So what do you do when people do not live according to God’s commandments? This issue is even more difficult when you minister in a culture that is not your own. In Thailand, for example, it is very unusual to confront people directly. They are easily offended, and when that happens, they disappear. Talking things through and reconcililiation normally does not happen.

How do you maintain church discipline in a situation like that? For years, I have struggled with this. The Bible says: you warn somebody personally; you warn together with a witness; and finally you warn officially in the name of the church. If they still do not listen, they are excluded from the church (see  Matthew 18). So long before baseball was invented, Jesus came with the rule: three strikes, and you’re out.

But that does not seem to fit Thai culture. For years I have experimented with indirect admonishing, which is the usual way to do things in Thailand. Sometimes, because I did not know what to do, I have failed to maintain discipline. That is the most common and the easiest way out, both in Thai and in western churches. But I never doubted it is the wrong answer.

In the end I chose to do something radical and unusual: just do what Jesus commands. Warning 1, warning 2, warning 3, and you’re out. Of course that is not about people who want to follow Jesus, but keep struggling with a sin in their lives. That bill fits all of us. I am talking about people who choose to sin and do not repent. To use the biblical guidelines for discipline is, like all solutions that Jesus offers us, the best and most loving one. It is the most loving solution for three groups that are impacted by the situation.

It is the most loving solution for the sinner. The church makes clear that God wants us to live a holy life for Him, and that faith is  not just a conviction without consequences for daily life. If he is not willing to humble himself, the church communicates that he is still living in his sins and that he needs to be reconciled with God. That is his deepest need, and the most loving thing to do is to make that clear.

It is also the most loving solution for the rest of the church. All church members get clarity about God’s will, and the consequences of not living according to his will. That is an important function of the church, and it cannot be done without maintaining church discipline.

Third of all it is the most loving solution for the world. For the church holds God’s word of salvation for the world. But if the church is not different from  the world, why would anyone want to be a Christian? Many plausibly concluded there is no reason to. Churches without discipline therefore most of the time are churches where nobody comes to the Lord.

To my own astonishment, when I started to use this approach, I had to conclude that it works. So I am one of those people who tried to improve Jesus’ rules, finally to conclude I can’t. Amazing, isn’t it?

Firstly, I was glad that Oy had found new life in God. It’s the most beautiful thing in the world when somebody realizes he can’t live without Christ. He forgives our sins and prepares a place in heaven for us.

Secondly, I was glad to see that God’s work continues. Within a month after leaving Thailand, a new baptism took place. God’s work is not dependent on our effort.

Thirdly, I was glad to see that the church  went ahead with the baptism without waiting for me. As missionariy I like to make myself superfluous and let the  Thai Christians take responsibility for the ministry. It is good to see that that really happens.

Fourthly, I was glad to see the church baptizes when somebody comes to the Lord, not just once a year after completing a church study course. Of course it is important that new believers are grounded in the faith, and understand what baptism is all about. But you are not baptized because you have passed an exam, but because you want to belong to Jesus. Therefore it is important both for the new believers and for the church that baptism happens soon after conversion. It is also very encouraging to be part of baptism services regularly. It shows that the church, and above all God’s work, is dynamic and moving forward!

How do you know whether you have a call to be a missionary? People often ask me this, especially young people. My best answer is: the question is wrong.

The Bible does not teach us that God reveals His children His plan for their lives. That is also true for missionaries, as well as for pastors and church leaders. Many people are looking for a special calling from God when they are thinking about missionary work or serving in a church. I want to be clear about that: That is not necessary.

People are expecting a special calling through a God-given impression, a Bible text that speaks in a special way to your heart, or special circumstances that point the way. But: an impression is just an impression. A Bible text means what is says in the context of the Bible. Special circumstances can always be explained differently.

To look for God’s guidance in this way therefore leads to a lot of uncertainty. That fact should be enough to make us question this concept of God’s call. The Lord is more than capable to make us clear what He means. That so many people have hesitations about their calling, is not His fault. It even does not have to do with that we are not listening. It mainly has to do with the fact that many people think about God’s call in the wrong way.

