2010 Fall - World MAP

WORLD MAP
WORLD MISSIONARY ASSISTANCE PLAN • Fall 2010
A word
from Frank
and Wendy
Parrish
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Global reach of
The Shepherd's
Staff
World MAP:
Structured For Fruitfulness
Frank and
Wendy Parrish,
World MAP
Directors
by Dr. Frank R. Parrish
Appointed For Fruitfulness
Just recently, a very encouraging note from long-time friends
and supporters of the ministry of
World MAP came across my desk.
It meant a great deal to Wendy and
me, and I received their permission to share it with you:
“Dear Frank and Wendy,
Just a note to greet
you two warmly and tell
you how we appreciate
participating in World
MAP’s ministry from the
giving end.
Although we’re on
retirement income, I pray
we’ll always be able to
support financially World
MAP. We feel it is bearing
much fruit (the harvest
that is ripe) and the financial gifts are used wisely.
Hope this finds you
and yours well and joyful
in the work of the Lord.
Your co-laborers in
Christ…”
As I read this letter, I was so
moved in my heart. I was
immensely humbled by the trust
they expressed, and so grateful for
hearts that resonated with the
assignment God has given to
World MAP.
My heart-response soon
swelled to include thoughts of you
– the faithful saints who partner in
practical ways with World MAP
through diligent prayer and generous giving. While it is a tremendous blessing for us to join with
you, your partnership provides an
even more important source of
blessing for tens of thousands of
others around the world.
As I thought about the confidence and trust you place in the
ministry of World MAP, I realized
that it has been quite a while since
I reviewed with you some of the
foundational principles of World
MAP’s stewardship and mission.
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• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
Uniquely Positioned
God has given World MAP the
vision and mission to provide
sound, biblical training and
equipping for church leaders
in developing nations – particularly those who
have the least
training
available to
them due to
challenges of
poverty, persecution or proximity.
World MAP’s primary
teaching tools include the printed
pages of The Shepherd’s Staff and
ACTS Equipping Magazine, and
conferences for pastors that
include both teaching and spiritual
refreshing. These resources have
uniquely positioned World MAP
for this season of life in the global
Church.
Unquestionably, the Church of
Jesus Christ is growing exponentially in most of the developing
world. Often, the places of greatest persecution and resistance to
the Gospel are where God is reaping the greatest Harvest. We write
to you often about these amazing
triumphs of God’s advancing
Kingdom in World MAP’s
DIGEST, Prayer Corps bulletins
and monthly receipt letters.
World MAP’s ministry calling
is to assist and equip these newlyraised-up church leaders, that they
might effectively shepherd and
disciple the rapidly growing numbers of new believers.
Primary Tools
World MAP’s primary teaching tool, The Shepherd’s Staff, is
a 1,000-page Bible-sized church
leader’s training resource. It
includes a New Believer’s
Training Manual, Topical
Concordance, Bible helps and articles, and foundational teachings
for fruitful ministry preparation.
We are thrilled to report that
World MAP has distributed
more than 930,000 of these handheld Bible schools (Shepherd’s
Staffs) in 17 languages and in
more than 140 nations!
Churches in these nations range
from 15 to 25,000 people. But if we
simply use an average of 200 people who are taught by each pastor,
the number of people getting solid
Bible training because of World
MAP’s Shepherd’s Staff is almost
staggering – likely more than 200
million! All glory to Jesus!
World MAP also distributes
ACTS Magazine (a 40-page single-topic Bible study) to more
than 120,000 pastors in Asia,
Africa and Latin American countries. Topics have included: The
Anointing of the Holy Spirit;
Christianity and Comparative
Religions; and Spiritual Adoption
and Heavenly Citizenship.
The ministry of World MAP
also provides hands-on training
and encouragement to church
leaders through our Spiritual
Renewal and Equipping
Seminars. These vital times of
worship, teaching and refreshing
are always filled to capacity.
World MAP has standing invitations in more countries than we
could possibly get to. May the
Lord of the Church continue to
give strategy and provision to
walk through the open doors He
World MAP
Vol. 50 • No. 4 / Fall 2010
Table of Contents
World MAP:
Structured For Fruitfulness........................... 2
Rebuilding The Church In Haiti.................. 4
A Good Word.................................................... 7
Reaching The Refugees In The Sudan .........8
UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP:
Han Chinese of North Korea......................... 9
PRAYING FOR THE NATIONS
Paraguay...............................................................9
ACTS EXCERPT:
The Spiritual Life ............................................ 10
POWER TOOLS
Church Leaders Grow Strong ......................12
WORLD MAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Jon Cook, Skip Mahoney, Hank Morris, Frank
Parrish, Vic Torres.
WMAP CANADA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Helmuth Lange, Dave McTaggart, Frank Parrish,
Wendy Parrish, Horst Senkbeil.
