Here are a few stories to let you know what OMS is involved in around the world, specifically in Taiwan.

Taiwan (provided by Rod and Beth Williamson - Twelve years ago, Central Taiwan Theological Seminary purchased 18 acres of farmland in northeast Taichung. Three years ago, we began a four-year process of rezoning the land so that it could be used for training pastors. Ten of the fourteen needed approvals have already been received. The eleventh approval from the Environmental Impact Committee is the toughest of all the approvals remaining. Just a few weeks ago, after six months of meetings, the Environmental Impact Committee finally gave its approval. The remaining three approvals should not be difficult, so we hope that in a few months, we can begin the preliminary construction of a retaining wall, contouring the property, roadways, water control, and putting in utilities. This will take about a year. A seminary’s impact is greatly increased when both head and heart are trained, when teaching focuses on knowing about Jesus, and learning how to follow and worship Him in daily life. May this campus be a place where leaders are trained who train many others, leading to the multiplication of leaders … and where Taiwanese missionaries are trained for impactful cross-cultural ministry!

Taiwan (provided by Don and Marla Bettinger) - One of the things that gives us the greatest joy is to see coworkers step up or take the initiative to be a witness to their own people. This Christmas, one of our coworkers, Chyou Ting, shared her testimony at two separate Christmas events. One was a Christmas breakfast we hosted for a number of our unbelieving friends, and the other was a meeting that she initiated on her own. This second one was a “Gospel Teatime” in which she invited several coworkers from the hospital ICU department where she works. She and her friends did the music, shared a testimony, and gave a Gospel presentation. We only needed to open our home and teach the women how to make cookies. At least one of the coworkers made a decision to accept Christ that night. Chyou Ting invited her to the Lighthouse home church this past Sunday evening, and she came. We praise God that Chyou Ting has caught the vision for sharing the Gospel and making disciples.

Taiwan (provided by Mark and Michelle Dinnage) - One of the college-age men
with whom Mark has been able to meet for discipleship is a great person of
peace, gifted in connecting people. He invited fellow classmate, Johanna, to
Bible study. A few months later, Michelle prayed with Johanna to accept
Christ, and then she was baptized in October. Johanna grew up in Honduras
with her mother, who is also a Christian. Johanna has also become closer with
her father, who is Taiwanese. Johanna is now growing daily in her faith.
​Lost people matter to God, and He wants them to be found.

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonours you I will curse, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
                                                                                                -Genesis 12:1-3
 
In the previous post in this series, God’s Heart for the Nations, we saw that at the end of everything God does is the purpose to reveal His glory, to show Himself glorious. And we saw that this means that mankind is not at the centre of God’s plan and the Bible is not about us.
 
In this post we hope to see the Bible not as 66 books that happen to be bound by one cover, but as one book. The Bible has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction is the first 11 chapters of Genesis, the body starts at Genesis 12 and goes through to Jude, and the conclusion is Revelation.
 
Do you read the Bible as a collection of 66 different books that are just collected and bound together? Or do you read the Bible as a single book with a beginning, the main body, and a conclusion?
 
Now, in a well-written book, the author will begin to reveal major themes in the introduction. One of the keys to the correct interpretation of the Bible is to detect these themes and follow how the author develops them throughout the book. It is silly to try to interpret the Bible without some idea of its emphasis and purpose. This post looks at two fundamental themes that first appear in Genesis 1:28.
 
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
 
The first theme is that God wants to bless His creation. In the context of the blessing, we discover the second theme, dealing with God’s purpose for the blessing which involves man’s responsibility.

The two themes are restated in Genesis 9:1 and further defined in Genesis 12:1-3. Before we go to Genesis 12, here is a summary of what happens in the introduction of the Bible.

1. God has created the heavens and the earth and all living things, the final created thing being Adam and Eve. They sinned and destroyed their relationship with God; God pursued them, judged them and the serpent, and He sacrificed animals, revealing that the shedding of blood is necessary for the covering of sin.
2. Man continues to multiply but in so doing continued his rebellion against God to the point that man’s sin was so grievous that God had to judge mankind with a flood. We continue to see God’s redemptive character revealed in delivering Noah’s family from the flood.
3. The generations after Noah continued to reject God’s authority. In the land of Shinar, the people sought to make a name for themselves by building a city and a tower whose top reached to the heavens, in order to not be “dispersed over the face of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:4), even though this was an act of disobedience to God’s first command to fill and subdue the earth.
4. With a catastrophic judgment, God confused their language and “dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:8). The result of God’s judgment was the creation of approximately 70 distinct family groups (nations) listed in Genesis 10.

 
This is the backdrop from which God calls Abram to leave his country and declares His covenant with him.
 
Genesis 12:1-3, which begins the main story of the Bible, outlines the covenant God makes with Abram. And as you might imagine from the introduction, there are two elements to the covenant. There is the blessing element and the responsibility element. Don Richardson, who wrote the book “Eternity in Their Hearts” calls these two elements the top line and bottom line of the covenant. The top line is God’s blessing and the bottom line is Abram’s responsibility.
 
So God promises to bless Abram by giving him land (v1), making him into a great nation (v2) and a great name (v2). But along with the blessing comes the bottom line, the responsibility. Abram was to be a blessing (v2) and that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (v3). And so the implication is that Abram is blessed in order to be a blessing. That’s the top line and the bottom line of the covenant God made with Abram. You will be blessed but you must be a blessing.
 
God later confirms His covenant with Abraham and repeats it to his son Isaac and grandson Jacob, giving clarification of its themes. Check out the following passages.

1. Genesis 22:16-18
2. Genesis 26:3-5
3. Genesis 28:14

 
As you read the Bible you will discover the parallel nature of the two themes of blessing and purpose/responsibility. The danger is in failing to keep these two themes in their parallel tension. Our tendency is to see God’s blessings apart from our responsibility and His purpose for the blessing. That failure leads to an egocentric faith with ourselves at the centre of everything.
 
I want to challenge you to look at the following four stories and think about what God was doing in each instance. We will look more closely at these questions in the next blog post.

1. Why did God part the Red Sea?
2. Why did God give Solomon wisdom?
3. Why did God give Israel His commandments?
4. Why did God deliver Daniel from the lion’s den?
5. Finish the following verse from memory. “Be still and…”

​ Oh sing to the LORD and new song,
     sing to the LORD all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
     tell of His salvation from day to day.
Declare His glory among the nations,
     His marvellous works among the peoples! (Psalm 96:1-3)

Why did God create the heavens and the earth? Why did God create men and
women? What is the chief aim of God? Not His only passion or motivation,
but His ultimate passion for which all other passions are subordinate. When
every other reason is eliminated but one, what is this one? This one
​would be His ultimate design for creation and indeed for every action He takes.
 
As was pointed out in the introduction, there is a very real tendency to place ourselves (mankind) as the ultimate passion or motivation of God. We tend to think that this Christianity is all about us, as though we are the centre of God’s universe, and that our needs form the basis for His actions. We think that God’s ultimate purpose is to grant us salvation and enjoy us forever. And this perspective leads us to believe that the ultimate objective of missions is man.
 
As you look at the Scriptures in this blog post, ask yourself these questions: What does the Bible say is the ultimate goal of God? What is the ultimate goal of His activity in the world?
 
“He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6).
 
God created the natural world to display His glory: “The heavens declare the glory of God” ​(Psalms 19:1).

“You are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:3); “. . . that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory (Jeremiah 13:11).
 
“He saved them at the Red Sea for His name’s sake that He might make known His mighty power” (Psalm l06:7-8); “I have raised you up for this very purpose of showing my power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Romans 9:17).
 
“I acted in the wilderness for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out (Ezekiel 20:14).
 
After Israel asked for a king “Fear not . . . For the Lord will not cast away His people for His great name’s sake (l Samuel 12:20-22).
 
“Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act [in bringing you back from the exile], but for the sake of My holy name…And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name . . . and the nations will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32). “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
 
“Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:8-9).
 
“Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John 12:27, 28).
 
“He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
 
“God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
 
“I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
 
“Whoever serves [let him serve], as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11).
 
“Immediately an angel of the Lord smote [Herod] because he did not give glory to God” (Acts 12:23).
 
“. . . when He comes on that day to be glorified in His saints and to be marvelled at in all who have believed (2 Thessalonians l:9-l0).
 
“Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given Me, may be with me where I am, to behold My glory, which thou hast given Me in Thy love for Me before the foundation of the world” (John l7:24).
 
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
 
From these Scriptures, we can now answer the questions asked at the beginning of this post. Why did God create the heavens and the earth? Why did God create men and women? What is the chief aim of God in everything He does?
 
The answer is that the ultimate purpose and chief aim in everything God does is for the praise of His glory and His grace. God’s passion for His name and should be our central motivation in everything we do, including missions. God is not receiving the worship that is due His name; therefore, the mission of the Church is to call out worshippers from among the nations. Every church and every follower of Jesus Christ is called to participate in this global activity.
 
As author Joh Piper puts it in his book Let the Nations Be Glad, “God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshippers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations. Therefore, let us bring our affections into line with His, and for the sake of His name, let us renounce the quest for worldly comforts and join His global purpose.”
 
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? What steps can you take to bring your affections more in line with His? What role could you have in the goal of gathering worshippers from every people, tongue, tribe and nation?
 
Leave a comment and let us know how you answer these questions.

​Welcome back to this series on prayer. If you have missed any previous posts you can click here to catch up.
 
In this post we look at the question of the purpose of prayer. Often the point is made that, if we believe that God is sovereign and knows everything, including what we are thinking or what we need, what is the point of praying?

Maybe you have asked a similar question. I know I have occasionally wondered this.

1. Prayer is Obedience
   The first purpose of prayer is obedience. God commands all who are born again to pray. We talked about this in the Commands of Christ series. Click here to review that post. But in Matthew 6, Jesus makes it clear that Christ-followers or disciples will pray. He says, “And when you pray…”, making it plain that you are expected to pray.
   
   There are other scriptures that also make it clear that prayer is expected of us. Philippians 4:6, Luke 21:36, Colossians 4:2, and 1 Timothy 2:1-4 are just a few.
   
   
   
2. Prayer Establishes God as the Source
   A second purpose for prayer is that it establishes God as the source of all things. 1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us that God is the source of all things and that we exist for Him. When we pray to Him, we are acknowledging that He is the source of everything we need for this life and for the next. Prayer positions Him as the supplier.
   
   If you are at all like me, you will need to be reminded of this truth often. It is not difficult for me to begin to think that I can handle things, that I can figure this out, that I know what is best. Bad things usually follow this line of thinking. Best to keep it clear that God is the source and my role is to come to Him in prayer asking for that which I need.
   
   
3. Prayer Establishes my Dependance on God
   Connected to the last purpose, this looks at it from the other side of the equation. Not only does prayer reinforce God as the source, but it also reinforces me as the recipient of His grace. This can be seen in Jesus use of the ‘vine and branches’ in John 15:5. Here He says that the branch is utterly dependant on the vine for everything it needs. For nourishment and for water and for support, the vine is indispensable. But the vine is also required for growth and for fruitfulness. Without that connection to the vine, there can be neither growth nor fruitfulness.
   
   This is made crystal clear in verse 15. Jesus tells us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. If we can do nothing apart from Him, then our supplication in prayer is the acknowledgement that we depend on Him for everything. It is our confession to Him and our declaration to self. Being fully dependant, we come to Him for what we need.
   
