Crossworld President Dale Losch responds to “No More Business as Usual.”

I’ve always refrained from putting bumper stickers about my faith on my car. It’s not that I’m ashamed of Jesus. It’s just that I’m not always so sure about my driving. And I’m pretty sure that as soon as my driving doesn’t match up to the character of the One I claim to represent, someone will notice.

Whether we like it or not, people are watching us — especially if they know we follow Jesus. It’s really quite amazing. Before my wife Jerusha and I ever moved into the neighborhood where we now live, all the neighbors knew that we worked for a religious charity. We had never even met any of them, yet amazingly our reputation as Jesus-followers arrived before we did.

That reality should motivate us, not scare us. The unspoken witness of our lives to a watching world can sometimes open doors in ways that a more frontal approach cannot. This was certainly the case with Rick, whose story is told here.

I wonder if a watching world was not what Jesus had in mind when He said to His followers: “You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16, NASB). Long before the world is sometimes ready to hear, they’re eager to watch. Jesus knew that. So He told us to give them something worth watching — a lifestyle that reflects well on our Father in heaven.

Do that well, and you might just discover that they become more interested in hearing too.

Andy offered Rick a backdoor deal typical of many Asian businesses.

Turning down a “backdoor deal”
opened the door to share Christ.

ASIA — Just read the headlines — ethics in American business seem to be optional. In certain Asian business contexts, they’re non-existent.

Rick, a Crossworld worker running a business in Asia, sat in his office with Andy, a young sales agent from a different company. Andy leaned forward and in a conspiratorial tone said, “If you want, I’ll send our new clients to your company. You’ll make a lot of money.”

“And you’ll make a commission on each one, right?” Rick asked. Andy nodded, expecting Rick to eagerly accept this standard practice and start negotiating details. Instead, Rick said no — firmly. “Andy, my company is founded on principles of honesty and integrity. We’re committed to dealing ethically in every detail.” Andy’s disappointment showed as he stood to leave, but then he noticed a Bible on Rick’s shelf. “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes. Our business practices are based on the teachings of Jesus. That’s why I can’t accept your offer.”

Certain he’d never see Andy again, Rick was surprised to hear from Andy three days later announcing he had quit his job and was opening his own company! Andy explained why: “During three years working as a sales manager under three different bosses, I’ve been lied to countless times and not one boss has ever fulfilled promises made on commissions or other business agreements.” Rick congratulated Andy on his new venture, and for the next few weeks, they exchanged emails about business, life and faith.

Soon Andy asked, “How does someone become a Christian?” Rick explained the gospel to Andy in person, who immediately prayed to receive Christ as Savior.

End of story? Hardly. Now Andy must grow spiritually amid an antagonistic culture. His faith will be challenged. His business may suffer. His security may be threatened.

Pray for Rick as he disciples Andy, and that together they will stand strong for Christ. Looking back, Rick shares “I never imagined turning the guy down would make an impact — I’m glad God knew!”

Italicized names were changed to protect identities.

Pray for Christian businessmen overseas:

• to remain faithful in the integrity of their daily operations.
• to see natural opportunities to share their hope in Christ’s salvation alone.

Coming soon: Read Crossworld President Dale Losch’s response to this story.

“Before I knew Christ I thought I was a pretty good person. Now I know that apart from Jesus I’m a mess.”

The words of my friend Martin echoed what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7 as he described his own battle with sin: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out… the evil I do not want to do — this I keep doing… What a wretched man I am!”

Whether you’re Martin in Missouri or Rupinder in Guyana, the problem we face as humans is the same — we are a sin-ruined mess. And from Missouri to Mumbai, the solution is also the same: Jesus. Apart from Jesus we are truly a wretched mess, but with the indwelling Spirit of Jesus there is hope for transformation. 

This is why it is so important that we be committed to disciple-making and not just conversion. Jesus told us to go make disciples of all nations who would learn to obey everything that He had commanded. The Martins and Rupinders of the world will never learn the obedience of faith that is made possible through the indwelling Spirit of Jesus unless we are willing as disciple-makers to pour our lives out for them. As Paul said to the Thessalonians, “We were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives because you had become very dear to us”
(1 Thessalonians 2:8, NASB).

As wonderful and powerful as the gospel of Christ is, Paul indicated that it’s not the only thing people need. They also need us. They need to see the powerful Word of God poured out through the lives of the people of God. In a very real sense, the Word must become flesh every day, just as it did when Jesus left the perfection of heaven to join us in our mess.

The Son of God spent 33 years pouring out His life in the messiness of our world. And when, after three years of intense investment in His dearest disciples and they messed up, He never gave up! So we don’t either. Like Sam with his disciple Rupinder, we keep investing until Christ is formed in those we’re discipling.

