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When the message of The Map Maker was coming into focus, several well-meaning workplace ministers counseled me to lead with something other than surrender, sacrifice, and submission. Had I been the pen, the book – and the ministry of inLight Consulting – might have followed their advice. To their credit, they were right in a way. The call to sacrifice has been a particularly difficult message for workplace leaders to hear.
But God would not have it. As The Map Maker, He insisted on the truth: Christian leadership requires counter-cultural sacrifice. At no other time is this more evident than in the midst of crisis and chaos. The COVID-19 pandemic is a case in point.
Perhaps a bit of context would be helpful. The Map Maker was written to help Christian leaders find joyful, Spirit-filled ministry in the workplace, by becoming disciple-making transformation agents. Of course, becoming a transformation agent first requires transformation. From The Map Maker perspective, transformation begins with surrender to the desires God has deposited into our hearts. It ends with the good work He created for us to supernaturally walk in, as we submit to the Holy Spirit.1
The preparatory journey from desire to good work requires sacrifice and includes chaos; the two go hand in hand. We know this from at least two perspectives. First, consider the Greek word translated as “transformed” in 2Corinthians 3:18 and Romans 12:2: Metamorphoo. Do you get the picture? How would you describe what’s going on inside that cocoon? Is it not the messy chaos of a caterpillar sacrificing some part of its previous life to become what God intended it to be?
God created the Greek language to help us understand the process He uses to make us into the instruments of His good work. Then He sent His Son to walk through the process with us. Read the rest of this entry »
God showed Himself faithful and in charge, in 2016. Of course, this has always been the case; He was just more obvious about this past year.
- God handed the Spanish version of The Map Maker over to the Betania Baptist Church for publishing and distribution in Ecuador.
- God sent me to Ecuador to encourage and train Pastors and Workplace Leaders in Workplace Ministry; and surprisingly assigned me to serve as Dr. James Long’s dental assistant while I was there.
- God used Adam Simpson (and his team) to create a Farsi audio production of The Map Maker parable, Somebody’s Adventure – to encourage and edify Workplace Leaders in the Middle East.
- God sent me to Jordan to serve Syrian refugees, with the most dynamically loving church I have ever experienced. Please call me if you would like to hear more.
- God assigned another book project – The Lost Foundations. This has included online teaching and video recording of the lessons – something new for inLight.
I am confident that God is using each of these assignments to advance His kingdom in ways beyond our imagination. He is also using this ministry to shape the lives of Workplace Leaders literally across the globe, through our connections on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Locally, leaders in whom we are investing are making disciples that are making disciples – the most exciting thing to me.
Please be in prayer for the items above; that they would continue to bear fruit for our Father’s kingdom.
I hope to return to Ecuador and the Middle East in 2017, finish The Lost Foundations project, and become more active encouraging, edifying and equipping Workplace Leaders through social media. We will, of course, continue to focus on our local mission field – discipling those that God has placed in positions of authority for His kingdom.
Please pray for God to fill us with wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we might please and glorify Him in every good work. Read the rest of this entry »
To the beloved, whom I love in truth: I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers; just as you walk in the truth.
… but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:13
It has been a while since I communicated the many things God is doing with inLight Consulting. I share them for your encouragement; that you would continue praying for our wisdom and strength.
God continues to leverage His investment in The Map Maker. As mentioned in our last newsletter, the parable is being translated into Farsi – for use in Iran. Additionally, we are publishing the Spanish version to Amazon.com; and waiting for funding to print The Map Maker’s Guide (for leaders) in Ecuador.
The Lord has encouraged me in a number of new directions for writing: A Moment with the Map Maker (devotion); The Pastor as Workplace Leader (ChurchCentral.com blog); and, a collection of discussion questions for each of The Map Maker lessons (the beginnings of a student guide?). Read the rest of this entry »
To the beloved, whom I love in truth: I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers; just as you walk in the truth.
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
Somebody is going to Iran! That’s right, Iran!! The Map Maker is being translated into Farsi – beginning with Somebody’s Adventure – to encourage and edify Workplace Leaders in Iran. I am continually amazed at what God can do when one person surrenders to His will (even reluctantly); and many people pray for His will to be done. We are grateful for your continued prayers and support.
God orchestrates people’s lives, bringing them together to accomplish the most audacious things. When The Map Maker first came out, a dear brother in Christ, Adam Simpson, suggested using it to encourage and edify the church in Iran. Honestly, at the time, I thought I was done with The Map Maker. I thought I had completed my assignment. But God had other plans; and the work in Ecuador encouraged me to explore God’s full intention for The Map Maker.
So, here we are. Adam is still excited about the possibilities, and has agreed to head up the project. We will begin with the translation of Somebody’s Adventure, and an audio production of that story. This will be distributed to the underground church in Iran. Our hope and prayer is that someone impacted by the story will help fund the remainder of the project: A video production of the parable and teaching units of each map.
This is something only God can do. We have been so very blessed by His faithfulness; that His purpose and glory would be manifested. If you, or anyone you know, would be blessed to invest in this project, please let me know. Seriously, this would be a great opportunity for you and me to team up in discipling those in your spheres of influence.
