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