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Spring, 2017
on... My Upcoming Two Greatest Decades
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On March 1, my birthday, I got a call from one of my best friends GP to say, "K_-ol'-boy, you have two more years to get ready for the two greatest decades of your life." I asked him what he meant by that. He answered me, "Well, I was just listening to a public Q & A session with _____ and _____ (so & so, you know), two of my favorite spiritual leaders as they answered a question posed by a young pastor regarding what they considered to be the greatest decade of their lives. They both answered it was the present decade they were in, their seventies, followed only by the second most significant decade of their lives, the decade of their sixties. GP reminded me I had only two years to "get ready" for the two greatest decades of my life. Could this be true? The more I've milled this around in my mind since that day the more I've warmed up to the idea on account it gives me hope for my remaining days here on earth. Maybe you feel the way I do, maybe you don't, but I am choosing to believe that what these two men of integrity said is most likely true and that my next two decades of life can indeed outshine the previous five in not only fruitful ways for God's glory and a fuller joy in my Lord Jesus, but also in ways of greater love for His Kingdom purposes than I have had in any of my previous decades. I'm dreaming of future decades that can be a reflection of His glory in and through me with an incomparable measure. This is my prayer and not only a prayer for myself, but also for my family, friends and co-laborers for Christ. It is my prayer for you.
Such a hope must start for me today as both my wife and I finalize preparations for heading back to Colombia so as to put certain responsibilities in order, finish undone ministry business and prepare to commence our year-long furlough later this year. It starts today with greater reflection and prayer toward refining a vision God gave both my wife and me thirty years ago, that is, a vision to participate in the establishing of God' Church (we have refined this idea to be disciple-making movements) among the unengaged muslim people groups of the world by virtue of our participating in, and alongside what was then an emerging Latin American mission force to the world (click here for more info) and has now since become one of the largest mission mobilization forces in human history. Since that call in 1987 we have not wavered in God's call to recruit, train and mobilize Latin Americans (more specifically Colombians in the last twenty years) and have now been privileged to experience firsthand fruit from around the world as a result of our labor of love for God and His Kingdom purposes - fruit hailing from western Africa to eastern Asia. It has been an exciting thirty years, but I am now beginning to get the picture that the next twenty may may be the most fruitful of all. So for us our preparation for the two greatest decades of our lives begins today, but anticipate it really getting cookin' later this year as we return to the States for our year-long furlough. Our primary purpose during that time will be to have greater times in prayer and reflection before the Lord through spiritual retreats, good restful daily devotions and significant connections with God's people in many a sundry manner. We look forward to that time. Until then we will keep on 'preparing' for the two greatest decades of our lives.
Such a hope must start for me today as both my wife and I finalize preparations for heading back to Colombia so as to put certain responsibilities in order, finish undone ministry business and prepare to commence our year-long furlough later this year. It starts today with greater reflection and prayer toward refining a vision God gave both my wife and me thirty years ago, that is, a vision to participate in the establishing of God' Church (we have refined this idea to be disciple-making movements) among the unengaged muslim people groups of the world by virtue of our participating in, and alongside what was then an emerging Latin American mission force to the world (click here for more info) and has now since become one of the largest mission mobilization forces in human history. Since that call in 1987 we have not wavered in God's call to recruit, train and mobilize Latin Americans (more specifically Colombians in the last twenty years) and have now been privileged to experience firsthand fruit from around the world as a result of our labor of love for God and His Kingdom purposes - fruit hailing from western Africa to eastern Asia. It has been an exciting thirty years, but I am now beginning to get the picture that the next twenty may may be the most fruitful of all. So for us our preparation for the two greatest decades of our lives begins today, but anticipate it really getting cookin' later this year as we return to the States for our year-long furlough. Our primary purpose during that time will be to have greater times in prayer and reflection before the Lord through spiritual retreats, good restful daily devotions and significant connections with God's people in many a sundry manner. We look forward to that time. Until then we will keep on 'preparing' for the two greatest decades of our lives.
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV
Jesus once taught...
”Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19,20, ESV
are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory,
which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV
Jesus once taught...
”Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”
Matthew 6:19,20, ESV
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First name: KR
Last name: G
Personal account #: 004527
Project account #: 024527
Last name: G
Personal account #: 004527
Project account #: 024527