Don’t you love the promise of John 15:16, when Jesus says straight up, “I chose you to go and bear fruit…. fruit that will last.”
As I reflect on the past 40 years of ministry I suppose I’ve been privileged to bear quite a bit of spiritual fruit. I remember leading an evangelistic outreach in Nigeria that resulted in thousands of indicated decisions to follow Jesus. I remember helping high school kids grow in their faith in one of my early ministry assignments. I remember a ministry to our neighbors when we lived in Germany. I remember countless times of training and teaching staff in various positions around the world how to be more effective in their role in the Great Commission.
But among all these memories, the standouts are naturally the people I was able to invest in deeply – not counting my kids, perhaps less than a dozen, or maybe more, in which I had the joy of seeing a significant lasting spiritual impact.
I think that’s the kind of fruit that Jesus had in mind when he promised that in the power of His Spirit we would bear lasting fruit. While some may be blessed with great leadership or resources that allow them to bless an entire community, all of us are blessed with the call and promise of bearing lasting fruit at the level of one person at a time.
When people get involved with Momentum Europe one of my deepest prayers for them is to see the Lord use them to bear lasting fruit, especially in Europe. It can happen directly as they participate in Impact Tours, or it can happen indirectly through their investments in prayer and financial support and involvement in helping expand the scope of this ministry.
Some 40 years ago in preparation for what has turned out to be a life-long ministry adventure, Dr. Larry Poland, who went on to become the founder of a profound ministry to top executives in the world of Hollywood and New York media, reminded us over and over again that, “My total reason for being here is to glorify God by my life. To grow to be more like Him and to see Him produce lasting fruit.”
That’s quite a purpose statement isn’t it! If you’re already involved with Momentum Europe, or just looking in from the outside – I trust that you will let “lasting fruit” be your heartbeat. It’s what the Lord has in store for each of us, and in the European context especially it’s absolutely critical.