Part 2: Cast Out the WOW Army

Before any significant church planting movement, there must be a major prayer movement & it persists for long.

I believe in it. I hope you'll believe in it, you'll participate into it.

Therefore I urged you in my previous blog message to pray the Luke 10:2b together (called Luke-ten-two-b prayer). Aden & I are excited to do it everyday at 10:02 am/pm. I know some of you are mobilized to pray it as well. Yeah you know it's not easy to do everyday! Maybe you have tried every means to remind each other, alarm clock, voicemail... Let's consider the last week is a warm-up.

If you have not read the previous message, please stop here & read it first. Then you'll get the background & you can join us & have fun.

There is a context for the Luke-ten-two-b prayer (Luke 10:2b):

Jesus told his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few..." (10:2a) Hold it......................(this dot dot happens when my wife just reminding me it is 10:02 pm, it is time to pray Luke10:2b. So I have to stop composing & we begin to pray....).

Sorry, coming back to the context.

The harvest is plentiful. The world needs help. People needs love. It is the context of Jesus time. It is the context of our time. Our time in Richmond, June, 2010.

A Japanese woman who used to live in Cambie Road had his rented apartment burnt into ashes. She didn't have any home insurance. She is a single mom. With 2 kids. A janitor. A woman just gone through breast cancer surgery. Now sadly look at the ashes, their once last place on earth for escaping all distress. Don't have any money. Don't know where to go for.

A lady called to my office yesterday. She is a non-Christian wanting to register for our Gospel camp. She was a bit anxious for not meeting our deadline. She explained why she hesitated to submit the form. Actually she was reluctant to tell her story: she is a single mom (Again!). She has 2 kids. The company she is now working will be closed down this month. She's financially strained. She requested if she could pay the camp fee after the event. Her last pay cheque will only be available by then.

My heart was saddened. I promised her that we don't need her family to pay anything. She didn't expect this gift. I could sense from her voice that she was deeply touched. Any conscientious being would pay for her. It is only $100.

Lots of Audi, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche... in our town.

People can't imagine some are in needs, in deep troubles.

Just $100. But when you don't have it, even if it is just $30, you just don't have it.

Here. Rich people on every road. Here. Poverty at every shadow.

So this is the context for Luke-ten-two-b prayer.

The harvest is plentiful. The needs are great. Distress are overwhelming. Pain is real. People just keep it in their own hearts. They dare not trust there are someone who cares about their sorrow. But Jesus cares. God knows their needs.

So Jesus urges his disciples to pray this:

"...Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field"(Luke10:2b).

How does His love, his care be made real to these people, in the harvest field?

Through the workers. The Kingdom army. Jesus disciples.

They will live out His love & His care for these needy people, physically & spiritually.

Our simple church network needs devoted core team to do the harvest, to start a church planting movement.

Will you join us to ask God to drive out his workers, cast out his army, for the field?

Will you be serious enough & persistent enough to see this come true through praying the Luke10:2b prayer?

Will you remind your partner or let all other means remind yourself to pray this at 10:02am/pm?

I have hurt my thigh a month ago by a soccer outreach event. After a few treatment, I asked the physiotherapist, "When can I expect to play the game again?" Tina said, "You can try playing the game next week. But before you play, do the proper stretching as warm-up."

I long for playing some real game soon.

I consider the past week is warm-up exercise for Luke 10:2b prayer. Some did it. Some didn't. Some didn't even read my update.

How about let's get a partner! Consider the past is warm-up.

Let's play the real game!

Pray it for 40 days. Mark down everyday. And count the total prayers.

Let's see how many times we pray all together at the end.

And let's see how God answers these prayers.

Let's have fun here!

Let's start the game!

Cast Out The WOW Army

"Blow the horn, He'll send out his army.

Make the calls, He'll cast out his workers."



Some followers of this blog really concern what gonna happen to us. And we thank them for their love. Indeed there are lots of topics to be covered like "Where will the new church be?" "What language to use?" "Who are you targeting?" "How about kids in the house church?"... I shall cover all these one by one. However I want to answer this one now: "Who will be your core team?"



An army.
An army of God.
An army fighting for God's Kingdom.
An army wanting to please their Commanding Officer (2 Tim.2:4).
An army enrolled already. An army with potential to be uncovered.



