Copy
View this email in your browser
Over the last couple of months, you've noticed that much of our communication has been about creating a future of sustainability within Lifeline's ministries around the world. We have talked a lot about community development, economic empowerment, and the like.

A fair question from those looking in could be, "Is it possible that Lifeline is losing their focus on evangelism?" or "Is Lifeline still focused on the gospel, or could they be losing their focus?"

Those are fantastic questions, and the answer to those questions would be a resounding, "Absolutely not!" Lifeline's focus on sustainability, economic empowerment, and community development has actually sharpened and elevated our focus on evangelism and making disciples!  And the "Why?" behind that sharpened and elevated focus is Jesus' Gospel! It truly is the Gospel that has compelled us to be more aggressive in these areas.

Let me explain more.
I have learned over the years that when people use the word "Gospel," it's usually taken for granted that those listening understand exactly what the person is talking about. However, in my experience, if you ask ten people to explain the Gospel in one sentence, you will most likely get ten different answers. I believe there is a large amount of misunderstanding and confusion around what the Gospel actually is according to Jesus.

A familiar telling of the Gospel usually goes something like, "You're a sinner. Jesus died for your sins. If you accept Jesus, you will go to heaven when you die." Obviously, there is truth in that statement. We are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). There is no hope for being saved from your sin apart from Jesus (Acts 4:12). None. However, the problem with calling that the Gospel is that's not what the Bible, and especially Jesus himself, says the Gospel is.
According to Jesus, the Gospel (literally, the "good announcement") was that the Kingdom of God had arrived in him (i.e. Matt. 4, Mark 1, Luke 4). Well, what in the world does that mean?

Put simply, the Kingdom of God is the reign and rule of God. Jesus did not come announcing that he was going to create a way to get people out of here and get them to heaven when they die. He came announcing that he had brought God's reign and rule down here, to earth. He came to free people from the grip that sin, evil, and death had on their lives, and he invited people to follow him, to learn to live on mission with him, to live under his reign and rule as King right now, in the present. He came inviting people into real and eternal life, STARTING NOW! (i.e. John 10:10)

Inviting humanity to live on mission with Him and living under his reign and rule as King has been God's desire since page one of the Bible ... literally page one. Not surprisingly, on the last page of the Bible, we see God coming down to be with His people, and "they will reign and rule with him forever and ever." It's no wonder Jesus taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come (Your reign and rule come) ... on earth as it is in heaven." Christians need to be faithful to serving their local communities with that ending in their minds.

So, what does it look like when you take Jesus' Gospel of the Kingdom to a community? As stated another way, what does it look like when God's reign and rule infiltrate a community? Theologian N.T. Wright suggests we can begin to understand the answer by first asking the question, "If God were running this town, what would be different?" I like that!
One thing that would be different, without a doubt, is that the Gospel would not just be proclaimed; it would be physically demonstrated in the lives of those who are following Jesus. We are very familiar with the idea of "Preaching the Gospel," but what would you do if someone asked you to prove the Gospel without using just words?

Jesus and his disciples did not just preach the Gospel. They proved the Gospel; they proved that God was presently reigning and ruling in their midst. For Jesus, the Gospel isn't only something you say; it's also something you do. It is expressed publicly through the lives of Jesus' followers as they bring God's reign and rule to the places of brokenness in their community. That requires the power of the Holy Spirit at work in followers of Jesus. Paul said it like this, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." (1Cor 4:20). When we preach (proclaim) the Gospel but fail to demonstrate the Gospel in our communities, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are falling short of what Jesus has commanded of us.

So, in every one of Lifeline's ministries, we are passionate about not only knowing the Gospel of the Kingdom is being proclaimed in that community but also that God's reign and rule are being demonstrated in that community. In other words, we want to be disciples that proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel the same way Jesus and his first disciples did. The mission of the church is to make the wise, gentle, healing rule of King Jesus manifested in self-giving love on earth as it is in heaven. That is what Jesus was praying and asking his Father for in John 17. He was sending us out to continue the mission exactly as he did!

"My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." - John 17:15-18

At Lifeline, we are focused on being obedient to King Jesus' command to proclaim and demonstrate the Gospel around the world. We are continually seeing people come and receive Jesus, and we praise God for his miracle of salvation! There is no other way to enter the Kingdom! For example, over the last fifty days, we have seen fourteen new followers of Jesus baptized in Panama. We saw a single mom in Guatemala receive Jesus as her King and was baptized after she was in a serious car accident.

As we are praising God for stories like these, at the same time, we realize that is just the beginning. We want to obey Jesus and make disciples who learn to live and love like Jesus. We want to see these new followers of Jesus bring hope to their communities because the disastrous effects of sin aren't just "in here" (personal sin); they're "out there" too in the broken world. We want these new followers to put God's reign and rule on display with their lives in their communities.

When Jesus brought the Gospel to a community, he brought it holistically. 

He didn't only forgive people's sins; he cared for their bodies and brought healing. 

That is why Lifeline provides healthcare. 

He didn't only forgive people's sins; he cared about their hunger and fed them. 

That is why Lifeline feeds the hungry. 

He didn't only forgive people's sins; he cared about their minds and gave them wisdom. 

