Davidlim53′s Blog

December 20, 2011

To my dearest friends,

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BLESSED NEW YEAR to you!  May this letter find you in the best of health, physically, financially and spiritually, as we end one more year in this fast-changing world!  In this past year, the Arab world tasted political freedom, and most countries in Asia (esp. China & India – the 2 largest nations in the world) continue to prosper, while the West and Japan continue to struggle economically. For Filipinos, it feels good to truly celebrate this season with hope for a better year ahead with a highly popular regime (in spite the tragic floods caused by typhoons Juaning, Pedring, and lately Sendong in northern Mindanao this past week)!  We learned to love football, and rejoice that justice has begun to truly prevail in our land!  We can heartily sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” for His love is being realized among us (“Emmanuel”)!

As we enter the 2^nd year of the 2^nd decade of the 21^st century, the next 8 years look bright as we seek to do effective missions in our generation, even with the challenges of militant Islam, secular humanism and consumerist materialism.  We can talk about closure to the Great Commission again (as in 1995), so that the end will come (Mt. 24:14) – this time more realistically!  A paradigm shift in mission strategy from the dominant Christendom’s imperial (with wealth & power) to “transformational mission’s” incarnational approach (with love and good works) has dawned, I think.  This shift must happen!  As Einstein said, “It’s stupidity to do the same thing again and again and expect different results.”  I wrote a monograph about this last August, and gladly found it published in Asian Missions Advance, 33 (October 2011): 20-22 (Pls. find it in this website for your reading pleasure).

Thus I end this year with continued optimism, esp. for my life-goal: “the evangelization of ASIA.”  Thanks for praying with me as I pray, “Lord, give me Asia, or I die”!  Amidst the many natural disasters, increasing militarization and political turmoils, multitudes are being brought into the Kingdom through “house church movements” and “Jesus movements” in Asia!

For me, 2011 has been a “Year of Take-offs,” esp. for my advocacy of setting up Christ-centered transformational development communities (where God’s shalom/kingdom prevails) through “insider (or Jesus) movements” (I.M.) in Asia and beyond.  Although it remains very difficult for us in the “frontier missions” movement to call the mainstream church and missions to do I.M., I rejoice to see many more missionaries and mission leaders (including and perhaps mainly Koreans since they are the most dominant nowadays in Asia) make the shift quite significantly, though not as dramatically as we want.  But the breakthrough has occurred indeed!  Globally this was highlighted (not for the first time) and popularized in the May-June 2011 issue of Mission Frontiers, calling I.M.’s wholistic church multiplication strategy as “Jesus Movements.”  May there be acceleration, if not multiplication or exponential growth in 2012!

I’ve seen “take-offs” in my 4 major involvements:

1.  Lausanne-Philippines (LPP) went nationwide with regional “Marches for Jesus” (M4J), culminating with a national conference in partnership with Church Planters League in Puerto Princesa last Oct. 25-28.  The board will have a strategic planning retreat on Jan. 29-30.  May there be an inter-denominational “Global Ministry Center” in each municipality/city to actualize locally the “spirit of Lausanne,” which calls the whole church to share the whole gospel with the whole world and “in the whole society” – all sectors, esp. government, business, academe, media & medicine. (I’m very glad that my daughter Tsina (Chinese nickname: Kibi) is now a collegian, taking Nursing in U.P.-Manila as her pre-Med).

2.  For community transformation, my school Asian School of Development and Cross-cultural Studies (ASDECS) has had our second batch of international graduates in our Masters in Development Management (MDM) program – 11 in Cambodia and 5 (with one Swede) in Laos.  Our certificate-granting Center for Transformational Development (CTD) also graduated 52 church and mission leaders to become more effective change agents in their community (as “elders of the city or province”) in Marinduque, MetroManila and Cebu.  We’re praying that our programs will multiply early next year, esp. as we seek to equip Christ-followers for “servant leadership” and “social entrepreneurship” in transformational communities.  We may even start a degree program in Ghana and/or Ethiopia next year!

3.  For national transformation, the Philippine House Church Movement (PHCM) has launched 4 related programs.  Foremost is to turn our country into a rice-exporting nation through the introduction of an organic fertilizer, which will double if not triple the yield of our rural farmers (the poorest of the 70% poor in our land) and to buy their produce at a higher price than what the rice cartels have paid them (that’s why they’ve stayed poor all these years!)  Second, we’ve introduce the benefits of brown rice to our diet, since 90% of the nutrients are milled away in white rice; this will make us a healthier people who will no longer be sick with diabetes, hypertension, etc. Third, we’ve introduced the use of a Filipino invention: a fuel saver (called Catalyst) that can help motorists save 20-30% of their gas consumption.  Their savings can be used in our fourth program called “Investors Clubs,” where any group of up to 15 members can pool their savings together to develop a social enterprise.  May our people learn how to become employers and not just be employees!

4.  And for global transformation, the Philippine Mission Mobilization Movement (PM3), launched our flagship program for each church to set up an “OFW ministry” desk last April 15.  The 300+ participants were asked to be partners with us to train and send 1,000,000 Outstanding Faithful Witnesses/missionaries by 2020.  Our Intercessors did “spiritual warfare” in Corregidor last May 5-6 to cast down the one remaining “prince of the air” called DEATH over our land who has hindered us from becoming God’s LIFE-giving people.  We look forward to being joined by the main Filipino Prayer movements to raise 5 million intercessors for the nations, as the Prophetic movement here anticipates this decade prior to the 500^th anniversary of the planting of the cross in our land (that’s AD 2012-2021) for God to raise Filipinos as His harvesters in the end-times.  And above all, since August, God has also raised a group of Tsinoy businessmen who have committed their resources to help multiply OFW ministries at POEA and across the land!

My mission, China Ministries International-Phil. (CMI-Phil) sent our 106^th tentmaker missionary into China as we celebrated our 16^th anniversary, and hopes to mobilize 20 more by end of next year.  I hope our I.M. and tentmaker model of mission will be promoted more and more as I serve with the leaders of the Asian Frontier Missions Initiative (AFMI) and Asia Lausanne Committee (ALCOWE).

This has been a most productive year of writing for me, too.  Published were: (1) “Continuities with Suffering as a Bridge to Evangelizing Buddhists.”  In Paul de Neui (ed.).  Suffering: Christian Reflections on Buddhist Dukkha.  Pasadena: William Carey Library. (2) “Mission as Transformation: Holistic, Ecumenical and Contextual.”  In Shirley Roels (ed.).  Reformed Mission in an Age of World Christianity: Ideas for the 21^st Century.  Grand Rapids: Calvin Press.

Also in: www.calvin.edu/admin/cccs/rcc/chapters/Lim.pdf. And (3) “Filipino Insider Missions in the Buddhist World.”  AFMI-ASFM Bulletin 6 (January-March 2011): 28-36.

To be published this year are papers that I presented in various international conferences: (1) “Effective Partnerships for Church Multiplication and Insider Movements,” presented at SEANET, Chiangmai.  (2) “Transformational Missional Training for the Evangelization of Asia,” presented at the 7^th Asia Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization,” Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.  And (3) “Journeying Together in Muslim Mission in Philippine Churches.”  Paper presented at the 30th Anniversary Conference of the Presbyterian Church of Korea Mission in the Philippines, Pasig City.

In all these, I’ve sought to promote what I believe is God’s simple (not complex) master-plan on how to disciple all peoples fastest!  Though 27% of the world remains totally unreached (perhaps a bit reduced in the last 2 years), we can accomplish total world evangelization by equipping all Christians (99.95% non-clergy) to exercise their royal priesthood, to intentionally make disciples of their friends and neighbors!  Properly trained in I.M.-type church, campus and marketplace ministries, we can reach the 86% of today’s non-Christians (Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Communists, etc) who do not know of any Christian friend.