Partnering with inLight Consulting
God’s purpose for inLight Consulting is beyond human capability. We are desperately dependent on Him; and would have it no other way.
We are grateful for the continued support of those that trust God to use this ministry to further His kingdom. Please pray for our vision and mission.
Share the truths you find here with the leaders in your life; it will make them free.
God bless you with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; and may He give you the grace and courage to walk in the work He has prepared for you.
Humbly yours and forever His,
To the beloved, whom I love in truth: I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers; just as you walk in the truth.
Our trip to Ecuador was a great success! Here are the highlights:
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On our first day, after attending church services with Pastor Adrian (one of the 40+ Bethany Baptist Church pastors), we gathered with the other pastors for the drive to their retreat location. Joining the Bethany pastors on their semi-annual retreat is always a blessing – especially so on this trip. I got to hold in my hands, for the very first time, the Spanish version of The Map Maker. Pastor Hugo has done a wonderful job with the translation and publishing (BTW: He led six people to the Lord while visiting with the printer).
Second, Bethany’s Senior Pastor – Pastor Arturo – agreed to assume responsibility for the distribution of The Map Maker in Ecuador. It was an honor to present a copy of the book to him and Pastor Hugo. They are great men of God. As I understand, Pastor Arturo instructed the Bethany pastors to read and use The Map Maker for discipling in their fellowships.
- My friend, Dr. Jim Long, was the hero of the trip. He saw patients four of the six days we were in Ecuador – fixing cavities, pulling teeth, etc. for those that cannot afford dental care. He treated 40 to 60 patients each day. It was a surprise blessing for me to assist him for two of those days.
- Last, but not least, the Lord used me to encourage, edify and equip approximately 40 workplace leaders at Fountain of Peace Church in Portoviejo, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night; and over 200 on Friday night, at Bethany Baptist Church. The Lord also had a word of encouragement for the Bethany pastors: to recognize their position, authority and influence as God’s leaders of leaders in the workplace.
I am very grateful to each of your investment in this mission – with your prayers and financial support. Please continue to pray for two related projects: Publishing the Spanish version of The Map Maker to Amazon; and printing the Spanish version of The Map Maker’s Guide in Ecuador.
Please also pray for the inLight Board as we gather this coming Monday to hear and receive God’s plans for the future. God has richly blessed our small investment in His kingdom work; and we want to make the most of all He has entrusted to our stewardship.
Partnering with inLight Consulting
God’s purpose for inLight Consulting is beyond human capability. We are desperately dependent on Him; and would have it no other way.
We are grateful for the continued support of those that trust God to use this ministry to further His kingdom. Please pray for our vision and mission.
Share the truths you find here with the leaders in your life; it will make them free.
God bless you with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; and may He give you the grace and courage to walk in the work He has prepared for you.
Humbly yours and forever His,
As I write this, the Spanish version of The Map Maker is being printed in Ecuador, and details are being finalized for two business leaders’ conferences, and a pastors’ conference (the week of March 5th). We continue to be amazed at God’s providence and grace in taking this humble book to another country and culture. We are grateful for your support in our part of this good work.
Speaking of being amazed, I encourage you to consider your identity as a follower of Jesus Christ; not from your perspective, but from His. He said you are greater than the greatest prophet (Luke 7:28), created to do greater things than even He did (John 14:12). What must He have imagined for those that would follow Him? What exploits filled His anticipation for us?
This is a portion of what the Lord arranged and used me to share with the third year students at the Atlanta School of Ministry; as part of their training for missions in the workplace. The Lord uses this lesson to speak into the hearts and spirits of His disciples, what He has created them to be; for Him, to the Body of Christ and to the world. You can find the complete lesson in Map 17 of The Map Maker. Let me know if you want an electronic copy of the lesson.
The series “These Sayings of Mine” has been completed. To catch everyone up, I have included links to the chapter summaries below. The Woes of Luke and the Sermon on the Mount Harmony round out the series.
These Sayings of Mine – Chapter Five Summary
These Sayings of Mine – Chapter Six Summary
These Sayings of Mine – Chapter Seven Summary
I hope to pull these articles together in an eBook. If you are interested in sponsoring that effort, please let me know.
In the meantime, please continue to pray for our efforts in Ecuador. God has an amazing plan for the business leaders and pastors in South America. He intends to use them to do the greater than works; as He transforms their spheres of influence.
Pray also for our displaced sisters and brothers in the Middle East. Hundreds of thousands have been martyred or driven out of Iraq alone. We are to remember them as if chained with them in their suffering (Hebrews 13:3).
Partnering with inLight Consulting
God’s purpose for inLight Consulting is beyond human capability. We are desperately dependent on Him; and would have it no other way.
We are grateful for the continued support of those that trust God to use this ministry to further His kingdom. Please pray for our vision and mission.
Share the truths you find here with the leaders in your life; it will make them free.
God bless you with wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; and may He give you the grace and courage to walk in the work He has prepared for you.
Humbly yours and forever His,
inLight Adventure 