Passion Week of Jesus

From Luke’s Gospel Chapters 19:28 – 24:53

Sunday

• The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem – 19:28-40
• Jesus weeps over the city of Jerusalem – 19:41-44

Monday

• Jesus cleanses the temple – 19:45-46
• He teaches the Passover crowds – 19:47-48

Tuesday

• He contends with religious rulers – 20:1-8
• Jesus again speaks to the Passover crowds – 20:9-21:38

Wednesday

• The plot against Jesus – 22:1-2
• Judas joins the conspiracy to betray Jesus – 22:3-6

Thursday

• Preparation for Passover – 22:7-13
• The Lord’s Supper – 22:14-38

Friday

• Peter’s denial of Jesus – 22:54-62
• Jesus mocked and beaten – 22:63-65
• Trial before the Sanhedrin – 22:66-71
• Trial before Pilate – 23:1-25
• The crucifixion of Jesus – 23:26-49
• Burial of Jesus – 23:50-55

Saturday

• Rest and preparation of spices for final entombment of Jesus - 23:55-56
  (also see John 19:38-42, Mark 16:1)

Sunday

• The Resurrection of Jesus – 24:1-12

The last days of Jesus on earth after His death and resurrection…

• The encounter on the road to Emmaus – 24:13-45
• Jesus gives proof of His resurrection – 24:23-43
• The Great Commission – 24:44-48
• The Ascension of Jesus 24:49-53

This is the most important week of the Christian calendar. It is Passion week - the week we give special attention to the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Above are an outline of readings for the rest of the week. I suggest you follow the daily readings to meditate on Jesus' death and resurrection.

Our church will celebrate this Sunday as we gather home churches, friends and family. There will be believers from Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Limpopo - and many other provinces and countries. We will worship in a variety of languages, see a dramatic presentation of Jesus' death and resurrection, then scatter around the grounds of Africa House in small groups to discuss the Scriptures and do communion together - led by local people, many of whom are recent converts. Then there will be baptisms and more rejoicing!

I wish you could be with us!!

May this week be a blessed week for you, your family and your community.

Yours,

Floyd and Sally McClung

by Floyd McClung

1. Thou shall not make thyself a god or big boss to the people that you lead.
2. Thou shall not allow people to flatter you, and thou shall not take for your self big titles.
3. Thou shall not require an unquestioning loyalty from others, nor shall you teach people that you are their covering.
4. Thou shall not be a spiritual social climber, nor shall you purchase a theological degree online.
5. Thou shall lead with meekness and grace.
6. Thou shall not seek to control and manipulate others, nor use intrigues and scheming to get your own way.
7. Thou shall not have two standards of conduct for your public and private life, nor shall you have secret relationships or sexual fantasies.
8. Thou shall not interfere with or weaken the marriages of others by usurping authority over them.
9. Thou shall not compete with others in ministry for the allegiance or praise of people.
10. Thou shall not discourage people from joining other churches or being sent as missionaries with other groups.

Have you ever heard of an "access ministry"? One of the keys to discipling new believers is finding the right "access ministry" to connect to their hearts. An access ministry is what we do to serve people that opens them to hear the good news of the gospel. Not every church planter/disciple maker is good at creating an access ministry, and not every person who can start an access ministry is a natural evangelist and disciple maker. But these two types of ministries desperately need to be integrated. Doing one type of ministry without the other is to be guilty of the worst extremes of missions: hit and run evangelism on the one hand, and social justice without mentioning Jesus or sharing the gospel on the other hand.

Planting churches among unengaged and unreached people groups really means engaging in holistic discipleship. To start simple churches without caring deeply about people's whole lives is pretty superficial, and to be engaged in transformation of their social and economic circumstances without leading them to faith in Christ and gathering them in new communities of faith, is to not care about their eternal salvation.