I thank God for your partnership in the Gospel through the years!  May God bless you abundantly in the new year, so that you and your family will be channels of His blessings to all who come across your lives!

With best wishes for 2012,

(sgd) david

David S. Lim

(Mobile) 0917-6612888

 Praying That Result in Transformation and Mission                                                                                    David S. Lim, Ph.D.

Prayer is the essential foundation for Christian life and witness in the world. It is basic to spiritual maturity, church growth, mission mobilization and societal transformation.  Prayer is necessary but not sufficient.

In spite the multiplication of prayer movements and prayer congresses in the past 20 years, there seem to be hardly any change in the moral quality of societies and spiritual revival of churches.  Why is this so?  It seems that there is a tragic misunderstanding of prayer and hence also faulty practice of it.  It repeats the problem of Old Testament (OT) Israel where the prophets had to remind the people of God repeatedly that God prefers less religion and more transformation.  God desires not more religious services but more community services.

Isaiah proclaimed Yahweh’s call: “Is this the kind of fast that I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? …Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the captives free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?  Then will your light will break forth like the dawn…” (Isa. 58:5-12).

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil.  Learn to do good; Seek justice; Reprove the oppressor; Defend the fatherless; Plead for the widow. ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the LORD; ‘Though your sins are like scarlet; they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson; they shall be as wool.’” (Isa. 1:16-18).

This was repeated by Micah and Hosea: “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you; But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Mic. 6:6-8).  “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hos. 6:6).

Amos was even clearer:  “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.  Though you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.  Take away from Me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.  But let justice run down like water; And righteousness like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:21-24).

Prayer meetings can be escapism in religious exercises devoid of spiritual substance that leads to more hypocrisy because the pray-ers don’t act consistently with their prayers!

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of his time for just maintaining tradition: “You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’” (Mt. 15:7-9).

Hence Jesus emphasized private prayers rather than public prayers: “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. But when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.  Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Mt. 6:5-8).

So, what’s the right understanding and practice of prayer?

Right understanding.  Biblical prayer is fitting our will into God’s will.  It is addressed to our God who loves all people of the world and has a wonderful plan (called “abundant life,” Kingdom of God, shalom) for all. It is to ask “Lord, what is your will?” and follow it with “How do you want my life to fit into your will?” The best prayer that Jesus taught us is: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The most mature prayer is “Not my will, but Thine be done.”

Prayer is submitting or opening ourselves to obey what God’s will is. It’s surrendering our will to do what God desires. We pray to the Almighty God who is so generous to bless all peoples, including non-believers and our enemies.  Prayer is to put ourselves under His control and wait for His Spirit’s promptings in obeying His instructions revealed in the Bible, and to make us willing to obey Him promptly and boldly.

Genuine praying requires “waiting on God,” silently listening to God in front of His Word. Most significant praying is done after seeing a world in need, and then to ask God to send more workers into His harvest: “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages… But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” (Mt. 9:35-38).

The next verse (10:1) shows that as the disciples prayed, they were called to become the answers to their prayers! It’s dangerous to pray, especially for missions. Those who wait on the Lord will hear Him ask “Who shall I send?” And the answer He expects is: “Here I am, send me”!

Right practice.  Hence in Old Testament times, prayer revivals resulted in societal transformation, whenever Israel realized its role to be a model to the nations as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod.19:5-6).  And in the New Testament, prayer revival resulted in mission mobilization. Just 120 prayed, yet the whole city of Jerusalem was shaken with the Gospel being spread “from house to house” (Ac. 2:41-47; 4:31-37), and with persecution to the ends of the Roman Empire (8:1-4).  Prayer and fasting by Antioch’s ministerial fellowship resulted in actual sending of two of them into the mission field (Ac. 13).  Moving by the guidance and with the power of the Holy Spirit (and without the need for big prayer rallies), the missionaries made impact wherever they evangelized (Ac.19:8-10; Rom.15:18-20).

This kind of biblical praying happened repeatedly in church history.  There were the monastic movements with their disciplines of “prayer and work” (Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits) that spread Roman Catholic Christianity worldwide.  Pietists started “ecclesiola” (little churches) in the margins of the Lutheran Church.  Puritans formed “conventicles” in the margins of the Anglican Church, Wesleyans formed “classes” when Methodism was still a movement that transformed the British Empire and sent out “circuit riders” to plant churches.  Haugians organized “societies of friends” to transform Norway into a model nation with entrepreneurs and transformational missionaries.  These prayer groups soon produced mission boards, Bible societies, charitable foundations, urban ministries and lately also development organizations and political advocacy groups.

In Asia, Friends Missionary Prayer Board organized “prayer bands” in the margins of the Indian churches, Bethel Bands formed “three-man evangelistic teams” across China and among the Chinese diaspora.  In recent years, campus ministries sprouted in cell groups that produced evangelistic and transformational “nation-builders” in the marketplace in the Philippines. These were primarily lay initiatives which met in small groups listening to God and one another and as they applied God’s Word to their lives, just obeyed Him, often without consultation with and approval from their respective clergymen.

Thus historically, in great revivals, biblical praying resulted in massive societal transformation and mission mobilization.  Prayer produced obedience to the Great Commandment to love God above all and love neighbors as themselves (Mt. 22:37-39), and even to the New Commandment to “love one another” as Christ loves us (self-sacrificially as fellow members of God’s family – Jn. 13:34-35).  Not many prayed, but the few who did acted on their prayers.  Not many prayer meetings were needed, but repentance from the lack of love and social concern resulted in the moral transformation of their societies, often without support from the institutional church!

Biblical praying also resulted further in obedience to the Great Commission, to be Christ’s ambassadors “to the ends of the earth” (Ac. 1:8) and make disciples of all peoples with the assurance of the authority and superintendence of Christ himself (Mt. 28:18-20).  Not many prayed, but the few who did acted on their prayers.  Not many prayer meetings were needed, but repentance from the lack of love for the nations led to massive sending of missionaries, often with marginal support from the institutional churches, too!

In sum, we just need to release all believers to freely meet and pray together with other believers in small groups of two or three or four.  Let them listen to God and share with one another freely and privately.  It’s really impossible to hear God in a crowd, especially a noisy one.  And whatever they agree to do, let them just do it!  And their prayerful obedient actions will surely be blessed (Mt. 18:18-20).

Do their denominational affiliations really matter?  If anyone considers that it does matter, that’s denominationalism (or “party spirit”), and Paul gives a stern warning: “Don’t you know that your yourselves are God’s temple?  If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him…” (1 Cor. 3:16-17). The failure to have Christian unity has been and will always be the biggest hindrance to world evangelization and transformation.  It is the worst disobedience to our Lord’s will/prayer: “Let them be one… so that the world will believe…” (Jn. 17:20-23).

What God desires is obedience – to set up His rule of righteousness on earth. Much praying is needed when there is reluctance and rebellion to obey Him. Less praying is needed if His people are willing and faithful in doing His will. Then praying is just to show humility in dependence for God’s courage, strength and wisdom in our obedience. If we do our part, God will do His part — and more! If there is obedience, there is really no need to beg earnestly for God’s blessings for He is more eager than us to bless us and save all peoples! We pray to a loving God who is eager to bless and reluctant to condemn.

Therefore, enough of prayer with no transformation and mission!  Just as faith without works is dead, so is prayer without action.  May God use each of us to spark a prayer movement that really results in transformation and mission — by just forming obedience-oriented prayer groups or “house churches” wherever we can!

** Please send your feedback to: cmiphil53@gmail.com **

ADVANCING THE SERVANT-CHURCH MODEL

Two of the major causes of stagnation in most of modern Christianity are the dilution of the new wine (i.e., propagating the “gospel” of cheap grace), and the confinement of it in old wineskins (i.e., in the Christendom model). Throughout church history, revivals have occurred only when the gospel is proclaimed in its radical transforming freshness, and when Christians have allowed it to break old wineskins.