They are not measured by numbers.
12, Great.
5 or 6, Great.
3 Great. We don't need a "legion."
They are measured by quality, by potential. United under one vision & in one spirit, fighting against the same enemy, ready to dedicate everything in order to win the warfare.
They are the WOW army. (WOW = Walking On Water)



The WOW army is wanted:

• They are the MORE People: They are hungry for more Jesus. They can't wait till heaven. They want more of Jesus, now & here, in their lives, in this world. They want to lead their lives more for Jesus. They love Jesus & want Jesus to be loved, worshiped, obeyed by more people. They know they have more to offer to the lost world. They are ready to be challenged to live more and more for Jesus. Their dedication proves He is worthy of everything, of all things. All for Jesus. More for Jesus. "Yes. Jesus, we love you."
  


• They are New Wineskin for New Wine: They are ready to accept new ways of doing church. They are creative, not-bound by established ways of doing things, outside-the-box people. They are creative, not for creative sake. They know there are better ways to achieve God's purpose. They dare to try, to pioneer, even to fail, if it might have a dim chance of winning the world for Jesus, of making a difference in the lives of thousands. They walk on water, like Peter, to Jesus, while others stay. If simple church is the way to achieve God's mission, they will step out & walk on it, at all cost. They are ready to unlearn, to undo a lot. I mean, a lot. And they are willing to relearn, to receive the new wine (new ideas/paradigm).
  


• They Dream This Dream: "Transformed Disciples To Transform The World" They believe it's Jesus' dream to see His disciples to turn the world upside down. They believe it is first to begin in ourselves, being committed disciples, lives transformed. Then we invest our lives into others, to help experience the Kingdom reality & to become His disciples. And they know there is a world God cares & love so much. A Kingdom mission to achieve. Unreached peoples group to reach. Hunger to be fed. Naked to be clothed. Orphans to be embraced. Justice to be upheld... So much to do. But they don't lose hearts. They know they can impact the world, at least to start from a few lives.

Who are the WOW army? They are not perfect people. They are only those who're working at the above qualities. They are only those who are working them out.

They might dream before, but somehow passion lost...

They might wait & wait to be challenged for something bigger than themselves, and still wait...

Their hearts pang, while reading the blog messages, but dreaming to be a part of it...

They see the vast harvest, but not knowing where to start...

They might see themselves as dry bones, but God see them as army.

Trumpet needs to be blown, horn needs to be blast, before they are gathered to fight. Who is to blow the horn?

Early this morning, I was talking with a couple in our church. We were exactly talking about the army of God, how God turns dry bones to army. A brother from other church carrying a ram's horn dropped by. He was called by God today to blow the horn to bless people. So he blew a long blast to us, while we closed our eyes. You know what? This divine appointment, the long blast, is to confirm us: "it's time to call out His WOW army." You know you can cast out God's army?! I mean "cast out."

Pray this prayer for 40 days at 10:02 am/pm: "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."(Luke10:2).

When you pray to God, ask Him not to be polite to these workers. The word "send out" is a forceful word. The same word is used to describe Jesus "cast out" demons, a lot of demons (Mk1:34). Why workers or soldiers need to be cast out to the field or battle? May be they are too hooked up with the diapers, picturing their kids, thinking a lot on the how-to-earn-more...the civilian affairs(2Tim.2:4). So we should pray, "Lord, cast them out...throw them out...drive them out...push them...compel them...simply kick them out..." All sort of forceful words, except the F-words. Be impolite here, please!

Will it work? Just a simple prayer of Luke10:2 at 10:02 am/pm... Here is the power of God's promise:

White, house church coach, & Moore, the Baptist director of church planting for Colorado. They were responsible for recruiting church planters for Colorado. But they were frustrated with so few inquiries. So they covenanted with each other to pray this Luke 10:2 prayer together everyday. They started to call up each other to pray over the phone. If they didn't connect, they simply leave their prayer on voice mail.

From then on, they prayed 800 times for 30 months. And they mobilized another 200 people to pray the same prayer. Miraculous things happened. Normally they would only get 6-8 people who were interested to plant new churches over a period of six months. But ever since they started praying the Luke 10:2 prayer, there have been around 100 baptist churches planted. WOW 100.

The Kingdom is always at hand.

The world is always meant to be changed.

All things are possible.

Especially if it is His promise. Especially for those who believe.

It is up to us to pursue, to win & to celebrate or to accept the status quo, the so-called " church reality"& let passion fades out. If I die, I'll die in passion. This is my choice.

"Blow the horn, He'll send out his army. Make the calls, He'll cast out his workers."

Will you blow the horn for us? Will you make the calls for us?

Pray Luke 10:2 with us. Everyday at 10:02 am or pm. Pray just one minute. Pray for 40 days. Ask God to cast the WOW army out for the field, for our simple church network, for the poor world.

Pair up with someone if possible. Couples could hold each other hands. Pray with text message. Pray via i-phones, voice-mail... Whatever. Whatever. Do Pray for 40 days. And see how God answers our prayer. And see what WOW army He calls up.