We are committed to holistic church planting and disciple making in here in Cape Town. It is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work, fierce focus, and great intentionality. It means making sure there are passionate evangelists on every team we send out, and linking these evangelists with those who can start practical ministries of of social development.

Let me give you an example of how we are attempting to integrate the these two dimensions in All Nations Cape Town. In fact, I could give you lots of examples: Baby Safe - rescuing abandoned babies, Vulnerable Children - caring for AIDS impacted child-headed households, Steps Job Training, etc. In fact, every ministry we do is aimed at integrating practical care, personal salvation, and establishing communities of faith for the new believers. But one recent example stands out.

Photo: The First Graduating Class from Play Prof

Play Prof

Two days ago I attended the first graduation ceremony of pre-school principals being trained in the use education toys for disadvantaged pre-schoolers. We do this under the banner of PlayProf. This program is led by Anna Chan. Anna is from Hone Kong and works with All Nations to train and mentor pre-school teachers and principals in Masiphumelele, a township in Cape Town. Each lady who completed the course was given a large plastic box, filled with educational toys and a teachers manual. Anna will follow up with monthly one-on-one mentoring times with the pre-school leaders.

The training course is the result of a partnership between All Nations and Pray-Prof, a South Africa pre-school training and equipping company. A child born in poverty often lacks basic motor and learning skills, which sets them on a life-time pathway of educational and learning disadvantages. Most never recover from this early childhood disadvantage. Pray-Prof exists to address this need. And All Nations is deeply committed to meet that need as well.

Anna is excited about discipling the teachers of pre-schools, the parents of children in the pre-schools, the children themselves, and their siblings. Anna sees what she is doing as a huge door opener, an access ministry, into the lives of teachers, parents, older bothers and sisters, and care givers. What she is doing is an example of holistic discipleship: she is adding huge value to people's lives, and creating an important "access ministry" for starting simple churches. She and others she works with are discipling people they meet one-to-one, starting Bible Studies in their homes, and growing up leaders to lead simple home churches. No one is more excited than Anna when one of those she has discipled to faith is baptized in one of our church celebrations.

So, while we have our personal health struggles, at the same time Sally and I are deeply encouraged. Thanks for your love and prayers.

God bless,

Floyd

To the right is a picture of a good friend and one of our key leaders in All Nations Cape Town. Bruce Chitambala is single, 33 years old, a university graduate, and comes from the beautiful land of Zambia. He has a passion for sports - especially soccer - and loves to disciple anyone he can, but especially emerging African leaders. He serves as a mentor to students in CPx, our leadership school.

I want to commend Bruce to you for financial support. Would you prayerfully consider supporting him with a monthly gift of $25, $50 or $100? Bruce would be happy to correspond with you regularly and keep you informed of his vision for Africa. Recently, he gave a talk to our staff and students titled, The History of the Black Man. It was powerful in that it was used to break negative stereotypes of Africans and African men in particular. If you would like to correspond with Bruce his email is chitambala@gmail.com

It is God's hour for Africa!

Thank you!

Floyd and Sally

Yesterday I met with an Ethiopian brother who is a student in CPx, our leadership and church planting school. He has started and oversees 164 churches in Ethiopia, so he is not a novice. He endured the time in the 1980's when the communists ruled Ethiopia and persecuted the Christians mercilessly.

My question to this dear brothers, and I'm sure you would think of the same question, is why would he come to our training program when he has already done so much for the kingdom?

"I want to learn more", he said, when I asked him that question. "I want to learn how to send church planters from Ethiopia to other countries to spread the gospel".

In talking to him yesterday, I was surprised to learn that Muslims now claim 44% of the population of Ethiopia! There is growing persecution against believers in areas where Muslims are dominant. The Communist regime has been overthrown, but now the Muslims are rising up in numbers to try to take over the government. Please pray for this pastor, would you?

