Month: October 2014

God moving into the neighborhood

/ Steinar Opheim

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From time to time The Message is just brilliant in the way it has paraphrased some of the texts in the Bible. John 1:14 (MSG) says:

“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.”

Anyone who is involved in tentmaking will from time to time be asked what tentmaking is all about. The simple answer is this:  It is all about God moving into the neighborhood. By sending Christian professionals to work in other countries and places, God’s kingdom is established in new neighborhoods all over the world.

A few years ago Barna research surveyed why people come to Christ. According to their statistics most people become believers because they have a close relationship to someone who knows Jesus.

Workplaces and neighborhoods are wonderful places for making contacts with new people. These relationships are creating highways along which the Gospel can travel.

Unfortunately other surveys show that many believers often spend most of their time hanging out with other people who are already followers of Jesus. In this way great opportunities for sharing the Gospel are lost.

One married couple once decided to make changes in their lives in order to build friendships with more people who didn’t know Christ. They promised each other that they would make sure that 50 per cent of the people who came to their home would be those who had no faith in Jesus. The decision caused huge changes. First they had to stop inviting their Christian friends. And then they had to befriend people who had little or no knowledge about Jesus.

Two Challenges

First, we will challenge you to write down the names of friends with whom you have regular contact. As you look at the list, ask yourself if you should befriend more people who do not know Jesus Christ in order to introduce them to him.

Second, we would like you to look at the map below showing where in the world the Gospel is least known. We ask you to prayerfully consider if there are any new places God is asking you to go so that he will be able to move through you into some new neighborhoods.

Serve God by doing what you like

/ Steinar Opheim

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What does a little boy bringing food to Jesus and a European comedy show have to do with tentmaking?

The boy who came with bread and fish to Jesus was too small to be a professional himself. Probably he had not even prepared the food he is bringing in front of Jesus. Still a drawing of this little, faithful young man has become an illustration for the GO Equipped TENTmaking courses that are run several places in the world. The main reason for this is that the boy is making what he has available for Jesus in order for the Lord to use it. And because he has this attitude, he and the others present become witnesses of one of the greatest miracles the world has ever seen.

God’s calling to all of us is to bring what we have in front of him so that it can be of use to him. That also includes our professions.

God and desires

It is probably not by chance that you chose the profession you did. God has designed us in different ways. His design also defines what we are interested in. And our interests will again direct us when it comes to choice of profession.

Many people are concerned about what God’s will for their life is. A good way of finding the answer is to ask what interests the Lord has given to you and what you would like to work with. God is not a father that gives us desires and interests in order to test if we are willing to sacrifice everything to follow him. He usually wants us to use his gifts to glorify him.

A Bible school teacher working for a conservative, Lutheran school in Europe once said that his standard reply to young students seeking the Lord’s will for their lives was as follows: “Until God shows you something else, you should think that he wants you to do and work with whatever you like the most.”

This may of course sound like self-fulfillment, but it isn’t.  As believers we have a calling to develop our God given gifts in order to glorify him. If our aim becomes to glorify ourselves, we have missed the point.

Move your skills

When it comes to tentmaking and Business as Mission, you are not asked to leave your profession to serve God. The question is whether you are willing to bring your skills and God given gifts with you to another culture in order to be God’s’ambassador’there?’If’your’answer’is’yes’or’maybe,’you’should’consider’attending’one’of’the’upcoming’GO’Equipped’TENTmaking’courses.

Let’us’go’back’to’the’little’boy’bringing’food’to’Jesus.’A’few’years’ago’some’European’comedians’made’a’TV – show’where’they’pretended’that’they’were’teaching’people’to’prepare’food.’They’had’bought’five’loaves’of’bread’and’two’fishes.’Then’they’held’a’Bible’in’front’of’the’camera’saying:’”According’to’this’book’this’will’be’enough’food’for’5000’people.”‘Everyone’laughed,’but’of’course’the’recipe’was’not’right.’They’had’forgotten’the’most’important’ingredient:’God’s’blessing.

When’we’bring’our’professions’and’what’else’we’have’in’front’of’God,’he’can’use’it’for’his’purpose,’and’he’can’make’us’a’blessing’to’many’nations.’(Gen’12)