DIGEST STAFF:
Frank and
Wendy Parrish .........................Directors / Editors
Gayla Dease ...Publications Coordinator / Layout
Keith Balser .......................................Copy Editor
VISION AND MISSION
OF WORLD MAP
World MAP (Missionary Assistance Plan) is a
trans-denominational, nonprofit ministry dedicated
to fulfilling the Great Commission – making
disciples of all nations – by:
• Equipping indigenous church leaders in ThirdWorld nations through biblically-based, Spiritfilled teaching resources and practical ministry
training so that they can be more effective, and
in turn raise up and equip still more leaders
(2Tim 2:2).
• Sharing the triumphs and trials of these
front-line ministers with believers in Western
nations, to inspire the Body of Christ to
fervently pray and sacrificially give, so that
“this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in
all the world” (Matt 24:14).
The Third-World church stands poised and
ready to reach the nations with the Gospel, if they
could just be equipped to do so. Thank you for
partnering with World MAP to supply this urgent
need!
PRIVACY POLICY
Your privacy is our priority. We do not sell, lease,
rent or share personal information obtained from
anyone via postal or online services.
World MAP Digest (USPS 692-240) is published quarterly by
World Missionary Assistance Plan, 1419 N. San Fernando
Blvd., Burbank CA 91504. The subscription price is $5.00 per
year. Periodicals Postage Paid at Burbank, CA 91505 and at
additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to World MAP Digest, 1419 N. San Fernando Blvd.,
Burbank, California 91504-4141.
HOW TO CONTACT US:
Visit us at our website on the Internet at
www.world-map.com
• Email us at [email protected]
• Call us at 1-818-843-7233
• Fax us at 1-818-845-5000
has provided. All of this reveals
why God has positioned World
MAP to be a fruitful tool in His
hands in these days of Harvest.
Your generous and often sacrificial
support makes you a vital part of
this “fruit production”!
overseen by an independent
Board of Directors who serve in a
voluntary capacity.
The Board of Directors monitor, support and act as general
overseers of organizational goals
and objectives. World MAP’s ministry director ensures that the policies, motions and prerogatives of
the Board are respected, initiated,
implemented and not violated.
The Board establishes policy,
governs the affairs of World MAP,
reviews and establishes all staff
compensation, and approves program budgets annually. There is a
preset limit for capital acquisitions
that is monitored. Every quarter,
the Board receives a detailed financial report prepared by an independent accounting firm.
The Board is the primary
overseer of the ministry, with the
authority to approve or disapprove decisions of the ministry
director. A primary role of the
Board is to protect and defend the
moral and financial integrity of
the organization.
Structured For Fruitfulness
It is only God Who can bring
true fruitfulness (1Cor 3:6,7). Yet,
in His infinite wisdom, God enlists
the participation of His children in
His purposes. Each one of us has
an important role to fill (Eph 4:16)
in God’s unfolding plan. So
whether you pray, send or go, your
part is as important as any other!
The Lord of the Harvest has
both appointed and structured
World MAP for fruitfulness. The
oversight of our Board of Directors
in the Spirit-led and wise stewardship of the resources God has provided has allowed abundant fruit
that is having lasting impact in the
nations.
In addition, World MAP is
guided by some unchanging and
over-arching principles that help us
to maximize our resources. I would Financial Accountability
As stated, the ministry of
like to present some of these to
World MAP belongs to God.
you now.
Therefore, the Board of Directors
Cornerstone Of The Ministry and the ministry director must be
faithful stewards of both the opporThere is a foundational truth
permeating all that we do and seek tunities God gives for ministry, and
the resources He releases through
to become at World MAP: This
ministry belongs to God – not to His people to carry out that ministry. In order to function with an
any person(s).
We know, therefore, that our economy of effort, several important policies have been established:
primary role here is to serve
World MAP’s accounting and
God’s sovereign will, to bring
glory and honor to His Son, Jesus financial reporting are done by an
Christ, and to edify His Church at independent professional Christian
accounting firm that specializes in
home and abroad. The only
serving nonprofit ministries. World
Kingdom we are interested in
MAP is held to and adheres to the
serving or building is the Lord
proper and legal procedures set in
God Almighty’s!
Here, then, are some of the key place for the handling of all
policies and guidelines that shape donated monies, and abides by the
this ministry and guide our service. laws and regulations for nonprofit
ministries.
ALL donations to World MAP
Organizational Structure
that are designated for a specific
World MAP is a non-profit
ministry purpose are used 100%
ministry, legally recognized and
for that ministry purpose. We are
licensed by the federal
particularly blessed that the
government and the State of
majority of our administrative
California to carry out its
ministry functions. World MAP is
Continued on page 6
Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 3
“And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they
shall raise up the former desolations, and
they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations” (Isa 61:4).
Rebuilding the C
Even on a good day, it is challenging for aid organizations and caring
individuals to get food, clothing and medical supplies to people in many
developing nations.
