restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

I Believe in the Indigenous Church

 David Alan Black  

You may wonder why I have chosen that title for this essay. It is because an awareness has been gradually dawning in my thinking. Over the years of ministering overseas I’ve had the privilege of working alongside indigenous churches in many different countries. “Alongside” is the operative word here. The Body of Christ is indigenous in many nations in which American missionaries are at work. And it is wonderful to see the measure of cooperation that has developed over the past several decades between expat missionaries and foreign nationals. This is how I prefer to do missions, because this is how I think missions was done in the book of Acts.

When the church in Antioch sent out Barnabas and Saul, it never intended their missionaries to set up a chain of institutions to be kept under the control of the sending church. Whatever churches were planted would be deeply rooted in their host countries. They would be “home grown” congregations, integrally identified with those people who would both lead and follow in those churches. As a church planter, Paul never intended to become the pastor of the work at Corinth or elsewhere. He facilitated the work of others who would be appointed by the Holy Spirit for leadership there. We make a very grave mistake, I believe, when we think expatriates such as Timothy and Titus were the “pastors” of the churches they were involved with in Ephesus or Crete. Their ministry, as Paul’s personal representatives, was the selection and training of local responsible brothers to lead the work.

Here, as elsewhere, Paul’s servant attitude comes forcefully into play. He took as his model for ministry the kenosis pattern of Jesus Christ, a model of other-orientation and costly servanthood (Phil. 2:5-11). Paul consistently labored in the best interests of others rather than himself. Even as an apostle, Paul refused to arrogate to himself exclusive powers. He eagerly sought to train others who would carry on his pioneer ministry.

In Antioch, Barnabas and Saul worked side by side in discipling the church in the ways of Jesus. Little wonder that the church at Antioch, once it had been well established in the teachings of Jesus, had a burden for the nations. Barnabas and Saul went on to be commissioned by the church for the work of church planting. Within 10 years, Paul had gone on to plant churches in the Roman provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia. In all of these places the perpetuation of the Gospel ministry was predicated upon members of the local congregations becoming leaders of the churches among them. Ministry training was accomplished through local training, not by sending church leaders away to seminary.

John Frame (“Proposals for a New North American Model,” Missions and Theological Education in World Perspective, p. 377) proposes that we abandon “the academic model once and for all — degrees, accreditation, tenure, the works.” In its place Frame suggests a “Christian Community where teachers, ministerial candidates and their families live together, eat together, work together” (p. 379). Today, forms of distance learning include seminars, guided self-study, internet chat rooms, Skype, and interactive video links via satellite to widely dispersed students, allowing them to study without interrupting and disrupting their customary lifestyle. My ownGreek DVD series is being used all over the world to provide instruction in beginning Greek to pastors who otherwise would have no access to such training. Discipleship thus takes place in a living local church context. It is people-related rather than textbook- or professor-related.

When the church in the book of Acts became centralized in Jerusalem, God scattered it through persecution. Without decentralization, the church could not reach its maximum potential as a witnessing community. But scattered, the church preached wherever it went, carrying out the Great Commission. Within these scattered congregations, God provided leaders directly. In Acts we read, “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust” (Acts 14:23-24). Nationalization is an act of trust: trust in God to further His church on earth according to biblical principles, and trust in believers to whom the leadership of these local churches is to be entrusted.

By insisting on control (or leadership) of national institutions, as some missionary organizations seem to do today, expat missionaries belie their professed commitment to servanthood. The apostle Paul pioneered the local ministry model. It deserves emulating today. Wherever I travel, my goal is to come alongside the national churches and assist them to the best of my (very limited) abilities. My approach is intentionally cooperative. I seek to take no leadership role. I am there to serve, not to be served.

It is this true “partnership in the Gospel” (Phil. 1:5) that makes missionary service so rewarding for me.

October 8, 2011

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

I’m Healed!

Becky Lynn Black  

“I have a message from God for you. You are healed.” This came to me from a virtual stranger. My heart received the message, and my head asked, “Is the messenger a reliable representative of God?” (There are many false witnesses in the world today. We must be careful to see the message against the backdrop of the Truth of Scripture.)

“Well, if this is a true message, then the CT scan will show it,” I replied. (God does not do His work of healing in secret. The blind people that Jesus healed could give clear evidence; they could point to a building, identify the color of their shirt, recognize the face of a mother. The lame man could jump and run for all to see.  When God heals, we do not need to be afraid of medical science confirming that healing.)

I then confirmed to this stranger that I was not longing to be healed; I was longing only to be a faithful steward of whatever length of days the Lord gave to me.  I also confirmed that my hope was not in any medical system; my hope was in the character of God.

In the following days, as I digested the declaration of this stranger, poured over the Scriptures, and discussed with Dave and Matthew, it came to me that the message of the stranger was absolutely correct.

I am healed…in every way!  Sickness of mind, of soul, of body is a direct result of Sin in the world.  And one day the Holy One will complete the work of eradicating Sin. That Work began in Eternity Past, when the Father made the plan and the Son submitted Himself to that plan.  It continued through the generations of Man as the Son’s human line was determined…son of Abraham, son of David, son of Bethlehem. It culminated in that great Battle between the Son and the Wicked One. This watershed event on the Cross set the future, so much so that Jesus could say “It is finished” as He took his last breath.

