Missions Pulse episode 49: Dr. David Lim

Community development, discipleship, Christian theology, Asian cultures, and extreme obedience to the call of God

Missions Pulse 49: David Lim

1024 576 David Joannes

On this episode of Missions Pulse, David Joannes interviews David Lim, the CEO of Asian School of Development and Crosscultural Studies (ASDECS), based in Manila, Philippines, with branches and partners in 12 countries in the world. Mr. Lim’s recent writings focus on community development, Christian theology, Asian cultures, and inter-religious relations.

In this long interview, David challenges numerous paradigms with regard to the mission of God. He says that Jesus’ approach to missions is extremely simple. He empowers the rise of global south missionaries, encourages extreme obedience to the call of God, and stresses the importance of discipleship.

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Jesus calls us to extreme obedience. David Lim encourages us to look beyond “the easy road” to reach the lost. Becoming all things to all men begins with dying to self. The first Moravian missionaries, Johann Leonhard Dober and David Nitschmann, who went to the Caribbean island of St. Thomas in 1732, were willing to sell themselves into slavery to reach those without the Gospel in the West Indies. Are we willing to empty ourselves like Jesus emptied Himself of His glory?

The Holy Spirit is the One who leads us into all truth. That means that even new believers have the power to see a breakthrough in the areas they seek to reach. “The best evangelists are the new converts.” This is the Pauline style ministry. David Lim talks about the man of peace and takes a look at missions history to reveal that Spirit-led evangelism leads to community change.

David Lim says that we have missed the mark in terms of the instructions of Jesus. He says that Jesus’ missions approach was crazy simple.

David Lim says that “Jesus forgot to bring a discipleship manual when He came down from heaven.” His point? Discipleship is not a curriculum, it’s a lifestyle. Relational discipleship transforms. The Western world can learn a lot from community-based cultures.

David Lim talks about how Filipinos make awesome cross-cultural missionaries.

There are a lot of Christians who don’t understand God’s simple plan for the evangelism of the world. David Lim breaks it down. If the Gospel is to go from Jerusalem to Judea, then to Samaria and to the ends of the earth, there’s got to be a method. David takes the fifty thousand foot view and gives you the tools you need to create impact in your realm of influence.

In 1969, David Lim was at a summer youth conference. That’s when he prayed his famous prayer, God, give me China!” It was a tumultuous time in China’s history. Many thought that the Chinese underground Church was completely dead and eradicated. But God had much bigger plans.

Filipino culture is a unique blend of East meets West. David Lim talks about the values that shape the Filipino people and how this aspect enhances their role in Jesus’ missions mandate.

David Lim talks about how the John Sung (宋尙节) Revival impacted his family and the future of his missions efforts. David grew up with role models like David Livingstone and Hudson Taylor. missionaries had a huge impact on his life. Small ripples leave a lasting impact on future generations.

 

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Have you ever wondered what makes a missionary tick? What are the underlying motivations of those who cross cultural, geographical, and linguistic boundaries for the sake of Jesus Christ? What compels them to take such extreme measures and why do their actions still inspire Christians worldwide? In The Mind of a Missionary, David Joannes challenges you to find your role in God’s glorious Kingdom narrative. He draws upon history, psychology, life experience, and powerful storytelling to reshape your perception of God’s unique plan for your life. Purchase this book at Amazon today.

 

Links mentioned in the show:

https://davidlim53.wordpress.com/

http://www.asdecs.academia.edu/DavidLim

http://asdecs.weebly.com/