On a bad day – following a natural disaster or political upheaval – getting
those critical items to those who need them is even harder.
On any given day – good or bad – getting Christian materials to them
can be virtually impossible.
But the impossible is NEVER impossible with God, Who can heal the
sick, part the waters – and open doors when needed.
“Has He said, and will He not do it?” (Num 23:19).
Right now as you read this article, a growing number of church leaders
in Haiti – where small primitive churches, against all odds, are rising through
the rubble of the devastating earthquake earlier this year – are reading “La
Houlette du Berger”, the French version of The Shepherd’s Staff. While others are
helping displaced families rebuild their homes, health and lives, World MAP
is helping church leaders rebuild their ministries, strengthen their messages
and revitalize their sorely needed outreach to the lost.
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• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
e Church in Haiti
by Gayla Dease
The door swung wide open when Haitian Pastor Martin Etienne contacted World MAP. Earlier this year, we asked you to pray with us for him and
other Haitian pastors as they struggled to find resource to help them spiritually heal and lead their congregations.
We sent a Shepherd’s Staff to Pastor Etienne when he visited Miami; when
he returned to Haiti and the nation’s mail service slowly resumed, we sent
two more copies there and prayed the books would safely reach him in Portau-Prince. They did, and he promptly passed those two books along to the
pastors whose pictures are shown here. Now that we are assured mail service
is operating in Haiti, we have shipped another 50 copies.
World MAP Director Frank Parrish is in touch with Pastor Etienne concerning a possible World MAP seminar in Haiti next year. And in the meantime, Pastor John Morrow – who often partners with World MAP – is distributing 300 French copies of The Shepherd’s Staff at three Haitian pastors’
events in November. Thanks to God’s perfect timing and the generous support He has led you to provide, together we are making a strong impact on
the rebuilding of the Church in Haiti! Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 5
Structured For Fruitfulness
continued from page 3
costs are met through non-donated
income, which includes rental and
interest income. Thus, your
donations go completely to
providing ministry leadership
training! World MAP also gives a
tithe of all undesignated income to
other like-ministries for particular
needs or ministry partnerships.
Each Board member receives a
quarterly detailed financial report
for their review. The Board of
Directors meets at least once annually for ministry planning and
vision, corporate fiduciary
reviews, approval of budgets, and
any other related concerns.
The ministry of World MAP
does not operate on borrowed funds
for ministry purposes. When God
leads us in ministry outreach, we
trust Him to confirm His desire by
making provision for that ministry
outreach. The Bible teaches, “Be
diligent to know the state of your
flocks” (Prov 27:23). We take this
admonition to include using wise
business sense, balanced by the fact
that we are not a business – we are
a ministry. The “bottom-line” is not
profit, but spiritual fruit!
In the normal course of carrying out the ministry, World MAP
makes purchases from vendors. We
pay our bills when due each and
every month. We do not use a vendor’s credit to finance our operations. World MAP pays its bills on
time, recognizing not only that this
is a moral obligation, but also that
the witness of Christ is seen (or
not) in everything we do as a
Christian ministry.
Guidelines For
Ethical Fundraising
Recognizing that the ministry
of World MAP belongs to God, we
are careful and diligent stewards of
the resources He releases to us.
This also means that if He chooses
to close the doors of supply to this
ministry, we will humbly yield to
His sovereign will.
Apart from that occurring,
however, we are completely committed to fulfilling the vision and
mission God has given us. It is
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• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
both spiritual and scriptural to let
your requests be made known to
God and to cast the vision before
His people, so that God’s people
can respond as He directs them
(see Acts 11:27-30; Romans
15:26,27; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4;
2 Corinthians 8:1-12, 9:5-15; etc.).
Therefore, we communicate
with you on a regular basis to
inform you, inspire you, and give
opportunity for practical expressions of faith through giving. I
cannot tell you how grateful we at
World MAP are for each of you –
and how humbled we are by your
faithful prayers and sacrificial
gifts. You are a treasure and an
inspiration to us, and a tremendous
blessing to the cause of Christ in
the world today!
In order to be faithful to the
trust you have placed in us, we
have set strict guidelines to avoid
common fundraising abuses.
Because we respect you, we
will not resort to manipulative, dishonorable techniques or “cheap
tricks” to elicit a response. We will
do our best to accurately communicate the need and the urgency,
trusting the Holy Spirit to stir the
hearts of those He would lead to
support this ministry.
We will give our utmost effort
to maximize the benefit of every
dollar given. We recognize that as
stewards of the gifts you entrust to
us, we are honor-bound to direct that
money carefully and prayerfully.
This includes obtaining multiple bids for service, traveling as
economically as possible, printing
our publications overseas, outsourcing when feasible, and much
more.