It is indeed finished, but all of it is not yet implemented. The Holy Spirit was sent to indwell all true believers; He was sent as a “down-payment,”, a “seal” of future things.  

And what are these future things? They are wrapped up in the concept that Sin is banished from the universe. And all that is associated with Sin, including physical pain and death, relational fractures, governmental dysfunction, social power struggles, miscommunications, incorrect thinking. All problems of any sort will cease to exist when Sin is finally and completely removed.

This is my Hope: The same Jesus who won the Battle for my soul upon the Cross will complete the work of my redemption by removing all Sin from my experience, thereby completely healing all my body, all my relationships, all my mental processes, all my stubbornness of heart that sets itself against God.

The Wicked One worked hard to prevent the Father’s plan of bringing His Son to the Cross. And he is still working hard to delude us mere humans into not understanding and not trusting the Father’s completion of that plan.  How many of us are floundering in despair because we have not lifted our eyes to the Cross and trusted what happened there? How many of us are drowning in Life’s events because we fail to put our feet upon the immovability of the Father’s plan?

An event happened about 4,000 years ago that is a picture of all that I’m trying to say in words.   Millions of people were living together in camps, much like the Bedouin Arabs do today in the Middle East.  Poisonous snakes entered their camps, biting the people. Men, women and children were suddenly facing imminent death.  They cried out to God, who heard them.  “Make a carving of a snake upon a pole. Set it high in the midst of the camp. Anyone who is bitten can look at this pole, and they will be healed,” He said. The carving was made; the pole was erected. The only thing that remained dealt with the personal will of the bitten individual.  Each man, woman, and child who was bitten had to submit his stubborn pride to the instructions for healing. He had to look. He had to force his eyes, by an act of his will, by his own independent choice, to lift up high and find the pole. He had to rest his vision upon that carving that was hung between Heaven and Earth. And in that looking, he was yielding himself to the healing power of the One who had made the plan. (See Numbers 21.)

And so it is with us. The Father has already lifted His Son, hung between Heaven and Earth, for our healing. We have been bitten by the Serpent. We are all dying…physically, spiritually, socially, intellectually. And the Father invites us to look upon the Cross, to fix our vision upon the Son, and in that gaze to yield ourselves to the healing power of the One who made the plan.

The Scriptures do not tell us how long it took for the people in the camp to be healed. Perhaps some were healed instantly; perhaps others suffered for a day, or a week. But the Scriptures say that all who looked upon the pole were healed.

And so it is with us.  If we fix our eyes upon the Cross, we will be healed. It is just a matter of time.  In the providence of God, for His own glory and purposes, He may heal some of us instantly.  But others He may heal after a while.  And still others He will heal only at the end of Time.

The question is not When. The question is How.

And the answer is “By the Cross of Jesus Christ.”

Yes, I am healed. It is a certain thing. Because the Cross is certain. And the promise of the Cross is certain. My eyes are fixed upon the Savior, and in that fixed gaze I am yielding myself to the healing power of the One who made the plan of the Cross.

Hallelujah!

October 28, 2010

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Hurry Up and Relax!

 David Alan Black 

As I sat in our doctor’s office waiting for my annual physical I noticed a TIME magazine report that contained an interesting statistic: the average American employee goofs off about two hours a day. Topping the list of at-work time stealers was – you probably guessed it – surfing the Internet. (This might explain why my weekday hits are about double my weekend totals.) The essay also noted how we Americans prefer quick weekend “get-aways” to taking longer vacations. The problem is that these sneak-aways are so crammed with activities that we don’t get to relax. We return home needing a vacation from our vacation.

What brought all this mind is a request we recently got from a relative who wanted to borrow our tent-trailer – the same pop-up that once took our family to Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore and from the California coast to the outer banks of North Carolina. Problem is, our much-beloved tent trailer hasn’t been used since we moved to the farm and is in a splendid state of disrepair.

The reason is simple enough. Living on 123 secluded acres in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont satisfies our need to get away and relax. We’re finding our leisure is healthy outdoor activities. In fact, we find it more fun – and more satisfying – to be homebodies than world travelers, although we haven’t completely cashed in our Wanderlust for fence-mending and bush-hogging yet.

And what about those time-stealers called cell phones? More power to you if you own one, but we’re happy to do without, thank you very much. I heard Garrison Keillor once say that the cell phone was invented for crazy folk. They’re the only people who go around holding private conversations in public. Crazy or not, we can probably all agree that many of our “labor-saving” devices have actually made us busier. For myself, I prefer to keep my work separate from my private life, and not having a beeper or cell phone is my subversive way of trying to beat the system.

Becky and I are such believers in the vacation-at-home philosophy that we often welcome guests to the farm who need a low-key, non-programmed retreat to put body and soul back together again. We offer this ministry free of charge to all who come. A recent visitor to Bradford Hall wrote these sentiments in our guest book:

To the generous Black family:

Thank you so much for opening your hearts and home in order to minister to us and provide a sweet time of retreat. It means so much to us to be able to spend time on your beautiful farm to rest, fish, and spend some sweet time with our Lord. We truly enjoyed our time here and are thankful beyond words! We pray the Lord bless you all and continue to use your family in such a mighty way!

