The apostle Paul’s open letter to the church, Pt. 2

Continued from The apostle Paul’s open letter to the church (Part 1):

Therefore, they have not truly become “one with Christ and the Father” as Christ prayed in his final prayer.
Christ prayed for future generations, including your future 21^st century generation, in John 17. He prayed:

· that they would become one with the Father,

· that the Father would keep them in the world, and

· that the Father would protect them from the evil one.

He prayed this so that they could fulfill both the Great Commission of Matthew 28 to disciple the nations and the Original Commission in Genesis to “multiply, fill, subdue and rule” from Genesis Chapter 1.

Sisters, this should not be the case.

Throughout the last 2,000 years, the sisters have had a great impact through the education and nurture of the children. It was the women slaves in my Roman World who suckled, nurtured and set the worldview for the next generation of believers and secular leaders around
the Mediterranean.

· Why do you raise up 18 year-old children who are dependent whims rather than interdependent warriors?

· Why do you raise up 18 year-old children who are aimless rather than having established a profession around their God-given gifts and talents so that they can earn a living or pay for college?

· Why do you raise up 18 year-old children who do not understand or have not experienced the power of prayer and action to transform their world, e.g., high schools and culture?

· Why do you raise up 18 year-old and send them off to college to “find themselves” in an environment that has not been designed for that purpose?

Brothers, in my Roman World, the brothers traveled the Roman roads and built trust relationships with merchants around the Mediterranean. They sold products, but they also shared meals and even stayed with their customers. They built long-term relationships that eventually transformed “persons of peace” with a substantial local sphere of influence leading to the creation of a local group of believers.

· What professional credentials can you use to build long-term trust relationships with other professionals around the world?

· Why don’t you encourage interdependence between nations/cultures rather than competition?

· When will you invite someone from China or India to share their expertise on creating exponential growth in the local American church?

· When will you begin praying that your international customers and nations will be better off than your own nation?

· How can you become an “interface” between two civilizations rather than viewing most nations as third-world countries with nothing to contribute?

· When will you share God’s passion for the nations with your children by taking them with you on various international, professional excursions so they can see you in action?

Wake UP!

Empower your children and the children of the nations for the next 200 years!

Do not waste the efforts of this and previous generations. Stand on their shoulders and make a greater contribution rather than thinking that you need to do it all alone. But more importantly, disciple and empower the next generation.

I challenge you, as Paul, who discipled a small group of people by sacrificing my life, to focus on Christ and the Father and to build a deep
abiding relationship with Christ and the Father that will produce:

· Radical Prayer/Access to God’s resources

· Radical Obedience/Action

· Radical Intuition/vision for a nation’s future

However, I also need to warn you as Christ warned his disciples in John 15:20-27 and 16:1-4: The world may persecute you, but the religious leaders of your day may try and kill you, thinking that they are doing a service to God. Do not be surprised!

God will bless you efforts even if the results are not evident during your lifetime. Do not be discouraged or distracted from the path that God has set before you.

Your brother in Christ,

Paul