Workers and Disciples

There are many missions, churches and other Christian evangelical organizations. Each has its rules and regulations, and usually they are very rigid. Not infrequently some worker from these other missions comes by to find comfort or counsel about his problems. "I came down here," he may typically say, "as a sacrifice to work for the Lord. I gave up a good job in order to preach the Gospel and win souls for Christ. I have been here several years driving the truck, fixing the plumbing, fixing their cars, helping put up the tent, and doing any and all jobs helping with their meetings, except preaching. Several times when I got a little time for myself I went with a group where I could preach some and witness, doing personal work with precious souls coming to the Lord. It was a lift to my own soul participating directly in spiritual work, seeing others saved.

"But, when I spoke to my superintendent about more time from my routine tasks in order to do more for the Lord, he got stern, almost angry, saying, 'You're doing a great work for the Lord putting up the tent and letting me do the preaching. So the answer is, "No!" Doubly "No" if you're thinking of going with other groups on that free time of yours.'

"So, should I look for another mission field, go back home, or continue 'as is'?"

I cannot give direct answer to such questions, of course. Each brother must feel he has been called by the Lord and go to the Lord for guidance, holding with long patience at his unfulfilling work until he really does feel a light from the Lord on what to do.

For our work and mission, I resolved to keep it clear and foremost that the workers were called, serving the Lord and were not here as MY workers nor the upbuilding of "our" organization.

There are those who feel they have no talent for actual preaching but feel content to do carpenter work, or distributing food to the poor and milk to the children. Nevertheless, such "workers" must be spiritual men who feel that is what the Lord wants of them.

One will find it a continual temptation to let up on this and drift into becoming a denomination like so many others. It is a personal temptation to take pride in power, growth and visible results. Then we want all converts to come to "our church" and stay with us. We can develop Bible courses that spend a lot of time "proving by the Bible" that we have the right doctrine, while others are in error or perhaps very wrong. That course will also point out repeatedly that our "leader" is the most special messenger of God since St. Paul. This situation is not rare or the exception. That is the way of denominational organizations and leaders with talent and charisma. Human beings want to idolize leaders. Charisma is no sign it is from God. Hitler had it to a marked degree.

A young missionary or Christian worker will heed first the call of the Lord, he will then help his organization with any and all tasks including the most menial and tiring. As he matures he must also keep going to the Lord continually for personal guidance and strength, and when the real Master calls, be ready to go where He leads, or stay when He so leads.

We gave some experiences in a former letter, the story of the brother who felt he was called to preach instead of continuing his little business. After some time he was out of funds, had been put out of his little cabin, and was sleeping with wife and children on the sidewalks.

The Lord sent me along to help out,paying their very modest rent and letting them continue on with their ministry. The Lord also wanted me to see that "They" were not "my" workers. They were dedicated to a special ministry for the Lord and "I" was in a measure, their helper.

Another worker the Lord wanted me to help is Salvador-- a strange character. Boys might call him an odd-ball. Salvador tried preaching and quit, tried building up a pastorate and failed. He could not be depended upon to be on hand for his meetings and appointments, but would feel some special need and go off wandering in the mountains, fasting and praying for several days and nights. When too many of the brethren insisted he was no good as a Christian worker, he went back into the city to open up a business. He was pretty smart, made a bit of money, but gave it all to some evangelical campaigns, and when his business had a slow time, he had given away his cushion, so went broke, and went back to the mountains.

But the Lord sent me along, made our paths cross, and I felt led to give him places where he could do great service for the Lord, help other pastors, and witness to the unsaved, but not force a square peg into a round hole. We adapt a bit so that he can go off, wait on the Lord and then come back to tell us where he wants to help. He has been a jewel. He has a part in raising meeting houses out in the villages, personal witnessing, seeking preachers for some campaign, and he also helps me personally with all kinds of errands and odd jobs when others are not available. He's a jewel and a disciple of the Lord. He has an odd name we Americans might think, Savior, or down here it is sometimes spelled, Javier, Xaver or Salvador.

They have other interesting names like Josoph-Mary, or Jose- Maria but usually when spoken it comes out Chema. Then there is Miguel-Angel, or in English, Michel the Angel. Miguel-Angel Asurias won the Nobel prize for literature some years ago and since then there have been even more boys turn up with that moniker. Five years after the Nobel prize announcements, nearly a third of the kids in some kindergarten classes were called Miguel-Angel, and the teachers had to invent a nickname as Miguel-Anguel-gordo (fat), M-A-short, MA-ears, MA-feet, those appendages being worthy of notice for some outstanding reason.

That was a light paragraph dropped in between very weighty important matters on "The workers are the Lord's"

There is the brother who can barely read, but has memorized scores of chapters. He preaches wonderfully for a time or two but cannot be a regular pastor without being a more able reader. He said the Lord called him preach in the open air. Fine! Few people are willing to be continuously faithful out there in that ministry, rain or shine, hot or cold, in poverty, never in wealth. Pastors' jobs pay better. This brother has been faithful. Hundreds and thousands have come to the Lord in his ministry that would never have heard the Gospel story except in open air meetings, they being too strongly prejudiced to ever enter an evangelical church, that is, before, but once feeling the power of the Lord, now those countless souls are faithful in the evangelical churches and many also preaching the Gospel. Some pastors will not help with open air meetings because the converts go to other churches, no assurance they all turn up at theirs. Yet these pastors are continually getting new members from the tireless ministry of our brother.