CONTRAST BETWEEN CHRISTENDOM AND SERVANT-CHURCH MODELS

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:

Those who are committed to the servant-church model will try the following:

1.  If put in leadership roles, they serve as models of facilitating, discipling, and training “faithful people who will be able to teach others also” (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2; Eph. 4:11-13), while serving as one among equals, or even as “first among equals” (corporate leadership team with rotating “chairmanship”).

2.  Work for the decentralization of Churches and Christian organizations into smaller independent units which are each self-governing (with local leaders), self-supporting (with their own budget) self-propagating (with their own programs) and self-theologizing (with their own doctrines).

3.  Start house-groups, Bible study groups and fellowships (viewing each as a Church), while discipling  two or three leaders in each group.

4.  Teach (not impose) these groups how to spend their resources on people (less on buildings), esp. the needy (preferably through community-based savings, welfare and/or income-generating projects  and support of itinerant ministers, like in the early church.

5.  Encourage these groups to network with other Christian groups, through co-sponsorship of ad-hoc meetings and/or projects, and formation of more permanent loose associations/alliances; e.g., monthly prayer meetings for leaders in the local community, joint Easter sunrise services, join Christmas programs, joint community projects, etc).                         -  David S. Lim, Ph.D.

Victorious Christian Life in the e-World

David S. Lim, Ph.D.

(for young professionals)

How can Christians live a spiritually victorious life for Christ in our post-modern world? We live in a fast-paced world. And an ever fast-changing e-world! It’s been a couple of years since they said that our knowledge is doubling every 18 months. How can we keep our priorities right, so as to live for Christ victoriously in this world?

In order to be victorious, we must be focusing on the top priority of Christian living, and that is, to be a faithful disciple of Jesus and to become an effective disciple-maker for Him. The Apostle Paul instructed his disciple Timothy thus: “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:1-2). Verse 1 tells him to “be a disciple,” and verse 2 for him to “become a disciple-maker.”

Paul continues by giving three illustrations of Christian living: like soldiers preparing for a spiritual battle (vv. 3-4), athletes competing in a spiritual marathon (v.5), and farmers laboring to reap a spiritual harvest (v.6). In all these, “winning” requires the discipline and concentration to gain the victory (in winning a war, a race and a good harvest). Like Paul, Timothy (and all of us) should be able to echo, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me, the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace (Acts 20:24). At the end of life, we should be able to say like Paul “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). That’s the final “victory cry” of a faithful disciple of Jesus and an effective disciple-maker for Him!

Sadly, many Christians live defeated lives. Instead of living as victorious witnesses of Christ (read: disciple-makers), they remain immature baby Christians who need to be constantly cared for by others. They are still self-centered and self-focused, when in fact they should already be serving the Lord and reaching out to others. They fail to enjoy the “abundant life” that Jesus promised: that we should become fruitful, reproducing Christians: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3f).

If you think you’re not a “disciple-maker” yet, join a cell group, or start one. You may ask a mature Christian to disciple you in the context of a small group. Discipling is best done in small group, so that you can grow spiritually much faster (spiritual maturity includes developing the capacity to love one another, teach one another, submit to one another, even to confess sins one to another, cf. John 13:34-35; 1 Cor. 14:26-33; Eph. 5:15-21; Heb. 10:24-25; Js. 5:16). The group should not be more than 12-15 members. Remember, disciples are made in small groups, never in big meetings. What you need to learn from your discipler(s) are: (a) how to experience God and grow spiritually, (b) how to do friendship evangelism, and (c) how to lead effective disciple-making cell groups.

Then pray with your discipler that you’ll be able to lead your own “discipleship group” within 3 years (if you have more spiritual gifts, just a few months of discipling will do). While maintaining close relationship with your discipler, you can start to disciple your own disciples to listen to God and then release them to lead their own “discipleship groups,” too!

Actually this was how our Lord Jesus planned to win the world to Himself – through this simple disciple-making strategy: He called 12 ordinary people (rural folks, except for urbanite Judas!)  After discipling them to do what He did, He sent them out two by two to make 12 disciples each (Matt. 9:35-10:16).  They succeeded so that he was able to send out “72 others,” not the original 12 (Lk. 10:1, 17).  If the 12 and “72 others” were sent out two by two, that’s 42 pairs going forth to make 12 new disciples each, they made 504 new disciples in all!  We read in 1 Corinthians 15:6, that after the resurrection, our Lord appeared to more than 500 brethren! If these 500 were to pair off, that’s 250 making 12 new disciples each, they would be able to disciple exactly 3,000 new converts! And that’s exactly what happened on the birthday of the church at Pentecost: all converts were baptized immediately, since the apostles knew they would all the followed up and discipled in at least 250 house churches in Jerusalem (“from house to house,” Acts 2:41-47).  No wonder their numbers increased DAILY!

As a missionary recruiter, may I also add that if you do become an effective disciple-maker, God can call you to go abroad and become a tentmaker (a cross-cultural missionary who practices his/her profession overseas)! With just a bit more training on cross-cultural issues, you can do disciple-making among other non-Christian peoples! After all, that’s what our Lord Jesus told each of us (not just full-time ministers) to do: “to make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19).

So let’s go ahead, and just do it! Join or start a disciple-making cell group. Get training on how to do “friendship evangelism” and how to “lead effective cell groups.” May God mold you to be an effective disciple-maker in our generation! Let’s all be victorious Christians in the e-world!

For feedback, please email me at: cmiphil53@yahoo.com

Norway: the best model of a transformed nation today

David S. Lim, Ph.D.

Since the turn to the 21^st century, the United Nations has ranked Norway as the number one nation in the world in terms of human development. The Human Development Index is based on wealth, life expectancy, education and other factors as human freedom, dignity and human agency, that is, the role of people in their development. Norway is also ranked as the top nation in the Global Peace Index in 2007, the second country in the world in giving per capita, as well as the primary country in sending the most missionaries per capita, which to me is the foremost indicator of a truly transformed nation!

How did this come to be? The evidence of God’s kingdom values in the institutions of society can be found in Norway.  It is truly a case of the transformation of a nation. Change is evident not only in the lives of its inhabitants but also in the fabric of its institutions.

When Norway became a nation in 1814, it had been shaped most significantly by Haugianism.  It began with the life and faith of Hans Nielsen Hauge (1771-1824). He encountered God on April 5, 1796. 25 years old at that time, this son of a farmer became God’s instrument to mold a whole nation. He came from very poor background, but he had power and boldness through his simple faith in God and from his fellowship with an increasing number of friends.  His religious earnestness and his ability to create all kinds of new businesses provided great initiatives for creating jobs across the country. His enthusiasm among the people led to a mass movement. It led to a new democratic movement among the farmers and among the people in the cities and towns.  This grassroots movement also viewed women as equals. That’s why Norway has become the foremost model of a social and spiritual transformation in nation building.

When Hauge was born, Norway was a part of Denmark. Most of the inhabitants were Norwegian. Just two years before his birth, there were 728,000 people.  Children and youth were in the majority and the expected life span was 35-40 years old. Nine out of ten people lived in the rural districts, but more and more were moving into towns. At that time modernization was happening, and the farmers were moving to the cities; so the farmers became fewer and the farms became smaller.  Eventually the farms became so small, that it became impossible to live off the land as the sole source of income. There was widespread poverty; and to make matters worst, a conflict developed between the middle classes and the farmers. The middle classes lent money to farmers, for the latter to meet their obligations. If the harvest was bad or if the farmers had less income than expected, they went bankrupt and lost their farms to the middle class. Many farmers lost their property in this way which contributed to the crisis in the land.

