Yesterday I bought a bass fishing rod and bait casting reel combo designed specifically for fishing plastic worms, (which is my favorite form of fishing). I was amazed at the difference it made from the general purpose spin casting rod and spinning reel that I had been using. The rod was so sensitive I could feel the slightest tap from a fish strike, the specially designed reel took up slack from the line with far fewer turns, and the stiff rod enabled me to set the hook with ease whenever I felt a fish bite.
The ponds at Honey lake are full of hungry bass and although I thought I had been catching numerous bass with my old rod and reel, once I got the proper equipment last night, I caught so many that this morning my hands are sore all over from the many cuts obtained from removing the hooks from dozens of fish.
It was great fun and as soon as the sun rises and I get enough light, I’m heading back over for another dose of it.
Sunday a tremendous man of God will be visiting me at Honey Lake. His name is Dr. John Edmund Haggai and his legacy is the Haggai Institute, which is a unique and forward thinking training center that educates people from all over the world in fulfilling God’s “Great Commission”. I’m really excited about meeting him and have been counting down the days.
Back in the ‘60’s while I was still a hippie shooting up drugs, committing armed robberies, and taking LSD in the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, Dr. Haggai was visiting Asia where he became convinced that a new strategy was required for world evangelism. God revealed a revolutionary concept to him whereby instead of sending missionaries from our country to a foreign country to evangelize them, it would be far more effective to conduct advanced training to leaders who actually were from those countries, which would in turn empower them to reach their own people for Christ.
I mean no offense to you missionaries out there, but what a great concept. Imagine how much more effective it has to be for someone from their own country who has been raised in the same culture, speaks the same language, who looks the same and is a neighbor to reach their own people for Christ than a foreigner. It sounds so simple, but it is such a profound and revolutionary concept.
Best of all it has worked exceedingly well! 67,000 leaders from countries all over the world, (with special emphasis on communist China), have been trained at the institute and they have achieved astounding results in evangelizing those countries.
It takes a full month to train a leader at the institute which is located in Maui. Those who attend must agree to train, (at a minimum), 100 other leaders when they get back to their country. They must pay a very small portion of their tuition and the rest is provided to them as a scholarship made available by supporters of Dr. Haggai’s ministry.
Wow – wow – wow – The exponential potential of 67,000 leaders teaching 100 others, who subsequently teach others, who teach others, and others, and others is staggering. What a fascinating concept.
One amazing thing about Dr. Haggai is that this five foot five inch dynamo of a man is 89 years old. He has traveled around the world fifteen times and is getting ready for another trip. He asked how old I was, and when I told him 67, he laughed and said I was just a mere “pup”, still wet behind the ears. He told me he has been married 67 years.
He went on to tell me that his doctors have been absolutely amazed at his excellent health and that he is in the same physical condition of a much younger man. He has written dozens of books and is almost finished with another at this time. Amazing!
I am honored to no end that he would make a special trip to Honey Lake to visit me and he said he wants to discuss the possibility of my speaking to some of his leadership and possibly including my story in his new book. This is humbling beyond words. I feel intimidated to even be in his presence, much less be afforded an opportunity to participate in some small way in his ministry.
Imagine the number of people that will spend eternity with Christ thanks to the faithfulness and lifetime of hard work of Dr. Haggai. I can only imagine the wonderful celebration in heaven with Christ when He at last calls this great man of God home.
One point we should all be cognizant of is change is not always bad. Whether it is revolutionizing the missionary field, or upgrading a fishing rod and reel combo, big improvements can be made if we are willing to change.
Listen to God and then take action. There are numerous ways to skin a cat and no BEST way to do anything. We should always be looking for new ways to accomplish our goals. Consider how sad it is that so many young people are falling away from church. How might we attract them to Christ?
Many contemporary churches are doing just that by taking new approaches such as more relaxed atmospheres in services, modern music, casual dress, and modern analogous lessons to which they can relate.
What can you do to further the “Great Commission”? As Dr. Haggai has amply demonstrated, the opportunities are unlimited.
Think! Selah…
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!
Col. 1:6
This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.