Monday, December 30, 2013

Top Ten Posts of 2013

Let's take the next couple of days to review 2013. First, let's start with my top ten posts of 2013. These range in the most page views and highest original user views. In reading comments and emails from this past year, I understand with great compassion there is a high need to address hush-hush ministry and church topics. Issues that are swept under the rug where people are seeking answers. Please click on the posts to read and comment...

1.) "Struggles of Slavic Third Culture Children": The problem is that the third culture kids, who are now young adults and married folks, face difficulty in letting go of the past and opening doors to fresh opportunities for the future. Many older parents hold strongly to the church traditions from their former life in the USSR. Traditions that today are hindering their third culture kids from expanding their horizons and increasing their potential in ministry.

2.) "Abuse of Slavic-American Women": I have personally spoken with many older Slavic women, younger mothers, single ladies, and even young teen girls about the culture of an abusive household mainly having to do with men taking advantage of the women in their homes. Does this indicate that all Slavic-American families have a stronghold of a macho-domineering attitude?, of course not. However, we cannot let the neglect and pains continue without addressing its core roots and making way for the Holy Spirit to heal and restore. 

3.) "17 Definitive Practices We MUST Crucify": Apostle Paul teaches us in Galatians 5:19-21, a list of 17 practices we must all crucify.


4.)  "Pornography for Women: 50 Shades of Grey": What continues to strike me with shock is how believers continue to approve, distribute, and even not see a problem with this type of writing. We must find ways to consecrate our minds and purify our hearts from the lures of the world. Jesus Christ did not die on the cross so we can continue to live willfully in sin, but He paid the price for our sin and gives us freedom from the stronghold of sin. Our hope is not in a sexual fantasy that degrades our mind, soul, and relationships but in the power of Jesus Christ and His love. 

5.) "Celebrating Leadership Gifts in Women": Somehow we have seen more voices like, "Sit down, your not allowed to preach! Women must be silent in the church! You have no authority to speak! Your task is to be home with the kids! You can only support your husband! Cook, clean, stay home, that is your purpose in life!" As the body of Christ, we must see EVERY member valuable, honorable, and functional for the glory of God. Then the question is raised, Why should we celebrate leadership gifts in women? 

6.) "iAsk: Bogdan Kipko, Pastor and Lead Visionary at Intentional Christianity": I am also passionate about navigating a movement in which predominately Slavic churches in America would in a healthy way transition to be more effective for the gospel by creating additional English venues so that communities who don't speak Russian would also be reached with the gospel. I want to see the church fulfill their calling in the United States and one of the ways that will happen is when the Slavic church will cease to be an isolationist community, bound by culture and tradition and would break out of the mold to evangelize and reach the lost people in their midst that speak a language other than one of the Slavic dialects.

7.) "12 Topics the Church Is NOT Talking About": I was blessed to be at a men's conference called Barnabas Renewal in Atlanta, GA where 25 ministers under the age of 40 came together for prayer, renewal, accountability, and building relationships. Men from all over the country came and even one youth pastor from Vancouver, Canada. God was encouraging each of us to hear His voice and be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit. One topic we discussed was: What is the Church (Body of Christ) either locally or around the world NOT talking about. Here are 12 things we must start addressing in 2014....  

8.) "The Internal Enemy of Women: Comparison": Most women do not struggle with looking lustfully upon men's bodies. The way the eye of women usually works has largely to do with COMPARISONS. 

9.) "Preparing For Persecution": Fellow Christians, we are being prepared by the Holy Spirit to endure much persecution in the years to come in this country. Like it or not it’s coming. 

10.) "Consequences In Dealing With Sexual Sin Publicly": One verse that keeps slipping the minds of many men is found in Numbers 32:23, "But if ye will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out." In our age of hyper-grace and distant personal accountability we have discovered the true meaning of this verse with the epidemic tsunami of moral failures one after another from mega-church preachers to local 50 member congregations not only here in America but around the world.

Follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulMuzichuk

Monday, December 23, 2013

iAsk: Matthew McCloskey- Missionary to Russia & Ukraine

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is with Matthew McCloskey missionary to Russia and Ukraine. Let's begin...


Matthew and his wife
Paul: Matt-First, can you tell us who you are, what you do, and what is your greatest passion in life? Our readers will be interested in hearing your story.