   
4. Prayer Glorifies God
   I hope that you come to this blog post with the understanding that God’s ultimate purpose in everything He does is to display His glory. Isaiah 48:11 tells that God does what He does for His own sake, for the sake of His glory, which He will not share. Jeremiah 13:11 also makes it clear that God made Israel to cling to Him so that they might be for Him a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. And in Ephesians1:6-14, Paul also makes it clear that God has saved us to the praise of His glory of His grace (verses 5-6), to the praise of His glory (verse 12), and to the praise of His glory (verse 14).
   
   And if it is God’s ultimate purpose then it should be ours as well. Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 10:38 tell us that whatever we do should be done to the glory of God. And we do this in prayer in a couple of ways.
   
   First, as the source of everything we need, coming to Him with our requests honours Him as the source. It exalts His supply while acknowledging our need.
   
   Second, the glory of His self-sufficient power and wisdom shines most brightly not when He looks like He depends on the work of others, but when He makes plain that He Himself does the work. 2 Chronicles 16:9 makes this pretty clear. “The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” God is searching for needy people for whom and through whom He can show off His strength.  And He really does want to do this. This brings Him great pleasure.​​
   
5. Our Means of Communicating to God
   Finally, the obvious purpose for prayer is to communicate.
   
   Communication controls relationships. We withhold communication in order to control a relationship—to prevent others from seeing us in an unpleasant light—and we choose to share information about ourselves with others as a way of bonding with them. This exchange of information is a means of letting them see us—of opening ourselves up to them. And this makes us vulnerable to them.
   
   Prayer is absolutely critical to our relationship with God. We know that God has spoken to us in His Word but how do we speak to Him? Through prayer. There is no alternative. And a prayerless Christian is...well I don’t know what kind of Christian could be prayerless. Certainly not one with a growing relationship with his or her Creator. Not one who is an obedient disciple, or who sees God as the source of all things, or who acknowledges his or her neediness before the God who supplies all our needs, or who glorifies God as the source.
   
   Let’s commit to being people of prayer.

 
What is your prayer life like? Would you share what God has spoken to you about prayer? What steps can you take to be more prayerful? Leave us a comment and let us know.

Do you remember a time when you travelled somewhere to go and visit family or friends?

I remember as a child, we would often go to Hartford in the United States to go and stay with family. It was a bit of a drive, but it was always special especially when we arrived at our family’s home. We were all so excited to see each other and they would often make special arrangements and preparations for us. The rooms where we would sleep would be ready and the fridge would be stocked with delicious food to share with us. When we are expecting company, it is special and there is a lot of effort, time, and love that goes into it.

In John 20:21-22 Jesus said, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

As Jesus speaks to the disciples, He is preparing them to receive the Holy Spirit whom they would receive shortly after on the day of Pentecost.

Before Jesus came to be born of the virgin Mary, God made of all of the necessary preparations beforehand. Everything came to pass just as it was promised.

I briefly shared about travelling to a familiar place but alternatively, when a person is travelling somewhere for the first time it may not be so exciting at first. It may be a new and unfamiliar place, and you may not know anyone. That can be a bit intimidating and maybe even scary.

Are you called to be a missionary? If you have not read this blog series, be sure to check it out.

Not everyone can be a missionary. However, everyone can have a part in the bigger task—by going, sending, supporting, or mobilizing others. Jesus is allowing us to take part in some way.

As we play our part in the process, it’s important to remember that there is a connection between being sent and receiving the Holy Spirit. Wherever God sends us to share the good news of Jesus Christ, He makes preparations for us. He prepares hearts, opportunities, relationships, and even divine appointments. Through prayer, we can make it a priority to seek God and trust that He will prepare the way for us.

When we remember that God makes preparations for us, we are more at peace. When we remember that we have the Holy Spirit, we are more confident. Not because of our abilities, but because of what the Holy Spirit can do through us. Lives can be transformed, people set free, and we can also be renewed and changed. It is a wonderful blessing to experience God and to be able to share that with others.

As some of our missionaries face the reality of travel restrictions, let us continue to pray for them. Jesus has sent them to various places around the world and many of them are still waiting. Let’s pray that God would continue to give them opportunities right where they are and that He would be glorified even through the waiting process.

Where is Jesus sending you? Have you ever been on a missions trip? Please share in the comments. We would love to hear from you. 

Have you ever been convinced that you knew something? Have you ever had a discussion about what you thought you knew for sure? Have you ever argued with someone who disagreed with what you thought you knew for sure? Have you ever realized that what you thought you knew for sure, what you had argued for, turned out to be incorrect? Or incomplete?
 
I’m afraid this of the case for some of us who call ourselves Christian. We think we know what God is up to and believe that we are cooperating with God in His purpose and activities on earth. Everywhere you look in the Bible you see God’s all about blessing us. He loves to bless us and we love to be blessed. So let’s all enjoy the blessings of God.
 
What we have done is turned the Word of God into something that is all about us. But I don’t think that is true. The Bible is God’s Word and in it He reveals Himself to us and His purposes on the earth. And you know what? It’s not about us. We are in the story but the story is not about us.

​We certainly are blessed, but it is not just so that we can be blessed. There is more to it than that.
How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so.
 
Let’s take a test. If I were to say the first few words of a well-known verse of the Bible, could you complete the verse for me? Here’s the start of the verse…
 
Be still and…
 
I expect that as you read these three words, other words came to mind and you easily said, know that I am God. Of course you did because we all know and love that verse. Psalm 46:10 is a favourite verse because it speaks of perhaps the greatest blessing that God has given to those whose sins have been forgiven. To know God is the very best.
 

​There’s just one problem, though. You didn’t complete the verse. Be still and know that I am God is just ⅓ of the verse. So you were not incorrect, just incomplete.

​Here’s the whole verse.
 
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).

The first part of the verse is about us (if we have been born again). But the second part, fully ⅔ of the verse is about God. Without even thinking about it, we made a verse mostly about God into a truncated version that is about us. The blessing of knowing God has global implications, dealing with nations and the earth.
 
The major focus of North American Christian thought and practice may seem to be, “What can God do for me?” Our lives and our prayers reflect the belief that God’s ultimate priority is to make His disciples more comfortable. Don’t misunderstand me; I believe that God does want to bless us and that God’s desire to bless His people is a major theme of the Bible. But if we focus on the theme of blessing alone, we distort the truth and lose the context in which God’s blessings are given.
 
Over the course of eight more blog posts, I hope to create an awareness of one of the most ignored themes of the Bible - God’s global purpose: His desire and activity of redeeming mankind, the nations, to Himself. It involves the active pursuit of worshippers from all the peoples of the earth that will give Him the glory that is due His name. God’s blessings and His global purpose are beautifully woven together in the Bible. My belief is that in order to correctly interpret and apply Scripture, it is necessary to understand the connection of these two themes. To ignore either one leads to misinterpretation and faulty application. Ultimately, lives will be misdirected.
 
I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the truth of His Word as you read and think on the next eight posts on this topic of God’s heart for the nations and that you will respond to His guidance in applying His truth.
 
Take a few moments to think of two or three people you know who might want to go through this series of posts. Share this with them. Maybe you would go through this together, as a group. If you do, please let us know.
 
And don’t forget to share this on your favourite social media channels as well. Let’s get the word out and then do the work of missions until there is no place left where Jesus is not known (Romans 15:23).

“And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart,” (Luke 18:1 ESV).

Want to change your life? The world? God says, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3 ESV). The possibility of accomplishing great things rests in our commitment to prayer. Jesus said that He chose us and appointed that we should bear fruit that abides in order that, “whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you.” (John 15:16 ESV). If I want to change my life, find success in the world, and help others, I must make prayer a priority.

What is prayer? It is how we communicate with God. Prayer is simply conversation with God, and we are always welcome to approach the great God of the universe for a personal audience. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, the veil that separated us from God was torn in two, allowing us to call upon the name of the Lord. Jesus also granted us the right to use His name when we pray, so that if we ask anything in His name, the Father would do it.

Prayer is a time we can draw near to God. A time we can spend talking with and concentrating all of our thoughts upon God. Jesus told us to enter into a closet and pray, because in the solitude of the moment we become more acutely aware of God’s presence. It is also an opportunity to sharpen one’s spiritual ear. In these moments of quietness, where the only presence other than ours is God’s, we learn how to hear and respond to His will.

Prayer is absolutely necessary in this life. If God commands us to pray, that tells us it is of great benefit.

​Too often we look at God’s commandments through a negative lens, but they are not meant to be a stranglehold or prevention upon the individual; they are meant as a protection that produces benefits in life.

​For our lives to experience success, we need to pray. In fact, prayer ought to be our first response in every circumstance in this life. Our lives are not of quiet desperation, but of divine inspiration. God has placed each one of us in this world and commanded us to pray in order that we might bring His presence and blessing into our present reality.

Also, prayer is commanded by God. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are instructed to “pray without ceasing.” He expects us to be people of prayer. Our lives are to be saturated with prayer and identified by prayer. The very words “without ceasing” imply the idea of never ending. That means we ought to be praying all the time and about everything.

Prayer is one of the main attributes mentioned in the Bible about the church; Jesus called it a house of prayer. We might even say that if the old adage is true, “Brick and mortar don’t make a church — people do,” then every Christian ought to be a “house of prayer.”

There is one last reason to consider about prayer, and that is that others benefit when you pray for them. Everyone knows somebody who needs prayer, and who better to pray for them than you?

Two suggestions in order to improve the quality of your prayer time:  Start a prayer journal and mark the time when your prayers are answered— it will be a great faith builder. The other thing is to structure your time of praying. There are many ways to structure prayer time and if you want to know what some of our most effective are, send us an email or give us a call.

May I also suggest that you consider taking part in OMS Canada’s twice weekly virtual prayer meetings? We meet via Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am Eastern and Thursday evenings at 9:00 pm Eastern. Again, send us an email or call the office to receive the meeting information and links.

Start today:  Set a time and let nothing deter you from your daily prayer. In the end, you will be blessed,  those around you will benefit from your time of prayer, and it will change your life.

​Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples to understand and obey. If you missed the first eight posts in this series you can find them by clicking  Repent and Believe, Be Baptized, Pray, Make Disciples, Love, Worship, Observe the Lord’s Supper, and Give.
 
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
In this post, we will look at the ninth of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This command is to gather and is found in Hebrews 10:24-25.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

If there is one thing about the church that is being questioned as a result of COVID and the lockdowns which have been imposed, it is the command to gather. After all, many believers have turned to various forms of technology to encourage one another during this unusual season. We can pray for one another over the phone. We can host virtual Bible studies on Zoom. Pastors can email filmed teaching sessions to their members.

And we are grateful that we can minister to one another in these ways while scattered. I’m not writing to contribute to the conversation about whether churches should livestream “services” or send out pre-recorded material or such things during this strange time. I simply want to remind us that a church is never less than a gathering. Even though many congregations cannot now meet, assembling is of the essence of a church.

Gathering isn’t merely a nice thing to do; it’s part of what a church is.

There is a popular Christian social media catch-phrase that says, "You don't go to church, you are the church." While I understand the truth of this statement, this is an unhealthy view, pitting "being the church" and "going to church" against each other. If we truly are "the Church," then we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot "be" the church if we don't go to the assembly. Not fully anyway.

