our prayers to go to Israel and Zee’s gift to us the day before. That night after the meeting, I was selling copies of my first book, Just Another Lump of Clay, and Charlie, who sponsors one of our Miskito students, purchased a book which I signed for him. When I looked at his check later that night, I saw that it was for $1000! I told Bryant about the check the next day, and he laughed and said, “Now pray that I will be able to come up with my $2000!”

A few days later we were on Maui, and I was at the office of our friend Karen, who was printing our newsletters for us. As we stood there folding the letters, she asked me: “How’s it going with your plans to go to Israel?”

”How did you know about that?” I asked. Karen said that she had heard it from our pastor Craig Englert. I excitedly told her about what had happened on Oahu that week. She said to me quietly: “Whatever you need for your airfare, my husband and I will give you. You need to go to Israel. We went last year and it changed our lives. It will change yours.”

In less than a week, God had provided us with all the money needed to get us to Israel!

Principle: God will provide all the resources for His plans and projects

A few days later, I called my friend Roy in Jerusalem, and asked him if he could help us find housing for seven people. We had spoken to Craig, who had agreed to come along on the trip with his wife Kathy and be our teacher. In addition to Truman, we decided to bring along Augusto Vicente, who helped us start the school project in 1985, and who was our school superintendent along the Rio Coco. The last member of our “delegation” was Onofre Zamora, who did our teacher training for our school project. Onofre has a gift for understanding and teaching the Bible.

Roy called me back in a few weeks and told us that there was a three-bedroom apartment available during the months of October and November that we could use. When I asked him how much the rent was, he said: “My friend Tim manages this apartment for a lady in South Africa, and he said that we could use it for free.”

Wow! God was doing something! But He wasn’t finished yet!

I asked Roy if he could take us around to the Biblical sites. “No, I am too busy” he replied, “but I have a friend named Randy Smith who does study tours as a business. You will really like him.”

A few days later, I called the Jerusalem office of Christian Travel Study Programs. I told the office manager Leslie that we wanted to see all the Biblical sites around the country if that was possible and gave her the dates in October.

“Yes. We just had the cancellation of a group for that week, and we can make all the arrangements. Give me a few days and I will figure up a price for the transportation, hotels, meals, and entrance fees for the archeological parks,”

It was a few nights later that I got a call from Don, my partner in diarrhea in Nicaragua. I was sitting in my office in Vero Beach and it was late at night. The phone rang, and it was a surprise to hear from Don, as it had been at least six years since we had spoken.

”Hey Mike, I hear that you are going to Israel!”

“Don, who told you that?”

“My mom. She heard it from your mom. Anyway, I want to give you some money for your trip.”

“Don, we already have our airfare, and an apartment in Jerusalem for free. We really don’t have any needs, so why don’t you come with us instead?”

We talked for a few minutes about what we were planning to do, and I gave no thought to the Christian Travel Study Programs deal, but rather continued encouraging Don to come with us. We really enjoyed him! Finally Don said:

“Mike, the Lord told me to give you $5000 for your trip. I’m going to do it whether you think you need it or not. I have some commercial buildings that I am going to collect rent on at the end of the month, and I will send the check then.”

“OK Don if you think so. But think about coming with us anyway.”

As I hung up, I realized what an extraordinary conversation that was with a longtime friend whom I had not heard a word from in years. And he was sending us $5000 that I didn’t think we needed.

But what was even more extraordinary was what happened next. Leslie called from the CTSP office in Jerusalem later that week.

“Mike, I have it all figured out for your group of seven. For 12 days of travel around Israel, with hotels, transportation, entrance fees, and everything but lunch, it will cost $5005.”

Wow! $5005.

"Leslie, please book it." I said confidently.

I called Don back that night and asked:

“Don, are you sure that the Lord didn’t say Five Thousand and FIVE dollars?”

Then I told him what had happened. We laughed and rejoiced!

Don and Anna Houpt, Mt of Olives 2023

In October, Truman, Augusto, and Onofre flew to Miami. It was their first time flying on a jet. As we stood at the gate to board the Lufthansa 747, they were amazed at the size of the airplane! Never had they seen something so big. We flew for 8 hours, stopping in Frankfurt, before boarding the four-hour flight to Tel Aviv. There, Roy and his wife Mary met us, and took us to the apartment in Jerusalem. The following day we met Tim King, a founder of the International Christian Embassy, who had arranged the apartment for us. And finally, we began the study tour with Dr. Randall Smith, who it turns out was not just any archeologist. This man was a graduate from Hebrew University, and an acknowledged expert on Biblical Culture. Randy was currently the professor who trained and certified all the Israeli Ministry of Tourism guides, and we had him as our private teacher and driver for the next two weeks.