Guyana's churches are full of women and children but have very few men. Pray for strong Christian men to be godly husbands that help raise godly children.

GUYANA — Rupinder, at one time an excited, growing and influential believer, sat across from Crossworld worker Sam. “I know you know that I haven’t been living the way I should be living,” Rupinder confessed. “I need to get back in close fellowship with the Lord.”

Sam had known Rupinder as a teenager growing up in church and had taught him in the weekly Kids’ Club and youth ministry. But like so many new believers there, Rupinder’s zeal for Christ faded when he went off to find work. Surrounded by men in logging camps who spent their time drinking, smoking, gambling and chasing women, Rupinder found the lure of worldly things turning his attention from Christ. Without the spiritual nourishment of his family and church, he slowly started to give in to peer pressure.

By the time Rupinder moved back home, his changed behavior had scarred his testimony and cost the respect of many in his community.

“It was obvious that the Holy Spirit had been convicting Rupinder about his lifestyle for a long time, reminding him of the commitment that he had made to Christ and reminding him of the spiritual truths that he had known and embraced early on,” Sam said.

As Rupinder and Sam talked that day, Rupinder shared how miserable he felt about his choices and distance from God. “It’s just so hard not to want to do the things of the world,” Rupinder said. “But I know that I have to decide if I’ll follow the way of the world or the way of Christ. I know that I’m the only one who can make that decision.”

After that initial conversation, Rupinder and Sam started meeting twice a week to study the Bible, share their struggles and pray for one another. A few weeks ago, Rupinder addressed his church family, acknowledging his sinful lifestyle and asking for forgiveness and accountability.

Rupinder still feels the same pressures to live apart from Christ. He’s still struggling to let go of certain friends and habits. He’s still fighting to ignore the call of the world. But, as Sam noted, “He seems to have a sincere desire for change and renewed fellowship with the Lord.”

Rupinder’s faith is a work in progress, but each day is a step in the right direction.

Italicized names were changed to protect identities.

Here’s how you can pray:

• Pray for Rupinder to courageously choose to follow Christ at any cost.
• Pray for the Crossworld workers in Guyana to faithfully point the people they encounter to the One who offers true life and hope.

Read Crossworld President Dale Losch’s response to this story.

Watch a video about Crossworld’s vision to unleash the explosive power of disciple-making.

A Better Way

Learn more about Crossworld’s vision in A Better Way, a booklet written by President Dale Losch.

read excerpt | order now

By Jim Beerley | Vice President

When we left Monaco to return to North America, I knew I needed to send an update. But although we left in August I could not bring myself to write that letter until December. I didn’t forget to write it, I stubbornly resisted. Putting it in words would make it seem so … final. After 17 years of investing in people, it’s hard to walk away.

One of the “costs” we pay in ministry is saying good-bye to our children, both natural and spiritual. In the case of spiritual children, the sorrow of parting can be exacerbated by the anxiety of an unknown future. Can they survive?

While some of that anxiety is natural, some can also be sinful. In my case I really wondered, Can they survive without me? That’s why it was humbling to receive this note from a council member, written after their Christmas program: “It was truly a great night. A well-attended service followed by goodies downstairs. The Holy Spirit was working overtime and it was an honor to serve. You guys did an awesome job over the years preparing folks to serve.”

One of the lessons we have learned from our experience is this: When we leave, God stays.

We have done our job in making disciples when we become dispensable — when our disciples start following Jesus, not us. That joyful realization is what Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3: “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (New International Version).

It doesn’t get any better than that!

When I stepped out of the small airplane that had delivered me to the Amazon jungle village, it was like stepping back a thousand years in time. About the only immediate indication that I might not be in a different millennium were the odd pairs of Adidas running shorts worn by a few of the young men. Other than that, these people with bows and spears looked like they could have stepped out of the Stone Age. It was like time had forgotten them.

But God hadn’t. The timeless Word of God entered that jungle several decades ago when followers of Jesus had dared to enter their world, learn their language and walk their trails with them. Today the transformation it has effected is nothing short of miraculous.

In years past, wife stealing, deadly drunken brawls, infanticide and revenge killings were all a part of “normal” life and death. An unwanted newborn baby would simply be taken outside the village and left to die, its mouth stuffed with leaves. Disputes were addressed through violent confrontations that could result in fractured skulls, broken limbs or death.

Today God’s truth is transforming the lives of these people who, for centuries, were dominated by fear and death. To see their faces filled with wonder and tears as they encounter God’s ancient truth and to watch their zeal in taking that truth to neighboring villages is pure joy! (You can read about it in “The World Calls It Foolish.”)