Personal Transformation

After his encounter with God, Hauge soon saw the needs of his people and immediately set out to do something about it: on one hand, preaching the word of God, and on the other hand, using his natural skills as an entrepreneur to begin many small businesses throughout Norway.  How did he encounter God? He claimed that he was walking behind the plow, singing a hymn, when suddenly his mind was lifted to God.  He testified that it was beyond emotions, outside his body, and he could not say whether the experience was happening to him or within him. It was such an overwhelming, ecstatic experience that words could not describe what he saw or the joy he felt. Later he spoke of it as though he by the grace of God has been allowed a foretaste of the kingdom of God. This was a turning-point, not only for Hans but also for the transformation of Norway. The spiritual experience liberated him and gave him a mission.

The transformation that came to Hauge himself during his encounter with God included his remorse for his sins, for not having served God in all things. After that repentance, he felt that nothing in the world mattered, and the worldliness in which he struggled so hard just vanished. His mind and his spirit were transformed, converted and renewed through this powerful experience. From here on, he saw everything with new eyes. He received new understanding of the scriptures and felt a deep love for God, and this desire led him to persuade others to be partakers of the same grace as he had received everywhere, even out in the fields. He was driven by this call for the rest of his life.

He was sometimes challenged by some church leaders about what he taught. He had to struggle alone, and had no one but God and the Bible to lean on. This is how he said it, “I conversed with the Lord concerning the matters I was struggling with both about the basics of God’s words and how I was to make His name known for the purpose of bringing the people to repentance.  Then it was that He clearly spoke to me in the spirit providing me with the right answer.” The first to be influenced by the born again Hans were two of his own sisters, and that was on the same day he encountered God.

Spiritual transformation

Hauge was used by God to bring about spiritual transformation, social transformation and national transformation of his people.  Foremost, his preaching released spiritual liberation among the people.  Most (Lutheran) priests at that time were rationalistic. They spoke mostly to people’s intellect, whereas Hauge spoke to their hearts. As a result of his preaching, several spiritual societies were founded, and these centers were organized into a network with Hauge as leader. They were organized into workers’ movement and farmers’ movement, etc. which developed Norway in the middle of the 19th century.  Despite the resistance that Hauge met from the leaders of the church, he still asked his friends to stay in the church. In his testament which is sent to friends all over the country, he emphasized that they had to protect the state church because it was the important foundation for the whole nation. Haugian centers were meant to be living cells within the state church.

Wherever he shared about his gift of grace, those who heard him wept, the awakening spread fast to the neighbors in Tune, and then to the neighboring villages, and finally to almost all of the country as he traveled. He traveled all the way north to Troms and the revival went that far. There are many stories of people whose lives changed on hearing Hauge preach or just speak. He developed an intense prayer life. Wherever he shared, people listened and followed his advice, whether it concerned the establishment of a business or a spiritual fellowship in their community. Hauge became more and more convinced about the realization of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Your Kingdom come.’  The kingdom of God exists or is present wherever the King is obeyed, wherever His will is done.  In heaven, God’s will is fully done. If God’s intentions are fully realized on earth, His kingdom has truly come on earth (Matthew 6:10)!

Social transformation

Hauge was born into a particular culture: Farmers at that time were bound to the farm in the area where they were born. Sons took over their father’s farm, and people remained where they had always lived. There was no tradition of leaving ones’ birthplace, and neither was their any tradition of being established elsewhere or doing anything else. The forefathers of Norwegians were Vikings, but by this time, they were all settled in their land. Hauge’s ideas stimulated individuals to make independent choices in spiritual and practical matters. He challenged farmers’ sons to move away from their farms to become tradesmen in the towns and to live and work in other parts of the country. After sometime, there were businesses run by Haugians all over the country, and many of them moved to other areas to start or run businesses.  Some established shops, others started with handicrafts, while yet others founded factories and other industrial projects.  A social transformation was blooming across the nation.

In a newspaper article in 1802, Hauge said, “My calling is to love God and my fellowmen.”  This was the vision for all his work in a nutshell: preaching, working, farming and producing are all parts of serving men, the community and God’s kingdom on earth. It has a vision of wholeness that includes everything in life or existence in general. His view of riches and other excess funds was that they are simple gifts from God, which one should use to serve one’s fellowmen and the community.

Christians should engage in business with enthusiasm when opportunity presented itself because in this manner, he could set a good example for his fellowmen.  Anything one owned (both capital and other material goods) should be kept in stewardship for the good of one’s fellowmen, especially the poor.  One was not supposed to use profit for personal gain, luxuries and excesses, but to reinvest in promising projects to create work for others and to contribute to remunerative work, so others can improve their lives.

Hauge showed from Scriptures that God had called shepherds, fishermen and others of low status to do His work.  He established new businesses and industries wherever he can. He knitted as he traveled on foot, and the gloves and socks which he made were given away to the poor who needed them. It was his incredible working capacity combined with his pioneering spirit that made him such a successful businessman. He was at the height of his activity during the years 1800 to 1804. In these five years, he established many industries all over the country from Lista in the south to Trons in the north. Fishing industries, brick yards, spinning wheels, shipping yards, salt and mineral mines, harnessing a waterfall, paper mills and printing plants were some of the industries he established.

The profits were invested in new activities.  Neither did he hesitate to ask his friends for loans and investments if he thought they were in a position to assist.  Once he had established these ventures, he delegated the daily management to those who he thought were the most capable.  But he was always the strategist who planned and motivated them to action. Later when he was in the area, he would visit the works and he would contribute and help wherever necessary. He became an inspiration and an example to those who knew him. Many found the courage to break away from the traditional pattern especially in the outlying districts, and to establish their own enterprises, as they saw what Hauge did and saw that enterprise development was possible.

Even the civic authorities recognized his business acumen. They released him from jail for six months after having imprisoned him for five years, for defying the “Konventikkel Ordinance,” a law that forbade gathering and preaching independent of the state church at that time. During those six months, he established a salt mine for the government when the country was threatened by famine at that time!

National transformation

The Haugian movement was countrywide, contributing to the broadening of the worldview of the citizens from the local to the national level. During Hauge’s lifetime, people were transformed from just seeing themselves as part of a lower class in a small district to remaking themselves into mobile individuals, citizens of a nation, with the responsibility and the possibility of influencing the future of Norway. The people increasingly learned to see themselves as individuals in a national context, contributed to the development of a national consciousness which in turn contributed to a growing sense of nationhood. Eventually this led to an increasing desire for national independence.  Then in 1814, Norway received its own constitution. Hauge himself was not involved in the writing, but among the 112 men at Eidsvoll, there were three Haugians. The former president of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Professor Francis Sejersted declared, “The Hauge movement was a major contributing factor for developing democracy in Norway.”

Hauge became the spiritual leader of the Societies of Friends which grew around him, and he also became the acknowledged leader for the business ventures which he initiated.

His “societies” were distinguished by the fact that the people lived in community, helping one another both practically and spiritually. They behaved righteously and were hardworking, and never refused anybody if they could be of assistance. They showed initiative, charity and sacrifice. Many of the cottage industries started by the Haugians were financed with the help of gifts from other friends all over the country.  These societies did not discriminate: the old class distinctions of the traditional culture were gradually wiped out, so that men and women, farmers and servants, the crippled and the elderly were all treated as equals.  Unselfish love and cooperation distinguished them from all other groups. Haugians spent much time together. They taught and advised one another on spiritual as well as practical things. The letters and writings of Hauge were also read diligently for all to hear and see.

Multiplication strategy

Hauge followed the example of Jesus in reproducing Himself in the life of others.  Upon receiving the call on his life, he began to reproduce himself in the lives of others. He used the same strategy as Jesus did. As he traveled, he knitted as he walked.  He talked to those who have time to talk with him, and trained them to work and do it for God.  He would do it with them, and then ask them to do it themselves; and then he moves on to the next place. In just seven years of active ministry, Hauge left a grassroots movement that influenced the development of Norway which continues to the present day.