The "Church" never implies a single, individual, lone-ranger Christian just going about his Christian duties, and never gathering together to worship with other believers. The "Church" by its very nature means multiple believers, who believe that, "where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them" (Matthew 18:20).

The Biblical pattern for church is this:

●Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus together with other believers weekly (see Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Romans 16:5; Acts 20:20; James 2:2; Psalm 84:4; Psalm 37:17; Psalm 92:13)
●It is also good to meet for smaller groups of Christian community in each other's homes regularly (see Acts 2:46)
●It's good to have leaders overseeing the work and needs of each local church - this is the Biblical pattern - not all of us are called to church leadership, and so we should submit to, and serve whoever God has called to lead at the place we find ourselves (see Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; Philippians 1:1b; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Acts 20:17;)
●If there are believers who are unable for physical reasons to attend a church weekly, they should find a church or believers who will gather together with them regularly for worship in their own home. (see James 5:14; James 1:27)

So, here are ten powerful and biblical reasons why you should attend worship weekly, and why church attendance can change your life:

1. To be obedient to God’s command (Heb. 10:23-25).
2. To be equipped for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11-14).
3. To have our minds renewed through the preaching of the Word (Rom. 12:1-2).
4. To employ our spiritual gifts for the benefit of the church (1 Cor. 12).
5. To evangelize the watching world through our love for one another (John 13:35).
6. To be held accountable by other mature brothers and sisters in the Lord (Acts 18:24-26).
7. To be discipled by older, godly men and women (Titus 2:2-6).
8. To ease the mind of your shepherd, so he is not worrying about your soul (Heb. 13:17).
9. To grow in our faith of the Lord Jesus Christ as we are taught His Word (1 Pet. 2:2).
10. To be encouraged to persevere in the faith by other believers (Heb. 3:12-14).

Don't let excuses stand in the way of what you know God is calling you to do. God will strengthen you, and empower you to do what He has called you to do. I am praying for you -- if you have encountered past wounds from leaders or from church members -- that God will bring healing and grace to you, as you seek to follow Him, and love His Church.

If you are looking for a church that preaches the gospel, leave a comment and we will try to help you find a good one.

It’s a familiar scene, not likely to be repeated this year. So we pull out the home videos of past Christmas concerts.  A child dressed as an angel stands with arms outstretched as the narrator reads, “Fear not…” Then the entire children’s choir stands as the narrator continues, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying…” On cue, our precious little ones sing, “Glo-o-o-o-o-oria, in Excelsis Deo!” We delight for those few remembered moments in our children’s Christmas joy. But it isn’t long before we leave that digital video world and return to the disappointments, challenges, and threats that surround us in this political quagmire and COVID reality that is Christmas 2020. And we are left asking the question, “How can any reasonable adult be merry this Christmas?
 
To answer this question, we need to remember the troubling conditions that were present when the angels sang. Luke tells us that, “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus” (Luke 2:1). These words reveal that the angels’ joy was not rooted in childlike naivety. Satanic forces had empowered governments which then oppressed the people. Moral corruption ran wild within Israel. The faithful were ostracized, mocked, and threatened by violence and persecution at every turn. Sound familiar? The world Christ was born into was in many ways very much like our own.
 
And the angels were not a sweet children’s choir. They were “a multitude of the heavenly host” (Luke 2:13). In the Bible, “Lord of hosts” most often refers to God as the One who leads the armies of heaven, angels who battle Satan and the demonic forces. So, when the angel announced, “I bring you good news of great joy...For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11), these angels sang, in much the same way as ancient human armies sang as they entered the battle. This was a vast heavenly army, eager to fight against every power that threatens God’s plan and His people.
 
To understand the “great joy” of this first Christmas, we must recognize what was so amazing about Jesus’ birth. 

First, the words “good news” or “gospel” usually makes us think of how Jesus brings salvation to individuals who believe in Him. “Good news” includes that but passages like 2 Samuel 18:31 show us that this phrase is actually the announcement of victory in battle. Second, the term “Saviour” makes us think again of how Jesus saves individuals from sin. Again, ‘Saviour” includes that, but passages like Zephaniah 3:17 teach that a “saviour” is a warrior, one who delivers His people from harm and grants deliverance and victory.
 
In response to the certainty of victory for “Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11), the angelic army sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” (Luke 2:14). And this praise should fill every heart, even the hearts of “reasonable” adults. Evil threatens on every side, literally, but we know the good news that victory is sure. Christ our victorious warrior has been born.
 
Jesus is our hope and this is the hope that we have for Christmas and everyday.
 
What does this hope mean in your life? Let us know in the comments, we would love to hear from you.

Have you ever had one of those days that seems like it’s getting worse as each hour passes by?

Maybe you wake up in the morning and you step on the dog’s tail, you head to the bathroom only to find out that you are all out of toothpaste. Then, as you leave the house and get into your car you realize that you were supposed to fill up with gas the day before but you forgot. The extra stop now means you will be late for a very important meeting. When you get to the office and start to print out some documents, the printer stops working because the ink has run out and there are no extra cartridges at hand. What a series of events so far and the day has just started.

I would like to point out two words that we started out this blog with today: "seems like."

When anything “seems like” something, it doesn’t mean that it actually is. How we react or respond to the series of events in our lives is very important not only for our sanity, but more importantly for our spiritual growth.

Most of us have heard about the life of Job and everything that he experienced. The Bible says that Job was a blameless and upright man who feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). Things were going very well for him and he ends up losing it all. Talk about not only having an off day but season. Even his wife couldn’t understand how he wouldn’t curse God through all of these events (Job 2:9). His response was, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” Job responded well. I imagine it was certainly not easy, but Job chose to respond and not react.

More and more, I am realizing that especially when we are in difficult situations, responding is the more effective way. When we react to things, we are often filled and fueled with and by our emotions. When we take the time to respond, we can ask God to help us respond in the best way. I encourage you to try it. In the days that seem off, but also in more challenging situations similar to what Job went through.

Some people may ask why bad or challenging things happen and while that is a valid question, we may not get the answer. Having faith and exercising faith is about trusting God especially when we do not understand. It allows us to build that trust and surrender every area of our lives to God.

So if we may not always get the answer, what does God’s Word say about life situations? There are different verses, but today let’s look at what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

While this may not answer some questions for us, it does give us some great perspective on how to respond to situations. To rejoice always, to pray continually, and to give thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.

To be able to live this out, we need to approach it appropriately and effectively which cannot be accomplished in our own strength. To be able to respond well, we need the Holy Spirit of God to help us. He is our comforter and our guide, who enables us to be more like Jesus.

I truly believe that when we read God’s Word and do our best to live it out, great things happen. God’s Word is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and does not return void or empty (Isaiah 55:11).

What are you spreading during this season? If you haven’t read our past blog about this very topic, you can read it here.

You see, even with all of the trauma that Job endured He kept the faith and the Bible says that God blessed him even more than he was before everything was lost (Job 42:12-17).

What season are you in? Does it seem like it will never end or get better? Whatever situation we are finding ourselves in, let us remember the words that Paul spoke to encourage the Thessalonian church. Those words are for us too.

Be encouraged. God is with you. He will never leave or forsake you. Just lay down everything at His altar and receive His peace and His love with certainty. If there is anything we can believe with you for together in prayer, please contact us and we would be happy to pray.

May God continue to uplift us, as we seek to be more like Jesus each day.
 

In this week’s blog post, we are considering the habit or discipline of perseverance. In past posts, we have considered Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship as it relates to both time and finances, fasting, silence/solitude, journaling, and learning.

If you have not seen these posts yet, go ahead and click on the links to catch yourself up.

And remember that the primary motivation for these spiritual habits or disciplines is taken from Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, where he says, exercise or discipline yourself toward godliness. This applies to us just the same today and he makes it clear that, if we wish to be godly, it will take work, discipline, and exercise. Just as an athlete, musician, or artist must exercise disciplined practice to become more proficient at their chosen field, so a disciple must exercise disciplined practice in these activities as means’ of grace to become more proficient at being godly. That is to say, as we become more disciplined in the practice of these habits, more of God’s grace is available to us which will change us.

So what about perseverance?

There are a great many things that require perseverance in our Christ-following life. And Scripture contains many references to perseverance, remaining steadfast, and not giving up or giving in. This encouragement can be applied to a great many areas of our life but we need to consider perseverance in the matter of the habits of grace or spiritual disciplines.

There are three elements that have been mentioned briefly to this point in reference to other disciplines, but we are going to look more closely at them here. They are the role of the Holy Spirit, the role of fellowship, and the role of struggle in Christ-following.
​
The Role of the Holy Spirit
We need to constantly remind ourselves that despite the most diligent of attention to disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness, we cannot make ourselves more like Jesus. 

That is what the Holy Spirit does, working through these habits or disciplines to bring us closer to Jesus and making us more like Him. Any emphasis on the disciplines of habits carries the risk of overlooking this important fact.

In The Discipline of Grace; God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges, he says:

A major temptation in the self-discipline approach to holiness, however, is to rely on a regiment of spiritual disciplines instead of on the Holy Spirit. I believe in spiritual disciplines. I seek to practice them...But those disciplines are not the source of our spiritual strength. The Lord Jesus Christ is, and it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to apply His strength to our lives. (135)

Wherever the Holy Spirit lives, His holy presence creates a hunger for holiness. His primary task is to magnify Christ (John 16:14-15), and it is He who gives the Christ-follower a desire to be like Christ. We have no such desire in our natural state. But in the Christ-follower, the Spirit of God begins to carry out the will of God to make the child of God like the Son of God (Romans 8:29). And He who began this good work in the life of the Christ-follower will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians1:6).

So it is the Holy Spirit’s job to produce within us both the desire and the power for the habits of grace. And the reality that He does this in every believer is evident from 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline” (NASB). Therefore, even if your natural temperament or personality does not incline you toward orderly and disciplined habits, the supernatural presence of the Holy Spirit equips you with enough of a supernatural spirit of discipline for you to obey the command to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Self-control, according to Galatians 5:23, is a direct product, or fruit, of the Spirit’s control in the Christ-follower’s life. And when the Christ-follower expresses the Spirit-produced self-control by practicing the habits of grace, the result is progress in godliness.

Two things are clear: (1) the Holy Spirit will always be faithful to help each of God’s children to persevere in those things that will make us like Christ, and (2) we must not harden our hearts, but instead respond to His promptings if we would be godly.

The Role of Fellowship
That Christ-follower who only measures Christlikeness in terms of growth in his or her fellowship with God takes an incomplete measurement. Spiritual maturity must also include growth in fellowship with the people of God. John the apostle connected these two fellowships in 1 John 1:3: “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” New Testament fellowship is with both the triune God and with His people. Just as the human maturity of Jesus included growth in favour with both God and man (Luke 2:52), so will the spiritual maturity of those who seek to be like Jesus.

One of the obvious reasons why we cannot take the habits of grace into isolation is that many of the habits - public worship, united prayer, participation in the Lord’s Supper, serving others, and more - simply cannot be practised without other Christ-followers. Also, one of God’s purposes for fellowship is to complement the personal habits of grace and to stimulate our growth in godliness through them. Consider this; as studying the Bible alone is one God-given habit of grace for growing in grace, so is studying the Bible with others. The habits of grace definitely have some nonpublic applications but they were never meant to be practised apart from fellowship in the community of faith.