The Hawaiians and Miskitos with Randy Smith at En Gedi Israel, 1997

Kathy, Randy, Augusto, Michael, Laura, Craig, Augusto, & Truman

It was an extraordinary time for us all. Karen was right! It did change our lives! It changed the way we looked at the Bible. Our whole approach to Cross Cultural Ministry took a turn in the right direction. The Miskitos saw with their own eyes the places in the Bible, and they began to understand the cultural and historical context of the Scriptures. It changed the way they taught the Bible to the Miskito Culture back home. And we became friends with Randy and Tim, which resulted in more amazing happenings down the road.

Onofre, Truman, Kathy, Craig and Randy, Old City of Jerusalem, 1997

Think for a moment how we got to Israel.

First it was a desire that God planted in Truman’s heart, and in mine. It was then my mom telling Joann who told her son Don, who give us the $5000 that ‘we didn’t need’. It was Laura’s mom who told our friend Zee, who gave us the first gift. It was a friendship with Bryant that began a year before, that resulted in $3000 toward the trip. Karen had offered her help in printing our newsletters a few years before she offered to pay our airfare to Israel, which was about $5000. It was our relationship with Roy that landed us the apartment from his friend Tim King. And it was Roy who introduced us to Randy Smith.

How did we take three Miskitos and four Hawaiians to Israel? It was through God ordained relationships.

Everything that happened was from friendships that began years before the actual event.

It appears that God had it planned all along. And He used our friends to make it happen.

It’s a Biblical Principle: God often uses existing relationship to accomplish incredible things in your life.

Laura, Michael, Mary, Roy, Dottie and Randy, Jerusalem 2001

As we open Acts Chapter 11, we are going to see this principle in action.

Meanwhile, the believers who had fled from Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the Good News, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was upon them, and large numbers of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21

Once again we have to step back and ask ourselves what exactly is happening with those who fled the persecution after Stephen’s death. Did they set out on an evangelistic campaign to win souls? Probably not. They were fleeing for their lives, and when asked by those they met in synagogues along the way why they had left Jerusalem, it was very natural to tell the story of Jesus, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the Pentecost Festival, and the subsequent miraculous events which Luke records in chapters two through seven. As they told this story, things began to happen. God began to move through them and with them, and many Greco-Roman pagans and Jews were touched, and became followers of Yeshua. This thing that Jesus began and the Holy Spirit spurned on is all inclusive! Everybody, regardless of race, sex, culture, and nationality, was invited to this party!

Here is another principle that we should keep in our back pocket:

God will use any circumstances, even bad ones, as an opportunity to proclaim the Good News of a restored relationship with Him, and a hope for the future.

We should keep this in mind when we find ourselves in not-so-favorable situations.

Luke continues:

When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this proof of God’s favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And large numbers of people were brought to the Lord. Acts 11:22-24

The Jewish leadership which at first resisted the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of God had wised up, and were ready now to go along with the flow of the Holy Spirit. They had accepted what He is doing, and even desired to play their part in God’s plan. As a result, they sent Barnabas to Antioch, to check out what was going on with these new brothers.

But why Barnabas?

We first met Barnabas in Acts Chapter 4, right before the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles for those in need. Acts 4:34-36

Remember, writers select the information they give us for a purpose. Luke wants us to know that Joseph / Barnabas is:

A man who is known for his supernatural gift of encouragement;
From the tribe of Levi, who are schooled from birth in all the rituals of Temple worship;
Originally from the island of Cyprus.

All three of these pieces of information now come into play in the narrative.

Morning coffee in the Old City of Jerusalem: Craig, Michael, Flint and Luke

Imagine for a moment that you are with the group of Jesus’ disciples who are sitting around sharing their morning coffee in Jerusalem when a friend arrives and tells them the news of what is happening in Antioch. Peter, James, John and others then begin asking questions and discover that it is their disciples Fred and Barney from Cyprus who are heading the move of God in that city. Maybe a conversation like this took place.