The Lord does not lead first of all through speaking to our heart. First of all, He leads us through His Word. In the Bible we find many commandments that teach us how to live. In the Bible we read what is important to God, and how he involves people in His plans.

As we grow in faith, more and more we get the desire to serve God. But how? The answer is simple: you may decide for yourself. God gives His children the freedom to, within the boundaries of His revealed will, make decisions for their own lives.

So whether you become an accountant in the US, build an electricity network in rural Africa, or plant churches in Thailand, it’s all good. Whether you volunteer for your church, start a Bible study with unchurched people, expend your energy in raising your children in the fear of the Lord, or show the members of your sports club what it means to live with Jesus, it’s all allowed.

In saying this, I do not mean that these are all good things, and that you have to find out what God’s intention for  you personally is. No, these are all good things, and these are all good things for you (with the possible exception of giving all your energy to raising your children, which I do not beieve is a biblical option for men). That realization takes away the pressure.

The most important is the desire to serve God. When you live close to Him, that desire grows. That makes the chance that you want to devote your life to full-time service in church or mission bigger. But how you serve God, and in what kind of position, will also be dependent on your ability and opportunity to serve.

 Your ability to serve include your spiritual gifts, your talents, your experiences and your personality. These will all ensure that your are a good fit for some ministries and would be unhappy and, more important, less effective in other ministries. Your opportunity to serve is the circumstances you find yourself in. Your age, health, finances, and where you live are all important factors that determine which ways to serve are better or less suited for you.

The most important for living according to God’s will therefore is a deep and growing desire to serve  Him. That will also be displayed in a character that is more and more like Jesus’. It a notable fact that in the New Testament lists of requirements for elders, always character traits are mentioned. An internal calling is never mentioned.

The only question you need to ask when you live close to God, is: “Does this honour God?”, and: “Does this suit me?”. When you have answered these questions honestly, in important cases together with other Christian whom you respect as spiritual leaders,  you may continue on the path that seems best to you. You do not have to fear that you are missing out on a secret plan for your life that God has in store for you.

For God determines everything. He determines which number you roll with a dice (Proverbs 16:33). If even a small thing like that is determined by Him, you may be confident that He has a  plan for your life. For He is a God who works all things according to the counsel of His willl (Ephesians 1:11). ‘All things’ certainly includes the details of your life. And HE will make sure it happens!

In the Bible there are many examples that God leads in a special way. In the New Testament it already seems rarer than in the Old Testament. It seems probable to me that with the completion of the Holy Scriptures the Lord allows His children to make their own adult choices, based on His revealed will.

This of course does not exclude that God may still make His will clear in a special way. But we should not be expecting that (neither should we expect that he will not), and we should not wait for it.

In summary: God’s call = the desire to serve God + the ability + the opportunity.

Photo: Philipp Klinger

Last week we got our electricity bill. I didn’t understand why we had to pay so much this month, but I went and paid it anyway. That afternoon the neighbor from the other side of the road came and gave my wife an electricity bill. He told her that they got our bill. I had a look at the bill I paid and saw that I paid the wrong one, because the one I paid was from the neighbors. So I went back to them and told them about the mistake I had made. In the beginning the lady was very shy, but after a while she started talking more and more. She made a joke that she was very thankful that I paid her bill. We settled this little thing and off I went again. Since that happened the neighbor actually comes and talk to us if she sees us.

Today my language helper told me about something that happened last Monday. He was in a shop to buy something and heard our neighbor talk to some other people in the village. She told about the foreigners that lived opposite her house and said that she was afraid of us in the beginning. But with enthusiasm she told them about the fact that we speak Thai and talk with her. It still seems she’s really amazed about that and this is something worthwhile sharing with others.

This little thing just reminds me again of how important it is to be open and friendly to the people around us. It reminds me how important it is to be as much as possible like them. It also reminds me that we need to pray daily that God will help us to shine His light through our lives. We have a great gospel to share with the people, but it doesn’t start there. It starts with who we are in every day life!

