tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post114541074839908003..comments2023-06-02T05:56:55.748-05:00Comments on Love Each Stone: Hope for Europe?David Rogershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145699520048068082006-04-22T04:52:00.000-05:002006-04-22T04:52:00.000-05:00Hey David, Thanks for the challenging words. Some...Hey David, Thanks for the challenging words. Someone recently said that our enemies define our success. David without Goliath is just a shepherd. Well, friend be encouraged! God will bring great glory to Himself by calling people out of exceeding darkness and when He does the angels will stand amazed that anyone with so little light could see the truth. We are not talking about great numbers but great faith. The faith to stand when all around fall. The faith to believe when everyone, even the spiritual forces around us, call us to doubt. Our calling is to be faithful and see others become faithful. Those coming out of Western Europe today will stand with those who came out of Muslim backrounds around the throne and both will declare God's faithfulness and power. It's all about Him. Keep up the good work.<BR/>Your colaborer in Asia.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145640404863770012006-04-21T12:26:00.000-05:002006-04-21T12:26:00.000-05:00Bronwyn,Thank you very much for your comments and ...Bronwyn,<BR/><BR/>Thank you very much for your comments and for your love for Austria and Europe. I too love Europe very much. We have been in Spain for 16 years now. Although I understand where you might interpret it that way, please don't assume I am "questioning the validity of m's in Europe." I totally agree with all of the reasons you give for the continued validity of missionary work in Europe. I guess I am mainly looking for encouragement from Scripture, as well as sound application of general scriptural principles, as far as our expectations are concerned. Perhaps we should just be satisfied with the Lord's command to "make disciples of all nations" and leave the results up to him. However, if there are some "hidden jewels" from Scripture that can help us as we struggle with the day-in day-out discouragments that come our way, I definitely will not object.David Rogershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11701934251748260267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145633829468397922006-04-21T10:37:00.000-05:002006-04-21T10:37:00.000-05:00David, I served in Austria with the IMB and am abo...David, I served in Austria with the IMB and am about to go back, though not with the IMB. I understand completely from where you are coming in questioning the viability of m's in Europe. Personally, through my struggle and questions, I came to the comclusion that it was very viable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, when Paul went out to any city to proclaim the Gospel, he always began with the Jews. The Jews were the ones who already had the revelation - they of anyone, should have been able to regognize the Messiah and yet, they were blind to the truth even while having the truth, mainly because of the legalism that so pervaded the religiosity of their day. That, to me, is almost a perfect picture of the state of the Catholic church and hence the people in Europe. They have been so innundated by a 'dead, works-based' faith for so long that even though the truth is available to them, they cannot see it for the mountain of legalism that stands between them. One of the points by which the IMB stands so firmly is taking the Gospel to the people in a way that they can truly understand. I can't tell you how many people I encountered, as I'm sure you do, who would affirm their Christianity by virtue of infant baptism and first communion and yet have no clue what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ. That is, then, not true Christianity, in spite of their seeming knowledge. The Gospel has not been presented in such a way as they can truly grasp it and understand that it is a living, breathing, personal, daily relationship with the Living and Loving Lord and Saviour. Secondly, the newer generations (mine included), the post-moderns, need to see that Christianity is experiential, that it can be a part of everyday living as much as going to the grocery store or brushing your teeth. They're not going to see that if no one is there to model it. What they are going to see is that there are tons of empty cathedrals and churches all over Europe that at are best dull and boring and equate religion with their grandparents generation and something that was relevant for them in decades past but not viable or relevant for today. Thirdly, while Europe in general has a 'rich' church history, they have no recent church movement. Even in many of the evangelical free churches or Baptist churches the musty air of the Caholic church remains and they shun people who don't fit into the mold of their prescribance. (Maybe that is not true in Spain, however, in the churches in which our team had been involved there were many who held to a 'new' form of legalism which had undertones of the Catholic tradition out of which many of the members had come. And those churches who were not in that camp were decidely liberal and overly charasmatic in their attempt to throw off all traditions and connections with the Catholic church.) Who, then, but missionaries are going to take up the calling of training leadership that models new testament church principles in a post-modern context that is both relavent and experiential for a generation who cares nothing about things that do not fall into those categories? Europe is dreadfully difficult for missionaries. I will be the first to agree that it seems, so often, as if you were beating your head against the wall with no results. It is very easy to become discouraged. But, as I said, I came to the conclusion that our presence was necessary especially in order to reach this new generation. I'd love to hear more of your thoughts or even counter-thoughts. My husband and I are moving over at the end of May and I am very excited about getting back into the ministry over there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145548437967413362006-04-20T10:53:00.000-05:002006-04-20T10:53:00.000-05:00Great to hear what God is doing.Great to hear what God is doing.Kevin Busseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04348284292255381355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22575956.post-1145497670716393812006-04-19T20:47:00.000-05:002006-04-19T20:47:00.000-05:00Great post. Thanks for the update.I really appreci...Great post. Thanks for the update.<BR/><BR/>I really appreciate the insights and information you offer.<BR/><BR/>Keep up the kingdom work!wadeburleson.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09712009938843809657noreply@blogger.com