We try to raise only the funds
we need to fulfill the current ministry requirements. We are blessed
that at the turn of the millennium
the Lord clearly directed us to
“prune” the ministry. Over the
ensuing years, He led us in creative ways to consolidate and outsource, enabling us to go from a
staff of 32 people down to the current 5 people (which includes
Wendy and me). We believe the
Lord has helped us to balance faith
for expanding need and vision
with wisdom to fulfill the call within the bounds of what He is providing. Also, in faith, we believe
the Lord has well positioned the
ministry for healthy growth and
expansion in the future as He leads
and provides.
We receipt all donations and
respond with a letter of acknowledgment within 2-3 days of receiving a gift. We want you to know
when your gift has arrived, and to
be assured that we are sincerely
grateful for your partnership.
We do our utmost to guard
the confidential information in
our mailing list. Therefore we will
never sell, loan, rent or distribute
the mailing list of our friends and
supporters of World MAP.
Each and every donation that
we receive that is designated for a
particular area of ministry is used
100% for that designation.
We will never knowingly
receive support or other resources
that should be directed to another
church, para-church ministry or
missionary endeavor. Instead, we
will seek to foster the unity of the
brethren and, where possible, participate in advantageous, mutually
aligned partnerships for the sake of
the advancement of the Gospel.
We trust that this brief
overview of the stewardship guidelines for World MAP’s ministry
will be an encouragement to you.
We do not take lightly the favor
God has given, or the trust you
have in us.
The World MAP Board of
Directors, our staff, and Wendy
and I all deeply appreciate you and
your partnership in ministry. We,
with you, are committed to doing
our utmost to serve the Lord Jesus
and His purposes in this great hour
of Church history. Thank you for
serving this great cause with us, to
the praise and glory of God!
Blessed to be serving with you,
Frank and Wendy Parrish
World MAP President & Directors
P.S. Feel free to pass this article
along to someone else who might
be interested in knowing more
about the ministry of World MAP.
God bless you! by Keith G. Balser
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“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad” (Prov 12:25 nas).
sanje, the southernmost district of Malawi in
central Africa, has much that can weigh down
the heart with anxiety. It is one of the country’s
poorest regions and the temperature can top 120 degrees.
But it gets worse.
Imagine being a church leader where local religious
lore preserves the following myth: Centuries ago a rainmaking priest had his head cut off, from which flows a
fountain of blood, and he became enshrined as a god
called Mbona; he periodically manifests as a python to
give prophetic revelation through a spirit-medium.
The heart of a Christian called to preach the Gospel
could easily be weighed down with grief over the multitudes in bondage to such spiritual darkness and demonic
practices.
N
To Know What Is True And Right
A church leader in that area recently wrote to us giving eloquent and somewhat unusual testimony to how
ACTS Magazine is equipping him in that rugged harvest
field:
“Frankly speaking, ACTS Magazine is a big tool to
change many souls all over the world. Its usage of
Greek words therein helps me to know a lot and
research the original Greek words.” (emphasis added)
It is not often that readers cite references in World
MAP teachings to the original biblical languages. So this
reader’s comment is a testimony to both his and the
ACTS authors’ zeal to be workers who “do not need to
be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
(2Tim 2:15).
The ACTS Magazine issue “The Anointing of the
Holy Spirit” offered our Malawian friend accurate trans-
lation and sound application of several key New
Testament Greek words. On page 9 of that issue, World
MAP Director Frank Parrish delineated the three words
translated “anoint” in the New Testament:
“Aleipho (used eight times): actual, physical rubbing on of oil or ointment (see Mark 6:13; Luke
7:38,46; James 5:14). In James 5:14, the anointing
did not have a medical purpose. Rather, this anointing was symbolic of both the presence of the Holy
Spirit and the sick person’s consecration to ask in
faith for God’s healing….
“Chrio (used five times): indicates a special
appointment or commission by God that sets the person(s) apart to fulfill a given assignment (see Luke
4:18; Acts 10:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21; Hebrews 1:9).
“Chrisma (used three times): an empowerment
by the Holy Spirit to know what is true and right; the
power of the Holy Spirit working in tandem with the
Word of God in the heart of a believer.
“Both 1 John 2:20 and 2:27 refer to the ministry
of the Holy Spirit revealing truth to the heart of the
Christ-follower (see also John 14:16,17,26;
1 Corinthians 2:10-16; Ephesians 1:17,18).”
Such clear explication equips ACTS readers with a
“good word” that will not only make their hearts glad,
but also help make their presentation of biblical truth
confident and complete.
Clearly, then, these are more than just technical
word-studies. They are profound reminders to church
leaders that the Spirit of God is ever-present with them
and within them – strengthening their faith, empowering
their ministry, and enlivening their zeal to reach the lost
with the Gospel. Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 7
Thank you, World MAP
supporters, for these copies of
The Shepherd’s Staff!
Amongst the Sudanese, leaders say they are seeing female evangelists coming
forward to work in small teams; the women in top right photo are from Upper
Eastern Equatoria and Jonglei State. This is fairly uncommon for the history
of the Sudanese National Church movement, but incredibly necessary after such
an extended war time. Thousands upon thousands of Christians have been killed,
and the majority of them have been young men.