Matthew: First off, I just want to thank you, Paul, for being such a great example of a godly minister of the Gospel in our generation. You and your wife and family have been such an encouragement to me personally and I know to so many others as well. You are more of an example than you know.
At this time I actually have a 9-5 job, but I greatly enjoy discipleship and teaching on the Father’s love, identity and the prophetic.  My wife and I love helping people grow in intimacy with the Father and a greater understanding of the depths to which He loves them outrageously.
My wife and I help lead evangelism at the Slavic Missionary Bible School in Jacksonville, FL which is a school which equips Russian speaking people young people in the US to do ministry in Ukraine and Russia, as well as in their home churches. We also lead Bible studies at our house focusing on identity and helping others hear the Father’s voice.
I also have a passion for the Russian speaking world and have spent a great amount of time in Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Russia. My wife and I along with a few others are praying about starting a ministry school in Russia in the coming year which will focus on the Father’s heart, prayer and worship, and the prophetic.
Paul: 1.) Matt, let's talk a bit about the prophetic. Many people in the body of Christ have been skeptical concerning prophecies and supernatural manifestations. From your experience and knowledge of prophetic gifting should churches and ministry leaders be more open to training their people to hear God's voice to bring edification to the people via prophecy?
Matthew: For me, the prophetic is simply hearing our Father’s voice. It is living in a place of intimacy with the Father in which we are attentive to what He is saying.
So many churches and Christians relate to Jesus and salvation as some kind of stamp in their spiritual passport which gets them into heaven. Jesus did die so we could have eternal life and we should thank and praise Him for that every single day. But yet He died for so much more – He died to bring us into a deep relationship and conversation with the Father.
While we remain here on this earth, God wants our lives to be one giant conversation with Him. He wants to talk with His children. And those conversations can look so different day to day. Dad can speak to us in pictures when we close our eyes, in verses from the Bible, in a little phrase, in dreams, in visions, in words from friends, in sermons, and in feelings of peace and joy so deep that we know they came from His hand.
He is speaking every day to His children. He speaks to encourage us, to give us vision for our lives, to give us identity and a deep sense of belonging.
And He wants us to become so good at hearing His voice that we can hear Him not only for ourselves, but also for others. He wants us to speak His words of life and power into situations to encourage our friends, family and even strangers. He wants us to hear when He is saying – “go tell that lady that I will help her relationship with her husband.” “Go tell that young guy that I have a plan for His life.” It is not something we turn on and off. It is a place of intimacy with Him that we simply live in.
Slowly, we begin to see people only as the Lord sees them. We call out victory.
Hearing God’s voice is something for every day believers and not simply super believers.
Praying
Paul: 2.) There has been much debate concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit or as others call it receiving their prayer language. How vital is it for growing Christians to hunger the baptism of the Holy Spirit? What happens when Christians are apathetic to the ministry of the Holy Spirit?
Matthew: When you truly have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, it is only natural to want more of His Spirit. There are levels of peace, joy, love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, patience and self-control where the Lord wants to take us, but we have to be willing to go there and we have to be willing to ask for more of His Spirit and presence.
He says “those who seek Him, find Him” and “those who ask, receive.”
And I think there are always greater levels of His presence and power where the Lord wants to take us. There is always more of the Lord to receive. We simply need to begin asking.
I think so many of us are going to get to heaven and look back and just be so sad that we missed out on so much because we did not ask. “Do you mean I could have walked in that much power and authority?” “Do you mean I could have walked through peace in that situation?” “Do you mean I could have felt even more tangible and unspeakable joy in the midst of that problem?” “Do you mean I was that loved by you even when I messed up?”
There is that great balance in our walk between being thankful for where we are and what we have already received, but yet remaining hungry for more. But to paraphrase an advertising slogan: Stay Hungry, my friends.
Paul: 3.) Revivals, great awakenings, spiritual thirst from years past have come by women and men who were thirsty and hungry for holiness, intimacy with God, and the study of the Word of God. Have you seen examples of a generation engulfed in the pursuit of purity and passion for God's Word? What hope can be addressed to those who want more of God in our day and age?
Matthew: What is really exciting is the birth of so many movements in the United States and around the world which are dedicated to holiness, the Word, and intimacy with the Father. Mike Bickle and International House Of Prayer in Kansas City come to mind right away. They have a house of prayer in Kansas City which has been lifting up praise to the Father for almost 15 years now and they have thousands of young people who keep it running day in and day out. They aren’t praying out of a place of obligation or because a pastor told them enough times “PRAY!”. Their prayers come from a deep sensing of the Father’s love for them. They pray from a place of identity as sons and daughters of the Lord and when you are there, God’s presence is so tangible.
You also have Bethel Church and Bill Johnson in California who have a ministry school which focuses on helping equip people to operate in power and authority in the Spirit. Their students regularly go on the streets and prophesy over people and pray for the sick and see them recover. You also have Lou Engel and the Call, Youth With A Mission, Morningstar, and so many other ministry schools which are creating vision for a generation to seek after holiness, intimacy with the Father and a deep, deep love for the Word.
My suggestion to someone seeking to go deeper with the Lord and to grow in intimacy is to first ask the Lord for more. Remember: those who ask, receive. And also begin asking the Lord to bring you into a community of believers who value intimacy with Him. He may show you that you need to go to a ministry school mentioned above. He may bring you into fellowship with another school or group of friends. Just begin to ask and listen.
He will be gentle. He will be understanding. He wants you closer more than you even want to draw closer.
Street Missions
Paul: 4.) What advice can you share for women and men who are called into missionary work? Some go on short-term assignments others stay for long-term projects. What have you learned that you can share for those who are entering the mission field in 2014?
Matthew: When we look at people, we see that each person’s face, fingerprints, eyes – everything - is incredibly unique. Even in nature, snowflakes and leaves are all distinct. In the same way, our spiritual gifting and callings are entirely one of a kind. No two people minister the same way. No two people preach the same. No two people carry the same spiritual gifting basket. And so we should not be surprised if we are called to do something no one has ever done, or if we minister in unique ways which is slightly or entirely different than how other people minister.
Some are called to write books. Some are called to preach. Some are called to witness one on one. Some are called to simply counsel. Some are called to go. Some are called to stay. Find your place in the body and revel in it. When you know your place in the body, you can take even more joy in others success.
I think the safest and best place to distill our calling and place in the body is during times of intimacy with the Father. When you are in those moments of prayer encounter, ask Him how He sees you. Ask Him to show you what ministry you will be doing in the future. Ask Him to show you how it will be, what challenges there will be, and how you can prepare for it even at this time. You can ask for confirmation. He will give it. He understands our frailty more than we know.
And one more thing – write what He says down. When shaking comes, stand on what He has told you and confirmed in those moments.
Paul: 5.) Someone told me once if you are not reading you are not leading. What books other than the Bible have you read that may help others grow in intimacy and pursuit of the Father's heart in their personal walk with the Lord?
Matthew: I find biographies and autobiographies to be so encouraging.  There is something that happens when I read life stories of Christian men and women which renews my mind and sharpens my focus on what a godly life looks like. I can see in their lives things I have gone through or am going through. To paraphrase Revelation 12:11, I feel when I read their testimonies I am strengthened to overcome.
I just got done reading Eric Metaxas’ biography on Dietrich Bonhoeffer for the second time which is such a great book to read especially given the times we now live in. I believe our generation, like his, will have to navigate living out our godly principles in a relevant way in a society in which the Zeitgeist is very much against Jesus.  

I also just finished reading Don Richardson’s account of his ministry to the cannibals of Papua New Guinea, Peace Child. I learned so much about the sacrifice which is needed to reach unreached people for the Gospel and also the importance of finding relevant cultural examples to aid in explaining the Gospel.
We should always be reading, because the Lord uses that so much to strengthen our inner man and to focus us on the tasks ahead.

Follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulMuzichuk

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

9 Practical Ways to Give- Christmas List 2013

Its that time of year! Christmas! The time when you give a gift to the one you love. The time of year we make our annual reviews of what we did. The time of year we plan for the next 12 months to come. The time of year we get together with family and friends to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

As a missionary family I want to share our 2013 Christmas list. It may help you find a practical way to give: 


Prayer at Barnabas Renewal
1.) Pray for Paul & Maria Weekly. We desire for prayer to be the bedrock of all we do. Without prayer all else is in vain. Please commit to praying for Paul and Maria weekly. You can receive weekly prayer requests by sending Paul an email saying you want to pray for them weekly! E-mail: Paul.Muzichuk@gmail.com 

2.) Monthly Support. We are raising our monthly support to be able to do what God has called our family to accomplish. You can give any amount on a monthly basis by CLICKING HERE. Visit our website for more ways to get involved, volunteer, travel with us, and support options at www.servantheartmission.org


3.) End of Year Giving. Many business owners, churches, organizations, and individuals take the month of December to give for their annual end of year giving. We would greatly be blessed by any gift amount. As a reminder we are a 501(c)3 faith-based organization with most donations being tax-deductible. CLICK HERE to give a special end of year gift.

4.) Macbook Air Laptop-$999.99. Our laptop of 5 years is not functional anymore. We seek an Apple Macbook Air laptop for use in our ministry and travels. Here is a link to what we we ask and pray for: http://goo.gl/TduYdq


5.) Airfare to Philippines. In 2014, we are planning to visit our brothers and sisters in Bohol, Philippines to follow up on the work we have been doing. We will visit the devastated areas caused by the recent earthquake and typhoon storm. Round-trip airfare will be around $1,650. You can give towards this by CLICKING HERE

6.) J.C. Ryle Christmas Book Deal-$99.00. Nine total books for continued study of the Word of God. You can click the link-http://banneroftruth.org/us/store/favourite-author-gift-paks/ryle-deal/, to place an order. Our address can be found here: www.servantheartmission.org/contact-us

7.) Color Laser Printer- $699. Brother® MFC-9970CDW Wireless Color Laser All-In-One Printer. Click here to view description: http://goo.gl/3YTTA7. You can order at any Office Depot store or office supply store. 


8.) Delta Skymiles Gift. If you have additional Delta Skymiles that you want to give away we would be extremely grateful as we fly extensively with Delta. If you desire to give miles please email me at Paul.Muzichuk@gmail.com for all the detailed information. http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/support/faqs/skymiles/gift-miles-faqs.html


9.) Serve as Volunteer. We have many opportunities growing for women and men to help us in 2014. If you would like to join us on a missions trip to the Philippines, help with online community development, administrative support, please email me at Paul.Muzichuk@gmail.com

Thank you to all who encourage us, pray for us, and help send us to the mission field! 


 

Monday, December 16, 2013

iAsk: Natasha Kosachevich, Spiritual Counselor, Questions on Women in Ministry

 Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is with spiritual counselor Natasha Kosachevich from California. Let's begin...

Natasha Kosachevich
Paul: First, can you tell us who you are, what you do, and what is your greatest passion in life? Our readers will be interested in hearing your story.
Natasha: I am just a simple daughter of the King of Kings J. I love Jesus and my passion is to introduce as many people as possible to Him and to encourage those that have already met Him to get to know Him better, fall in love with Him deeper and trust Him completely.  I love to share anything and everything that I learn from Him with those who will listen.  I love sharing with young people, teenagers, youth, young adults, and couples about Gods order of things.  He is the ultimate Designer of Life and He knows best how it should be handled.  Besides the fun subjects of faith, love and relationships I also cover some of the not-so common ones of abuse, sexuality, addictions and emotional healing. 
        
Paul: 1. 2013 is coming to a close and many events have taken place around the world, too many to list. For you personally, what world events in 2013 have impacted you the most and why?
Natasha: I spent most of 2013 in New York City, and thus the Connecticut School shooting was something that was close to me in proximity, and heart.  The lives of the innocent is something that is very precious to me.  Seeing children perish before truly living is devastating.  This event hit very close to another passion of mine which is the truth about abortion in our country and worldwide.  Seeing the nation mourn the lives of kids in one classroom but ignore the fact that close to 4000 pregnancies are terminated DAILY in the US alone is pretty overwhelming.
Another event that wasn’t really worldwide, but reminded me of Gods control was the flooding of the Dinuba River in Europe.  I was IN Eastern Europe at the time, and left the city of Budapest for a month, and during THAT specific month the river flooded.  When I returned and walked alongside the riverbank I was fascinated that just during the weeks I was gone the river flooded and covered the very sidewalks that I was now walking on.  The frailty of our life and Gods complete control over nature was very vivid to me.  I was reminded that no advancement in technology or modernization can stand against the mighty hand of the Creator.
    
Paul: 2. As you know, I co-labor alongside Lee Grady with the Mordecai Project to confront the abuse and oppression of women worldwide. Has the Slavic church as a whole suppressed the leadership gifts of women? Also, do you feel Slavic Christian women should be given greater measures of responsibility and authority in spiritual work like church ministry?
Natasha: Traditionally, I believe the Slavic church has disrespected the gifting that women can bring to serving people better.  I think partially it’s due to lack of resources and biblical education in the past years of the former Soviet Union and part of it is overlooking the way Jesus treated women and taking verses out of context or assuming that His commandments of going and making disciples concern men only.
I think wisdom and discernment must be applied in any church ministry.  But I Do believe that women were created in the image and likeness of God, and omitting their importance in the body of Christ is overlooking a very important aspect of God.
Recently, I was reading the gospel of John and marveled again at the fact that Jesus Himself, after resurrection showed Himself first to a woman and commissioned her to ‘go and tell,’ and she was in turn the first witness of His resurrection to the disciples. (John 20:10-18)  

Natasha sharing Jesus
Paul: 3. What message of encouragement and inspiration would you share with women who have been abused emotionally, physically, or sexually in Christian homes? If women are oppressed at home, what hope can they look for?
Natasha: Get to know the Lord Jesus who took all the pain and the shame to the cross.  He left heaven to pursue the brokenhearted, comfort those who mourn and restore all that was lost.  His LOVE covers ALL sins, those that you committed and those that were committed against you.  He is the Only One who can make old things new and restore you to His original design. (Isaiah 61)    

Paul: 4. From your travels around the world, what have you noticed the Lord speaking to the body of Christ?
Natasha: “Get Ready - Jesus is Coming!”
The Bride of Christ, remember your first love. Purify yourself. Get your ‘dress’ in order.  Get your heart focused on the Groom! 