Hebrews 3:13 also warns us, “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today”, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” When we withdraw from the spiritual protection God provides for us within the fellowship, we are more easily deceived by sin. Without the tempering influence of Christ-followers with different gifts, insights, and experiences, those who withdraw from the exhortations or other Christ-followers miss out on the grace that God intends for them to receive only through the local church life.

An old Puritan recommended that we associate with sanctified persons. They may, by their counsel, prayers and holy example, be a means to make you holy.

The Role of Struggle
Living the life of a Christ-follower is not easy. Even though trust and rest are core values of the Christian life, so are discipline and struggle. There are lots of forces that fight against the spiritual progress of those still on this side of heaven. Now, the way of Christ is not always an inner struggle or every moment a battle, but neither is it without lifelong opposition. That’s just the reality.

And the struggle is natural, given the warfare that is going on for your very soul. We see in the verse that anchors this blog series that practising the habits of grace will be accompanied by struggle. Referring to the godliness mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul wrote in verse 10, “For to this end we toil and strive.” The words toil and strive tell us that becoming like Christ involves something different than ‘let go and let God’, as some have taught. The word translated toil means to work until you grow weary. We get our English word agonize from the term translated here as strive. It literally means to struggle. Growth in godliness does not come by the work of the Holy Spirit alone, nor by our work alone, but by our responding to the grace the Holy Spirit initiates and sustains.

This is the clear teaching of the New Testament. It warns us of the world, flesh, and the devil and how they constantly wage war against us. The Bible says that because of this triplet of opposition we will experience a struggle to overcome sin as long as we live in this body.

While we live in the world, it will put its unending pressure on us. Jesus reminded us that the world hated Him and it will hate us if we discipline ourselves to follow Him (John 15:18-19). John also exhorted us, “Do not love the world” (1 John 2:15). Then he goes on to warn about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life as part of the world. There is no experience that can provide a lasting from all these worldly temptations except the experience of leaving this world.

The flesh also pressures us against godliness. The reality of Galatians 5:17 is that “the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Sometimes it is no problem at all to obey God. There are moments when one of your greatest joys is to get into the Word of God and occasionally you might experience times of prayer that you wish would never end. But many times it is a struggle to engage in any of the habits of grace at all.

So the Spirit will prompt you toward Christlikeness and the practice of the habits of grace and your flesh will rise up in defiance because these are opposed to each other. But even though disciplining yourself is often difficult and involves struggle, self-discipline is not self-punishment. It is instead an attempt to do what, prompted by the Spirit, you actually want to do. Rather than thinking of this as self-punishment, it is more scriptural to see it as one way of “sowing to the Spirit” as Galatians 6:8 encourages.

In addition to the world and the flesh, you also have a personal enemy committed to your failure in the habits of grace - the devil. The apostle Peter reminded us. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). If it were possible to permanently avoid all spiritual struggle, Peter would have told us instead of exhorting us to be alert. Paul would have told us instead of telling us to put on the armour of God. It’s because we are in a battle, a conflict, a struggle that they tell us to watch out and put on the armour. There is no vacation from the struggle. Until we see our Saviour face to face. Then we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2).

The Holy Spirit, true fellowship, and the recognition of the ongoing struggle in the Christian life will help you persevere in the practice of the habits of grace. And apart from such perseverance, the habits of grace are incomplete and ineffective. 2 Peter 1:6 makes a hard connection between self-control (discipline) and godliness, and that connection is perseverance. Without perseverance between the two, the relationship between the self-controlled practice of the habits of grace and godliness is like a battery full of power but poorly connected to a lightbulb. The light flickers inconsistently and without the full benefit of the power in the battery. But with a persevering connection between the two, the light shines brightly. In the same way, the light of the life of Christ will shine more steadily through you the more you persevere in the practice of the habits of grace. Such perseverance will make us the salt and light that we should be (Matthew 5:13-16).

Have you thought about the importance of the Holy Spirit, the fellowship, and your struggle as essential to your growth in godliness? Which of these has been most helpful to you? Which has been neglected? How will you go about utilizing all three in the future?

Have you ever been excited about something you heard someone say? Have you ever felt sad or angry about something someone said? Or maybe, words have left you unsure or even speechless? The truth is: there is great power in the words that we speak.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

This is so powerful. We can actually speak death or life from the words that come out of our mouths. It’s also important to note that words can bring about certain feelings and emotions and what comes out of our mouth is a pretty accurate indication of what we have in our hearts (Matthew 15:18). 

I remember a few years ago, when my family was hoping to travel to Jamaica for a vacation but it just didn’t quite fit our budget at that particular time. We prayed about it and sensed that it would somehow work out. Some time passed by and I came across a contest which looked very interesting. You had to come up with a short video which had to include a Christmas jingle tune and some other requirements. What really caught my attention was the prize which was an all inclusive vacation for two to any resort in Jamaica. I immediately shared it with my spouse and said, WE CAN WIN THIS!

We got on it right away and came up with the video and waited a bit to submit it. I will never forget the moment on Christmas Day when they made the announcement on Facebook that we had won. What an amazing blessing it was and we definitely enjoyed the trip. You see, I spoke the words believing in the One who would bring it to pass.

Power of Words

The Bible is full of many verses that talks about words so today let’s look at 3 examples of what words can do:

1. Words can help accomplish a purpose.

Psalm 33: 9
“For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.”
 
Here, we see a cross reference from Genesis 1:3 when God said, “let there be light” and there was light. God spoke and He accomplished a wonderful purpose here in the story of creation and of course we see many other examples throughout the Bible when God speaks to accomplish different purposes.
 
2. Words can bring comfort to others. 

Proverbs 16:24
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
 
I don’t know about you, but I love sweets. They taste good, and give you a nice “pick up” when you need it. The words that we use can bring great comfort to others and make them feel better. This is so important especially in these times when many people are in isolation. Let us be encouraged to bring pleasant words to others to make their day. It is amazing how long of a way this can go. Just try it.
 
3. Words can allow us to grow and mature spiritually. 

Psalm 19:14
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”
 
What a beautiful prayer we see here by David. When we ask God to look inward, He will change us from the inside out which will result in us using words that will allow us to grow and mature spiritually. Let us be encouraged to make this a daily check for us when we are praying.
 
Prayer is Essential
 
As children of God, we are constantly being renewed and transformed. It’s a process and it’s something that we experience each day. That’s why prayer is so important. It is a great way for us to ask God to search us, as David did often.
 
At OMS Canada, prayer is essential to us and we believe in the power of praying. Would you consider using your words to pray with us? We pray together every Tuesday and Thursday through zoom. Please contact us to get more details. We would love to have you join us.
 
What kind of words have you been using lately? Are they building up others?
 
Let’s use this powerful tool that we have to praise God, build others up, and speak life into our lives and families. Speaking life is something we need to make a priority and practice in our lives daily. I once heard someone say that if we placed a live recorder in our homes for a full day, the interesting and maybe not so interesting things we would hear.
 
Let’s be encouraged to speak life. In every challenge, in every situation, in every battle, and in every season. God is there through His Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us, and encourage us when we need it.
 
Speak Life!

Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples to understand and obey. If you missed the first seven posts in this series you can find them by clicking  Repent and Believe, Be Baptized, Pray, Make Disciples, Love, Worship, and Observe the Lord’s Supper.
 
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
In this post, we will look at the eighth of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This command is to give and is found in Matthew 6:1-4.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
​
Here Jesus is working on the assumption that disciples would be giving and goes deeper to the heart of how we give. We are to give as an act of righteousness and we are not to not use our giving as a way to practice this righteousness to be seen by others.

It is also worth noting that Jesus does seem to make some reference to a possible motivation for giving. “For then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

Think about it; we are often told that if we give with an eye on what we might receive from our giving, then our giving is tainted. To be charitable is to be free from self-interest. But Jesus seems to contradict this notion and encourages the desire to receive a reward from our Father who is in heaven. Very interesting, don’t you think?

Nonetheless, there are some questions about giving that we would do well to consider. So here they are.

What should we give to God?

Each one of us has three resources that we should give to God. These are time, talent, and treasure.

Time is one commodity you have that God can use for His purpose. But you might not have even thought about it. Your time is probably like a lot of people’s time…there is precious little of it, but if you are spending your time on the right things, then you are making good use of your time. You are being a good steward with what you have been given, and since none of us know when our last day will be, we must make the most of the time God has given us. Think of your time as an offering; unless we use our time wisely, we’ll spend it uselessly, like we tend to sometimes do with our money. Try to keep track of what you are using your time for. You might be surprised how little time you are spending for or with God. We are challenged to redeem the time because the days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). So let’s decide to do a better job with our time.

Talent is another commodity we have that can be given for God’s use or not. I believe everyone has a talent of some kind. Many have several talents, but everyone has at least one talent. You have a God-given talent for something, perhaps something that can be useful for the Body of Christ (Matt 25:35-36). Whatever it is, you can use it for the glory of God and for Jesus Christ Himself (Matt 25:40). What is done for the least of those is done for Jesus, so what is your talent? I’m sure you have one. Maybe it’s your smile and positive attitude, and living a life of faith that others find attractive. Perhaps it’s a skill for listening and not judging, but just letting others talk. If could be in music, art, writing, plumbing, or just being a diligent person. These can all be used for the kingdom of God. Whatever talent you have, use it for the glory of God.

Our treasure is usually where our heart is. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). This is why the Lord said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). Whatever you store up here will do no good for God, but whatever you do for God on earth you are storing up treasure in heaven. You can’t take it with you, but you can forward them ahead. And it is no surprise that funds are usually necessary for ministry to happen, especially when that ministry takes place across the ocean, as is usually the case for missionaries.

So let’s be generous with our time, talent, and treasure.

Why should we give to God?

The first answer to this question is that we are commanded to give.

The second answer to this question is that giving changes us. God can do so much more through a wise, giving, mature person than a person who is overly concerned with possessions of this world. Our money and belongings can disappear or get destroyed at any time and if we place too much value on them, we will be devastated when they are gone. God wants our treasure and worth to be with those things that can never be destroyed or taken from us, namely Himself and the people He has put in our lives. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be” (Matthew 6:19-21).

As God changes our hearts to be more like Him we learn to focus on what is eternally important instead of on the temporal things of this world. Paul reminded the Corinthians to do this: “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever” (2nd Corinthians 4:18). By opening our eyes to what God may be doing behind the scenes, we can step out in faith, obey when He asks us to give, and rest in His plan in the midst of unknowns and seemingly scary circumstances.

The third answer to why we should give is that our giving glorifies God. Giving simply is not part of our sinful human nature. We are born looking out for our own desires and comfort. As we grow up and learn values, especially as we get to know God and submit our lives to Him, He changes us to be others-minded and to trust in Him to meet our needs. The fact that selfish, sinful human hearts can be changed to put others first can only be attributed to God, thus our giving gives Him glory.

And the fourth reason why we should give is the blessing that we will receive. Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” There can be no mistaking what He says here. Give generously because the measure you use to give is the same measure that will be used back to you.

How should we give to God?

There are basically three things to consider when we ask how we should give to God.

