INSPIRED FAITH INITIATIVE
1 Samuel 14:6 NLT
“Let’s go across to see those pagans,” Jonathan said to his armor bearer. “Perhaps the Lord will help us, for nothing can hinder the Lord. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!”
This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. King Saul and his men were paralyzed by fear and cowardice. They saw the size of the Philistine army and literally ran away, hiding in caves, and holes in the ground. Faithless cowardice was a defining attribute of King Saul, just as it defines many Christians and leaders today.
Jonathan, Saul’s son, chose a very different path. Courageous, daring, he truly believed in the Most High God of heaven. Jonathan was a man of inspired faith initiative. He knew God’s command to conquer the Philistines. He said to his lone armor bearer, “Let’s go up to those pagans. God can use us. God doesn’t need a giant army to win his battles. God can use just the two of us, if we put our trust in him and take the initiative.” So up they go, and together they kill 20 of them. As a result, panic seized the entire Philistine army. Suddenly, God caused a tremendous earthquake, and the terrified, Philistine army began to run away in every direction. All because of Jonathan’s inspired faith initiative.
This story of Jonathan and the concept I call “inspired faith initiative”, God has used countless times in my 49 year faith journey.
When I lived in Webster City in 1975, having just dedicated my life to following Jesus Christ, God inspired me to go to my old high school and stand out by the buses as students got on the bus after school. I handed out comic book, illustrated Gospel booklets that I knew many kids would be intrigued to read.
Soon after, God inspired me again, after literally bumping into a group of college students from Chile on the sidewalk, as I helped a friend move. I found out where they were staying in town so I could minister to them. They were staying 8 to a room, crammed into tiny motel rooms, with hardly anything. I went and bought groceries for them and brought it to their run-down roadside motel. I began to reach out to them with the love of Christ and the Gospel. These students had fled the communist regime of Pinochet in Chile to come to the states. I devised several ways to help them, arranging a few jobs for them to earn some money, even calling multiple hospitals to help a young Chilean couple I’d befriended get medical care to deliver their soon to arrive baby. I seized the initiative. Shortly thereafter, Raul and Adriana came to know Christ.
In 1976/77 I would take my guitar and drive with a friend to a reform school for boys in Eldora, Iowa. I would give a mini concert, playing and singing the 5 songs I had and share my faith story and the Gospel with these broken young people.
After I moved to Ames, Iowa in May of 1977, I would take my band and do concerts on the central campus of ISU and preach the Gospel. I did this countless times over the years living there.
I moved to Minnesota at the end of 1986 with another inspired faith initiative burning on my heart. I began a new church with a unique style of church service that presented Jesus Christ, the Gospel and Biblical truth in a very compelling and winsome way. Over time, hundreds came to know Jesus Christ and gave their lives to him. Eventually, thousands were attending. God was doing amazing things.
In 1999, most young people in the culture were rejecting Christianity. Many came from broken homes, brainwashed by this culture. With passionate inspiration from God, I devised a church and church service designed specifically for them. I created round, coaster invite cards to pass out, and posters we put up all over the city, advertising the church that said: “Warning: This is definitely not your parents church.” We met on a Saturday night, rather than Sunday morning when most young people were all sleeping. I recruited musicians, using secular songs with powerful, relevant messages, that deeply resonated with young people. Songs like “Dust In The Wind” by Kansas, “Cold Water” by Damien Rice, “Calling All Angels” by Train, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” by Johnny Cash, “Still Haven’t Found” by U2. Our band led us in emotive, passionate worship music to God, unlike any of these young people had ever experienced. It was all incredible to be honest. Then walking out on stage, I taught them the powerful truths of the Bible, and preached the Gospel to them. I taught them how to follow Christ, how to obey his word, and how to live according to the teachings of the Bible. I held nothing back. They eagerly responded and listened. These young people embraced God’s plan for marriage and the family. They embraced God’s Biblical role for husband and wife. I loved them, showed them tremendous grace, compassion and kindness. I believed in them. So many lives were impacted and changed that several other men decided to start this same kind of church in their cities.
Some years later, it came to my attention that many students from Asia were very open to the Gospel and interested in spiritual things. I launched a specific ministry to reach out to them. I recruited a team of people, raising funds to purchase a very large, older home not far from the campus area where they lived. The team worked tirelessly to refurbish that house, and East House was birthed. Many Asian students heard the Gospel. Many found the Lord.
Strong Disciple itself is an inspired faith initiative. Even today, sharing these amazing stories still leaves me in awe as I think about what God has done.
I have a friend, his name is Kees, he just turned 65. Some years ago, he moved by himself to Bolivia, where he reaches out to kids. There are so many broken families in Bolivia, so many needy children. He has seen hundreds come to Christ. He trains these young kids to reach other kids. They have many small groups meeting, led by young kids he has trained, where these children are sharing Jesus with other children. My friend Kees has very poor health, yet he walks the mountainous regions of his city, reaching out to these kids. His work is an inspired faith initiative! God is using him greatly. Had Kees not stepped out in faith, none of this would be happening.
I have another friend named Bill who was part of my church for years. He was a carpenter living here in Eagan, MN. He and his family love the Lord. God inspired him to step out in faith and move to Oklahoma with his family, where they reach out to kids in that area through the ministry they are working with. Many kids have come to Christ.
My mother just turned 89 years old. Several years ago, God put it on her heart to start a Bible study for the older people who live in her apartment complex. As a result several have come to know Jesus Christ over the last year. I’ll never forget my mom, back in the 60’s with 5 young children at the time, living in Muscatine, Iowa, when she decided to start a Good News club for kids in our living room after school. She would make her special homemade chocolate chip cookies, and lead the club in our old house built in 1880, telling us stories with her flannelgraph. I would bring as many kids as I could from my class at McKenley elementary school to join.
Friends, I could go on and on. But let me ask you. What is God putting on your heart? What inspired faith initiative does God want you to take? You see, God does not need many. God needs a few. God needs you. God can work mighty things through the simple initiative, taken in faith, by one person. It might be something in your neighborhood, at your job, or something with your family members. It may seem very small to you, but no inspired faith initiative is too small or insignificant to God. Seize the initiative! Go for it! You only have one shot at this life. Don’t let faithless cowardice be a defining attribute in your life.
Please hear this powerful, inspiring message.
Helping you become a Strong Disciple,
Because of Jesus,
Pastor Mark Darling