“Just a minute. Barnabas, aren’t Fred and Barney your friends?” they ask.

“Yes, we went to synagogue school together. We fished a lot as well.”

“Well,” Peter says, “We learned a lot about how Greek and Romans think when we were with Cornelius those days in Caesarea, so why don’t you go visit your friends, and see what is going on. They might need a little encouragement.”

“Okay Peter. I’d love to go catch up with Fred and Barney. They left town so suddenly that I really didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. I’m glad to hear that God is using them. I’ll leave next week.”

Now this is all hypothetical, but very probable that a conversation like this took place.

Barnabas does arrive in Antioch, and sees his friends, who catch him up on what God is doing. As he spends time with these new formerly pagan gentiles, he realizes that they need some solid teaching to counter their habitual thinking.

These new Christians are excited about Jesus, but still living in the manner that they are accustomed, just as they were living before they received Christ: Living with their girlfriend, drinking to excess, smoking weed, stealing from their employer, disregarding the feeling of those around them, wearing inappropriate clothing, using foul language etc.etc.etc.

You know, the things we all used to do.

Working with new Christians is so refreshing, if you are not a religious person. They are generally so thankful about what God has done in their lives and are very excited to share their experience with others, even though they often do that in a somewhat unreligious manner.

Once our friend Alice spoke at a woman’s conference on some aspect of the Christian life. Afterward, an exuberant new believer came up and said to her:

“Alice, what you said was F_ _ _ing good!

Alice had a stern look lodged on her face as she said “Don’t ever use that word in my presence again!!!”

No, Alice didn't say that! She is much more sensitive to the Holy Spirit than to say something as damaging as that. Instead, she smiled and said “Oh Thank You.”

Principle: In ministry with new believers, we must not allow ourselves to play the role of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

The Bible tells us to develop relationships of love with our new disciples and give to them. In the process we will model Christian morality and behavior, and when it comes time, we will instruct them in God’s ways and offer correction and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) However we must not forget the principle that Paul instructs his friends in Philippi:

Dearest friends, you were always so careful to follow my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God’s saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him. Phil 2:12-13

According to the Bible, it is God who gives us the desire to change- to adopt His standards of morality and behavior, and He is the one who gives us the Divine Power to make those changes in our lives. We cannot force our new disciples to change. We can only model and instruct. And we can pray for them. But we must never present them with a list of our rules on “How To Be A Christian”.

That can lead to religious behavior, and apparent ‘change’ in them that is really only a temporary response to our pressure that we place on them to get ‘sanctified’.

Let the Word of God speak to them.

Encourage them to develop a habit of talking with God. Cultivate a relationship with them of trust.

Try to walk in their shoes as they meet the challenges of living a life that is pleasing to our King.

Support them, pray for them and as they allow, hold them accountable to the things that God has spoken to them.

Barnabas saw the need for this process to happen in the lives of these new believers in Antioch. I’m sure that he asked the Lord what He should do to really help these new brothers and sisters grow in their experiential knowledge of God.

Why am I sure? Because Barnabas had a “sudden inspiration”, and God gave him an answer to his prayers:

Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to find Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Acts 11:24-25

Principle: Sudden inspiration is a sign of the activity of the Holy Spirit.

When we are asking God for guidance in His Plan for our day, He drops things into our spirits that appear to come out of left field but are really the answer we need to accomplish the goal that He has set, and for an aspect of the plan that we may be even unaware of.

Consider that thought for a moment!

The same Alice who spoke at that woman’s conference had just finished a bead jewelry class when we visited her family in 2003. As she sat making jewelry while we all drank coffee and talked, suddenly I got inspired and blurted out: “Alice, why don’t you come to Nicaragua and teach a few of our students to make jewelry and we will start a cottage industry and make some money for the school project.”

Alice considered it for a few moments and said: “OK I will.” A few months later she came to Waspam, where she spent a week working with some of our kids making jewelry. She took it all back home, and the following week sold it all at a craft fair and sent $500 to Seek The Lamb for Project Ezra. Alice and Laura continued to work together for many years to make jewelry, which was a huge fundraiser for our project.

Alice teaching some of our students, Waspam Nicaragua 2002

Sudden Inspiration. The Gift of Blurting.

It was 2004 when Alice’s husband Mike visited us in Waspam with his sons. As we were drinking some delicious Nicaragua coffee one day, I suddenly blurted out:

“Mike, I have been thinking about importing some of this Nicaraguan coffee to the U.S, roasting it and making some money for our school project.”

