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Tarkwa, Ghana Africa
January 17, 2010
Greetings to the saints! I
trust you are all well and enjoying the fullness of Christ.
This is not an update in the general sense, but more specifically I need
to inform you of the place the Lord has led us to so we have a clear
understanding of the Purpose.
The Lord never intended there to be lone rangers, we are a Body
and the whole Church is vitally related, every member dependant on the
other no matter the distance.
I have been meaning to write for some time, but struggled with
just what to say and how to get across the unique situation here.
Recently we as a team sat down and discussed some frank questions
like: “why did the Lord bring us here?”
“What is the *Lord* doing in Ghana?”
etc..
To
start with, I believe way back when I first came to Ghana I stated my
reason: first and foremost was simply God’s calling, but secondly was to
“make disciples and send them to the unreached tribes.”
Well the Lord has been teaching us and bringing us along and not
exactly changing our vision, but bringing us into a greater
understanding of his Purpose that is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Making disciples” is a seemingly simple phrase, but in reality, it’s
not so straightforward!
We may get the theory in our heads and feel we have an adequate
comprehension of the process, but in the end this is the Lords work and
he will do it his way not ours!
We have never believed that what we called our “5-week
discipleship course” was all there was too it!
We have made it very clear to those who complete the course, “you
really have not completed anything, but are starting--or
continuing--something of eternal impact and importance!”
True, you can impart a lot of information in 5-weeks, but clearly
there are no shortcuts in discipleship.
We have been “called into the fellowship of his Son” as
apprentices learning Jesus: a classroom is a very inadequate place to
“teach” that! However,
because of the unique situation here, the Spirit always has liberty in
the methods. (Note Acts
19:19-10, clearly triumphant due to the anointing and not the method.)
Are we called to make disciples?
Absolutely! Is
it His Vision to make disciples?
Yes--but, that is not all, but a step in his marvellous vision
and eternal purpose!
We must guard against narrowing his purpose down to a formula or putting
up permanent residence on a method.
So we continue to teach people, but as far as the methods are
concerned, we (really speaking for myself) are more and more aware of
the necessity of total dependence upon our Lord and Head and his
anointing. We are not
throwing away the 5-weeks course by any means, but simply put: the
methods are only of eternal use so long as the anointing is present!
“Un-reached tribes” is another interesting and often loaded phrase that
is tossed around! The
precise definition though may vary.
Are there whole tribes in Ghana that have never heard the gospel,
or, do not have one single believer amongst them?!
Long story short: I
don’t know! Bring up
JoshuaProject.org and they will tell you “yes!”
In our very very limited actual contact with some of the tribes
in the Northern region we were a bit surprised to find some of these
“unreached” tribes actually had a handful of, what appeared to be,
believers. It’s not
uncommon to find a “church” building--or three--out in some very small
villages. (Granted these
are not very “remote” villages!) Again
“reaching the unreached tribes” is often some people’s reduction of the
purpose of the Church; however that is also just a step in God’s immense
and glorious purpose.
Our on-going work here in the South has come to an interesting head.
As I have told you in times past the South here is bursting with
“Christians” and “churches.”
It makes for interesting “evangelism” to say the least!
We have our fellowship meeting here on Sundays, and we also have
our two open air Bible studies in neighbouring villages.
However we have been a bit disappointed with the sporadic
attendance, not to over simplify the situation: but partly owing to the
fact that most are members of other denominations.
Only a handful have heard the call of Jesus and left their
denominations and begun assembling here on Sundays for fellowship in the
presence of Christ.
Now this is nothing new to you all!
Our fellowship is very familiar with people who come for a few
weeks or months, “really enjoy the people!” but then move on, perhaps
going back to the traditional institutionalised “church.”
It’s difficult when you grow up under a man who calls himself a
pastor and leads a patterned service every Sunday, when that tradition
is ingrained into you--barring a mighty work of the cross, an open and
Spirit led meeting just doesn’t “feel” like “Church!”
Here in Ghana, the reproach of going outside the camp is
particularly severe. To
leave the religious culture is on par with John 9:22.
Well all that to say we are at a place of waiting on the Spirit
to do his mighty work of dividing Light from Darkness.
The religious organisations are so deceptive in their appearance
of being the truth, that the people are hopelessly blinded unless the
Spirit reveals the Truth.
This may seem obvious, however we have quite a number of people
who we have been holding bible studies with who continue partaking in
traditions and meeting at a place they know is not pleasing to the
Lord--and
often downright blasphemous.
With our scheduled trip up to Bupie, where 15 denominations are
represented, we are especially looking to the Lord to do a mighty work.
While we look out, all may seem like confusion and loss, but the
Lord sees the Body of Christ with perfect clarity! (Oh for just a
glimpse from his perspective!)
We are praying that the Lord would see fit to bring a greater
sense of unity of the Spirit amongst the believers that are here, “to
the intent that now
unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by
the church the manifold wisdom of God.”
The Lamb that was slain is worthy!
We trust the Lord will raise up a testimony of his presence all
for his glory and not just to fulfill “our” vision but truly to
establish the Lordship of Christ in and through us now and forevermore!
Of course this is not just for Bupie, Bole and the region around
Tarkwa, but also here in the southern part of Ghana--and also in
Snohomish, etc!!
Please pray the Lord would bring clarity and vision--and anointing--for
us as to the work that He is doing and the methods in which to
accomplish it! ..and if
not, then more grace to walk without seeing;)
Oddly enough I write this on the eve of Sam’s departure, this was not
related in my mind but hopefully the Lord’s plan.
I trust this brings more clarity for you all and enables you to
join with us in spirit in a greater and more profound way.
May the Lord bless and keep you!
Thank you for your prayers and support!
Your son and fellow labourer, --tim
Rev 5:8
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