The first is that we should give generously. In Matthew 10:8 Jesus gives the principle that since you have received freely, you should give freely. Since you are the recipient of God’s lavish grace and His generous love in Jesus Christ, we should also be lavish and generous with the time, talent and treasure that we give as well.

The second is that we should give cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that God loves someone who gives cheerfully. Period.

And the third is referenced in the command of Matthew 6. We are told that our giving is to be done in secret, without any attempt to be seen by others. And the reason seems to be that there can only be one reward for our generosity. Either we receive a temporary reward from man or we receive an eternal reward from God.

Who should we give to when we give to God?

Acts 4:34-35 gives us a picture of who the early church gave to.

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Their giving was directed to all who had need. This ought to be our pattern as well.

So how are you doing with your giving? Do you consider your time and talent a resource to be given like your treasure?

Is one of these three easier to give than the others?
​
What change can you make this week to be more intentional about giving in one of these three areas?

​Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples to understand and obey. If you missed the first six posts in this series you can find them by clicking  Repent and Believe, Be Baptized, Pray, Make Disciples,Love, and Worship.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
In this post, we will look at the seventh of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This command is to observe the Lord’s Supper and is found in Luke 22:7-20.

“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

So Jesus made it clear that the disciples were to participate in this kind of ceremonial meal as a remembrance of Him, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” This is the command. But there are probably questions that arise from this command, perhaps even among Christians who have been observing the Lord’s supper in a fellowship. We are going to look at some of those questions and hopefully bring some clarity and understanding to the practice.

What is the Lord’s Supper?

It is significant that Jesus makes the connection to the Passover celebration. The Passover took place when the Jews were slaves in Egypt and God, through Moses, brought about the deliverance of His people after the plagues were unleashed against the Egyptians. The tenth plague was the one resulting in the death of every firstborn. And God gave very specific instructions to His people so that they might avoid having their firstborn killed.

The instructions were very clear; they were to take a lamb for the household. The lamb had to be without blemish, a male a year old, taken from the sheep or the goats, and the lamb would be killed at twilight. Then some of the blood of the lamb was to be put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house in which they ate it. The blood would be a sign for them, on the houses where they were. And when God saw the blood on the doorposts and lintel, He would ‘pass over’ them and the plague would not befall them to destroy them when God struck the land of Egypt.

This celebration was a regular part of the Hebrew calendar on the fifteenth day of Nisan, which usually falls in March or April in our calendar. It is this celebration that Jesus was anxious to celebrate with His disciples. But they had no idea that this was going to be the institution of the new covenant. And this new covenant was something that the Jews had been anticipating for a long time.

“And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My rules and obey them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God,” (Ezekiel 11:19-20). (Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10)

Why do we observe the Lord’s Supper?

The most straightforward reason we observe the Lord’s Supper is because we are commanded to do so. “Do this in remembrance of Me,” (1Cor 11:24-25). We are commanded, so we obey.

But there are other reasons tied up in the command as well.

The observance of the Lord’s Supper serves as a reminder of Jesus and what He accomplished for us in establishing the New Covenant. Jesus has become our Passover lamb, without blemish, at whose blood we are spared from the judgement. If this isn’t an event worth celebrating, I don’t know what is.

Observance of the Lord’s Supper also serves to proclaim the Lord’s death until He returns, (1 Corinthians 11:26).

It also serves to remind us that His body was broken and His blood was shed to secure our salvation.

And observing the Lord’s Supper also indicates loyalty to Christ and not to idols. There can be no compromise. “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake at the table of the Lord and the table of demons,” (1 Corinthians 10:21-22). To eat at Jesus’ table is to be committed to Him, identified with His people, and dedicated to the service of His cause in the world.

How do we receive the Lord’s Supper?

This question of how and the next one of who are closely related to each other. When considering how we are to receive the Lord’s Supper, we need to look into 1 Corinthians 11:27-32. It is here that Paul makes it clear. We must receive the Lord’s Supper in a worthy manner.

Paul first says that whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup in an unworthy manner is guilty concerning the body and the blood of the Lord. This is serious business with serious consequences. Verse 30 tells us that there were those who did eat and drink in an unworthy manner who died as a result. To come to the table, holding onto one’s sin does not only dishonour the ceremony, but it also dishonours His body and blood, treating lightly the sacrifice of Jesus for us. Doing so mocks the sacrifice for sin by holding on to sin.

So Paul tells us that one must examine oneself before partaking of the Lord’s table and if there is unconfessed sin, one must make confession with a repentant heart. If the sin involves a brother or sister, one must seek forgiveness from the offended person. In this way we are able to ensure that the Lord’s Supper is observed in a manner worthy of the sacrifice.

Who should receive the Lord’s Supper?

It should be clear that only those who have been born again may receive the Lord’s Supper without fear. Only those who have been born again and have made sure that there is no unconfessed sin that remains.

This is a command that we need to observe if we are to be disciples of Jesus. So how are you doing? Do you observe the Lord’s Supper? How have you been doing so during the lockdown? How often do you celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
​
If you haven’t been doing this, when will you begin?

Waiting in our “daily”

Today we are going to be talking about waiting. We will look at some examples of things we wait for, some reasons why God allows us to wait at times, and a story in the Bible that demonstrates the most important message about waiting.

The average person on a daily basis spends approximately 2-3 hrs of waiting in a day. Now this is very approximate because our daily routines are all very different. But, we all do spend time everyday waiting for something.

Some examples of things we wait for everyday are:

-waiting for our food to cook or warm up
-waiting for our coffee to brew
-waiting for our phones and computers to load
-waiting for someone to get back to us

Now with most of these things we typically wait for on a daily basis, they end up turning out ok. We finally get to eat that delicious meal, the coffee finally brews, our computers load, etc.

The truth is that even in these moments of waiting in our daily lives, most of us don't like to wait because it can generally make us feel frustrated, confused, impatient, and unsure.

But what do we do with those feelings?

This is a very important question we need to ask ourselves especially during times of waiting on the Lord.

Purpose in Waiting

Have you ever waited on God for something? Maybe right now you are in a season of waiting.
​
Be encouraged today because God does often allow us to wait on Him because there is purpose in the waiting.  

Let's look at 4 reasons today why God allows us to wait at times:

1- Waiting allows for God's perfect timing and will to be done.

2 Peter 3:8
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

God is not limited by our time and schedules. He has all of the resources for every possible thing and we need to trust in His perfect timing in our lives.

Abraham in the Bible was waiting for a son. God had made a promise to him (Genesis 15:5) and he had to wait. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:5). Isaac was the promise child that Abraham had to wait for. This was God’s perfect timing and will that was brought forth, as promised.

2- Waiting builds patience in our lives.

Romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

We've heard the saying, if we ask God for patience, He will allow us to be in situations that give us the opportunity to be patient. Waiting is one of those things that definitely allows us to build our patience.

3- Waiting transforms our character.

James 1:2-4

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

While waiting is often out of our control, we can choose to have a positive outlook and attitude in seasons of waiting. This process is important because it reveals what's inside of our hearts. It's certainly not easy to wait, but it can truly be transforming for us if we allow it to.

4- Waiting brings us closer to God and allows us to fully depend on Him.

Isaiah 55:8

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."

When we are waiting on God for something, sometimes His answer is:

Yes..

Not yet...

And sometimes its:

I have something better in mind for you. Just wait a little bit longer.

What are you waiting on God for today?

I want to encourage you today that God's got your back, He's got this. He's going to work it out. Not only that, but He's going to do beyond what you can imagine. That’s His Word.

We need to wait well. We need to worship while we wait. We need to remain thankful while we wait. We need to remain faithful in prayer while we wait. These are very important and key.

The Father is Waiting

We've been looking at different examples of waiting and why God sometimes allows us to wait in situations. There is a well-known story in the Bible that demonstrates the most important message about waiting: The Prodigal Son

Most of us know that story well and what a wonderful demonstration of the compassion and love a father has for his son.

This story is an amazing demonstration of God's love for us and as much as we are all waiting for something, in the middle of it all, God our Father is waiting for us. He is waiting to hear from us, for us to spend time with Him. For us to share His love with others.

The Father is waiting today...

Why Missions?

The Father’s will is that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). People out there need to hear about Jesus and He can use simple people like you and me, if we are willing and obedient.

Would you partner with us in prayer for those who have yet to hear about Jesus?

The mission of advancing the gospel is the great work of the church, and prayer is the fuel that powers it.

Would you pray for our missionaries as they wait on the Lord to return to their fields?

Psalm 27:14
“Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”

God bless you as you wait patiently on the Lord.

In this week’s blog post, we are considering the habit or discipline of learning. In past posts, we have considered Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship as it relates to both time and finances, fasting, silence/solitude, and journaling.

If you have not seen these posts yet, go ahead and click on the links to catch yourself up.

And remember that the primary motivation for these spiritual habits or disciplines is taken from Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, where he says, exercise or discipline yourself toward godliness. This applies to us just the same today and he makes it clear that, if we wish to be godly, it will take work, discipline, and exercise. Just as an athlete, musician, or artist must exercise disciplined practice to become more proficient at their chosen field, so a disciple must exercise disciplined practice in these activities as means’ of grace to become more proficient at being godly. That is to say, as we become more disciplined in the practice of these habits, more of God’s grace is available to us which will change us.

So what about learning?

An examination of the New Testament word disciple shows that it means to not only be a “follower” of Jesus but also a “learner”. Are you a disciple of Jesus? To follow Jesus and become more like Him, we must engage in the spiritual discipline of learning.

The Wise Person

According to the book of the Bible written specifically to give us practical wisdom, one of the characteristics of a wise man or woman is a desire for learning. We read in Proverbs 9:9, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” Wise and righteous people can never get enough wisdom or knowledge. Unteachable people or those who are prideful about their learning only expose how shallow they are. The truly wise are humble because they know they still have so much to learn. And according to this verse, wise and righteous people remain teachable. They can learn from anybody, regardless of age or background. Give one of them instruction and he will be still wiser, he will increase in learning. The biblically wise are always looking to learn.

In Proverbs 18:15 we read, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” A wise person not only acquires knowledge, but he or she also seeks it. Wise ones desire to learn and will discipline themselves to seek learning opportunities.

One other verse in Proverbs deserves a look. Proverbs 23:12 commands us, “Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge.”  No matter how much previous instruction you have received or how extensive your knowledge - especially about God, Christ, the Bible, and the Christian life - and regardless of how intelligent or slow you consider yourself, you still need to apply your heart and ears to learn, because you haven’t learned it all.

A strong yearning for learning characterizes all those who are truly wise.
 
The Great Commandment

Jesus said that part of God’s greatest commandment is, Love the Lord your God...with all your mind” (Mark 12:30). What God wants most from you is your love and one of the ways He wants you to show love and obedience to Him is by godly learning. God is glorified when we use the mind He made to learn of Him, His Word, His ways, and His world.

Sadly, many Christians do not associate learning with loving God. In fact, we live in a quite anti-intellectual age. That may sound strange in light of the infinite storehouse of information accessible through the Internet; the widespread availability and growth of online education; the almost daily, dazzling advances in technology; and the fact that there are more advanced academic degrees being awarded today than ever before. Perhaps it is precisely because of such things that people - including Christian people - are more averse to things intellectual. Smart kids may be unpopular just because they are smart. They’re dismissed as nerds and the social attention goes to the underachievers. Our culture seems to glorify the physical much more than the mental. Nobody sells posters of the top software engineers or the most accomplished carpenter., much less the leading theologians.

