Fan Into Flame
Guest Editorial: Roger Parlour - Shepherd
(Roger and his wife Kama are good friends and exemplary disciples, who serve as shepherds in our sister church in Chicago. This is Roger's account about Bombay, India - presently known as Mumbai. KM)
"But you, O Lord, are exalted forever. For surely your enemies, O Lord, surely your enemies will perish; all evildoers will be scattered. You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; fine oils have been poured upon me. My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him.'" Psalm 92:8-15
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| Roger Parlour pictured with his wife - Kama, daughter - Brittany and his son - Joel. |
Several weeks ago, while my 21 year old son Joel was rummaging through some old cassette tapes that I keep in the attic, he came upon a message simply entitled,
"The Bombay Report." Since the Chicago Church is presently very involved in the support of our dear brother and sister Raja and Debbie Rajan in Chennai, India, this tape caught his eye. He called me several days later and told me it was imperative that I listen to it. I agreed, but never did. A month later, I was having a discipling time with one of my best friends, Chris Broom. He pulled out a portable tape player and insisted that I listen to it and tell him what I thought. I turned on the tape player and immediately a young, excited, fired-up disciple came on and proceeded to give an update on the ministry and work going on in Bombay, India in 1987. Initially, I didn't recognize the young preacher who was speaking. After a few minutes I thought I recognized his voice, but I couldn't put a name to it. At the 10:06 minute mark in the tape, he mentioned the names of his wife and son - Kama and Joel - and I was shocked! The speaker was me! That young, fired-up, zealous, reckless, unhindered man of God was me... over 20 years earlier! A flood of memories rushed through me of the month I had spent in Bombay back in 1987. It was during a campaign, where people from all over the world came into the city of Bombay to do nothing but eat, drink and sleep evangelism for one month - to help that young church move forward powerfully!
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Evangelism: A Gift Or A Command?
Our Sister Samantha's Late Night Baptism
Whenever we think of gifts, most think of certain talents and abilities they possess. Growing up and playing basketball at 6'4", I was always looked upon as a gifted athlete. I've had friends that were gifted musicians. My mother was a gifted painter. My dad was a gifted speaker. Even in the realm of Christianity many are considered to be gifted with certain Godly abilities. In fact, over the past few years I have heard many in our former fellowship, and even some in our present fellowship, refer to evangelism as a "gift." The implication is that if someone is not gifted in the area of evangelism, God does not expect him or her to share their faith, as long as they contribute in the other areas that they are "gifted" in. In order to determine whether this is true or not, we must find the answers to a few questions: 1) what role did "gifts" play in the first century church? 2) Is evangelism a gift? 3) What is the difference between a gift and a command?
In considering the question, "What role did 'gifts' play in the first century church?" We will have to look at a few passages.
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