I Was Born For The Storm
March 2010
I believe when you have that pioneering spirit of wanting to reach new tribes and people, you have to be born to want God’s word preached so deeply within your soul and with such deep conviction that nothing will break the calling of Christ in your heart. A depth that is brought from understanding the consequences when people perish without Jesus as their savior. A desire for souls won so intense that nothing will deter you from going deeper, farther in search of the lost. It is like being on a masted ship in hurricane winds when the waves are breaking over the bow. Yet, you hold on to the wheel, pointing the ship into the storm, with no thought of turning back and a fear of the Lord that is greater than any fear of the seas. You cannot surrender or retreat; to do so would mean denying who God created you to be.
Those that God has used greatly love the Lord far more than they love their lives, which is what makes them effective. Great personal sacrifice is a must. David Livingstone, the pioneering missionary to Africa, talked about the moment when he heard the call for Africa. A preacher by the name of Robert Moffat spoke of seeing the smoke of a thousand fires in a thousand villages in Africa rising from across the Dark Continent where no one had taken the Gospel. This stirred Dr. Livingstone to endure tremendous hardship; walking thousands of miles to open Africa for the Gospel. Today, the smoke of a thousand villages where Jesus Christ has not been preached still burns; and beyond Africa are the Arabian people, Mongolian tents, countless islands, and so many others that I cannot put them all to pen.
I have often asked people, “If you knew of a great city or country where if you yourself did not go, by that action they would never hear the Gospel of salvation would you go? Would you count the cost, surrender and trust the Lord to live a life of faith?” Great works require great sacrifice. It is the giving up of worldly pleasures and wants for countless hours on your knees in prayer, late nights in the study of God’s Word, and a heart that loves the lost. When your body is so weary that everything within you says, “turn back”-- until you look once again to the cross, that beautiful cross that set us free, that gives us life and life abundantly.
It is God’s redeeming work in my heart that pulled me out of darkness and drives me to take this incredible experience to the lost. To be able to say, “God I am willing to live or die at your command.” Are you willing to leave all and make that commitment to Christ? The fields are white for harvest but the laborers are so very few.
Recently, I heard of a man of God that was being picked up by an old pastor friend. The man of God had shared at this pastor’s church many times before. On the way to his house, the pastor stopped at a local market to pick up a case of beer. When the pastor saw that the man of God seemed shocked the pastor said, “I have the liberty.” Later the man of God mourned over what he saw, saying, “I remember when Pastor used to pick me up and say, ‘Let’s just spend some time together praying. I believe God has something for us.’ And now I see he has lost his first love and is content in just living a lukewarm faith.” The Word warns us about letting the zeal of God die within our hearts. Passion is a funny thing; some believe that you cannot control it. I am not one of those because I know that we can direct our passions towards the Lord.
Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.” I Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men of courage; be strong.” The key word being courage. God wants men to be men; and courage is a must. Courage is not the absence of fear; but, more importantly, the willingness to set your fears aside for the sake of the Gospel. God’s people are called to be over comers.
WHY AM I WRITING?
FRM is putting out the call for one hundred couples or single men or women that are ready to heed the Great Commission. Now is the time to make disciples in every nation. God has chosen us for such a time as this. The believers of this generation are responsible for these souls. This calls for a belief in a higher purpose and a call to battle.
Seven years ago Calvary Chapel Kampala was born. Two young men, one married and one single, began teaching and training Ugandans in the Word. This was a church plant of Far Reaching Ministries. Brian Kelly and Josh Carlson pioneered this new work with a handful of restless souls that hungered for truth. After just seven years of faithful labor, the church has grown to 1,200 adults with four services on Sunday at the main facility and one service at an extension campus. The beauty is that the Lord is not done; daily new people are coming to Christ. Pastor Brian told me that this month they are adding another service to the extension campus in Kololo. These young men were no different than most of you. They took God at His Word, stepped out with faith and the power of the Holy Spirit, and never looked back. It is the vision of FRM to plant a church in every capitol that we can in Africa.
Our vision is to see the churches open Bible Colleges to train up nationals with a heart to serve. We believe God will raise up an army of national missionaries to be sent out from the home church to plant and establish more churches throughout their designated country.
WHAT TO DO IF GOD IS CALLING YOU
Do you believe that you were formed by the Lord for the storm? That you were pre-ordained to be a part of the Great Commission? Can you see the smoke of a thousand fires with people walking in darkness that are waiting to see a great light? If so, then you need to pray and ask the Lord to send you. Fasting is an essential tool in seeking the Lord. I believe that to be successful in the field you must know beyond all shadow of doubt that God has called and you must answer, “Here am I Lord, send me.” It is through this season of prayer you will receive your marching orders. When God has confirmed that you are to go, pick up the phone and call FRM at (951) 677-4474.
The journey will not be easy; training is long, strenuous, and challenging. The sharing of your vision to raise support is overwhelming to many; but, this is one of the most crucial parts of the journey. My first five years in ministry I had to rely on the Lord for my daily bread. When you pray a thousand times for provision and a thousand times you see the hand of God move, you realize that not only is the Lord real but He faithfully cares for His children. You will mature in your faith. Expect to be persecuted by those you reach out to and bless. Recognize that when you are despised and hated - even by those that call themselves believers - that this is not the Lord abandoning you; rather, He is molding you in the furnace for a higher purpose.
In Romans 15:20 Paul says, “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” In Romans 16:3-16 he greets the church of Cenchrea; this greeting will take 13 verses because of the effect his life has had on so many others. If you are called, take action. Do not waste your life knowing that the Lord has called you to bring the hope of salvation to a people sitting in darkness.
Wes & Vicky Bentley
Far Reaching Ministries
Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. -Ephesians 6: 10.