Hauge guided the Society of Friends through his letters. He was very diligent in writing letters with admonitions, personal greetings and spiritual guidance.  As the cottage industries developed, the business content of his letters also grew. For him there was no discrepancy in including both spiritual and business matters in the same letter. He would mention the possibilities of various trading and business ventures, and he would ask the people to send him some corn to be used in the establishment of new ventures.  Interest in reading his writings stimulated many people to learn to read and write. This contributed to a general increase of literacy, knowledge and education in the population. It was well-known that Haugians read a great deal and that they were knowledgeable people, so that many Haugians would receive positions of trust and influence in the community. He also developed a set of ethics based on kingdom values.

When Norway became an independent nation in 1814, these kingdom values were integrated into the rhythm of daily life and were institutionalized into laws, school curricula and business practices in Norway. Economic conditions improved and led to the eradication of poverty in the land. Today, Norway continues to be the best country in the world in human development for the seventh year in a row. Norwegians have imbibed this spirit of volunteerism and have stretched their sense of responsibility from involvement in their local community beyond to the global community of nations.  So Norway has the highest ratio of missionaries per capita, and most unusually in holistic and transformational servant-leadership roles. Through the Nobel prizes, she recognizes accomplished leaders in science, economics and peace-making.  Here the culture has been transformed, the values of the kingdom of God manifested in all spheres of life. This national transformation has seen God’s kingdom culture passed on from generation to generation!  May this happen among all nations in the world!

Main source: Sigbjorn Ravnasen, a Norwegian journalist.

VISION & MISSION OF THE GLOBAL HOUSE CHURCH MOVEMENT

David S. Lim, Ph.D.

How does the global house church movement (GHCM) understand its biblical vision and practical mission?  Here is a set of answers from the perspective of an Asian (Chinese-Filipino) house church leader who has been trained as a biblical theologian and has been advocating for house church movements in Asia since 1987 and fully practicing house churching since 2001.

In short, we believe that God desires His people to bring all peoples to inherit eternal life and enjoy abundant life (= shalom/peace) as they obey Him as their Creator and Master through their faith in His Son Jesus Christ.  He thus made a simple plan for world redemption called “church multiplication movements” (CMM) by which all peoples and nations will be made into disciples/followers of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. By His grace, the global house church networks will seek to work with all Jesus-followers to realize His reign on earth until He returns to set up His eternal kingdom (Rev. 11:1).

Biblical Basis of our Vision

1. God created the world as good, and humanity in His image to develop cultures as stewards of His creation (Gen. 1-2; Ps. 8).
2. Misery and evil in the world (including problems within a society and between societies) is the direct or indirect result of human sin, i.e., rebellion against God and His moral order (Gen. 3-4; Rom. 1-3).
3. God has provided the way of reconciliation and restoration of all things through the redemptive work of Christ applied among those who submit to his rule as Lord over all of life, by the transforming power of His Spirit (2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Tim. 2:3-7).
4. The role of Christ-followers (= the Church) is to disciple all peoples in all societies to follow his will, as people of His Peace (OT: shalom) or His kingdom of light, through holistic/transformational ministries, which include both evangelism and socio-political action, with signs and wonders (Mt. 28:18-20; Lk. 4:18-19; Rom. 15:18-19; 1 Pet. 2:9-10).
5. Following the missionary method of Christ and the apostles (called “disciple-making”), the church models servant leadership, which persuades and equips people to live according to God’s will voluntarily rather than coerces or disempowers them, whether the church constitutes the majority or the “overwhelming minority” (Mk. 10:42-45; 1 Pet. 5:1-3).

Our Vision: Kingdomization or Societal Transformation

We shall pray and work for “societal transformation,” by which the individuals, families, communities and institutions in our nations will be enabled to relate with each other and with other communities with biblical (= God’s kingdom) norms and values.  We seek to build Christ-centered communities that are growing in righteousness and justice marked by self-giving love (Greek: agape).  Righteousness refers to right/moral relationships (usually using one word: “love”) between persons which promote goodness and discourage evil.   And justice (which is “love in the public sphere”) denotes moral relationships where every person and community is enabled (given the democratic space and skills) to participate actively in determining their destiny for the common good.

These Christ-centered individuals and communities will be living in harmony and cooperation, and empowered by their leaders (both religious and secular) who serve as facilitators in the holistic development of their personal and communal lives, so they can share their blessings as partners with other communities in establishing peace (shalom) in every nation, region and world.

Please refer to Appendix (see below) for more details of what any discipled or transformed nation will look like, especially with reference to God’s provisions in the Torah (Mosaic legislation).  The Appendix also includes the “Implications for our 21^st Century mission.”

Principles to Achieve our Kingdom/Transformational Vision

Our objective is for the general population to accept the biblical worldview and behavioral patterns, which shall have been contextually institutionalized into laws, policies and structures.  This will be achieved through the processes of education, evangelization and disciple-making, using the democratic approach in all our programs and projects to form Christ-centered communities in places of residence (neighborhoods) and in places of work or study (schools, factories, government offices, banks, stores, etc.), where God’s word is discussed, applied and lived out relevantly in all aspects of life.  Note:  There is actually no need to build Christian or church buildings, for all properties of Christ-followers belong to (and should be used for) His kingdom!

We will find opportunities to network and partner with people of goodwill and any group (religious or secular, government or private) to address communal needs (following Matt. 5:13-16; 25:31-46; Rom. 13; Gal. 6:10).  We will initiate activities, and found and maintain structures, which can then be turned into public or private institutions as “common grace” functions of the state and the market.  Any action for social reforms will be done through peaceful means.

We will use all the technical, professional, financial and spiritual resources available in the body of Christ, mainly but not exclusively through church bodies (esp. our local churches, parish councils and ministerial fellowships), which will serve as close yet critical/prophetic partners with the socio-political counterparts at their local government units (LGU), as well as in national and inter-national bodies.

Evangelism is necessary for people to gain the right perspective and motivation to live meaningful lives to fill the world with God’s love here and hereafter.  We thus seek to persuade people to have a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, doing this with respect and sensitivity towards our audience and their (sub-)cultures.  Our missionary efforts locally and cross-culturally will include word, works and wonders in communion with all denominations that affirm “Jesus Christ alone is Lord and Savior.” (“Evangelical unity” will further include the affirmation that “the Bible is the final authority for all faith and practice”).

Biblical Basis of our Kingdom/Transformational Mission

We also hold the following seven (7) biblical basis of our Kingdom/transformational mission:

1.  God intended His redemption plan to be spread to all nations (from Jerusalem) in the quickest possible time – for His desire is to save all! (cf. 2 Pet.3:9, 1 Tim 2:3-5).

2.  For rapid fulfillment of His desire to save all, God’s plan of world evangelization must be simple, so simple that ordinary believers, including new, young and/or illiterate believers can do it!  The gospel message is simple, too: “Jesus Christ is Lord who alone gives eternal and abundant life,” which any believer can share immediately with others!

3. The quickest way possible is to mobilize as many believers as possible (if possible, every Christian), perhaps by the millions to evangelize and disciple the nations! The Great Commission is given to all believers.  This is the priesthood of every believer in real action (1 Pet. 2:9-10; cf. Exod. 19:5-6).

4.  Each believer can and should be discipled to become a disciple-maker.  It is possible to plant and program the right DNA into new converts, so that they will grow and develop into reproducing Christians for the rest of their life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

5.  Life is relationships; all the rest are details!   Hence to disciple means to equip others with just three relational skills: (a) hearing God through prayerful meditation to turn His word (logos) into a word (rhema) to be obeyed; (b) making disciples through leading a house or simple church in Bible reflection and sharing, thereby each one learns how to do personal devotions (or “Quiet Time” = lectio divina) with fellow believers; and (c) doing friendship evangelism to share what they learn of God and His will with their networks of non-believing kin and friends.