Not surprisingly, Mike replied: “One of my clients is a coffee roaster in Raleigh. Why don’t we go talk to him?”

A few months later in October, we were in the office of Larry Larson, the owner of Larry’s Beans. He was one of the first coffee roasters to pay ‘Fair Trade’ prices to the farmers that he bought coffee from. We told him about our primary education project in Nicaragua, and our thought to import coffee from Nicaragua and make some money for the project. We spoke for more than 30 minutes, and finally Larry said:

“I just bought 20,000 lbs of Nicaraguan coffee. Why don’t you allow me to roast it and sell it to you at a good wholesale price and you can sell it and make the money for the project?”

Mike and I looked at each other, and nodded. “What do we need to do?” we asked.

“Just design me a label for your bag, and tell me where to ship the coffee.”

Can it be that easy?

Mike had a friend Leesa who was a talented graphic designer, and she agreed to come up with a logo for our new coffee company, named “Rio Coco Beans”. Mike had another friend Scott, who arranged for a website to be designed. By December, we were selling Rio Coco Bean Coffee in our online store and to our friends.

Sudden Inspiration! And the power of relationships!

Mike and Mike picking coffee, Vida Joven Farm Nicaragua 2009

Barnabas had the answer to his question how he was going to disciple these Greeks and Romans. He suddenly remembered Saul. And he knew that he had to go find him.

But why Saul? How are these two connected?

Once again, it is from a relationship that we see got started in Acts 9.

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They thought he was only pretending to be a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus. Barnabas also told them what the Lord had said to Saul and how he boldly preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. Then the apostles accepted Saul, and after that he was constantly with them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they plotted to murder him. When the believers heard about it, however, they took him to Caesarea and sent him on to his hometown of Tarsus. Acts 11:26-30

Barnabas befriended Saul a few years earlier when the former Christian Killer returned to Jerusalem after his Damascus Road Experience proclaiming “Jesus IS Lord”! Why would Barnabas do such a thing? It was probably another ‘sudden inspiration’ from the Holy Spirit.

Principle: Sometimes God lets you know ahead of time who your strategic friends are going to be.

Barnabas became a good friend and mentor of Saul. Then Saul’s life was threatened, and Barnabas and the others decided that Saul should ‘go home’ for a while. He probably had a few things to sort out with his family there. It was years later at this critical moment that Barnabas turned to an old friend to assist him in the present task. Who better could speak into the lives of the Greeks and Romans? Saul was a Roman citizen, brought up in Roman culture. He was also a student of the most famous rabbi of his time, Gamaliel, and one who could walk in both cultures, speaking the languages fluently. Saul was the ideal candidate to disciple these new believers in Antioch!

Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch, and Luke records that:

Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching great numbers of people. (It was there at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.) Acts 11:31

The church at Antioch had two eminently qualified individuals, Joseph the Levite, and Saul the Rabbi and Pharisee, as their teachers. Both men had studied the Scriptures for years. They understood the principles that God gives us in the Bible. And they knew how to apply those principles in the cultural setting of the time. Most importantly, they both had had a personal experience with Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Here is another Biblical Principle: God often prepares you ahead of time for the work that He has planned for you.

I have to look no farther than my own life to see this principle in action.

My first real job was working in the Dairy Queen during my time at Reynoldsburg High School. When I graduated, I spent the summer working for Stark Van Lines packing cargo in boxes and packing these boxes into containers. I learned how to utilize space. I spent the next few years studying history at Miami University in Ohio, and at the Luxembourg campus. My next seven years were spent flying jets in the Navy, and serving as an administrative, maintenance, and operations officer in both Attack Squadrons 52 & 196.

When I ‘retired’ from the Navy, I worked as a waiter, then restaurant manager at the Mark Hotel in Vail Colorado, then as manager of ‘What’s The Scoop’ ice cream shop in Lahaina Maui, and later manager of the Ocean Terrace Restaurant at the Mana Kai in Kihei. My next ‘career’ was as a photographer on a dive boat, then manager of ‘Old Kine Photos’, a costume photography business in Lahaina. It was then that I went on my ‘Two Week Trip’ to Honduras to deliver relief cargo to the Miskito Indian refugees living along the Rio Coco in the remote eastern corner of Honduras.