But it has taken nearly four decades of faithful, tear-filled sowing and watering. Scores of workers and hundreds of combined years of labor have ultimately resulted in the timeless Word of God transforming men and women whom time had apparently left behind. But it might never have happened were it not for people like you — people who prayed, people who gave, people who never gave up.

There are still more than 2 billion people in the world today who, for all intents and purposes, might as well still be living in the Stone Age, for they have still never heard how God changed the world 2,000 years ago. What will you do about it? 

View photos from the MICALI courses

BRAZIL — Mariani released a cry of anguish when she heard that the woman had not only lost her husband, but now her only son. In her world, that meant a life of suffering and abuse, with no hope at all for the future. Tears welled up in Mariani’s eyes as she felt the full weight of the Bible story for the first time. But when the prophet Elijah appeared at the woman’s house and God did the unexpected by raising the widow’s son, Mariani and the others erupted with shouts of joy.

The people in Mariani’s village continued to be amazed at God’s power and provision as they studied parts of Scripture they had never experienced during the week-long course called MICALI (Ministério de Capacitação de Líderes Indígenas stands for Indigenous Leaders Training Ministry).

Several Crossworld workers in northern Brazil developed the MICALI program to disciple and train local leaders within their cultural context. Though specifically geared toward equipping pastors, the program is open to anyone in the area wanting to study God’s Word. Courses like Old Testament Survey, Pastoral Practice, the Life of Christ, Acts, Proverbs and 1 John give the participants a foundational understanding of Scripture within their worldview.

In 2011, Crossworld workers taught 39 courses in 56 communities, and since the start of MICALI in 2009, 1,516 people have participated in the Bible training.

The training isn’t just about gaining knowledge — it’s about applying biblical truth to everyday life. Just like Mariani, the participants experience the God of the Bible through the stories in Scripture and are challenged to trust Him in a new way in their own lives.

Unimaginable things are happening because of the transforming power of the Word of God. Two families feuding over the murder of a teenage girl sit together at a table, studying Jesus’ power over evil and soaking up His words in the Gospels. A chief witchdoctor expresses his desire to leave witchcraft behind and follow Jesus. A young man confesses his sin to a group of believers so that they might hold him accountable. Children passionately recount Bible stories to their parents. An illiterate man participates so that he can return to his village and tell everyone what God has said.

When the people in these villages hear Jesus say to go and tell others about Him, they obey! Believers from one village are taking the gospel to neighboring communities. A Brazilian couple is now leading MICALI courses and baptizing new believers in several villages. Disciples are making disciples who are making disciples and spreading God’s glory across Brazil.

“The Word of God is very good for us,” said Xiri Xiri, one of the MICALI participants. “We want to grow; for this reason we are taking this course. Before, we didn’t have a Bible. We didn’t know how to study. Now we are growing. When we study God’s Word, [we learn] ‘This is how God thinks! This is how God is!’ With MICALI, we are reading, learning and knowing more about what God says. You learn about God and then you tell another. If you don’t tell others, neither you nor the gospel will grow. If you don’t study God’s Word, you won’t grow. With God’s Word, we grow.”

Currently 44 courses are scheduled in 17 villages among seven ethnic groups in 2012. Pray for a village where Crossworld workers will teach the MICALI course for the first time this year. Right now there are only a few, if any, believers in this place.

• View photos from the MICALI courses.
• Read Crossworld President Dale Losch’s response.
• Financially support the MICALI training project. Indicate project # 57424 Boa Vista – MEVA Indigenous Church Leader Training.

• Read about the MICALI courses that are transforming villages in northern Brazil.
• Read Crossworld President Dale Losch’s response.
• Financially support the MICALI training project. Indicate project # 57424 Boa Vista – MEVA Indigenous Church Leader Training.

Disciple-making is all about imparting God’s truth through authentic relationships wherever life happens. God’s truth is the content. Loving relationship is the context. And life is the classroom.  

For Hannah and Andrew, the classroom happened to be their relationship as an unmarried couple. As it turned out, the lesson taught in that particular classroom was a tough one to learn. One of them dropped out. But the other learned, albeit the hard way, and graduated to the abundant life that Jesus offers all who will be his disciple.

Certainly one of the keys to Hannah’s completion of that difficult course was having a relationship with the “teachers,” Tracy and Brenda, who lovingly pursued this couple even though it seemed they had chosen to “drop the class.” Obviously there are no guarantees that investing this way in people’s lives will pay off — indeed Andrew has chosen to walk away, at least for now. But the fact is that God’s truth delivered through a loving relationship in the context of life is a powerful formula for life-transformation.

Jesus came, not just to transform our eternity, but to radically impact all of life here and now. That’s why the best disciple-makers are those who learn to engage people where they live — in the workplace, the supermarket, the photography club, and especially in the brokenness of life that Jesus came to redeem.