Luke 10

By: Steve Hill

One of the commands of Jesus in Luke 10 is to pursue family based conversion patterns.  We are to go to the home of a person of peace and disciple them in the context of their own home and teach them to become the pastor of their own family and friends.  We disobey the clear instruction of Jesus by trying to get them to come to us!  As someone has said, "Most of the church has a geography problem.  Jesus said we are to go to the world but we want the world to come to us!"  

In the book of Acts, Luke testifies to family based conversion patterns in the house of Cornelius and in the house of the Philippian jailer. 

One of the characteristic of all Church Planting Movements  as identified by David Garrison is "family based conversion patterns".  It is wonderful to see this strategic understanding and willingness to obey Jesus catalyzed by divine connection! 

Last week Elena was coming out of a prison in KG after visiting one of our prison churches when she was asked by a couple for a ride.  They had just been inside visiting a son.  She gave them a ride and began to talk.  They were of Kurdish background and spiritually hungry.  They invited Elena to their home so they could learn more about Jesus.  Yesterday Elena took Gulya and went to their home.  They talked and prayed for several hours with the result that almost two dozen people of that family from the elders down to grandchildren began a new life with Jesus!  Yeah God!

Pray that the Kingdom will spread from that home to others amongst the Kurdish diaspora in KG!

Another of the examples from the book of Acts is the supernatural encounter of Philip with the Ethiopian official.  The man was ready and hungry for Philip's instruction.  Philip baptized him and sent him on his way!   Friends Brian and Ingrid met Elizabeth in Moscow airport.  Elizabeth was living there having had her passport and ticket stolen.  They shared Jesus with her and asked us to look her up as we went through.  We did so and began to take her food, Bibles and books.

Elizabeth has been living in the airport since September of 2006 but is not complaining!  She views this has her time to encounter God and learn about Jesus!  We have baptized her by placing her under her blankets and raising her up to newness of life in the resurrected Christ. 

Last time through Moscow we baptized a young man that Elizabeth led to Christ in the airport!  He was from Eritrea who would probably face jail time on being returned to his country.  The authorities almost had to drag him away from Elizabeth!  He was pleading with them for more time with her so he could learn more about Jesus!

Today we talked with Elizabeth and learned that she has spent the last three days sharing with a man from Sudan!  He has been so hungry for more of Jesus that he has refused to use the meal tickets he has been given!  Going to eat takes too much time away from his personal Jesus seminar with Elizabeth!    That Jesus seminar continues!

Elizabeth is rejoicing over God using her to send missionaries to the nations from Moscow airport! 

Jesus open our eyes to see the "families" around us! 
Jesus open our eyes to recognize our "divine encounters"! 

Thanks so much for your prayers and support so we can serve friends like Elena, Gulya and Elizabeth!

Yeah God!
Steve & Marilyn