We delivered 37,000 lbs of cargo to these refugee villages. I personally packed many of the boxes on Maui, and I packed the container that went from Houston to Tegucigalpa. Then I packed the cargo on trucks and airplanes, until it was finally all delivered. Some of those boxes from Maui I actually handled 13 times in the process of getting them into the hands of the refugees.

The refugees lived in an area where there were no connecting road to the civilized part of Honduras. You had to fly to get there. One day in 1987, I saw my friend Jack Dyer at the Tegucigalpa airport, who was getting his Honduran pilot’s license renewed that day. He suggested that I should go with him and get mine, which I did (the FAA had issued me a commercial multiengine license in 1979 as a result of my Navy training). It was a few months later that Jack sold us his 1953 Piper Pacer which he had brought to Honduras years before.

1953 Piper Pacer, Goloson Airport, La Ceiba Honduras 1987

Our ministry radically changed as a result. Before the Pacer, which we affectionally called the “Yellow Banana”. Before the Pacer, the nearest cold drink was an eight hour walk; afterward it was a 15 minute flight! Transporting people and cargo became much easier.

I had met Jack in 1985 when he was the project engineer for World Relief and the United Nations building Miskito refugees villages along the Patuca River. He was living in Puerto Lempira, and we became friends through our mutual refugee work. Jack was a very helpful, resourceful friend. When Jack acquired a Maule M-7 for his ministry, he decided to give us his Piper Pacer.

This is another example of how God uses already established relationships to accomplish His plans.

Michael and Jack flying along the Mexican coast towards Vera Cruz, 1987

Another preparatory thing that helped was I had taken four years of Spanish at Reynoldsburg High.

When we started the school project, we didn’t know much about education, but I had some experience in administration of projects. My fundraising activities has required me to take many photos. We are now operating three coffee stores as a ministry outreach to our customers, and as an opportunity to make some money for our schools along the Rio Coco. My restaurant experience has defiantly helped in this effort.

And finally, I often get a chance to teach the Bible, and especially its historical and cultural background. Of all my ‘jobs’, this is the one I enjoy the most.

All of the skills that I picked up from high school through my time living full time on Maui have been put to use in the ministry that God has assigned to me.

It’s a Biblical Principle: God will prepare you ahead of time through your life experiences for the specific work that He planned for you long ago.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Barnabas and Saul came to Antioch as unknown outsiders. They dedicated themselves to serve these new Christians, and in the process made friendships with many. They were faithful to focus on the small thing that God had called them to do, trusting that God would do His part as they did theirs. They utilized their gifts, training, and experiences to teach these new believers the ways of God, and most importantly share His Heart of Love for others.

Were they successful? Luke includes what may appear to be a random event, but which in fact is a validation of Barnabas and Saul’s ministry.

²⁷ During this time, some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them named Agabus stood up in one of the meetings to predict by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. (This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹ So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the brothers and sistersin Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. ³⁰ This they did, entrusting their gifts to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem. Acts 11:27-29

Here Luke gives us another important Biblical principle:

True Discipleship always results in believers understanding and acquiring the Heart of God.

It’s not about knowing about God. It’s about experiencing Him, and His Love for us and for all mankind. When this actually happens, the true disciple turns his gaze from himself to others. Life takes on new priorities, and we become, like God Himself, ‘Others Centered’.

These new disciples in Antioch understood and acquired God’s Heart to reach out and help others. When hearing about the upcoming famine, they decided that their best course of action was not to begin hoarding, but to begin giving. They chose the two formerly unknown outsiders who had spent a year pouring their lives into their church to be their ambassadors in sending this concrete expression of their love to their Jewish brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.

Yes, Barnabas and Saul had indeed been successful in making true disciples among the new believers in Antioch. The next time we hear about Barnabas and Saul, they are listed among the leaders of the church in Antioch.

Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. Acts 13:1

Barnabas and Saul had arrived in Antioch as outsiders. They were faithful in the small things that God had called them to do. Because of the relationships that they developed through their giving to the brothers and sisters in Antioch, they were chosen to be their ambassadors. In time, they became the leaders of the church.

Here is another principle that the Holy spirit wants to teach us through the lives of these two dedicated servants:

Principle: Faithfulness in the small things leads to increased responsibility and increased authority in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Do you aspire to be used as an effective leader in the Kingdom? Then first master the skill of being an effective servant. Learn how to serve those around you. Fit yourselves under the authority of those pastors and leaders that God has placed you with. Let God develop your heart to be a reflection of His.