WOW. This is exciting.

A Right Tune First...

Guess the first question people asked me after knowing my church planting vision. "Is it an Anglican church?"

People seems to concern a lot on what I concern the least. But still I have to tell friends why we decide to plant simple/house church networks under Anglican umbrella.

I got the most crucial part of the puzzle last September. God has a mission for me to plant churches. This is done. This is the objective. And it is the simple/house church network. That is done as well. What's left is less important: under MB? under Anglican? Go Independent? But I've spent 7 months to pray & think. Why? because I struggled a lot.

I didn't join the Anglican 4 years ago because I loved Anglican. "You may find us doing some strange things. We are a group of Christians choose to worship God in a special way, a traditional way..." This is how an Anglican priest introduced themselves to the non-Anglican Christians in the Rwanda Connection in Richmond week ago. To the evangelicals, Anglican way is strange. Strange wearing. Strange incense...Like ancient. Honestly speaking, I don't like their closeness to the Catholic church, at least the outlook. But my problem is, it is not what I like or not, it is what God wants from me.

Over the period Jesus challenged me to be led to places I didn't want to go (Jn.21:18). He challenged me to surrender my freedom for Him. If you know me long enough, you know I hate to be restricted. My natural instinct is to get free. When considering to plant church independently or under Anglican or under MB, a strange reason comes up which is really against my instinct: accountability & under authority. When it is against my fleshly desire for freedom, I know this strange idea is a godly one, coming from Jesus. Accountability & Under Authority is good for any churches. But it is crucial for simple/house church. I tell you why...

Paolo Aquilini, the Canucks owner, talked of his faith, "we left the church we were in, and we started a home church. Unfortunately, we were being taught that our group was the only one, and everyone out there doesn't really know the Lord - and it became very cultic in nature."

An inward-bound home church can easily be manipulated & easily become cultic. Accountability is a way to prevent this happening. So we plant a network of churches. Churches then are accountable to each other. A bigger fellowship is healthy for all. And the leadership needs to be under authority in order to lead others as well. This is again accountability.

That is why I chose to be "restricted free agent"(Hockey term). I want the churches to be healthy. Me myself as leader to be healthy. Healthy leader grows healthy churches. Set the right tune. Then we can have fun.

There are many Anglicans. Some bless sinful behaviours. Some don't. I choose the don'ts. Some really care about missions. Some care only the ancient stuff... I choose the missional one. That is why I choose to work with AMIAS. They are not perfect. But they are doing God's missions. They have some good people around.

My bishop agrees with me that simple church is an adventure. It'll be very non-Anglican Anglican churches. It's simplified. That why it is simple church. This is an adventure team, yet worth trying. To me, that is already enough. My choice will surely let down some friends. But one day we all know. Let's wait.

I see myself not called to plant Anglican or baptist or free or alliance... churches. I only called to plant Christ churches. Disciples making churches. Missional churches. Church of love & truth. Yes. It is under Anglican administration. Under Anglican authority is one thing. Loving Anglican is another thing. Jesus only loves His church. For Him, there is no Anglican, no baptist, no free... Should we fall in love then with Anglican, baptist, free... or fall in love only with His church? For Him, there is one wife, one love... for His church.

In N. America, some takes home church as a last getaway from all the frustrated experiences in conventional churches. So the bitter, negative, pessimistic DNA will lead the home church to all sort of fatal problems.

Instead of retreating into it out of despair, our new simple church networks embrace the gospel of peace and outreach from home to the world, in great hope. We are a bunch of happy people, obedient disciples, wanting more of Jesus, living more for Jesus. We believe in church. We have high hope for church. We are dream-chasers. We are stars-reachers. We know there is a mission out there for us, for our life. We believe it's God's mandate for us, the church, to make a huge difference in the lost world. We are the WOW people!

Jesus loves His church so much. He died for her. So we learn to love His church. Though sometimes it does frustrate us, still we love it more. More and more that we want to give birth to more...

Last Thursday I picked up a bunch of kids, mine & others, after soccer camp. I dropped by a gas station. While I was filling, my sons knocked the van window to play with a station staff. He asked me, "Are they your sons?" "Yes. 3 of them. Boys!" "I have one boy," he said. I challenged him if he dares to have another kid. He said, "Yeah. Sure. Why not? Only this time I want a girl." I echoed. "Me too."

Love. It is love ... set the right tune for having more. More kids. Only this time, girl. More churches (reproducible). Only this time, a special one - simple church.

A right tune is set, the kids are ready to rock, to have fun. Are you ready? Ready for a new church? Ready for the kid's video... our gift to you.