In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate (2 Thessalonians 3:6-9).

In Acts 18:1-3, we are given a front-row seat to the third and final reason why Paul appears to have chosen to work as a tentmaker: so that he could effectively disciple other Christians. In these verses, we are told that, upon arriving in Corinth, Paul met Priscilla and Aquila, “and because [Paul] was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them” (Acts 18:3).

Many theologians believe that Priscilla and Aquila had already converted to Christianity by the time they met Paul. But by working shoulder-to-shoulder as tentmakers, Paul was able to disciple the couple and bring them further along in their faith.

A veteran tentmaker relates his faith journey into tentmaking mobilization and how God led him.

My wife Cindy and I were ill-prepared, intentional tentmakers headed off to the Middle East just two months after our wedding. The reality is that we were a couple of wide-eyed Midwestern kids eager to see the world and hopeful to contribute to God’s eternal Kingdom. We ended up in Tehran, Iran three months after boarding the freighter in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Our time in Iran awakened us to the need and marvelous opportunities to do exactly what Global Intent is doing today – inspire, mobilize, & equip tentmakers. It was about the same time that Christy Wilson published his book, “Today’s Tentmakers” from his experiences in Afghanistan. That wonderful confluence shaped our lives and has given us adventures that are in keeping with His promise to do “exceeding, abundantly above all” we could have ever expected or anticipated!

I do a lot of traveling. I mean more than most but not quite as much as George Clooney in the Hollywood film “Up In The Air”. I am constantly in conversations with people who are doing business all over the world. They fly about from country to country.  They work for multinational companies. They often have to travel to the same cities several times a year with their jobs.

They want to be intentional as they travel and do business abroad. They do not simply want to go on a trip to do their business and see a few sites. I know one businessperson who is what I would call an “Intentional Traveler.”

  On the second half of 2018, Rebeca had the wonderful experience to have a dream come true: she went to explore the land God has set in her heart. The young biomedical professional spent a month in Northern India, studying and improving her English skills as part of her training before moving and working there in the near future. Rebeca told us about her time in India:

Discovery

“I saw a significantly different culture, I was immersed for a whole month; I was able to build relationships with the Indian people, and experience the Indian English and Hindi too. Also I met people who have never heard of Jesus. Continue reading →