As you do these things, God Himself will promote you, and assigned you to more far reaching ministry opportunities. Remember what Jesus said:

For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

There is far reaching power in God ordained relationships. Through them, He accomplishes much. During our first trip to Israel in 1997, our pastor Craig told to me one day when we were helping Randy Smith move some furniture from his old house to the new one, to “pay attention” because he thought that our meeting Randy had more far-reaching implications. “There may be more to this relationship than just this study tour” he quietly told me.

Craig was right. Randy visited us in Florida in 1999 and invited us to come to Jerusalem to help him on with an online Bible school project. We did go and spend the summer of ‘99 living in downtown Jerusalem on Ravi Akiva street next to Independence Park. There were many things that happened as a result of that trip, and one was the publication of Living in the Spiritual World in 2004, which we co-wrote with Randy.

Celebrating Randy's birthday with Dottie, Laura and Michael, Jerusalem 1999

Another thing that happened was in 2000, when we returned that fall with another study tour group during the Intifada (uprising). Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian Authority decided to send Muslim gunmen to randomly begin shooting Israelis at bus stops, markets, and other public places in a effort to force the peace negotiations to cede more territory to the Palestinian Authority. This conflict spread all over Israel, and hundreds of Israeli’s were murdered. Tourism died that fall, and hotels and restaurants closed, and many Palestinians and Israelis were unemployed. Things got desperate.

With donations from our friends on the tour, we helped Randy begin a relief ministry out of his garage to many Christian Arab families in Bethlehem and Bet Jala who were suffering from the economic fallout from the Muslim uprising against the Israelis. Over the next three years, many families (Arab, Jewish, Muslims, and Christians) were provided with food, medicine, clothes, money for winter heating bills. A serious need in the lives of the Christian brothers and sisters was met through our relationships with our friends in the U.S.

We also became friends with Tim King, who supplied us with the free apartment in Gilo in 1997 and again in 2000, after we met his wife Martha, who had spent many years living in Hawaii serving with YWAM. Martha is ‘Miss Aloha’, and she loves to have other Hawaiians in her home.

Tim and Martha King, Har Adar Israel 2000

In 2004, Tim and Martha’s daughter Anna traveled with us to Nicaragua, and spent a month working with the Seek The Lamb schools along the Rio Coco. It was a life changing experience for this 13-year-old, who later served in the Israeli Defense Force, as one of the few Christians that any of her fellow soldiers had ever met.

Anna King playing with our students, Waspam Nicaragua 2004

In 2006, Tim began a project working with a local Armenian tile artist, to build ceramic tile ‘billboards’ at Yardenit, a famous place on the Jordan River were many go to get baptized. The tiles, which are approx five feet tall and three feet wide, have the Scripture from Mark 1:9-11 which proclaims

One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. ¹⁰ And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you.”

Tim had decided to have this verse in many languages lining the stone wall of the baptism area. Each panel cost about $3000 to make, and Tim asked us if we would like to have a panel in the Miskito Language. He wanted to do it because of the effect of the Miskito People on his daughter Anna during her trip in 2004. We were astonished at the thought of such a small people group in such a remote corner of the world having a presence at a place where people from all over the world come to celebrate their relationship with the Risen Lord!

We immediately agreed, and Chris and Jill made the first contribution toward the cost! We asked Tom Keogh to provide us with the Miskito translation for this verse, which he did, and after a few months, Tim called to tell us that he had ‘found’ the rest of the money for the panel.

Michael, Laura, Tom and Nutie at our Miskito panel, Yardinet Israel 2023

Now when you go to Israel, drive to the southern point of the Sea of Galilee where the Jordan River flows south. On the west side of the river, you will see the Yardenit baptismal spot. As you walk through the gate, to your left you will see a long wall of Jerusalem Limestone with these tile panels. There are over 30 of them, in Greek, Latin, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, French, Mandrian, Hawaiian Pidgen, and toward the end of the wall, our panel in the Miskito language. The location is exactly in front of the pool area where Craig Englert and I baptized our Miskito leaders Truman, Augusto, and Onofre in 1997. It was a special time of ‘commissioning’ for their work on the Rio Coco. What a ‘coincidence’ that Tim chose this location for the Miskito panel.