A young seminary couple wrote:

We absolutely loved sharing this time with such a Christ-centered, God-honoring family. Our lives have truly been touched. Thank you for providing such an incredible opportunity for refreshment and encouragement. May the Lord continue to use Bradford Hall to impact hearts and lives with the love and joy of Christ. We will always look back at Bradford Hall as a special place in our lives. Thank you for all the encouragement, advice, meals, hospitality, love, and friendship.

If you feel that a visit to Bradford Hall would help you get reconnected to God or recharge your spiritual batteries, feel free to drop us an email. We would be happy to send you our philosophy of retreat.

Meanwhile, try not to let the RPMs in your life get too high. The Bible portrays God as a potter molding the clay of our pliable personalities into unique individuals equipped for service. “We are like clay, and you are like the potter. You created us,” wrote Isaiah (64:8 CEV). We are the clay to which God wants to transfer His character. He uses labor – and leisure – to transform the whole lump into a useful vessel. May our vessels – our fragile clay pots – draw the attention of someone who has never met the Potter so that he or she too may be crafted for useful service.

August 18, 2006

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

Hundreds of Cities Outlaw the Patriot Act

Vince Page

Cities, counties, and entire states all across the country are passing laws establishing “constitutionally safe zones” in which local authorities pledge not to comply with unconstitutional orders emanating from the U.S.A. Patriot Act. If your city isn’t on the list, you need to take action.

If you haven’t heard by now, the nicely titled U.S.A. Patriot Act is actually a revision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which was implemented to monitor foreign government spies without warrants. This legislation was revised to deal with the realities of 9/11, re-titled the “U.S.A. Patriot Act” and signed into law. Only later did we discover that it authorized the same warrant-less searches on American citizens that were once reserved exclusively for non-citizens. Thus the change in the first word of the title from “Foreign” to “U.S.A.” is apropos, but the word “Patriot” is misleading in a very cynical sense.

Now, the houses of American citizens can be — and have been — searched without the citizen ever receiving a warrant, usually while the owners are at work.

Now, the home phones, work phones, and cell phones of American citizens can be — and have been — tapped without anyone ever receiving a warrant.

Now, the e-mail and regular mail of American citizens can be — and has been — intercepted without anyone ever receiving a warrant.

Now, hidden microphones and hidden cameras can be — and have been — used against American citizens without anyone ever receiving a warrant.

Now, American citizens can be — and have been — arrested without being advised of the crime they are alleged to have committed and without being given access to a lawyer.

Now, American citizens can be — and have been — incarcerated indefinitely without recourse to a speedy trial, without being allowed to face their accusers, and without being allowed to plead their case in front of a jury of their peers.

Those in favor of the U.S.A. Patriot Act will be quick to point out that warrants are issued for all of these things, but they will fail to tell you that they are secret warrants, and that all documents pertaining thereto — including the warrant — are sealed and unavailable, especially to the person being surveilled, citizen or not.

This is diametrically opposed to the language of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, which states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

So not only was the Constitution tossed out the window when the U.S.A. Patriot Act was passed, mistakes can now be — and have been — made without our knowledge.

You may have inherited a cell phone number that was previously being tapped. This has actually happened. Guess what? Chances are, it’s still being tapped, but you’ll never know.

Incorrect addresses on secret warrants can result in a nasty — and

   restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations

Humble Mantles of Authority

 David Alan Black  

I always enjoy watching elders in the church as they wear humble mantles of authority, an authority they exercise not through overbearing attitudes or unilateral actions but through genuine, loving relationships.

Have you ever noticed how the important people in our lives exercise vast relational authority over us? If we understood relationships better, we’d have a better understanding of the power of love.

Of all the people we should love purely, it is the people we lead. Is it any wonder, then, that elders in the New Testament were chosen from within the congregations they served? Outsiders could hardly be expected to earn the level of acceptance within the group so desperately needed for leadership. An elder’s relationships with his own family and his own neighbors and friends had to be deep and real if others were to accept his leadership.

Don’t misunderstand me. I’m certainly not saying that a man can’t be an effective leader unless he has grown up in the community in which he serves. But in focusing on “leadership from within” the Scriptures are holding up a red flag of warning that “pastoral authority” is another name for relational authority (Heb. 13:7). You may call it pastoring, mentoring, facilitating, nurturing, training, directing, or discipling. Whatever we call it, its root is the same. We experience relational authority far more than we name it so.

Back to the question of authority, then. How does the risen Lord Jesus lead His church, of which He is the only Head? By the relational essence of Pentecost, by the long, slow process of helping us to trade in our vacillating instability for rocklike, Spirit-filled maturity, by enabling us to “love like God.”

In the face of this basic biblical principle, why do we cling so obstinately and irrationally to our “theology of status”?

November 6, 2007

David Alan Black is the editor of www.daveblackonline.com.

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