Reaching the Refugees
in the
Sudan
The shortest route from India to any other continent is never short. Nor is it simple. In some
cases it is not even safe.
This can be especially true when trying to ship something to,
or through, certain nations in Africa. World MAP prints most of the
ACTS magazines and Shepherd’s Staff books in India, where the
production and postage costs are lower than elsewhere, so when
the opportunity arose to get books to refugees in the Sudan, we
were challenged but not discouraged.
Nor did we fail, thanks to ministry partners and others who
share World MAP’s mission – and yours – to reach the lost and the
all-too-often forgotten. When the call came out, we turned to
Pamoja Ministries in Tanzania, where a small inventory of
Shepherd’s Staff books was being stored. Praise God, this gave us
a jump-start since we bypassed the long sea journey from India to
Africa! That head start was threatened, however, when Kenya
police confiscated some of the books during transit through that
nation. With God’s grace and timing, and some hard work by a key
person on the ground, the books were retrieved and 400 copies of
The Shepherd’s Staff are now in the hands of the ecstatic
Sudanese church workers.
“We have been labor rich and tool poor,” says Rev. Robert
Mincks of Lifestreams International who distributed the books.
“There was so much excitement when they finally understood how
complete the material is. They are crying for more. My only regret
is that we didn’t start with The Shepherd’s Staff ten years ago!” 8
• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
UNREACHED PEOPLE
GROUP
The HAN CHINESE
of NORTH KOREA
POPULATION: 167,000
A DEEP NEED:
The Han Chinese have a traditional religion of worship/appeasement of ancestor-spirits. But as a tiny, scattered minority they cannot escape the relentless cruelty of
North Korea’s ruling Kim dynasty. Kim Il-sung (ruled 19481994) and Kim Jong-il (1994-present) are revered as, in
effect, a communist godhead and go unchallenged.
Misguided animistic superstitions offer the Han
Chinese no shelter against what is
arguably the most vicious and oppressive form of totalitarian government
the world has ever seen. North
Korea has long been considered
the worst persecutor of Christians
(and others) in the world.
Christianity is illegal; “violators”
are imprisoned, tortured or executed. Of the more than 200,000
people unjustly imprisoned in North
Korea today, 40% are Christians.
PARAGUAY
Hemmed In By History?
Population: 6,995,655
89.6% Roman Catholic
6.2% Protestant
1.1% Other Christian
1.9% Other or unspecified
1.2% None
President of
the Republic
of Paraguay: Fernando
Armindo Lugo Mendez
Vice President: Federico Franco
Praying
for the
Nations
PRAY FOR:
• An end to the deadly persecution of Christians in
North Korea.
• A massive awakening among North Koreans to the
absurdity of dictator-worship; a God-directed heartchange within the Kim dynasty.
• Divine protection for all North Korean Christians; and
boldness to share the only true hope of Christ.
• Multitudes of Han Chinese conversions to the worship of
the only One who can give them “a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory” (2Cor 4:17).
National motto: Paz y Justicia
(“Peace and Justice”)
Oppressive legacy: Turmoil
and tyranny are recurring features in Paraguay’s history.
Upon independence from Spain,
the country’s first major leader,
Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de
Francia, dubbed himself “El
Supremo” and derived his political
philosophy from the French Revolution.
He was a fanatical idealist who ruled with cruelty and oppression. Decades of unrest in the twentieth century led to the 1954 coup that put Gen. Alfredo
Stroessner in power. Under his 35-year strong-arm rule,
political opponents disappeared and Paraguay became
a haven for Nazi war criminals. While a generally
healthier political climate prevails in Paraguay today,
the gap between rich and poor remains enormous.
PRAY FOR:
• A growing climate of integrity and openness in
Paraguayan politics.
• A vibrant economy that rewards honesty and diligence;
aid and freedom to come for the very poor.
• Increasing numbers of
Paraguayan Christians to
rise into positions of leadership and influence in
politics and business.
• The truly liberating message of the Gospel to be
proclaimed throughout
this landlocked nation
and even beyond its borders. Pray for laborers
into this ripe harvest.
JOIN THE WORLD MAP PRAYER CORPS AS WE CIRCLE THE GLOBE WITH INTERCESSION FOR THE ADVANCE OF GOD’S KINGDOM.
E-mail us at [email protected] – and send us your name and address or E-mail address.
Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 9
The Spiritual Life
“And a threefold cord is not quickly broken” – Ecclesiastes 4:12
A study of the inter-relationship between the Word of God, the Leading of the Holy Spirit and Faith
© 2007, Dr. Victor L. Torres, Jr.