There are others like him who have attended CPx and are now working full time with All Nations: Bruce Chimtabala from Zambia, Munyaradzi Hove from Zimbabwe, Eric Mogane from Limpopo, and Petrus Mamonyane - these are African brothers are sold out, dedicated, men of integrity and character. They are far more effective that I will ever be, or any Westerner will be in reaching and transforming Africa.

Sally and I consider it a privilege to serve with them as co-workers. These brothers are in great need of monthly support - please pass the word to your friends or family members if you think any of someone who would like to support one of these brothers for $25, $50, or $100 a month. It would mean so much to them!"

By Rachel Haley

CPx student - All Nations Cape Town

Apostles: Apostolic church planters pioneer movements in new places and find ways to mold the church-planting model to fit new cultural challenges. They are idea people who whole-heartedly believe that truth applies to all peoples and cultures and they don’t try to change the people or the gospel as they bring them together.

Pastors: Pastoral church planters encourage and build up local leaders. They are mentors who truly believe in and support the people they are raising up. They are an understanding ear and an empathetic shoulder when things are frustrating in the church planting process. They are shepherds who love to pour into those pouring into others. They are empowerers.

Prophets: Prophetic church planters go on treasure hunts for people of peace. They receive words of knowledge to unlock hearts and encourage movements. They receive warnings and intercede for the movement not to be led astray. They are sensitive to know where the Lord has sent His Spirit ahead and where He is already working, especially if the area is difficult to access.

Teachers: Church planters with a gift of teaching know how to lead people to God’s word when they come with questions. They rise up other teachers to give the churches solid foundations of truth. They can take groups through specific passages where the Lord speaks about what people in the group are going through. They exemplify a deep knowledge of being obedient to the Lord.

Evangelists: Evangelistic church planters are the seekers; they are fishers of men. They have an anointing of favor with people and the ability to speak about spiritual things easily. They are great for finding people of peace and discerning who is really hungry for the Lord. They introduce the presence of the Lord into conversations and relationships where He wasn’t previously welcome.  

By Floyd McClung

Defining terms:

Develop: to change, to become mature; to develop is not to teach but to model, assist, watch, then leave or hand things over. To develop disciples is more that teaching disciples.

Culture: A culture is an environment. A discipleship culture is a culture of radical obedience and passion to make more disciples. It is a movement environment!

Discipleship: to invest in one another’s lives intentionally with the goal of seeing a movement of fruit bearing, reproducing followers of Jesus Christ

What we are not talking about is measuring our effectiveness by the size of our church or the popularity of our programs, but rather looking for the longing of the majority of the people in our community to be multiplying the life of Jesus in others, and they in turn doing the same thing. We measure success by making disciples who make disciples who do like wise. 2 Timothy 2:2

What is the Secret to Developing a Disciple Making, Fruit Bearing, Reproducing Community?

1. Good soil. Jesus taught his disciples how to identify receptive soil. Read the Parable of the sower in Luke 8 and Mark 4. Jesus taught his disciples the parable of the sower and the soil. He told them this was the most important of all the parables – if they didn’t understand this parable they wouldn’t understand any parable. He said there are two types of soil: receptive and resistant, and the three types of receptive soil (rocky, thorny, and fruitful). He said only one type produces fruit. In Luke 10 he taught the same thing, but in a different way. He taught them to look for the person of peace wherever they went. Four types of soil: hard, superficial, shallow, and receptive soil. If you were a farmer and you wanted a good crop, would you focus on the first three kinds of soil or the latter? You might prepare bad soil if it is not receptive, but you would give attention to the soil that is fruitful.

Don’t baby sit unfruitful people. Love them but focus on those who are serious. This creates a culture of discipleship!