There may be an intellectualism that is wrong, but it is also wrong to be anti-intellectual. We should love God just as much with our mind as with our heart and soul and strength. How can it all fit together? RC Sproul wrote, “God has made us with a harmony of heart and head, of thought and action...The more we know Him the more we can love Him. The more we love Him the more we seek to know Him. To be central in our hearts He must be foremost in our minds. Religious thought is the prerequisite to religious affection and obedient action.”

Unless we love God with a growing mind, we will be Christian versions of the Samaritans to whom Jesus said, “You worship what you do not know” (John 4:22).

A Requirement for Increased Godliness

The Christian life begins with learning - learning the gospel. Nobody is made right before the God about whom he knows nothing. Nobody is made right with God unless he or she learns about Him and His message to the world, a message of good news called the gospel. To know God, people must learn that there is a God (Hebrews 11:6), that they have broken His law (James 3:10, Romans 3:23), and that they need to be reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-19). They must learn that Jesus, God’s Son, came to accomplish that reconciliation (Colossians 1:19-20) and that He did so through His sinless life and His death on the cross as a substitute for sinners (Romans 3:21-26). They must learn about His bodily resurrection and their need to repent of their sin and to believe in Jesus and what He has done (Acts 17:30). Because apart from people learning these things, how are they to believe in Him of whom they have not heard (Romans 10:14)?

This is essentially what the apostle Paul is talking about in Romans 12 when he says, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Transformation of the heart and life - growth in godliness - involves a mental renewal that cannot happen without learning.

If you know little about godliness, you will grow little in godliness. To know it requires the Habit of Learning.

Learning is By Discipline, Not By Accident

As every dust bunny gets bigger the longer it rolls around underneath the bed, so every mind picks up at least a little more knowledge the longer it rolls around the earth. But we must not assume that we have learned true wisdom just by growing older. Job 32:9 says, “It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right.” In other words, age and experience by themselves don’t increase your spiritual maturity. Becoming like Jesus doesn’t happen incidentally or automatically with the passing of birthdays. Godliness, as in 1 Timothy tells us, requires a deliberate discipline.

Those who are not trying to learn will only get spiritual and biblical knowledge by accident or convenience. Occasionally they will hear a biblical fact or principle from someone else and profit from it. Once in a while, they may display a brief burst of interest in a subject. But this is not the way to godliness. The Habit of Learning transforms accidental learners into intentional learners.

Now, it is a whole lot easier to be an accidental learner or a convenience learner than an intentional learner. We are born that way. And much of the technological advances of the last few years has served to entrench this accidental/convenience learning. Watching TV or video is so much easier than choosing a good book, reading words, creating your own mental images, and relating them to your own life. Television decides for you what will be presented, speaks the words to you, shows you its own images, and tells you what impact it wants to have on your life. Compared to that, books often appear too demanding for the contemporary mind. Honestly, it takes discipline to become an intentional learner.

A Variety of Ways to Learn

There are indeed people who have genuine difficulty reading, so there are methods of learning for these people, methods that learners who do thrive on learning will enjoy also.

First, there is the option to listen to audiobooks. It’s so easy to listen and learn while getting ready for the day or while commuting, while driving around town or travelling long-distance, while exercising or working around the house. Much the same is true for audio or video recordings available on the Internet or through podcasts. Just make sure that you are listening to a reputable ministry, not just to someone whose speaking style you enjoy. If study guides are available, use them.

Another way to learn without reading is to have meaningful conversations with spiritually mature Christians. This is a natural part of the discipling process. Those who are more mature than ourselves have much to teach us about godliness and obedience to the commands of Christ.

While our attention is directed toward personal spiritual disciplines, we shouldn’t neglect the multiple opportunities for learning that are (hopefully) available to you through interpersonal spiritual disciplines in your local church. It is understood that COVID-19 restrictions have curtailed the face-to-face sort of learning opportunities at your church but these restrictions should be removed in time. If this post has triggered you to further discipline yourself in intentional learning, be sure to speak to your pastor about the role your church could play in helping you learn for the purpose of godliness.

There you have it; learning as a discipline is a key component to increasing in godliness.

Remember that learning has a goal. The goal is Christlikeness. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to Me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me”. There is a false or superficial knowledge that puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1), but godly learning leads to godly living. John Milton, who wrote the poem Paradise Lost, wrote, “The end of learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love Him and to imitate Him.” Let’s pray that God would give us an unquenchable desire for the knowledge that leads us to love Him more and that makes us more like Jesus Christ.

Will you develop the habit of learning?

How will you start?

When will you start?
 

​Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples to understand and obey. If you missed the first four posts in this series you can find them by clicking  Repent and Believe, Be Baptized, Pray, Make Disciples, and Love.
 
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
In this post, we will look at the sixth of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This fifth command is to love and is found in Matthew 4:10.

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve." 

You are probably familiar with the context of this verse. Jesus has been baptized by John in the Jordan River. As He came up out of the water the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Then the Spirit led Him out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He had been fasting for forty days when He was tempted and this verse is His response to the devil following the third of three temptations. Jesus had been taken to a high mountain, from which the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. He told Jesus, “All of these I will give to You if You will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus responds to the devil by saying, “Be gone, Satan. For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”

There is the command to worship God. But like many Christian ideas, concepts, and words, they are used by many without much real thought as to what they mean. So what is worship?

Internal Essence of Worship

We must understand at this point that there are two elements of worship. There is the inner essence of worship and the external expression of worship.

John Piper believes that such a distinction ought to be made because he believes that Jesus does the same in Matthew 15:8-9.

“This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me.”

In this verse, the internal is the heart and the external is the lips. And when the lips say things that do not accord with what the heart believes, the worship is described as vain or empty. It is not worship. It is not worship if there is not the heart aspect to it. So, you can do as many deeds as you want and go to as many church events as you want and never be worshipping if it is all external and nothing is happening in your heart toward God. All true worship is, in essence, a matter of the heart.

So what is that inner experience of the heart toward God that we call the experience of worship? Maybe Jesus was pointing us toward an answer in John 4: 23-23.

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Note that worshipping in spirit is not contrasted with worshipping in the body or with the body. Instead, it is put alongside worshipping in truth.

What is Jesus saying here? I think the point is that right worship, good worship, pleasing worship depends on the right grasp of the way God is – truth. If we worship an idol of our own making, we are not really worshipping God.

An important implication or worshipping in spirit and truth – having a right grasp of the way God is – is coming to value Him as that which is most valuable. Worship depends on a correct spiritual or heart understanding of God’s supreme value. True worship depends on a right understanding of God’s nature and it is a right valuing of God’s worth.

Of course, His worth is infinite. So, true worship is a valuing or a treasuring of God above all things.

The inner essence of worship is the response of the heart when the mind is rightly understanding God and the heart is rightly valuing God. Or you could use words like treasuring or prizing God or delighting in God or reverencing God. All of these inner responses to God reflect His infinite worth and beauty. That is what worship was designed to do: put the supreme worth of God on display.

External Acts of Worship

So, we worship God truly when we know Him truly and treasure Him properly. Then the word worship refers to that inner valuing and treasuring becoming visible in the world in two basic ways in the New Testament. One is acts of the mouth; acts of praise (speaking or singing) and repentance in worship services or small group gatherings. The other is acts of love with the body and the hands and the feet, acts of love that show the supreme value of God by what we are willing to sacrifice for the good of others.

We can see these two basic ways in Hebrews 13:15-16.

Through Him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

These verses begin and end with sacrifice. The idea of sacrifice is an echo from the Old Testament sacrifices which were at the centre of worship and were to display the value of God as we gave up a bull or a goat or some grain and showed that God is precious to us.

We treasure His redemption that comes to us through Jesus Christ. So through Christ, two things become worshipful sacrifices in our life: first, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name (public and private singing and praying and repenting and confessing) and second, the fruit of deeds.

Worship ought to be a part of our everyday life, not music that we listen to or how many church services or events we attend. Let’s worship God in spirit and truth.

So offer to God the fruit of your lips in praise and worship. And don’t neglect to do good. Both are pleasing to God and both are necessary acts of worship.

How has worshipping God helped you in your everyday life? What have you learned? How have you been encouraged or challenged? Please share in the comments, we would love to hear from you!
 

In this week’s blog post, we are considering the habit or discipline of journaling. In past posts, we have considered Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, stewardship as it relates to both time and finances, fasting, and silence/solitude.

If you have not seen these posts yet, go ahead and click on the links to catch yourself up.

And remember that the primary motivation for these spiritual habits or disciplines is taken from Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, where he says, exercise or discipline yourself toward godliness. This applies to us just the same today and he makes it clear that, if we wish to be godly, it will take work, discipline, and exercise. Just as an athlete, musician, or artist must exercise disciplined practice to become more proficient at their chosen field, so a disciple must exercise disciplined practice in these activities as means’ of grace to become more proficient at being godly. That is to say, as we become more disciplined in the practice of these habits, more of God’s grace is available to us which will change us.

So what about journaling? Let’s begin with an explanation.

A journal is a place (physical or digital) in which a person records information important to him or her personally for the purpose of preservation and/or consideration. As a follower of Jesus your journal is a place to document the works and ways of God in your life. Your journal can also include an account of daily events, personal relationships, a notebook of insights into Scripture and/or a list of prayer requests and answers. A journal is one of the best places for tracking your progress in the other disciplines and for holding yourself accountable to your goals.

The words ‘spiritual journal’ can sound quite exclusive – something artsy types do, not normal everyday disciples. Or they can sound quite old-fashioned and not something for twenty first-century disciples. But both of these impressions are unhelpful! A spiritual journal is an ordinary, honest record of what is going on in your life, how you feel about it, and your awareness of where God is in it all.

It needn’t be in good English; it’s not being handed in for marking! It needn’t be written in a fancy book. You can do it – and there are good reasons why you should consider it.

Why Keep a Spiritual Journal?

A spiritual journal achieves three things: it is a record, which aids reflection and thus becomes a means of responding to God’s call to deepening discipleship.

•  Record

At base level a spiritual journal is like an ordinary diary. In it you record the main events of your life. You don’t write everything, just those things that have struck you as particularly significant in some way. One difference to a diary, though, is that in a spiritual journal you not only record what has happened, but also how you found yourself reacting to what has happened: your feelings, attitudes and heart-responses to daily events. The value is that it captures things that would otherwise just vanish in the busy-ness of life. It allows you to build a record of what’s going on so that you can reflect, over time, on your growth as a disciple.

• Reflect

The journal is ‘spiritual’ because its main purpose is to use the record of your day to help you think about where God was at work in the events of your life. You think about the record that you have written and reflect on questions such as: − How and when have I been aware of God today? − What has God been doing – both in my circumstances and in me? − Has God spoken to me today? How? − Has God felt absent today? Why might that be? − How have I responded and reacted to God today? This is not an exhaustive list, but if you are new to keeping a spiritual journal then it could serve as a temporary checklist to help you begin to reflect on your day in the light of God’s presence. If we really do “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), then there is no part of our day that is out of bounds for such reflection!