The first thing is the age of a church. The newer a church is, the more people come to the Lord. The second is the traditionality of a church. The less extra-biblical rules, based on tradition, a church has, the more people come to the Lord.

This underscores the importance of church planting. Church planting is important, because it is the only way that millions who are out of reach of existing churches will be able to hear the Gospel. Church planting is important, because there is nothing that helps Christians grow spiritually as much as helping plant a new church.

But it appears there are other reasons as well. New churches put up less barriers for outsiders than old churches. And in new churches it is easier to function without the burden of decades or even centuries of extra-biblical traditions.

Now the pressing question is: are we willing to plant new churches? And are we able to distinguish between tradition and biblical commandments? The answers to those questions are very important to the continued growth of the Thai church. But not only the Thai church, I think.

30% of all new Christians said that no media played any role in their conversion. This shows that personal relationships are the driving force in evangelism, and that media can only play a supporting role.

10% said that radio (3%) or television (7%) played a role. This is remarkable for two reasons. First of all, it’s a low percentage. And second, there is much more Christian radio than Christian television. Yet television is influencing more people.

The big surprise however was that 60% of the converts said that printed media played a role in their conversion. 17% mentioned an evangelistic tract. For every positive mention I ever heard about the evangelistic value of tracts, I am sure I heard at least ten negative ones in my life. Yet in Thailand evangelistic tracts were influential in the conversion of almost twice as many people as radio and television combined!

The other 43% mentioned a book. This consisted of three equally large subgroups. The first group meant the Bible. The second a Christian book. And the third group mentioned both the Bible and a Christian book.

Why would printed media be so much more effective in evangelism than broadcast media? Radio and television are much more intense, aren’t they? I do not know what the answer is. But I have two pretty good guesses. First, radio and television are literally broadcast. But Christian books are precision casted. They are mainly given in interactions between people. So they are better suited to support evangelism in personal relationships- and that is the main way that the Gospel spreads.

Secondly, printed media offer the opportunity to re-read something that grabbed your attention. You can lay it down and come back to it later. That is another significant advantage while thinking about the important question whether or not to follow God. What an eye-opener! Even in a country like Thailand, where reading is not all that popular, printed media prove to be the most effective media in evangelism by far. It would be interesting to know how it is in other countries.

Does anybody know?

With four people from church we went to her village. We found the woman under a corrugated iron roof next to the main road. That was her shop. Her husband was at home as well. He was winding yarn onto a bobbin. Ten finished sets were hanging in the shop. It probably is a way to make some money, but it certainly won’t make him rich.

Tuk, the wife, told us she had recently returned to her birth village. Her husband is from South-Thailand, and a Muslim. Together they try to eke out an existence here, but it is hard going.

A few mats are rolled out in the shadow of the shack where they are living. The church members start to sing some songs. To my amazement the husband joins us, and tries to join in the singing as well. There we are: Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian, peaceful on one mat.

A girl with a clear look in her eyes comes out of the shack. She is the daughter, 15 years old. She is a student in the best school of the district, and finished her school year as number 2 of 237 students (yes, that’s how precisely they grade here in Thailand). The clear look is not coincidental.

We open the Bible. The family watches a video clip about creation. To take away barriers I try to use as much language that is recognizable for Muslims, but the man does not display any animosity against the message of the Bible. I’ve almost never encountered that in a Muslim. I’m sure it has something to do with that there are no other Muslims around for many kilometers, and that he feels free to investigate what he wants.

Mother and daughter are also listening closely. Tuk has some good experiences with Christians, and really wants to understand what the Christian faith is all about. It’s not clear to me yet whether the daughter considers herself to be a Buddhist or a Muslim, but she is also drinking in the teaching from the Bible.

“Did God create bad things as well?”, I ask at the end of the study. “No, certainly not”, they answer simultaneously. “And now, what is the situation now?” I ask again. “The world is full of it!” the daughter answers with conviction. “Where would that come from?” Dad knows: “The people did that themselves.” “Well then, that’s what we are going to talk about next week”, I conclude.

Will this family, Muslim and Buddhist, become one through a shared faith in God the Creator and his Son, Jesus Christ?