6.  These millions of reproducing believers can be produced through mentoring (or better, “discipling”) by disciple-makers (= servant-leaders) who seek to equip all believers (cf. Eph. 4:11-16) right in their house church meetings, usually in their residences and workplaces.

7.  This can be done through the disciple-making movement (DMM) or church multiplication movement (CMM) mission paradigm, so as to produce “people movements,” especially if combined with Community Development and C-5  (high contextualization) strategies, which many missiologists label as “insider movements” (IM) nowadays.  Thus we have found like-minded partners in the campus evangelism, marketplace ministry, business-as-mission and tentmaker movements globally.

Our Simple Mission: Effective Disciple-making

In the Philippine house church movement, disciple-making is being done effectively through catalyzing simple church multiplication movements (CMM) across the nations.  Our Lord Jesus trained his twelve apostles to do this “master plan for world evangelization” in and through the Jewish diaspora and they did it (Lk.9, 10)!  The Apostle Paul did it, and in seven years he testified that he had no more people (Jews and Gentiles) to evangelize in the northern Mediterranean area (Rom. 15:18-20, cf. Ac.19:1-10)!

Effective disciple-making consists of seven simple steps, all of which can be done in 6-10 months by beginners, and less than one month by experts.

1. 1.       Make a second home.  When disciple-makers arrive in any new place, they should quietly settle down in such a way that people they will invite later will feel comfortable to visit their new home.  This includes: loving the people, learning the language, appreciating the culture and religion, and following their cultural customs as much as possible (1 Cor.9:19-23)!  They should never criticize their host culture (esp. politics and religion) in front of them, even in private.
2. 2.       Make friends.  The disciplers must aim to make 2-6 “best friends” (called “men of peace” in Lk.10:6).  They must be approachable and sociable.  They must be good conversationalists by being good listeners.  They must spend much time with their new friends, making most of their interests their own, too.  As much as possible, they must give gifts in special occasions, be hospitable and invite their friends to eat, cook or even sleep overnight at their place.  Above all, they should help their friends in their time of need!
3. 3.       Make friends with leaders.  They must try to make 1-2 leaders to be their friends, too.  Upon arrival, they should visit key leaders and give them a gift or at least offer to help in community affairs.  They must do their jobs well, as excellently as possible, and give extra free service sometimes.  They should participate in community activities, volunteer as member or officer in working or planning committees, and share any suggestion for improvement with their leader-friends, and proceed only with their approval.
4. 4.       Make converts.  When opportunity arises (and there will be plenty), the disciplers should be ready to share Jesus with these friends (1 Pet.3:15).  According to their need or concern, they can share their testimony with them: how Jesus works in their life.  Then they can share about the life and teachings of Jesus that are relevant for them (each one may need a different emphasis).  Once they are sure that the friends truly want to follow Jesus as their leader, helper, forgiver and/or guide, they can invite them to be baptized; and when they freely consent, they can baptize them in private!  The key is to be sure that the friends have changed their allegiance from idols (religious or material) to Jesus! If trained, they can opt to wait until the time is ripe for the converts’ whole family or whole community to be converted and baptized!
5. 5.       Make disciples.  They then must disciple the 2-6 converts in one-on-one and small group discipling relationships.  The more times they spend together right after their conversions, the better.  There is no need to use any materials; they just urge the new believers to read the Bible in the language(s) they understand, and discuss their questions and insights with them.  They must trust the Holy Spirit to speak to them through the Word, and they will have the wisdom to guide them to learn from the Bible (cf. Acts 20:28-32).  For “Bible sharing” sessions, they just choose a short passage and ask, “What lesson or insight do you get out of this text?” and “How do we apply what we have learned?”  The goal is to bring each one to spiritual maturity in Christ-likeness (Col.1:28-29), which is to live a life of obedience to God – a life full of agape-love/grace (out of sinful self-centeredness to sacrificial service for others, esp. the poor, cf. Matt.22:37-39; 25:31-46; Gal.6:1-10).
6. 6.       Make disciple-makers.   As they are discipling their new converts, they should encourage the latter to make their own converts and disciples from among their own friends, relatives and neighbors, a few individuals or groups at a time.  Their disciples can start discipling their own disciples by just following what they have been doing with them.  The new disciplers just have to be a couple of steps ahead of their disciples!  They should lead their own group and not bring their disciples to the discipler’s group.  It’s best that they do not even visit their disciples’ groups. After all, their disciples will be growing spiritually faster as they learn to relate with Jesus and His Word directly, and as they lead their own group in our life-based (not material-based) interactive mutual learning model of discipling!
7. 7.       Make a planned exit.  To disciple is to Model, Assist, Watch and Leave (M.A.W.L.)!  This is actually step no. 1: to plan to exit as soon as possible, so that our disciples “graduate” to be our equals – disciple-makers and servant-leaders in their own right! The discipler’s role is just to be a mentor, guide or coach for a while, and then stop meeting them regularly and tell them, “Greater works you will do without me,” just like what Jesus told his disciples when he was about to leave them (Jn.14:12).  They must not be surprised when their disciples (esp. the leader-types) do better (contextual) witness and multiplication than them!  Of course, they can keep in touch with them, as Paul did with his disciples.  Then God can send them to another unreached area, so that they can repeat the same process there!

In the Philippine HCM, we emphasize that our mission strategy is to plant a “people movement” that equips disciples to multiply simple biblical Christianity — contextualized, holistic and transformational “indigenous churches” that are truly replicable: self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating and self-theologizing.  They will be planting “churches” that will be copied by future generations of Christians, so they should avoid transplanting denominational churches (= complex Christianity) which are often non-contextual (= foreign-looking), hence have almost always produced marginalized Christians who are separated from their communities — despised and rejected by their family and friends, not because of the Gospel but because of their extra-biblical forms.

So, we prefer that they will not encourage their disciples to attend an international fellowship or denominational church, if there is any, perhaps except in special occasions.  They should just focus on making disciples and multiplying “simple churches,” for where two or three believers are gathered prayerfully, there is the church (Matt. 18:19-20)!   They should encourage their disciples to just “gossip Jesus” and form small “disciple-making groups” among their friends and kin in their neighborhoods and work-places.  They are to just do this spiritual “network marketing” of the Gospel from city to city – till the whole world knows and obeys Jesus!

Appendix:  Transformation through Insider Movements

Actually, Jesus’ mission paradigm was “Insider Movements” (IM).  His church multiplication movement (CMM) was radically contextualized – Jews multiplying disciples among Jews without creating another organized religious system parallel or counter to the synagogue (of early Judaism).  He did not intend to found a new religion (though his simple spiritual transformation became a complex religious institution later on).  He even had converts in Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, and perhaps through them, Gamaliel, who were entrenched in the Sanhedrin (the highest Jewish socio-political structure of his time!).

The early Christians followed the same pattern, too.  They reached out to their compatriots as Jews to Jews within the Temple and synagogue structures of Jewish society, and just met “from house to house,” evangelizing and discipling a few households at a time.  Within a few years of such IM, they had literally turned the Roman Empire upside down (Ac. 17:6 KJV).  They did not create a clergy class, nor construct (or even rent) a religious building nor hold regular religious services, except to break bread weekly in their homes.  It was the teaching and practice of the apostle Paul (perhaps the best model of a cross-cultural missionary) not to plant a growing “local church,” but an indigenous disciple-making movement in house churches that are formed by converts who did not have to be dislocated from their homes and communities (cf. 1 Cor. 9:19-23).  With just seven years of three missionary journeys, he claimed that he had no more region to evangelize “from Jerusalem to Illyricum” (Rom.15:18-20)!