Paul: 5. Christmas time is around the corner, where and with whom do you plan on celebrating the holiday?
Natasha: For the past 3 years I have been either out of the country or out of the states for the holidays, so I am looking forward to spending the time with my family in California this year, and listening to a lot of Christmas music, which I love. 
 

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

12 Topics the Church Is NOT Talking About

This past weekend I was blessed to be at a men's conference called Barnabas Renewal in Atlanta, GA where 25 ministers under the age of 40 came together for prayer, renewal, accountability, and building relationships. Men from all over the country came and even one youth pastor from Vancouver, Canada. God was encouraging each of us to hear His voice and be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit. 
Paul Muzichuk

One topic we discussed was: What is the Church (Body of Christ) either locally or around the world NOT talking about. Here are 12 things we must start addressing in 2014....

1. Sexual Immorality + Sexual Purity. This was the number one rated topic across all 25 men from various churches and ministries that agreed it MUST be taught, discipled, and discussed in the church. 

2. Personal & Family Finances. The growing problem of rising debt in families, in ministries, and lack of accountability with ministry leaders. A call to open transparency and financial committees. 


3. Discipleship. People yearn to be discipled not just preached at. People want real life relationships with mentors, spiritual fathers/mothers and accountability. People want to grow spiritually. Preaching alone will not make that happen.

4. How to Serve/Minister. Yes- as basic as it sounds. There is a need to train volunteers, staff, pastoral staff on HOW to minister. Don't just tell your youth or leader "Go serve". Teach them. Walk alongside and show them. Train up a new generation of HOW to serve. 

5. Practicing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Much talk is said in churches about desiring the spiritual gifts but not much practice is done. Men are hungry to be trained to hear the voice of God, to be open to prophecy, and equipped with all the gifts available. The problem is the church does not practice them. If you want to impact a new generation lets start walking out our talk. 

6. Transparency. Men (and women) are tired of always hearing the perfect side of leaders, preachers, and missionaries. The deep desire is to be open, honest, transparent not only in the pulpit but more in person and in relationships. We need less glamor preachers and more men who are Barnabas'.

7. Parental Blessings. There has been a lack of understanding of how significant and vital parental blessings are in children's lives. Talk about the joy of receiving parental blessings.

8. Women in Leadership. The church for years has suppressed the leadership giftings of women. We need more women leaders trained and ready to serve. 

9. Being Flexible With Technology. At times there has been a struggle introducing technology in the church. Some feel it is "unholy" others feel it expands the kingdom of God. We cannot be blind to the fact that BILLIONS of people can be reached using new methods of technology. 

10. Science + Faith. Much of the church has pushed away from inviting science to play a role in the development of faith within a church. Science has been viewed as an unbelievers religion when in fact if we were to let science be voiced it would prove more of God's Word then without it.

11. Couples Ministry/Counseling. We must invest in not only counseling when things go bad in a marriage but when things are great and to keep it going. Couples ministry is a great need in many churches.

12. Miscellaneous. Topics like not defining a persons spirituality by the amount of ministries he or she is involved in, growing in knowledge and training is a good thing, respecting authority without constantly being skeptical, not being a church or people who are isolationists but investing in the Body of Christ. 

Let us prayerfully consider addressing some of these topics in 2014! 


Monday, December 9, 2013

Joel Engle, Worship Leader, Interview

This week I found a great Q & A interview with Christian recording artist, Joel Engle. I would like share it with our online community. Thanks to Kim Jones' efforts in conducting this interview.


Joel Engle
Joel Engle is a nationally-recognized worship communicator. God has given Joel a broad range of gifts to communicate worship as a musician, songwriter, author, speaker and worship leader. As a musician and songwriter, Joel has published more than 40 original songs, created SPIN360 (a worship resource that goes out to more than 4000 churches each quarter), and has had his songs recorded by SONICFLOOd, Charles Billingsley and Point of Grace. As an author, he has written material for the Surrender Conference and co-authored Glorify, a devotional through the Gospel of John. Joel is a dynamic speaker and that gives him the ability to communicate effectively from God's Word about worship. Churches bring in Joel every year to share his testimony, teach workshops on worship, and speak to the body. Joel is both a student and a teacher of God's Word to thousands of people each year. Finally, as a worship leader, Joel has reached hundreds of thousands of people. He has led worship with Dawson McAllister Conferences, Student Life Camps, Youth Evangelism Conferences, and much more. The bottom line is that no matter what you may know about Joel, one thing is for certain, God has set him apart to communicate God's heart of worship.

 

Kim: You know, you're nationally recognized as a worship leader and communicator. What was it that made you feel like your church should be bigger than the church down the street?
Joel: You know, for me it's been a spiritual evolution, if you will. That's exactly how I started. I started out as a college student leading praise and worship at my school. And we did a thing every day ... In Acts, chapter two, it talks about how the disciples met every day at 3 o'clock to pray. So we did that at school every day for a whole semester during my junior year. We met every day at 3 o'clock to pray and to worship God. God just did this huge work. We started with just three people and we ended up having about 200 people every day, jam packed into this little chapel. There was no marketing or posters. People just came. Through that I winded up traveling a lot to different churches doing concerts and leading music. It just kind of evolved and I started taking the music even more serious and my writing (songwriting) more serious. Then I wound up doing a project with a very well-known Christian worship artist and the next thing you know, I'm traveling even more. I don't think you ever really set out to do great things. What happens is that the passion that you have for what you do at the moment begins to develop and it kind of catches on fire. I think that's what happened. One of the bad parts though is that you wind up becoming busy or successful, or whatever you want to call it, and you get more demands and then you wind up kind of resting on that. You forget where you come from. For me, the last couple of years has been getting back to what God started doing in me 15 years ago.

