Author: Seth Barnes

Finding Donzula in a sea of pain

Written by Seth Barnes on June 28, 2007. Posted in Orphans. 7 Comments on Finding Donzula in a sea of pain

6.25.07 Chris Telfer writes from Swaziland: Three weeks ago while we were finishing up our time in Dondo, Mozambique I opened up an email from my friend Cassie Morgan....

Protecting yourself against phariseeism, Pt. 1

Written by Seth Barnes on June 27, 2007. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 2 Comments on Protecting yourself against phariseeism, Pt. 1

Pick one. The contemporary group that has inherited the mantle of the Pharisees is: The political liberals The religious liberals The secular establishment The religious establishment We...

What do you do when your baby’s life is threatened?

Written by Seth Barnes on June 26, 2007. Posted in Poverty. 1 Comment on What do you do when your baby’s life is threatened?

Just back from a rural village – ground zero in Swaziland’s slow motion horror show where AIDS and culture dance Dance Macabre. I’ve thought about, how can I help...

Imparting spiritual gifts

Written by Seth Barnes on June 25, 2007. Posted in Discipling. 7 Comments on Imparting spiritual gifts

I wrote this reflection just before leaving Africa: As the sun slides behind the green hills of Manzini and dissolves into an orange glow, Karen and I are reflecting on the morning’s...

Yearning for a Matthew 10 experience

Written by Seth Barnes on June 24, 2007. Posted in Short-term missions. No Comments on Yearning for a Matthew 10 experience

This past week I watched a team of six American young people take off from Swaziland to Cape Town intent on following God wherever he might lead them and doing whatever he gave them...

Living in God space

Written by Seth Barnes on June 23, 2007. Posted in Radical Living. 7 Comments on Living in God space

I just got this great email from Floyd McClung. “God space” is real to me, and it was genuine for the man who first introduced me to the term. Dr. Bob, as he was called,...

Rogue elephants like rebellious teenagers

Written by Seth Barnes on June 22, 2007. Posted in Parenting. 5 Comments on Rogue elephants like rebellious teenagers

Elephants are social creatures with defined roles for everyone in the herd. The herd is matriarchal, dominated...

Our extravagant God

Written by Seth Barnes on June 21, 2007. Posted in Kingdom Reality. 4 Comments on Our extravagant God

Flora and fauna of the African wilderness declare the glory of an extravagant God. He’s...

Wildlife on the banks of the Crocodile River

Written by Seth Barnes on June 20, 2007. Posted in Radical Living. 5 Comments on Wildlife on the banks of the Crocodile River

Last night I mistook two hippos fighting in the Crocodile River outside our bedroom for a person snoring. In my sleepy reverie I thought, “That is the strangest snoring I’ve...

Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 3)

Written by Seth Barnes on June 19, 2007. Posted in Discipling. 4 Comments on Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 3)

Maybe a decade ago, when AIM was still struggling to find its voice, I decided to get some top contemporary musicians to represent us to a wide audience. We looked at two bands that...

Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 2)

Written by Seth Barnes on June 18, 2007. Posted in Discipling. 2 Comments on Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 2)

Three years ago I was in a meeting with the King of Swaziland and a friend of mine who is a well-known Christian leader. I thought we were there to help address the issue of AIDS,...

Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 1)

Written by Seth Barnes on June 17, 2007. Posted in Radical Living. No Comments on Lessons learned while trying to save the world (part 1)

Over the years, I’ve wasted a lot of time doing things with good intentions, but that in the end, may have had few results. I began my overseas career in Indonesia where we...

More miracles in Cuba (part 2)

Written by Seth Barnes on June 16, 2007. Posted in Amazing God Stories. No Comments on More miracles in Cuba (part 2)

In yesterday’s blog I described my visit to the town of Madruga, a place where a great revival had broken out in 1988 and where healings continued to occur. A healing had occurred...

More miracles in Cuba (part 1)

Written by Seth Barnes on June 15, 2007. Posted in Amazing God Stories. 1 Comment on More miracles in Cuba (part 1)

Visiting the town of Madruga in 1995, I saw a church which still has the same fire it had in 1988. It is a church that understands the power of prayer, as do so many churches in...

The great Cuban revival of 1988

Written by Seth Barnes on June 14, 2007. Posted in Amazing God Stories. 9 Comments on The great Cuban revival of 1988

For 30 years there was no witness in many parts of Cuba. The worst region was Matanza. In 1988, a great revival came to the town of Madruga. It spread through Cuba and destroyed...

Guinea pigs and God

Written by Seth Barnes on June 13, 2007. Posted in Living Free. 1 Comment on Guinea pigs and God

A number of years ago, while ministering in Lima, Peru, Ric Jacobs and I and two students were invited into the home of an older couple. Their home was the residence of numerous...

Learning to trust others

Written by Seth Barnes on June 12, 2007. Posted in Identity issues. 3 Comments on Learning to trust others

This issue of trust is huge. We Americans may not recognize it because we live in a high trust culture. We are taught to respect the value of a handshake and the rule of law. But...

You could still win a free trip around the world

Written by Seth Barnes on June 12, 2007. Posted in World Race. 1 Comment on You could still win a free trip around the world

At AIM, we’re running a giveaway for anyone who signs up for the World Race in the next two weeks. Tell your friends, kids, students, neighbors, and church members who might...

Discipleship basics: Three things Jesus did that we don’t

Written by Seth Barnes on June 11, 2007. Posted in How to Disciple. 11 Comments on Discipleship basics: Three things Jesus did that we don’t

We think it’s just Bible study and prayer, but it’s so much more. Jesus did a few basic things with his disciples that we don’t do – things so fundamental...

I’m a misfit and that’s OK

Written by Seth Barnes on June 10, 2007. Posted in Identity issues. 5 Comments on I’m a misfit and that’s OK

At times, I feel just like I felt in jr. high school. As a 7th grader, I remember the terror of PE class. I weighed 77 pounds and through what must have been an administrative error,...

Jesus longs for justice for the poor

Written by Seth Barnes on June 9, 2007. Posted in Justice issues. 2 Comments on Jesus longs for justice for the poor

Sometimes, I look at the poverty in places like Swaziland, and I despair of ever seeing hope reborn. Children are abused, teenagers are promiscuous, and the poverty is crushing...

Coming to faith

Written by Seth Barnes on June 8, 2007. Posted in Spiritual Formation. 1 Comment on Coming to faith

We’re far too critically-minded in the States. We need to be born again again. We are members of “the faith,” but we’re often lacking in the faith department....

The struggle for intimacy

Written by Seth Barnes on June 7, 2007. Posted in Identity issues. 2 Comments on The struggle for intimacy

To know others deeply and to be known is to put an exclamation point on our humanity. It is to meet the second highest of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. He called it a need...

How to find good teachers

Written by Seth Barnes on June 6, 2007. Posted in How to Disciple. No Comments on How to find good teachers

The Bible seems to contradict itself. 2 Timothy 3:16 instructs us to teach. But James 3:1 says that not many of us should presume to be teachers because of the higher standard applied...