• Respond

Your written record and reflection now helps you to respond to God in fresh and clearer ways. By writing down some of the events of your day they become clearer to you. They are now outside of you, on the page, and you can look at them and think about them from a different perspective. Over time you can also chart the movement in your spiritual life – or perhaps you can see places where you are particularly stuck. All of this is helpful because it allows you to respond to what you see. Our responses might take many forms. For example, we might: − give thanks to God for progress made − pray more deliberately for particular needs we have seen in us or in our world − take action to right wrongs − seek help with persistent problems − discern ways in which God is calling you to change or move on. You can write down your responses and these also become part of your spiritual journal.

How to Keep a Spiritual Journal

You can breathe a sigh of relief: there are no rules to keeping a spiritual journal! Find a system that works for you and be willing to adapt it as you go, so that it keeps working. If it enables you to record your day, reflect on God’s involvement and respond in some way then it is working! Having said that, here are a few thoughts to help you think through your own approach.

• Find the best format for you

Some people like to buy a special book to keep as their spiritual journal; others might use an old exercise book. Others may go straight for their laptop or iPad. One factor is portability; sometimes it’s good to go away and reflect on your journal, so don’t use a format that’s too big to take for a walk!

• Find the best rhythm for you

It doesn’t have to be daily; weekly could work well – but try to develop a rhythm. If it’s too random it could disappear from your radar altogether.

• Find the best time for you

Many like to end the day writing in their journal. There is a certain logic to that, and it allows your journal to naturally lead into prayer as you close your day. If you write your journal weekly, then how about making it part of keeping Sunday special?

• Find the best expression for you

If you are so inclined, and it helps you record, reflect or respond, then you could include: poems, drawings, songs, prayers or other forms of creative expression.

• Find the path to prayer

Try to develop the habit of your spiritual journal naturally leading you to pray about what you have written and reflected on.

One final thought: although the journal is a private document, it could help you develop this habit – and perhaps reflect on your journal entries – if you shared your ‘journal journey’ with a close spiritual friend. Keeping a spiritual journal in company with others allows you to learn from one another’s experience and to support one another in developing the practice.
​
Do you currently have a spiritual journal? If so, please share how this has helped you in your spiritual growth and relationship with God? If you don’t have a spiritual journal, we hope that you have been encouraged to start one and we would love to hear all about it!

At this time of year, many people find themselves thinking more about thankfulness. But a look at Scripture reminds us that being thankful needs to be a foundation of our lives every day. 

In fact, having an “attitude of gratitude” adds to our spiritual and physical health all year round - and it’s a mindset we can cultivate. We can certainly express our appreciation to family and friends, for employment, fun times and new things. But the Bible clearly instructs Christians to fix our eyes on the Heavenly Father, the true source of every good thing in our lives. He is the One who graciously gives us “good things” of all kinds, and our natural response should be thanking Him specifically.

How Can We Express Thanksgiving? 

​“Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name” (Psalm 100:4).

We can express our thanks privately anytime. But there’s something very special about gathering together to express gratitude to God. I grew up in a church where opportunity was often given for testimonies. People were invited to stand and share something God had done in their lives, or how coming to know Jesus changed their lives. Listening to stories always led me to be more aware and grateful for God’s presence in my life.

Verses all through the Bible point us back to God as our Creator and Sustainer, and how we are to be a thankful people. The list of things we could praise Him for is endless. But here are just a few reasons to give thanks to God all year long. Don't be surprised if more blessings come to your mind as you read these.

   “Let us come before Him with Thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods” (Psalm 95:2-3).

1.  His Love           

In 1 John, the disciple says straight out that, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). In Scripture, we see those that received and embraced His unconditional love for them humbly and joyfully thanked the Lord for it.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good” (1 Chronicles 16:34).

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).
 
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind” (Psalm 107:15).

God’s love is just as strong for us today as it was for those in Scripture. He is still our Father, who seeks a relationship with us. His deep and abiding love should lead us to praise Him just like those we read about.

 How has God shown His love to you?

2.  His Provision

From the earliest days of the Israelite nation, God has delivered His people from, and led them through, all sorts of trials and hardships. So, many accounts tell of people responding with gratitude for how God watched over them in challenging times. Their trust grew stronger and led them to pray with expectation going forward.

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy and with my song I praise Him” (Psalm 28:7).

“I thank and praise You, God of my ancestors: You have given me wisdom and power” (Daniel 2:23).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).

“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:19-20).

It doesn’t take much thought for us to come up with our own testimonies of how God has carried us in hard times. He wants us to recognize that He, and no one else, is our Provider, and to hear our response.

 In what situation has God provided for you?

3.  His Forgiveness

King David and the disciple Peter are two examples in Scripture of men who were impacted by their sinful choices, and later received the forgiveness of God. Both were deeply changed in the process. Others join with them in Scripture to express thanks for such amazing grace.

“I will praise You, Lord. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away and You have comforted me” (Isaiah 12:1).

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits - who forgives all your sins” (Psalm 103:2-3).

Every believer throughout the ages has been able to hold onto the same promise of receiving God’s forgiveness for sin. We too can feel that lightening of our spirit and respond with gratitude.

 What sins has God forgiven you for?

4.  His Word

Even before the Bible we have today existed, its teachings and truths were shared. Sometimes it spread by word of mouth, other times in written form. But whatever way it reached people, the Word of God changed minds and hearts and inspired gratitude in those that heard it.

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16).

“At midnight I rise to give You thanks for Your righteous laws” (Psalm 119:62).

Today, most of us are immensely blessed to have access to the whole Bible. On any given day, we can be impacted by the life-renewing power within its pages. God is pleased when we use this gift and thank Him for it.

 What Bible verse has made a difference in your faith walk?

5.  His Creation

God created the earth for His pleasure and ours and took great care in the process of making it. Every detail was intentional. King David was one of many who delighted in nature, seeing evidence of the Master’s hand all around him.

“Give thanks to the Lord of lords: to Him who alone does great wonders, who by His understanding made the heavens, who spread out the earth upon the waters, who made the great lights - the sun to govern the day, the moon and stars to govern the night” (Psalm 136:3-9).

We have the opportunity to appreciate God's handiwork as well. Looking up into a bright blue sky, sitting on the beach or a walk in the woods is a way to find refreshment and calm.

 What is your favourite spot in nature to spend time?

6.  His People           

The Apostle Paul often expressed gratitude for his fellow Christians and for the encouragement and support they gave. He recognized that God was ministering to him through those believers while giving them a chance to know the joy of serving the Lord. Feeling the power of community brought out praises.

“We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers” (1 Thessalonians 1:2).

“I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all His holy people and their faith in the Lord Jesus” (Philemon 1:4).
 
“We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your face is growing more and more and the love all of you have for one another is increasing” (2 Thessalonians 1:3).

The church was part of God’s plan for His people. Most of us who belong to a local church family can agree that there is comfort and strength to be found in fellowship. We are given chances to serve each other and help each other grow closer to our Lord. The sound of thanks coming from a congregation sounds sweet to God.

 How has being in a church family made a difference in how you live?

7.  His Plan for Us

The Apostle Paul wrote repeatedly that the followers of Christ have been set apart by God. He taught that believers have the privilege and responsibility of growing in holiness and of joining the Lord in His mission. Paul also mentions God's plan for us to share in numerous blessings through what Jesus did on the cross: victory over the enemy, restoration with God and an eternal Kingdom to enjoy. And we know from the covenant God made with Abraham that we are blessed like this in order to be a blessing (Genesis 12).

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’” (Hebrews 12:28-29).
 
“We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken your great power and have begun to reign” (Revelation 11:17).

How has the knowledge of God’s plan for you now and in the future encouraged you?

God Gladly Receives Our Praise

​In this age, we are even closer to seeing the return of Christ. That should awaken us to greater determination to be known as God’s children, and more gratitude for His wonderful promises.

Saying “thank you” to God hardly seems like enough in light of all His blessings to us. But whenever we do that, He gladly receives our praises. Studying verses about thankfulness will bring us to a place of humility, and a place of joy, and that is how God wants us to live every day.

“What shall I return to the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill  my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people” (Psalm 116:12-14).

Have you ever planned a trip or special celebration that you had to end up cancelling? Maybe you had some personal goals that you were hoping to accomplish, but weren’t able to? Or maybe you had some great ideas for your business or ministry that you had to put on hold?

While our answers may vary, one thing most of us can agree on is that we didn’t see COVID-19 coming and all the effects that would follow. Many plans had to be changed, cancelled, and put on hold at this time. Its not easy when plans need to be changed because often there is some disappointment that comes with that.

Today, we are going to look at 3 important truths to keep in mind when our plans don’t come together the way we had hoped for.

1. Our plans are not guaranteed.
​
Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”

This year, my family had 2 celebrations that we had made plans for. A 10-year Wedding Anniversary and a 40th Birthday. We had a special trip booked and we even had a hall booked to help make these days extra special. They all had to be cancelled.

We need to remember that whatever we put on our calendar and plan for is not guaranteed. God knows everything and it is He that directs our steps, not our plans.

It doesn’t mean that the disappointment won’t be there because initially it will. It means that when our plans get ‟interrupted” its God allowing His plans to come to pass. And whatever we experience, God will use to build and develop our character to make us more like Jesus.

2. God is still in control.

Psalm 47:8 says, “God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.”

No matter what we go through, God is still on His throne. He is still in control. This is not only a great reminder but also a comfort to know that our Father in heaven is always in control. It reminds me of being a child and that safe feeling of being with our parents when we are afraid. God is always there for us no matter what we are feeling. Let us find encouragement in that today.

3. God’s plans are best for us.  

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

This is one of my favourite verses in the Bible. This promise assures us, encourages us, comforts us, gives us hope and peace, and so much more. When God called Jonah to go and preach in Nineveh, he decided to go the opposite way. Jonah tried to run away from God, but didn’t get very far only to be swallowed by a giant fish. Even though Jonah did not understand, the plans that God had for his life were best for him. We know what ends up happening- Jonah eventually obeys and does what God asked Him to do. God’s plans for us are best for us.

During this season, it has been so wonderful to see the church step up and be in prayer and reading the Bible more. It has also been wonderful to see people who do not know Jesus ask questions. People are seeking and this is a good thing.

Another thing I have seen are missionaries who are desperately waiting to get back on the field to serve God and share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Their plans have been greatly changed, and they are trusting God for greater plans to come. Let’s continue to pray for our missionaries as they wait to be able to return to their fields.

How have your plans changed this year? Have you had to cancel anything? What are some good things you have seen or experienced during this season? Please let us know in comments. We would love to hear from you.

​Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples understand and obey. If you missed the first four posts in this series, you can find them by clicking Repent and Believe, Be Baptized, Pray, and Make Disciples. 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).
 
In this post, we will look at the fifth of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This fifth command is to love and is found in Matthew 22:37-39.

And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.

So it’s clear, then, that love is something that must be done as a disciple of Jesus who is intent upon obeying all of His commands. And there likely aren’t very many disciples who would deny this love imperative. But what does it mean to love? What does love look like? How do I know what love is and who to love?

What is love?

Ask 100 people on the street what love is and you will probably get 100 different answers. But there is only one answer that a disciple should seek and that is the one given by Jesus. In John 15:12-14, Jesus gives the sense of what love is. He says that there is no greater love than the willingness of one to lay down his life for another. This is the ultimate definition of what love is.