Kim: How do you stay grounded when you reach that pinnacle? Especially after reaching the level of success that you have?
Joel: I think first of all ... you know Bill Murray, the actor and comedian, he made a statement that I read that said "When somebody becomes a celebrity, they're a jerk for a year and a half to two years no matter what". I think that there's a lot of truth in that. For me, I kind of lost being grounded for a while and I got the big-head. I knew how to cover it up though. Instead of bragging I was just like "The Lord did this" ... but I was telling ten thousand people! Spiritualized self-promotion. But what happened is that because I'm involved in my local church and I don't mean that I just show up on Sunday morning, I'm talking about deep relationships with people ... you know, you can't live like that for long without getting your head knocked off in love. I have accountability in my life from my pastor to the guys in my Bible study that meets on Monday night (there's six of us that meet). And I've got all kinds of friends in the ministry that really know me and speak freely into my life, whether I want to hear it or not. It so happens that because I'm a worship leader, and worship leaders don't really know each other because we get paired with speakers, all of my best friends are preachers. So if I get too far off, there's a sermon getting ready to hit me. Plus I have a wife who is a Godly woman and a family who loves me and they're all Christians and they'll all speak into my life. I think you have to be surrounded by people who love you and know you for who you are. Then you have to desire that accountability. It's doesn't just happen naturally. You have to be intentional about it. I have been going to my church for about four years now. I went to church on Sunday's, but I really wasn't plugged in for about six years with my travel ministry. I was just so busy traveling that I'd come in, just sit in the congregation and then leave. I wasn't really experiencing Biblical fellowship. So I was so dried up spiritually and I was craving those relationships. I prayed and God led me to my church and my life was changed. The people in my church could care less what happens in my quote-unquote ministry career. They're more interested in how I treat my wife and my children. It's a neat thing. I'm very blessed.

Kim: I read in your bio that in 1997 you and your wife started SPIN360. Wow! For a resource like that to be used world-wide in thousands of churches is just awesome.
Joel: I tell you, it is the most amazing thing. To be honest with you, I can't believe it at all. I mean, we are not business people at all. The whole thing developed because I'd go somewhere to sing, before the big worship wave really hit, like at a camp or something and everybody would run up to me after the thing and want me to write up the chorus to the song that I had just done. I'd be like man, sure ... But after about the third time it was driving me nuts! I couldn't take it anymore. They would be asking me for tracks to take back to their churches to sing the songs. A buddy of mine said you ought to start a company. It was like "whoa ... ding"! So we just started out with this really cheesy mailer for the national network of ministers that we made up. Immediately we got about 150 people signed up. We're were like "We don't have enough music! These people paid for music! We better go make some more music". So we made the music and it's just grown every year. It's so weird to hear. I'll go play at a church and some 25 year old kid will come up to me and say "I learned to play music from SPIN". Over and over again. Or a praise band will come up to me and say "Yeah man, we learned how to play our instruments through SPIN when we were in high school". That just blows me away. I think right now that there are about 150,000 students every week using SPIN. It's crazy. We're excited though.

Kim: I frequently see people and organizations that attack Christian music that is not from a hymnal. You get out there and watch this music touch people. So what is your response to the people that attack music that glorifies God but with a different beat?
Joel: I think that music is a language. I call it emotions put to sound, but it's a language. For me, if I walked into a Gaither Homecoming shoot, even though I have so much respect for Bill Gaither, I probably wouldn't get into the music because that's just not my language. I speak a more pop/rock language. That's what I respond to. But I love Bill Gaither because his songs are so God centered. Because He Lives ... you know, all of those great songs that I grew up singing. So while a lot of people call contemporary music "from the devil", they don't realize that a lot of the hymns were taken were taken from secular tunes. Martin Luther took music that was worldly and put it with Christian lyrics. There's nothing new about doing that. What makes a drum any more worldly than a piano or an organ? Why is it that piano and organ are acceptable but drums and bass aren't? It doesn't make sense. I think what happens is that we miss the heart of worship. The heart of worship has nothing to do with music. I see such an amazing response everywhere I go. Not just teenagers, but people of all ages. I did a radio show a couple of weeks ago and they were talking about the "worship wars". Basically they were talking about contemporary music versus traditional. I said that number one, there is no such thing as a worship war. The only war that we have is the Kingdom of Heaven versus the kingdom of hell. You know? It's a style war ... not a worship war. I think that we need to get past the style and look to the content. I'm really into more of an edgier sound, but to me it's about the lyrics. The music has to be God-honoring. Songs are made to touch people's lives and to bring glory to God. For me, I wouldn't be sitting in this chair, having this interview with you if it weren't for bands like Whiteheart and Petra ... the music of the 80's and early 90's ... dcTalk, Steven Curtis Chapman. All of these wonderful Christian artists. I remember going to a Mylon LeFevre and the Imperials concert and my mom had just died and my grandpa had just died. I remember talking to one of the singers in the Imperials. There were like 10,000 people there, but they came out into the audience and talked to everyone after the show. Paul Smith, the lead singer then, talked to me about what was going on in my life. He prayed over me. I ran as fast as I could go get to that CD table. I played that cassette over and over and over again. God used those songs and that conversation to touch my life. I would have never had that experience if I hadn't gotten into the songs through the radio. I think that it's sad when people attack stuff based on preference. If there is a Christian artist out there promoting Hinduism or Buddhism, that's worth fighting over, but preference and style are not things worth fighting over. Music has touched me in ways that I can't express. It's touched my soul. I love to read and to hear great preaching, but there's something about music that sticks with you more than anything. I'm privileged to be able to do this for a living. It doesn't matter if it's a small audience or 10,000 people. Everytime I get to stand there behind my piano, with my band, and lift up a song to the Lord, I just can't believe it. It's a dream come true. It's a lot of hard work and sacrifice sometimes, but I wouldn't change it.
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Monday, December 2, 2013

iAsk: Bogdan Kipko, Pastor and Lead Visionary at Intentional Christianity

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is with Pastor and Lead Visionary of Intentional Christianity Bogdan Kipko. Let's begin...