Editor’s Note: The following are a few highlights from the concluding chapters of Dr. Torres’
ACTS Magazine teaching, “The Spiritual Life.” You can read this teaching in its entirety on
our website at www.world-map.com/Acts_Spiritual-Life.pdf
Highlights from Chapter 6:
Spiritual
Communication
“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted,
the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have
called them.’ Then, having fasted and prayed,
and laid hands on them, they sent them away”
(Acts 13:2,3).
Confidence in God comes out of relationship
with God. The relationship between God and man
is spiritual in nature.
One of the great questions of Christian faith is
whether we are “working for God” or “working with
God”. A hireling or employee can work for someone or even work for God. They blindly do what
they are instructed to do for a wage or reward. In
a negative sense, this is nothing more than outward religion or legalism.
But we are not called to be hirelings or
employees. We are called to be friends of God
and even sons of God! “You are My friends if you
do whatever I command you. No longer do I call
you servants, for a servant does not know what his
master is doing; but I have called you friends, for
all things that I heard from My Father I have made
known to you” (John 15:14,15). “For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God” (Rom 8:14).
Friendship – and especially “sonship” –
demands a relationship. Relationship implies twoway communication or dialogue. By dialogue, we
mean that we can speak to God and know that He
hears us. It also means that God can speak to us
and we can know that we have heard from God.
Even in the natural sense, can there be
a genuine relationship or friendship without
communication?
Throughout both the Old and New Testaments
we see example after example of communication
between God and man. Yet we still struggle with
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• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
the idea that God wants to communicate with us
today.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and
forever (Heb 13:8). What was available to believers in the. past, through the Scriptures, is also
available to us today. Jesus encourages us in this
truth: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me” (John 10:27).
The Scriptures tell us that it is impossible to
please God without faith: “But without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”
(Heb 11:6). We have to be diligently seeking,
knocking and asking (Matt 7:7,8), believing that
He will reward our efforts to communicate with
Him.
What Does It Mean
To Be Led By The Holy Spirit?
“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18).
The word “filled” in this case means just that: completely filled up or supplied. But the word “filled” is
derived from the Greek root word pletho, which
means to be influenced by. This requires our submitted will to cooperate with the Spirit’s influence.
In other words, we are to be influenced by
the Holy Spirit and not controlled or influenced by
other things in the natural or spiritual world. This is
what Christians commonly refer to as being Spiritfilled or Spirit-led.
When we examine this concept of being influenced or led by the Spirit of God, we see more
clearly the need to learn how to hear, recognize
and follow the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “My sheep
hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me” (John 10:27).
At this point we should agree and be assured
by the Word of God that we have the ability to
hear the Lord’s voice. The purpose of hearing
His voice is so that we can follow Him.
Walking in faithful obedience to both the Bible
and the Holy Spirit will lead to an overcoming life
– regardless of the circumstances of the past, the
present or the future.
Scripture states that Jesus is seated at the
right hand of Father God, making intercession for
us: “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who
died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom 8:34).
Jesus is within each believer, through the Holy
Spirit – since the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
are One. “And I will pray the Father, and He will
give you another Helper [like Me], that He may
abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom
the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He
dwells with you, and will be in you” (John
14:16,17).
The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus says
(John 14:26). The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus the
Christ to us (Eph 1:17). The Holy Spirit points us to
Jesus with all honor, glory and power: “However,
when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will
guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His
own authority, but whatever He hears He will
speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will
glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and
declare it to you” (John 16:13,14).
The essential work of the Holy Spirit is to
reveal Christ to us and transform us into the image
of Christ (2Cor 3:18). This is so that we would
know what Jesus would do in every situation or
circumstance, and so that we would act and
respond as He would!
Empowered By Our Inheritance
Just having the proper motivation for serving
God is not sufficient. We need to be empowered to
live and serve according to God’s standard of holiness. God has provided that empowerment
through His Holy Spirit, in that He has called us to
walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh. “There is
therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom 8:1).
Then again in verse 4: “…that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who
do not walk according to the flesh but according to
the Spirit.”
Paul goes on to talk about the carnal mind.
Remember that the carnal mind is a spiritually
immature mind that is set upon the flesh or the
things of the world. “For those who live according
to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded
Walking in faithful obedience to both the Bible and
the Holy Spirit will lead to an
overcoming life – regardless
of the circumstances of the
past, the present or the
future.
is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor
indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh
cannot please God” (Rom 8:5-8).
We are then exhorted to remember, “For as
many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are
sons of God” (Rom 8:14). Finally, Christ encourages us, through Paul, to recall that sons are entitled to the inheritance: “The Spirit Himself bears
witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that
we may also be glorified together” (Rom 8:16,17).
Not only is there the inheritance of Heaven
and everlasting life in the future; there is also the
inheritance of His Word, His Spirit and faith to help
us live as “more than conquerors” in this life. “As
His divine power has given to us all things that
pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by
which have been given to us exceedingly great
and precious promises, that through these you
may be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through
lust” (2Pet 1:3,4).