This New Testament practice is not different from that of Old Testament (OT) Israel, which shows God’s design and structure for a reached, discipled or transformed people:

1) There were no local shrines or temples in each village or town.

(2) There were no weekly Sabbath worship services (synagogues came later in 200 B.C. for teaching Diaspora Jews).

(3)  There were no weekly nor monthly collection of tithes and offerings.  1 Cor. 16:1-4 shows weekly collection in the early church were mainly for immediate survival needs, esp. of widows and orphans (cf. Ac. 6:1; Js. 1:27).

(4)  There were no “full-time” clergy; the levitical priests were provided not just with cities, but also with pasturelands (Josh. 21).  They were not exempt from being stewards of God’s resources, thus they were shepherds and cowboys to provide livestock products for their neighbors and nation (cf. 2 Thess. 3:6-10). This was how the priests learned to be expert butchers for animal sacrifices in the Temple.

(5)  The OT Jews were required to celebrate communally as a people in the national Temple (note: God’s original design was a portable and transportable Tabernacle) only three times a year: Passover (= Holy Week), Pentecost (= church anniversary of each community) and Tabernacles (= Christmas or Harvest festival) (Dt. 16:16).

(6)  The actual teaching and obedience of the “way of God’s righteousness” and the commemoration of the Passover Meal were in the homes (Dt. 6:1-11)!

Biblical Christianity is therefore structured as a network of simple churches (usually called “house churches”).  It is not “churchless Christianity” nor “religionless Christianity, but “simple Christianity.” Its mission is to reproduce simple groups of Christ-worshippers without elaborate religiosity.  Thus the mission statement of the Philippine house church movement is: “to multiply God’s church throughout the world, one household at a time.”  This seeks to fulfill God’s covenants with Abraham that through him every family on earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:3, cf. Gal. 3:14, 29), and with Israel that she will be a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6, cf. 1 Pet. 2:9-10).

Implications for 21^st century mission

Our vision for societal transformation includes the following:

Political – We will work for the development of nations into model democracies, each with (a) a sovereign charter which encourages citizens to work in solidarity with their neighbors to promote national, regional and international interests, and in freedom to chart their internal and international policies; (b) clean and honest elections; (c) a multi-party system in which each party stands on a clear ideology and program of governance; (d) a properly-paid professional bureaucracy (civil service), police, military and impartial judiciary which all serve the people honestly, effectively and efficiently; and (e) a commitment to decentralization (principle of subsidiarity), to devolve decision-making to the lowest government unit possible, that is, groups of ten families each (cf. Exod. 18).

Goal:  All will be truly empowered to participate in making the decisions that affect their lives in society  (Ps. 113:7-9, cf. Dt. 17:14-20).   Recommended strategy: strategic alliances with like-minded political advocacy groups.

Economic – We will work for economies where all basic needs are met, where all will enjoy affordable access to basic services, like education, housing, employment/livelihood, medical care, etc.  All will have equal opportunity to gain wealth and be freed from poverty and injustice.  Through wise policies, efficient government and honest business practices, the market will enhance our productive potentials through proper incentives for labor and profit, while also distributing justice, so that no one is exploited or oppressed, and all can share in the corporate prosperity of all.  Such developmental stewardship includes the care of our environment, God’s gift for us and our future generations.

Goal:  All will enjoy and share the fruit of their labors, and own a decent house and lot, as an inheritance for their children (Isa. 65:19-23, cf. Acts 4:34f).  Recommended strategy: savings-based cooperatives, micro-, small & medium enterprise development, including ecological income-generating projects.

Social – We will work for societies that respect each one’s human rights –across gender, socio-economic, ethnic and religious lines, and settles disputes by dialogue/debate and not by violence.  All will have the opportunity to develop their fullest character and professional potential — through a holistic educational system that encourages the development of loving personalities, disciplined lifestyles, sound pedagogy, professional work ethics, scientific research and creative arts.  The media shall enjoy press freedom to inform, educate and entertain the people for their common good.

Goal: All will live in loving harmony as civilized and creative people (Rom. 12:9-13:10; 1 Tim. 2:1-2).  Recommended strategy: leadership training programs for professionals and businesspeople on political advocacy.

Religious – We will work for societies where all are free to choose their own religion and propagate their religious beliefs as long as they do not disturb public peace.  We will maintain a clear separation between church and state, yet both in close coordination and cooperation, whereby church leaders and bodies can participate in all civil affairs and even partisan politics (esp. when moral issues are involved), but short of making absolute claims to divine authority in political pronouncements.

Goal: All will be free to choose their religion (1 Pet. 3:15; Col. 4:5-6).  Recommended strategy: inter-church (ecumenical) and inter-faith dialogues and development programs.

Note:  As people mature spiritually to trust solely in Christ and Him alone, their faith will ultimately develop simple religiosity, each living for God’s glory in obedience to His will.  They will be active in community services, with less and less need for religious services (Isa. 58:1-12; Mic. 6:6-8; Amos 5:21-24; Js. 2:14-26; 1 Jn. 3:16-18).  With confidence of having everything good in Christ (for God is always near and loves them forever), they will walk with Jesus humbly with a disciple-making lifestyle without having to act religious or do religious rituals!

Doctrinal Development in House Church Networks

David S. Lim, Ph.D.

The global house church movement takes doctrinal integrity very seriously.  Developing a sound biblical theology is important.  Knowing about the truth rationally (theology) is an important element in “loving God” – with all our mind (Mt. 22:37-39).  But it has to be differentiated from knowing personally the embodied Truth revealed in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, which involves “loving God” with all our being.  Only the latter leads to eternal life.  As Paul says, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (cf. 1 Cor. 8:1-3).

To those who accuse house-churches of being doctrinally superficial or inadequate, there are three sets of responses.

First, do these detractors really believe in the “Perspecuity of Scripture,” the Reformation doctrine that the Bible is 100% clear in all that it teaches about God’s plan of redemption?  If an illiterate tribal woman hears the Bible read (from Genesis to Revelation) in her dialect, how many percent can she understand?   The correct reply must be 100% of the plan of salvation and 98% of other major doctrines.  The 2% (referred to partly in 2 Pet. 3:16) can never be fully systematized even with the help of Bible dictionaries and commentaries!  In fact, those who go to seminaries would come out almost always with the biblical interpretations and systematic theologies of their favorite theological professors or authors!

God intends His will to be known and understood by all peoples, so He had it revealed through ordinary people using ordinary language for ordinary people!  Simple reflection on Scriptures by any believer with the humble attitude to believe its truths and promises and to obey its commandments is enough to help them grow into full maturity in faith, hope and love.  Simple faith in Jesus and his teachings is more than adequate for Christian growth and church ministry!

Thus quality disciple-making seeks to equip and empower each believer to self-feed and self-theologize, thereby developing their own personalized and contextualized doctrines – direct from Scripture, not from someone else’s fallible devotional guide or theological book.  Though getting help from other Christians is helpful, this has often become a habit that disempowers (making simple believers feel inadequate) and develops complacency (making them dependent if not lazy to read the word for themselves)!  In short, can’t we trust the Holy Spirit to guide all who simply read the word prayerfully and expectantly into all truth (Jn. 16:13-15)?  The only authoritative corrective for anyone who may go astray is the mutual accountability that they exercise whenever they meet together in small groups (= house churches), for where two or three are gathered worshipfully, the full presence of Jesus is with them (Mt. 18:18-20).  Here is the practice of “the priesthood of all believers” at its finest!