Paul: First if you can give a small summary of who you are, what you do and what is your greatest passion in life?  
Bogdan Kipko
Bogdan: Hi Paul, thank you so much for reaching out to me and being such an encouragement - I really appreciate it - we need more leaders like you in Christendom. Leaders that are more known for what they are for, rather than for what they are against.

I grew up in Christian home and towards my late teens, I was gripped by the gospel of Jesus and have never been the same since. I have failed miserably but Jesus saved me gloriously. I can't think of anything else I would ever want to do with my life than to preach the gospel and deliver the good news to a broken world. My goal is to help people uncover their gifts and unleash them for the glory of God and for the joy of others in their life. I want to see God's glory uncovered in the life story of every person that I meet. Someone asked me recently if I do anything exciting, besides preaching and speaking. I said that I can't think of anything more exciting than seeing dead people come alive. I love Jesus, I love my wife, I love my church and I love the people that God is constantly placing in my life.

I am currently the Lead Visionary at Intentional Christianity, a digital portal dedicated to spreading the supremacy of Jesus Christ to a world in need of radical redemption. This includes a social media think tank that is constantly producing gospel-centered content through blogging, books, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and most recently, podcasting. I am also one of the pastors at a local church where we have services in both English and Russian. In addition, I work closely with a Slavic church network overseeing over thirty churches and over two thousand young people.

In the near future, my goal is to develop a 24/7 online media channel which will stream Christ-centered content worldwide. We are also working closely with our local community in developing a non-profit organization which will house the homeless population in our county and provide them a restorative process that will ultimately crescendo in the individual integrating back into society, imaging exactly what they were created to image by their Creator God. So please pray that in all this that my team and I hope to accomplish, Jesus would be made much of and that God's gospel would be integrated into the fabric of every day life in the life of individuals that we will impact.

I am also passionate about navigating a movement in which predominately Slavic churches in America would in a healthy way transition to be more effective for the gospel by creating additional English venues so that communities who don't speak Russian would also be reached with the gospel. I want to see the church fulfill their calling in the United States and one of the ways that will happen is when the Slavic church will cease to be an isolationist community, bound by culture and tradition and would break out of the mold to evangelize and reach the lost people in their midst that speak a language other than one of the Slavic dialects. Out of the over thirty churches that are a part of the church network that we belong to, we are the less than five percent who have actually begun an English ministry in our midst and desire to model and display a ministry methodology for others to espouse and adopt as well, for the spread of the gospel and for the glory of Jesus.


www.forwardbook.com
Author Bogdan Kipko
Paul: 1.) Bogdan, I am excited to hear that you just wrote and published a book called, "Forward-How to get unstuck and become unstoppable". Share with me and our online community the story behind this book and why you wrote it?
Bogdan: The last ten years have been an absolute whirlwind for my wife and I. We both lost our beloved dads to cancer. I moved to a new state, started work at a new company, assimilated to a new church and started and finished my graduate degree in seminary. This was happening while I was working full time in the corporate world and in the church. We both went through peaks and valleys in every single sphere of our life. We experienced our fair share of difficulties and arguments as a brand new couple, learning to live together as a married couple. We went through a difficult time in ministry that nearly left us depleted and emptied, both physically and spiritually. There were many times when it seemed like we were completely stuck with no way out. But Jesus does not save you from every storm, because He wants to save you through the storm. So this book is basically what I have learned in the last ten years of my life. The anthem on repeat has been Ephesians 3:20-21 where Paul proclaims these epic words: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” This is basically a book going over the many mistakes that I have personally made and what happened when I actually believed that the gospel is real, Jesus is alive and God’s love and grace are absolutely reckless to the point of being a rampant scandal. In a very good way. For more info on the book, go to www.forwardbook.com.

Paul: 2.) As a pastor, you see many people "stuck" in their spiritual walk and at times even unmovable. What encouragement and practical advice can you give to those who need a boost of spiritual motivation this holiday season?
Bogdan: Not only do I see people being stuck but I too fall into that same category very often. I am convinced that the most difficult thing for any follower of Jesus to believe is that Jesus is in love with them. Because every time we don’t believe that, we aggressively seek out other gods to satisfy our desires. But every time we drink from polluted vessels, we run back to Jesus to drink the living water which only He can provide. But I know exactly what you are saying. Sometimes, I am ready for the season to change, but the season is only interested in changing me. I believe that for God, who we are becoming is more important than what we are doing. Because our ultimate goal is to see Jesus face to face so that he would say to us well done good and faithful servant. But the scandalous part is that Jesus is not in love with a new and improved version of us. He loves the messed up, warts and blemishes version of us now. When we realize that this is the reality, our entire life perspective shifts. So the goal is for us to quit listening to ourselves and start speaking the gospel to ourselves. It doesn’t matter if you never stand behind a pulpit. No one speaks to you more than you do. So you are either preaching a false gospel of mediocrity and defeat or an authentic gospel of triumph and victory because on the cross, Jesus definitively declared: “It is finished.” So rest in that reality. God will get you through, what you are going through.