But Christ’s enablement does not stop at
power to live a godly life. He has even more to
give us! Continued with Chapter 7 highlights on page 14
Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 11
Equipped with World MAP Training,
Church Leaders Grow Strong in the Faith
Praise God! Praise God!
I am happy to be with you for 10 years. I
thank God for providing me with the World
MAP’s powerful discipling tools. God helped
me a lot with The Shepherd’s Staff. I was
shown a big light through you (ACTS World
MAP). I am happy to be with you in prayer,
supporting the tools.
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Papua New Guinea
I’m so much moved with all the
work undertaken with the World
MAP...
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your ministry
and the great
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What a wonderful
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– Pastor Mercia
Gaudencio de
Queiroz, Brazil
especially your involvement of providing
Ever since I joined you, I have
ACTS Magazine and the powerful book of
found you to be a blessing.
The Shepherd’s Staff.
– Evangelist Salmon Chalesi, Tanzania Long live ACTS!
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The church is growing.
We teach from NIV and NKJV Bible. And our I am very happy to receive the
Bible study we teach also from ACTS
Shepherd’s Staff book. It helps me a lot
Magazine.
in my personal growth as well as my ministry.
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learned from your
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The material I
receive from you
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12 • WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
Hong Kong
I have been a good reader of ACTS
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The Lord has used you to impact my life spiritually. My
ministry has not been the same again.
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I read your ACTS and Shepherd’s Staff
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I am blessed so much because I encounter the message
of teaching that in my personal study I learn many more.
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bringing people from the darkness into light.
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To the ACTS Magazine and Rev. Frank R.
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I am here to appreciate the relationship I have with you
since I got your information. I like to appreciate about the
magazine titled ‘The Anointing of the
Holy Spirit.’ It is so wonderful to me
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South Africa
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Thank you for partnering with World MAP to provide ACTS and
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Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 13
Highlights from Chapter 7:
Holy Spirit Guidance
“Now we have
received, not the
spirit of the world,
but the Spirit who
is from God, that
we might know the
things that have
been freely given
to us by God”
(1 Cor 2:12).
Let us review what we have learned before we
take the next step. When we communicate with
the physical world, we use our senses and interpret them with our mind. It is a body-and-soul
experience. If we read something, we use our
sight (body) and perceive the meaning of what is
read (mind or soul). When someone speaks to us,
we hear with our ears (body) and understand with
our mind (soul.)
Now in the spiritual realm, a similar operation
takes place. The spiritual can operate through the
body (the five senses), through the mind (impressions, thoughts, images), or directly through our
spirit. The fact that God may use our body or soul
to communicate with us from His Spirit makes the
communication no less spiritual (1Cor 14:2).
Sometimes we try to mystify or “spiritualize”
the ability to communicate in the spirit. Spiritual
communication was never meant to be unique or
special to only certain individuals. Spiritual communication with God was meant to be normal
Christianity!
An unfortunate mistake that many individuals
make is to associate “how one feels” with
spirituality.
How you feel is a reaction of the body or mind,
but not necessarily of the spirit. For example:
Jesus desired to have his disciples keep watch
while He was in prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane. The disciples kept falling asleep.
Jesus says, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41). Notice that Jesus says
that the spirit is willing but the flesh (mind and
body) is weak or tired. You see, your spirit never
tires or becomes weary. Your spirit never is distracted, or unwilling to do those things it was
designed to do. It was designed to communicate
with the spiritual realm.
How Does The Holy Spirit Guide Us?
As we have established earlier, it is God’s
intent that we be led by the Holy Spirit. That
means that He is directing our paths. I have heard
it said that, “When you walk with God, you get to
where He is going.”
14
• WORLD MAP DIGEST / Fall 2010
That rather obvious statement is true, isn’t it?
Just as we have an assurance that God has
plans, purposes and pursuits for us to walk in, we
can also be sure that God speaks to or communicates with us. One reason that God speaks to us
is to guide us.
Seeking First The Kingdom Of God
When I started out in ministry, I would imitate
the way other pastors dressed, walked and spoke.
I would rehearse the messages I had heard from
others and try to preach or teach those messages
as if they were my own. I was an echo! It seemed
easier to be an echo than to develop my relationship with God and learn to hear from Him.
Herein lies the problem. If we develop the
habit of seeking the direction of man (books,
tapes, TV, radio, friends), then we will not be asking, seeking and knocking for the fullness of the
Holy Spirit.
Jesus makes a statement relating to the promise of the Father: “So I say to you, ask, and it will
be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. For everyone who
asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him
who knocks it will be opened.
“If a son asks for bread from any father among
you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a
fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
“Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a
scorpion?
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask Him!” (Luke 11:9-13).
If you desire more of the Holy Spirit, you will
have to look to and rely upon God, not man; you
will have to seek the Kingdom of God, not the
kingdom of men and this world (Matt 6:33).