Understanding this parable will change everything about how you think and act:

1. The way you do ministry
2. How you see people
3. What you are responsible for and who you are not responsible for
4. Who you give your time and attention to
5. Motivate you to make disciples who make disciples

What the Bible says about bad and good soil people:

• James 2:5
• Matt. 18:3
• Matt. 7:7
• 1 Cor. 1:27
• Lk. 18:24-25

2. Good seed. Having the right seed is essential. Jesus taught his disciples to sow abundant gospel seed. The sower in the parable of the sower and the seed sows extravagantly, almost wastefully. He scatters the seed everywhere. In every fruit bearing, reproducing movement in the earth today, there is abundant sowing of the gospel seed. If the soil is this parable is the hearts of people, then the seed is the gospel, the good news of Jesus. It is not church, it is not programs, it is not theology or doctrine, it is Jesus. Don’t defend “Christianity,” don’t argue doctrine, sow Jesus! Share him, talk about him, tell people about him, tell your story about how you came to know Jesus. No shame. No fear. Do it in every conversation and every relationship.

3. Willing Sowers. Jesus taught his disciples to sow the seed every where they went. Don’t buy into the relativism, the tolerance of our culture. Raise up people who are culturally engaged, but are radically obedient to share Jesus. Teach people to over come fear. Help them learn how to share their story.

4. Water the Soil. Water is prayer. Praying for the soil allows us to love our city and our generation the way Jesus does. It prepares our heart to believe for a harvest. Prayer releases faith in our hearts. Pray for a harvest. Prayer is essential to see a harvest. It is the water that causes the seed to grow. It is God’s way of inviting us into a relationship of dependence on Him and love for those he is drawing to himself. Develop a culture of prayer. Early morning prayer. Prayer walking. Seasons of 24 hour prayer. Half nights of prayer. Fasting and prayer. Pray in every gathering. Pray in every one on one relationship, in every small group, for people to come to know and reproduce the life of Jesus.

5. Pull weeds and prune the vines. Jesus taught us to cooperate with pruning. Weeds can choke the plant. Teach the word and teach people to teach themselves the word. Teach holiness. Train people to be obedient to the commands of Jesus. His seven basic commands are the truth that produces obedient disciples. Spiritual disciplines are what make people grow and reproduce.

The Disciple Making Process

• Pray – with desperation and focus for fruit bearing disciples who make more disciples
• Connect – with people’s hearts who are hungry to grow and obey Jesus
• Disciple – a few individuals who are willing to study the Gospels with you – ask your disciples to disciple others and then hold them accountable to do so
• Gather – 2 or more of your disciples in a D-Group (discipleship group), and grow together (see http://floydandsally.org/posts/dgroups for a simple three step outline for D-Groups)
• Multiply – train your disciples to start their own D-Groups following the same process you have: first pray for the lost, connect with people who don’t know Jesus, disciple a few individuals, gather them, and then teach them to start new groups themselves

Check out these ten questions to ponder as you enter 2010.:

1. What's one way you could utilize time to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. Who are three people you can disciple more intentionally?
6. What is the most helpful way you can build community with a few other followers of Jesus this year?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. Who is the person you most want to encourage this year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing can you plan to do this year that will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Every day we brush shoulders with people who can only make it through life by showing tremendous courage. They live in the disadvantaged communities of Cape Town (Masiphumelele, Red Hill, Ocean View... and others). and face danger and deprivation as a way of life, yet they are rich in love, dignity and joy. They have chosen to follow Jesus, and though they look to Sally and me for leadership, they are the real men and women of courage.

I wonder how I would do if I lived in a one room shack? Or my father threatened to disown me if I did not offer sacrifices to ancestors? Or I was a single mom who had to hide my children from an abusive former husband who threatened to take my children while I was at work?

Today I will take 10 young men and women of courage to see a movie about another man of courage, Nelson Mandela. For some, it will be the first time they have been to a theatre to see a movie. I have spent ten wonderful days with these young heros of the faith, teaching them and mentoring them in the ways of God. Now we will take some time to celebrate.... it is one way we want to bring some Christmas joy to them.