Paul: 3.) December is a time of year when many people begin to review their personal results of the current year. Everything from fitness, financial status, and educational achievements. Parallel to this there are those who find themselves looking to start new ministries, projects, careers, and dreams in the new year. In which category are you in this year and what events triggered it?
Bogdan: I have personally stopped making new year’s resolutions because I don’t believe they work. Not for me or for the majority of the people around me. If you want to resolve in doing something different start today. If you want to lose weight, drop the fries and burger and pick up some celery. If you want to wake up earlier, start going to sleep earlier. If you want more money in your account, then stop buying things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like with money you don’t even have. You don’t need to wait to do that until the new year. You can begin doing that today. If you want to start a new ministry, a new non-profit, a new book, a new blog, a new school or a new degree, start right now. Tomorrow is an illusionary world that we wrongly believe espouses all productivity. But then tomorrow comes and nothing changes. I go more into detail about what I just said above in this post: http://bit.ly/1fx9No2. And as for a new job - some of us don’t need a better job - we just need to do our current job, better. For me personally, I just launched my book so I am in between projects. I am super excited to getting back to creating new content, recording more podcasts with several very special guests, creating multiple new e-books and preaching like crazy every Sunday at my church and leading my small community group every week which is my most favorite part of my life.


Paul: 4.) Bogdan, both you and I enjoy using technology, social media, and connecting with friends and acquaintances online. Millennial's and even older online users have caught themselves spending hours on the computer, their iPhone, or even their WiFi tablets. Does technology play a significant role in ministry? As a follow up, should ministry leaders pursue efforts to engage online users across the various community channels available?
Bogdan: If a leader is not leading digitally, his leadership is limited to those who also ignore the digital world. That population is getting smaller and smaller and last time I checked, the clock was still going forward.
 I believe that social media is the new authority. History has never seen an age like ours. This is because social media has ushered in a new authority. It has radically changed the way we connect, communicate and spread ideas, forever. Social media has also changed the way authority and influence are allocated within our society. There are no longer gate-keepers that can prevent anyone from getting a message out. In the new authority order of social media, influence is fostered from connectivity, not control. It is no longer about how much you know but rather how generous you are with that knowledge. 
The focus has shifted from titles to tribes. This has been the case all along – social media was just able to harness this reality and make it a commodity – available to anyone. Which makes it both a phenomenal reality and a great responsibility. Before, people gathered around one particular charismatic personality. That person was able to keep a tight control on things that were going on within an organization. Social media has usurped from denominations the influence they once possessed. Because control is no longer delegated to one particular committee or organization.
 Before, people demanded to be heard because of a position they held. Today, people listen to those who have something to say, not just those who want to say something. If you want to influence this generation, you need to develop a relationship with them. Leaders who do not harness the power of social media are adhering to the old authority order.
The new authority ushered in by social media is exciting, progressive and perpetually changing. As a Christian, you are called to be a wise steward of the resources that have been given to you. This includes asking Jesus for wisdom while navigating through this new world of social media.


Bogdan Preaching
Paul: 5.) Looking into 2014, world leaders, politicians, religious leaders, business men keep echoing a mixed review of opinions. Some say to fear the American dollar crashing, others predicting heavy spiritual and moral declines, and yet others say to prepare for Armageddon. What has the Lord been speaking to your heart concerning this upcoming year? Should the body of Christ be preaching fear, hope,or both?
Bogdan: The body of Christ should continue to preach Christ. In season and out of season.When it is popular and when it is considered intolerant. If I please God, it does not matter whom I displease. I can’t serve two masters. Simultaneous allegiance is impossible. Contrary to some opinions, the church is not dying but it is sick. So what we need is less criticizing and more evangelizing. More unity and less uniformity. More diversity and less division. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist and I am a pastor, not a politician - so all I care about is delivering the gospel with clarity and conviction and then watching God show up and do His thing as per usual. I am not worried about currency decline because God has all the money in the world. I am not worried about moral or spiritual decline because it always existed since we live in a post Genesis three world. I believe that the church is the hope of the world and Jesus is the One who will build His church and not allow the gates of Hell to prevail over it ever.

Paul: 6.) Christmas is right around the corner. How will you be celebrating it this year?
Bogdan: We have a few big community events planned at my church which I am really excited about. Upwards of three hundred people from our community will come out and enjoy our official Christmas celebration service as we talk about and glorify Jesus. In addition, I most likely will be spending time with my wife and my church family, preferably next to a cozy fire with my favorite mug full of gourmet coffee. Super excited to move forward into 2014.



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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

iAsk: Marco Tant, Missionary to Italy with International Gospel Outreach {PART 2}

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is PART 2 with career missionary to Italy, Marco Tant. Marco and I met at a men's discipleship event earlier this year and have been building our personal relationship since then . Marco's sending and covering agency is International Gospel Outreach located in Semmes, Alabama. This interview is TWO parts. The detailed responses from the seven questions I asked Marco will give readers and a real in-depth look inside a missionary's life.

Marco Tant -Missionary to Italy
 Paul: 4. Tell us more about your work in Italy. Often when thinking about beautiful European countries like that, one may wonder if it should really be called "missions". I know the Lord is doing something deep within the Italians and sending them off to plant churches. Share with us the most up to date ministry happening in Italy among the brethren and churches? 
Marco: Wow, another big question! Europe is on its way back in my opinion and not that it is happening fast but rather a deep movement. Europe has so few Christians statistically and foreigners with their own religious beliefs are flooding in by the masses from the Middle East. So much so that America will not be the only "melting pot" as Europe is following right behind it and fast. We have Muslims that are taking over areas as their own with medical services, finding themselves in danger for simply entering to help other injured Muslims. The great part about it all is that we are able to reach the people groups that are too hard and dangerous to reach in their own cultures. Europe needs help and hope that those who are reading this who have not answered the call will do so simply because God has no plan “B” to missions. People cry out to God for their nations and God calls you but if you don’t go than their prayers go unanswered.

Our work is almost everything since the need is so great in Italy and help is scarce (90% drop out rate for missionaries). We purposefully lace everything we do to be indigenous as we empower local believers and churches to believe God and not just the American arm of the church. I could go into a very long and detailed explanation of all the incredible needs and how we fill in those gaps but I will rather hit on just a few. We partner with local churches, the few that be, in a sense of treasure hunting to know where they are and how we can work with them. In a partnership relationship, we are invited into the church to teach and preach, hold leadership conferences, model discipleship, empower evangelism corporately, personally, and work with church leadership in reshaping the church structure to create churches that are not a place where a pastor vents from a pulpit but rather a place where members are built up, encouraged, discipled and empowered to reach others. The overall success in our ministry is that teaching is coupled with providing and encouraging an atmosphere where people encounter the tangible presence of God; otherwise teaching just entertains the brain rather than transforming a life.   