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His
followers and restates the promise: “And being
assembled together with them, He commanded
them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for
the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you
have heard from Me’” (Acts 1:4).
Finally, Jesus says, “But you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of
the earth” (Acts 1:8).
“Witnesses To Me…”
When we apply this scripture, we most often
apply it in an evangelistic sense: We will be
empowered for “witnessing.” While that is a true
statement, it is also very limiting.
If I am to truly be a witness to Jesus, that
means I will testify of what He says and does. That
is not limited to boldness in evangelism. It also
implies that the witness is active, personal and
now! I am a witness to Jesus because I daily talk
to Him and He talks to me, through His Holy Spirit.
If you want to be a voice for God – and be assured
that is God’s plan for you – then you must also
expect the Holy Spirit to do what He has promised
that He will do in His Word!
That means you will not resort to your own
strength or plans to accomplish God’s will. It is
as if you were to say, “God, unless You show me
what to do, I will not move. Unless You give me
what to say, I will not speak. Unless Your presence goes with me, I will not go on” (see Exodus
33:15).
Being a voice for God is what you were
called and created for. Seek and you will find;
knock and it will be opened; ask and it will be
given to you! Highlights from Chapter 8:
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Foundation Of Life And Ministry
It is important to visit, often, the foundation of
our faith and life. In the busyness and pressures of
ministry, it is easy to lose our way and forget
Whom we serve and to Whom we belong.
When we feel we have lost our way – or lost
sight of our first love – we should not just continue
to push ahead as many do. No, we must instead
back up and return to the right place, starting
again from that point in a new direction.
That right place is the Cross of Christ, the
Cross of Calvary. It is from this point – remembering Jesus Christ, what He has done for us, and
what He means to us – that we regain our perspective. At the Cross, we gain a fresh view of
God’s purpose and plan for our lives through relationship with Him.
At the core of our relationship with God is the
fact that we are His sons and daughters. This is
far more important than the fact that we are ministers and leaders. It is the truth of our sonship –
that He is our Father – which should keep us in the
center of His will and purpose.
Our purpose is to walk with our Father, as children of our God. It is only after we are secure in
our relationship with Him as our Father that we
then have the basis for the assignment that He
has given us as ministers and leaders.
When we understand the heart of the Father to
glorify His Son, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, we
will then develop a sound foundation of spiritual
confidence. It is this confidence that allows us to
understand how and why Jesus Christ must be the
foundation of our life and ministry.
Because we have trusted in Jesus, that alone
qualifies us to be sons of God. Serving, or ministry, is simply what sons do – because they love
their Father and have been empowered by the
Holy Spirit for that very purpose.
Spiritual Communication Is Vital
Our relationship with God is spiritual; therefore, we must begin to see ourselves as spiritual
beings. The essential elements of our ministry –
the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, and faith that
comes from God – are all spiritual in nature and
operation. We have clearly seen that the Word of
God teaches that we are spiritual in nature.
However, we are also body and soul. We tend
to be more familiar and comfortable functioning in
these two areas. Because of this, we have a natural tendency to trust and lean upon our own
strength and understanding.
Nevertheless, God is Spirit and those who
worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth
(John 4:24). The Bible reveals that we are severely limited if we rely only upon our physical strength
and our soul (mind, emotions and will) to perform
God’s will or hear from Him. He has made us spiritual beings, so that we might live with Him in
Heaven one day; but also that we would have spiritual fellowship with Him now.
Remember, spiritual fellowship simply means
that we have a two-way communication between
God, who is spirit, and man. This is accomplished
as His Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit and
as our spirit communicates with the Holy Spirit.
This spiritual communication is vital in receiving
the work of the Holy Spirit in discipleship, holiness
and the enablement for ministry.
We must cultivate the ability to hear and follow
the Holy Spirit as He leads, guides and directs us
– both in ministry and in everyday life.
How amazing it is that God desires fellowship
with us. Assuredly, He is there in the crises of ministry and life; but His great joy is that we walk with
Him daily through this life.
As we develop our awareness of God within
us, we will be able to commune with Him during
the everyday occurrences of life. This brings into
focus a clearer understanding of the scripture,
“pray without ceasing” (1Thess 5:17), which
implies a continuous communication with our
Father in Heaven.
The spiritual life is truly an exciting life – filled
with the joy and inner peace that can come only
when communing daily with God. He has not sent
you on a mission by yourself. His promise is that
he will never leave you nor forsake you. He has
given you everything you need to accomplish His
will and purpose for you. Therefore, take full
advantage of all that God has provided for you
through His Word and by His Spirit.
This is the great privilege – and the great
requirement – of a truly spiritual life! Editor’s Note: In the January 2011 World
MAP DIGEST, we will begin publishing excerpts
from the ACTS Magazine teaching “The Anointing
of the Holy Spirit” by Dr. Frank R. Parrish.
Fall 2010 / WORLD MAP DIGEST • 15
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Lifting
their
spirits
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