That is why Lifeline gives education. 

He didn't only forgive people's sins; he showed them how to love their neighbors and their communities. 

That's why Lifeline engages in community development.

He didn't only forgive people's sins; he set them free from depending on others to meet all their needs.

That's why Lifeline is passionate about economic empowerment.

We believe that the Gospel is GOOD NEWS for the whole person! God's desire is to reign and rule over the whole of our lives. And, if the Gospel is good news for the whole person, then it has the potential to be good news for the whole community as well. That is why we are taking such a holistic approach in our ministries. Is that more difficult than just preaching and baptizing? Yes. Does that take significantly more time and work? Yes. Does that require the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit? Absolutely! Without that, we can do nothing. The Gospel requires a proclamation (by the power of the Spirit) and a demonstration (by the power of the Spirit). 

It is Jesus' Gospel that compels us to do this, and we thank you for partnering with us and being a part of this incredible Gospel work!

Let me share a couple of quick stories that can give you a picture of how this is playing out in real-time.

A Story from Honduras

This is a picture of Lifeline leaders meeting with a group of women who live on the outskirts of a town called La Paz (Peace), a mountainous region in Honduras where some of the world's finest coffee is grown. Christians from the Lifeline Church in Tegucigalpa began traveling to this region, building relationships and sharing the Gospel with these women (PROCLAMATION). That's not the end of the story.

As they began discipling these women, they discovered that alcoholism is a huge problem in the area, and most of these women's husbands are alcoholics. Therefore, these women have dealt with many of the dark realities that come with that addiction. The men work in the coffee fields and use their wages to buy alcohol, often neglecting the needs of their families. So, the leaders from Lifeline have begun to have a conversation with the women to find a path forward to empower these women economically so their and their children's basic needs are met. It has been incredible to see the way the Christians from Lifeline's church have cared for these women holistically (DEMONSTRATION). The Gospel proclaimed and demonstrated through God's people has truly been Good News to this community! Many of these women have placed their trust in Jesus as their King; praise God! 

That kind of care and love has caught the attention of others in the community, so much so that they have given Lifeline full access to the town's community center. Lifeline has brought in recovered alcoholics to speak with the men in town and offer hope for recovery. They have hosted the women in the town, taking a day to do their nails and hair, all the while sharing the Good News. We see God's reign and rule breaking into this community through the faithful proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel. These meetings and events are a great start toward seeing God's Kingdom, His reign and rule, break into a community as a whole. Please pray that God's Kingdom would come and His will would be done on earth (in La Paz) as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

Another Story from Honduras: Pray for 80 yr. old Virginia to accept Jesus 

A Story from Guatemala

Alexi, pictured in a navy shirt and wearing rain boots, is a pastor of a Lifeline church. He has been discipled by Deybee (light blue shirt), who is also a pastor with Lifeline. Alexi was sent out on a mission high into the mountains outside the capital of Guatemala to a town called Colorado.

SIDE NOTE: On our visit to Latin America, there were multiple times when I felt like I was watching the book of Acts play out before my eyes. The way disciples in our churches are making other disciples and being sent out to unreached towns with the Gospel is incredibly humbling and compelling.

After visiting many times, Alexi found a family of peace who welcomed him into their home. It was an older woman and her daughter who was a single mom and whose husband had abandoned the family, leaving them without a steady means of income. Alexi began studying the Bible with them (PROCLAMATION). Eventually, during the height of COVID when the family was in serious need, Alexi was able to share food with them that Lifeline had shipped to Guatemala (DEMONSTRATION). 

This area is very steeped in the Catholic tradition. Eventually, they were told by some in. the town not to associate with Alexi any longer (because he was a Protestant). They refused and said that Alexi had shown them God's love when no others had. The pastors are continuing to disciple this family so that they can reach their own neighbors with the Gospel. In Deybee's words, "We believe the best preachers are the people themselves going into their own neighborhoods with the Gospel." They have identified that a real need in that community is healthcare, so Lifeline is currently exploring the possibilities of a medical clinic there (more opportunity for DEMONSTRATION).
Sign up to receive more STORIES from Lifeline at Lifeline.org. Just go to the bottom of Lifeline's homepage and sign up!

Do you have one hour a week?
Would you be interested at taking a deeper look at the Gospel?


We have developed a seven-week course called Gospel Foundations. We have taken every Lifeline employee in the United States and Canada through this course in order to keep our Gospel focus sharp as a staff. Lifeline's Field Leaders in Latin America have just completed the course as well, in Spanish!

Here is what people are saying about Gospel Foundations:

  • “A biblical foundation for the Gospel & God’s Kingdom that’s needed if we really intend to live on mission or to lead others on that journey.”
     
  • “Thought-provoking, mentally engaging, healthy introspection, deep and enjoyable.”
     
  • “This course takes an in-depth look at what the Good News is... a more complete look at it. It has practical applications for our personal lives and also for all the people we interact with."
Would you be interested in joining a conversation in 2023?
If so, drop us a quick email and just say, "I'm interested! Tell me more!"

 
Email Brad Today!
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Email
Copyright © 2022 Hammonds in Haiti, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.