I have some acquaintances that I came to know at Waco that shared a little 2 minute testimony about their experience that has forever changed Who I Am. When I met this couple at a meeting for people interested in becoming a part of the Antioch vision they asked about my walk with the Lord. I shared a couple of simple things and they blessed me with a short version of their story. (if we drop by Waco sometime I'll introduce you). They said that they were very busy climbing the corporate ladder. Went to church and saved for their daughter’s college at Baylor. They explained that their life was VERY busy with work. They had lots of 'stuff' but no time to enjoy it. They stayed upset about one thing or another and then their daughter went on a mission trip and returned from college for the summer. They noticed an immediate change in their 19 year old daughter. She was calm and polite and offered to serve and help rather than demand to shop and spend. First they were thankful and knew it was only a temporary transition in their growing young lady. But as time passed it didn't go away. Then nearly a year later they had a deep discussion that was long overdue in their marriage. They realized separately that they wanted what she had, and were both approaching each other with that request. So ultimately they sold off their vacation property and airplane and quit the jobs that gave them mega bucks and moved to Waco to be a part of the church. They bought a minimal to moderate home and found average jobs and discovered that they were deliriously happy for the first time in their lives. They both reported nothing really wrong with their first lives as successful but also looking back they realized they were really chasing money and it never was fulfilling. Now they enjoy a slower pace and spend more quality time together as a couple that they had wanted before but could not really find it.
Then as time went on, I saw that so much more was going on with this community of people.....and their story became something that most of the people did in one way or another….even “me” in time. Antioch grew in 10 short years to finance worldwide missionaries of over 400 internationally and over 200 church plants in the US. As time went on, I realized that I had learned more in less than one year from my Antioch group than 4 1/2 years worshiping at Lakewood. Their common dedication was a passion for mentor-ship and disciple –ing, Jimmy Seibert wrote about it in his 3rd book and talked of the world wide impact of a man committing to mentor a young man for 1 year and then expecting they will mentor at least one-man for the next year as well....calculations were that by finishing the 10 th year of mentoring, you would have impacted over 1 million people's lives and often reached more people than we would ever possibly know. I pray that I am a part of carrying on this vision by answered God’s call in Mark 16:15 with The Shack Ministries.
Mark 16:15-18
And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
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