The overall environment is changing in Italy since the internet is increasingly being used to watch what God is doing through people all over the world. Like anything else, some of that has been very good and other experiences have been very very bad. The positive is that new ideas, that are scripturally accurate and Godly, have challenged this once closed society and is beginning to create hunger. I am so grateful being on the ground and helping them wade through the good and the not so good. It is a tool that we use and encourage continuously as Italians are seeing God move mightily in revivals and amongst believers in ways that are scriptural but rather unknown in the Italian context.  There are still many incredible challenges that break our hearts continuously but we have seen small changes over the last seven years that have encouraged both us and our Italians. We are home incinerating right now and purposefully building relationships of which will provide leaders a platform to come to Italy to help provide needed teaching and modeling through conference type meetings which is extremely needed in Italy. Furthermore, we have purchased a home for $13,000 near the Birmingham, Alabama area of which we will use to bring Italians back once a year for training. Missions is an investment and we are encouraged to see how much fruit is being produced the longer we are on the field and harder we work towards revival in Italy.

 Paul: 5. Discouragement is a common tool the enemy uses to diffuse kingdom work among laborers in the Lord's field. Can you give some personal stories of how you encountered discouragement and ways you found to battle it away? 
Marco:  It is true in that discouragement can overcome people in ministry! We have a saying in our house that we "take negatives and create positives.” We purposefully look at life this way to know that any setbacks can be redeemed for the Lord as well as understanding that even though there are things we cannot see, God is doing things behind the scenes in peoples heart that takes time. If I live by the negative than I respond by the negative which often destroys the work of God in peoples lives. People who meet me say all the time how positive I am only because I have seen God move time and time again in situations and in peoples lives without moving into the realm of negativity. Life is a reaping process and I do not leave a field or curse a ground simply because fruit has not manifested in a week or a month.

Another way we keep ourselves encouraged is that we look for what God is doing in the world through moves of God and revivals and feed ourselves from their breakthroughs. We watch services, worship,  listen and share testimonies of great things in the Kingdom because it continually gives us direction and motivation. Otherwise we would simply glare at the overwhelming mountain of things that need to be done in Italy and find our selves dwarfed by them. We live from a place where problems are dwarfed rather than us being dwarfed by problems around us. We share this through messages back here in the States from pulpits where people respond overwhelmingly to hope again. A staple in our lives is a quote by Bill Johnson that simply states “Hope is dreaming with our eyes open” and we allow ourselves to dream insane dreams knowing that it is the only way we can keep up with the God of impossibilities. Thinking and living this way is the only way to really know His will both for our lives and the country we are called to reach.
Marco and Shana Tant
  
Paul: 6. Do you invite teams and individuals to join you on a short-term basis in Italy? What would one be involved in if they decided to come alongside you and serve for a week or more? How can they reach you for more information?
Marco:  Yes, we do invite people to Italy and want believers to come and bless our Italian brothers and sisters. If people were to come they could do a host of different things from evangelistic events, which is heavily needed, to conferences on basic truths. We held a conference with pastors from the U.S. and we had a response that I would have never imagined. There was so much encouragement and simple truth that was explained that it has impacted them still to this day. The best part about it is that people come and and confirm what the missionary is doing and teaching as well as creating a platform for the missionary to walk with the believers through the truth that was given to make it a part of their lives on a daily basis.

If people wanted to reach us about what we do or a short-term trip in the future, they can do so by contacting International Gospel Outreach at 251-645-2117 or contact us directly at 250-386-0855. Our email is tantmissions@hotmail.com and our web address is www.italiarevival.com .

Paul: 7. Marco, the Bible says, "the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few..". What encouragement and challenge can you give to someone reading your story and who are contemplating about becoming a full-time missionary or joining the ministry? 
Marco: Can I just be boldly honest here? Paul instructed the church that we are part of one body and when one suffers, all suffer. There is not an Italian body, an African body, and an American body but rather we are all together and we must work together with churches from around the world to strengthen and encourage them in whatever way possible. God has always been global even before being global was popular! 
    The rapture is not God’s plan to rescue a church that has not loved the world well and sought to bring salvation to everyone they come in contact with. I have visited churches here recently and we have people begging God for the rapture to happen so that they are saved from a mortgage of a home that was too large and expensive to begin with not knowing that the rapture will be the worst time the earth has seen. There will be millions perishing and going to hell at a pace more rapidly than any other time in history and yet this same rapture ready group does nothing to evangelize their neighbor. The rapture is not to rescue an irresponsible church but rather His bride that loves the same things and the same people He loves.
    God does not have a plan “B” to see people saved and the same plan “A” is more than capable in that God’s people share God’s message through God’s power to see God’s will be done in someone else. We cannot afford not to be involved in ministry full time or whether we are a workplace missionary that lives Jesus at his work and community every possible minute. The U.S. or any other country is not going to turn around because we beg God to do something and call it prayer but rather it will turn around when God’s people live God’s way and love people again like He loves. Sorry for the soapbox here but I was one of those in the world that worked with Christians and even dated Christian girls that never once loved me enough to share Jesus with me. Sorry for being so honest...

Paul: There are so many hurting people, so many who need healing, so many who need the embrace of God in our world. What parting advice would you share for those hesitating to serve in ministry? 
Marco: Love well! And when you get frustrated and tired love well still. Ministry is just simply loving people and meeting their needs in whatever way possible. Ministry is awesome and taxing all at the same time but it is the ultimate plan God created and is the best and only plan we need to transform the world. Get involved in ministry as soon as you can and not just behind a pulpit or hopping on a plane to go hallway around the world but begin to love your coworkers, family members, and people in your community; that is ministry at it finest! 

PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to financially support Marco and their missionary family to Italy please contact International Gospel Outreach at (251) 645-2117.




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