We will see the movie Invictus, a captivating look behind the scenes when Nelson Mandela was the newly elected president of South Africa. Very inspiring - and a way of seeing life the way we see it almost every day in South Africa. It is a new nation now, no longer under the apartheid regime, but the living conditions and racial struggles are the same.

To give some biblical context to the subject of courage I want to share a few insights from the New Testament book of Acts. I am reading Acts again these days, slowly journeying along side Peter and John and the other apostles. I am inspired by their lives...I hope you will be as well. Below are a few truths about courage from Acts chapters 3 and 4.

Courage is the willingness to act on one’s convictions no matter the cost. It is the willingness to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, even rejection, sometimes great pain, without being overcome by fear or being deflected from one’s course of action.

Boldness is acting in the face of rejection or misunderstanding (“with all boldness they will speak your word” = 4:29). Courage is an inner attitude of heart, and boldness is the action we take to put our courage into words or deeds.

1. Seek to obey truth no matter the cost
2. Strive for change based on what is true or right
3. Speak up about one’s convictions
4. Spurn temptations to be compromised
5. Stare danger in the eye
6. Search for the fear of the Lord with all one’s might
7. Single eye on the vision God has given you and invite others to follow

 I love Christmas - the decorations, the tree, the gifts, the baking, the special meals, the surprises for people, the caroles - I love it all. It's truly my favorite time of the year. I even loved the cold weather......and the snow when we had it. In fact, that's one of the things I miss about the Christmas season now that I live in South Africa and Christmas is in summer. After several years, I still have a hard time wrapping my brain around that. I've just had too many years of winter Christmases.

I have friends that don't really like Christmas all that much. I mean, sure they like it because we are celebrating Christ's birth, but they don't like all the other things that I so love. It got me thinking about why I love everything about the Christmas season.

I know it has its roots in my growing up years. Every year my dad and I would go shopping together for the Christmas tree. We always wanted to find the perfect one, and we came close! We had a beautiful fir tree every year. We'd come home and join with my mom (Memaw) and decorate it. Of course she always had special baked/cooked treats to eat while we did that. Then on another day, my dad and I would put up outside lights. We had a two story house, and we got ladders out so we could decorate both levels. It wasn't anything fancy, but those bright, colored lights were so beautiful to me because my dad and I had put them up. I treasure the memories of us doing these things together every Christmas.

Every year my Dad said he couldn't afford any gifts. And every year, just a few days before Christmas, he'd ask me to take him shopping. He had been tucking money away and would buy my mom and me and some other family members special gifts. Of course by the time he got around to doing his shopping things would be really picked over! I learned as I grew up to ask some shop keepers to hold things until I brought my Dad in! Seeing his true generous heart was such a treasure.

My Dad was a product of his generation - one that had a hard time showing emotion and expressing feelings. As a child I often wished he would do that more. I think Christmas is when I really saw my Dad's heart and came to know who he was inside. I treasured that!

Close to Christmas we usually had a family dinner when other members of my family that lived nearby would come over - my sister and her family, one of my brothers and his family......and sometimes others who lived further away would come in. I often joke and say my family talked a lot but didn't say much. We talked about everything, but rarely was it "heart" stuff. Except at Christmas......and then it seemed that people opened up more and shared their hearts. This was another treasure for me.

My mom never had a lot, but she shared everything she had - all the time, but especially at Christmas. She cooked and baked up a storm! She took platefuls of all her special treats (divinity candy, candied grapefruit rinds, Spanish kisses, and delicious pies to name a few) to just about everyone she knew. My friends loved to come to my house and sample it all! Even though I've tried, I still haven't mastered cooking some of her specialties. My family wasn't poor, but we didn't have a lot of extra either. My mother gave out of her gifts and talents because she had such a generous spirit. I treasure that memory so much.

As parents, we want to establish family traditions and make memories that our children can take with them all their lives. I have those special memories tucked away in my heart........and they help make Christmas so very special to me. I love it!

O come, O come Emmanuel...."God with us." Matt. 1:23