Secondly, the accusation is framed from a Western (= Greek) understanding of faith — mainly Platonic where idea/reason prevails over character & action/behavior.  Faith seeks understanding indeed.  But whose understanding and whose theology?  Doctrinal debates have kept the church divided for centuries.  The existence of one denomination accuses the others of inadequate if not inaccurate doctrines!  Did Jesus or Paul give us a systematic theology?  What were their views on tongues & supernatural gifts, leadership & role of women, creation & evolution, and worst in ecclesiology: how does God want His people to worship him – with holy men (clergy) in holy buildings (sanctuary), using holy rituals (liturgy) at holy times?  How will God judge us for eternal life – by our faith defined as doctrines or as works (Matt.25:31-46; Js.2:14-26)?  Imagine how many Christians will be able to enter heaven if they have to pass a theological (or even simply a Christological) exam before being allowed in.  Thank God we are saved by grace through faith (that works through love, Gal.5:6), not through orthodoxy (= right doctrines)!

Thirdly, by raising doctrinal purity as a concern, Christians are being diverted from Christ’s priority and are tempted to complicate the simple plan of Jesus to make disciples (not religious proselytes nor theologians) across all nations and peoples.  We just need to disciple people to walk humbly with God – doing justice and loving mercy (Micah 6:8; cf. vv. 6-8; Amos 5:21-24; Isa. 58:1-12).  They just need to be trained to do lectio divina (godly reading or devotional use of Scriptures), and model and pass this on to their family & friends! This is how simple Christianity should be, for it to multiply fast yet with quality discipleship.

Each Christian just needs to learn to live out a Christ-like character of agape-love in whatever status and vocation they are called to, and try to reach out and touch those around them.  This kind of simple obedience to the Great Commandment and Great Commission does not require theological education.  Historically focusing on theologizing has often diverted the global church from doing evangelism and missions.  And worse, doctrinal conflicts have kept churches divided, and hence diluted the witness of the church.  Didn’t our Lord pray, “Let them be one as you and I are one, so that the world may believe that you sent me” (Jn. 17:21-23)?  As they say, “In essentials, unity; In non-essentials, diversity; In all things, charity”!

2 Timothy 2:2 refers to the skills of disciple-making learned in small groups, so we should focus on equipping our new disciples in counseling, evangelism and leadership – how to love, serve and work with people.  Life is relationships; all the rest are details!  In short, we just need to disciple people to be human, as God originally created us to be — sharing in love and caring for one another.  Loving is Christ’s New (Testament) Commandment for the world to know that we are truly his followers (Jn. 13:34-35) — not through mastery of doctrinal knowledge even of biblical theology!  Perhaps house-church theology (not just ecclesiology) and spirituality are more biblical than the dominant theologies and spiritualities in today’s Christendom?

Therefore, let’s just keep it simple, and trust the Holy Spirit to guide his people into all truth as they meditate on his word!  Let’s just emphasize friendship evangelism, because that’s the weakest link among Christians today.  We make so many programs, including discipleship classes and training seminars, which really take our disciples’ time from touching the lives of nonbelievers!  Most recent statistics show that 86% of today’s non-Christians do not know any Christian at all!  Let’s just simply focus on making disciples who can make disciples wherever they are!

A Vision of an Evangelized World

                                                       David S. Lim, Ph.D.

We are living in exciting days. God is moving His Church towards another Reformation to complete the incompleteness of the 16^th century Reformation. The first Reformation focused in our doctrine of salvation (sola gratia, sola fide), but failed to proceed to apply the implications of this biblical truth in our doctrine of the church (esp. “the priesthood of all believers”). Evangelicals are still not evangelical enough. We still retain the vestiges of the hierarchical, paternalistic, clergy-centered “heresy” of the Medieval Church (with its Post-Constantinian Christendom model of superchurch/cathedral structures).

What would happen in our churches if we will be more faithful to the teachings of Scriptures?  I envision that it will have at least 3 important features:

1.  Church Structures. We will develop into the “servant-church” model. We will become a loose network of small communities/churches organized as simple Christ-worshipping, Bible study groups which love out the radical demands of the Gospel in non-hierarchical, non-paternalistic and non-clerical ways in our worship, fellowship and community service (leitourgeia, koinonia & diakonia). Each “house church” (or “simple church” or “Christ-group”) will be any faith-community which claims a clear Christian identity (in the essential doctrines) built upon a base-community (like a neighborhood, school, factory, government office, etc.). Each will live out, confess, theologize, communicate and celebrate their faith together with some regularity (and some may specialize in one or two of the church’s functions). Present church structures will be transformed into decentralized networks of house-churches or cell-groups which serve as dynamic centers for evangelism and community involvement (rather than just for lip-service love of God, self-congratulation and parochialism). Each group will have a local focus (working for contextualized witness) and a global vision (working for social transformation).

2.  Church Growth. The spontaneous expansion of the Church will then be viewed in terms of “quantity through quality,” statistics based on radical discipleship and suffering servanthood. We will be concerned not just for short-term goals of winning a few converts one by one, but esp. for the long-term reputation of Christ’s body in the locality, nation and the world. (It is very possible “to win a few battles, yet lose the war”).

Our messages and lifestyles must never be compromised. Our churches must clearly stand for what our Lord Jesus called for: “radical disciples” and “suffering servants” who repent from selfishness, pride, materialism (or greed/covetousness) and self-righteousness, and obey Him in love, truth, justice/ equality, peace and freedom. Hence, smaller committed Christian communities are necessary visible expressions of these commitments.

Thus, rather than aiming to make small churches bigger (by addition), we must seek to increase the number of small churches (by multiplication).  We should work for an ever-growing number of small churches, instead of a small number of ever-growing churches. Is there any better way to mobilize the entire body of Christ to fulfill the Great Commission?

3.  Church Leadership. Our church leaders will be models of “radical discipleship” and “suffering servanthood.” Though they may come from different backgrounds (like coming from the upper class like Paul and Barnabas), they will heed Christ’s call to “renounce all” in order to prioritize the work of spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God, esp. among the poor in the rural villages and the urban slums.

Our main leaders will be itinerant (and hopefully theologically trained!) “servants of the churches,” who live simply and serve sacrificially, since they see their nation and the world (not just their own churches) as their parish. They will have developed their spiritual gifts in the context of a committed community, and sent forth by their respective “home-base” to be transient short-term “pastor-helpers” or “church-planters” (with full financial support) or incarnated long-term “missionaries” (with gradually decreasing support) serving in other areas. This is “incarnational missions” in contrast to modern “missions by affluence.”

The overall framework of this vision is the biblical teaching that the Church is the “firstfruits” or vanguard of God’s kingdom (His new creation and new humanity), where love and righteousness/justice/equality prevail, where every person treats other persons as equals (as friends, as co-servants) created in the image of God. As long as the Church actively pursues the priority of following her Lord (imitatio Christi) on the way of the cross (via crucis), the forces of evil will not be able to overcome her assaults in the “spiritual battle (between good and evil)” that is going on in heaven and on earth.

Martin Luther’s preface to the German Mass:

“Those who really want to be Christians and to confess the gospel in deed and word would have to enroll by name and assemble themselves apart in some house to pray, to read, to baptize, to receive the sacrament, and to do similar Christian works. For in such a regime it would be possible to discover and punish and correct and exclude those who do not behave as Christians and to excommunicate them according to Christ’s rule in Matthew 18. Here, too, a common collection of alms could be enjoined on Christians to be given voluntarily and distributed to the poor following Paul’s example in 2 Corinthians 9… Here, baptism and the sacrament could be administered in a brief and simple manner and everything directed to the word and prayer and love…In short, if one had people and individuals who really wanted to be Christians, the rules and forms could soon be drawn up.

“But I cannot and will not order or establish such a community or congregation yet, for I do not yet have the people and individuals to do this nor, so far as I can see, are there many pressing for this.”

Jesus said, “…No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins” (Mark 2:22).