And most of us in North America are pretty safe in saying that we love like that because the likelihood that I might be placed in the position of having to lay down my life for another is pretty remote. But is that the extent of what loving by laying down your life for another really means? Is it possible to lay down your life daily?

I believe that love is laying down your own life, your plans, your schedule, your agenda for the sake of others. Kind of like the Good Samaritan that Jesus talked about in Luke 10:25-37. He set aside his plans and schedule to care for the person who had been attacked on the road and left for dead. The Samaritan invested his time, energy and resources to care for him. And Jesus held this Samaritan up as an example of love.

Why do we love?

In John 13:34-45 Jesus says to us, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

From this, we see three reasons why we are to love. First, because it is commanded; “A new commandment I give to you,”. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. We are commanded to love each other. Second, because Jesus loves us; “As I have loved you,”. And third, because this is the way the world will know that we are disciples of Jesus; “By this all people will know that you are My disciples.”

Who do we love?

In Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus makes it clear who we are to love.  “And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

These are also commandments. We are to love God and we are to love our neighbours.

How do we love?

John 14:15 tells us that we love Jesus by obeying Him. And so we are fond of saying to people, “Love Jesus and do what He says.”

God has loved us with a love with the greatest love there is, the love that moves one to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). But this doesn’t mean that Jesus loved us, His friends, more than His Father. It means that Jesus loved us best because He loved His Father most (John 17:26; Mark 14:36). And “if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11). That means that we also ought to love with a love that moves us to lay down our lives for others, particularly those who do not know the good news that God loves them.
​
So how are you doing with this command to love? Are you loving Jesus and doing what He says? How are you being a good neighbour like the Good Samaritan that Jesus spoke about? Let us know in the comments section. We would love to hear how you are doing and how we might support you in your desire to be a better disciple of Jesus.

At One Mission Society we are excited when a congregation take steps to become more intentional about their involvement in cross-cultural missions work because we see this kind of world evangelization as the key to meeting the requirement Jesus gave in Matthew 24:14; “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” This is how we complete the Great Commission, preaching the gospel of the kingdom to all nations. And we know that nations does not refer to political entities like Canada or Cameroon or Croatia or Colombia. It means ethno-linguistic people groups like the Ansari in India, the Arain in Pakistan, the Uygher in China and the Fulani of Nigeria.
​
So we encourage congregations to develop a strategy to become more intentional about resourcing the cross-cultural work with funds and with people.

The strategy serves as the roadmap to get from where they are presently to that place of greater intentionality and impact.

However, in order for a map to be of any kind of a useful tool for charting a course, there are two critical pieces of knowledge that we must possess. The first is the knowledge of where we wish to go, that destination to which we wish to go. That’s usually quite obvious if we have taken the time to think it through. The second piece of knowledge that we must possess is perhaps less obvious and less simple to attain; where we are presently. Think about it. You cannot plot a course from point A to point B unless you can find both point A and point B on the map. And it’s been our experience that point A is the more difficult point to get correct.

Perhaps you have had this experience. You are playing a round of golf and as occasionally happens, you hit your driver off the tee and lose sight of the ball. You have an idea of the general area where it landed. And so you strike out to where you think your ball should be. You look and look, gradually moving further and further away from the spot you thought it should be in ever widening circles until you find the ball much closer to the tee than you thought it went. You were sure it went 230 yards, but it actually only went 185.

I think it is a universal principle that we estimate our progress to be further than it actually is, we estimate our drives to be longer than they are and we estimate our value to be greater than it really is. So how can we be more accurate in determining what our Point A actually is?

What follows are 19 questions to help us determine where Point A really is. These questions are designed for Pastors and church leaders, but any church member can find the questions helpful. So give them a go.

1. Is our congregation more knowledgeable or less knowledgeable about crucial spiritual needs and progress in the world than 3 years ago?
2. Is our congregation as a whole more knowledgeable or less knowledgeable about missionaries supported by our church or denomination than 3 years ago?
3. Has our church’s cross-cultural missions giving increased or decreased as a percent of our total budget in the past 3 years?
4. Has the congregation’s desire to support world missions increased or decreased over the past 3 years?  
5. In the past 3 years, who from our church has gone overseas to serve as a missionary for 1 year or longer?
6. Who in our congregation is currently preparing to become an cross-cultural career missionary?
7. Is my understanding of a pastor's role in leading the church in world missions clear, cloudy, muddy, or unimportant to me? 
8. Does the congregation see me as our church’s leader in reaching the world for Christ?
9. How is world evangelism demonstrated in our church’s vision and values?
10. Would our congregation give higher priority to cross-cultural ministries that meet humanitarian needs or spiritual needs?
11. Would our congregation give higher priority to ministries meeting spiritual needs overseas or compassion ministries in your community?
12. Am I regularly reading one or more missions periodicals? 
13. When did I last go on a cross-cultural missions trip?  When am I going again?
14. How many weekends a year does world missions get the main focus during the primary worship service in our church?
15. Am I praying regularly for a foreign missionary, nation, or people group? 
16. Is world missions emphasized enough in our church?
17. What was the last missions book I read?  When?
18. Does our church have an organized outreach to a different culture in our community or area?
19. Do I see world evangelization as an occasional project, a consistent program, an important focus, central to our mission as a church, a passion for our entire congregation, or something else?

So how did you do? We would love to hear from you. Leave us a comment below. And, if you feel it is appropriate, please share this blog post with your pastor and church leaders. We really do want to see congregations become more intentional about their role in world evangelization.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

Most of us have heard the saying, “The Struggle is Real” but what does this really mean for us as believers?

A struggle can be defined as: to contend with an adversary or opposing force or to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.

So, most would associate this saying with day-to-day challenges or the grind that we face such as: getting up early for work or school, doing laundry that has been piled up for days or even weeks, or having to cook a nice dinner after an exhausting day.

While these challenges or grind can all be valid struggles at times, today we are going to talk about a very real struggle that we are constantly in and yet has been ignored by some.

Ephesians 6:12 describes this struggle. It’s not a struggle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world, and the spiritual forces of evil.

We need to be aware that there is an enemy and he is out there prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). This is very important for us to be aware of so that we don’t fall into temptation and sin. The struggle is real.

God’s Resources

God has provided us with some key resources which we must rely on as we face this struggle every day.

 Let’s look at 4 of these today:

1. Prayer

We need to constantly be in prayer alone and also with other believers. Having others to encourage and build us up through prayer is not only comforting but necessary. In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 Paul is asking for prayer to be rescued from evil people. There is power in prayer and God certainly hears our prayers, so let us come boldly before Him and ask for His protection and wisdom to get us through this constant struggle.

2. The Holy Spirit

We must be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). As we are filled, we become more like Jesus and we are transformed in how we think and ultimately how we act. We cannot fight this struggle with our physical strength. We need the Holy Spirit to be in control and work in and through us.

3. God’s Word

The Word of God is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). When Jesus was being tempted by the devil in the desert, He responded with the Word of God and eventually, the devil left Him. The more we know God’s Word, the better we can respond when we are faced with challenging situations.

4. Jesus
​
Jesus is our greatest example when facing any situation. Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Jesus empathizes with us and He was tempted like we have been, yet He did not sin. Jesus demonstrated how we should deal with this real struggle in how He lived His life. Hebrews 7:25 also reminds us that Jesus always makes intercession for us. In times where we do not know what to pray for or how to pray, we can be assured that Jesus is praying on our behalf. I always find it so amazing that we have a God who truly understands us through every situation. It really brings such a peace and comfort to know this.

So, the struggle is real isn’t it? Yes it is, but there is good news. We have been provided with the resources and tools that we need in order to overcome. Let’s tap into these like never before and we will grow in our faith like never before.

There is some more good news for us. The victory has already been won! Jesus was victorious and as believers we are also victorious. Remembering this helps us to stay focused and allows us to move forward in all that God has for us.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

What struggle are you facing today? Remember that you are victorious through Jesus Christ, and God has provided some game changer resources and tools for us. I encourage you to go deeper into these.

Feel free to check out our Blog  and look out for a new blog that is posted every week. Our prayer is that you would be greatly encouraged to go deeper into what God has for your life.
​

In this week’s blog post, we are considering the habit or discipline of silence/solitude. In past posts, we have considered Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, and stewardship as it relates to both   time  and   finances, and fasting.

If you have not seen these posts yet, go ahead and click on the links to catch yourself up.

And remember that the primary motivation for these spiritual habits or disciplines is taken from Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, where he says, exercise or discipline yourself toward godliness. This applies to us just the same today and he makes it clear that, if we wish to be godly, it will take work, discipline, and exercise. Just as an athlete, musician, or artist must exercise disciplined practice to become more proficient at their chosen field, so a disciple must exercise disciplined practice in these activities as means’ of grace to become more proficient at being godly. That is to say, as we become more disciplined in the practice of these habits, more of God’s grace is available to us which will change us.

So what about silence/solitude? Let’s begin with an explanation.

The discipline/habit of silence is the voluntary and temporary abstention from speaking so that certain spiritual gifts might be sought. It is sometimes practised in order to read the Bible, meditate on Scripture, pray, journal, and so on. Though there is no audible speaking, there may be intentional, biblical self-talk or prayer to God. At other times you might choose not to talk at all but simply focus your mind upon God and to set your mind on things that are above (Colossians3:2), resting your soul in the love He displayed in Christ.

The discipline/habit of solitude is the voluntary and temporary withdrawing to privacy for spiritual purposes. The length of the solitude may last only a few minutes or for days. As with silence, solitude may be pursued in order to participate without interruption in other disciplines or just to be alone with God and think.

Three thoughts are helpful when thinking about silence and solitude.

First, think of silence and solitude as complementary disciplines to fellowship. But don’t think of fellowship as those times when you simply socialize. Biblical fellowship involves talking about God and the things of God. It is probably true that we do much less of this than we think, even when we are at church. The emphasis here, though, is that fellowship requires interaction with other people, whereas silence and solitude do not. It seems that each of us is more inclined in one direction than the other. That is, we enjoy meaningful conversation with other Christians more than solitude or vice versa. But both have a place in the life of a biblically consistent believer. Without silence and solitude, we can be active but shallow. Without fellowship, we can be deep, but stagnant. Christlikeness requires both sides of the equation.

Second, silence and solitude are often found together. Even though they can be distinguished as in the definitions above, we are referring to them as a pair.
​
Third, recognize that our western culture conditions us to be comfortable with crowds and noise, not with silence and solitude, and to feel more comfortable at a mall than at a park. This is confirmed by the inability of many of us to ever be at home or in a car by ourselves without turning on some background noise. Technology now makes it possible for us to enjoy the benefits of news, music, educational content, and more whenever we want and wherever we are. More than any generation in history, we must discipline ourselves to enjoy the blessings of silence and solitude for the purpose of godliness.

Following are just a few of the reasons to pursue silence and solitude.

1- To follow Jesus' example

Scripture teaches us that Jesus pursued periods of silence and solitude, some for only a few minutes or hours, and at least one for several days. Check out the following references:

Matthew 4:1 - the primary purpose of this event was for Jesus to encounter and conquer the devil’s temptations. But it is worthy to note that the Holy Spirit led Jesus to this experience during a lengthy period of fasting and solitude.
Matthew 14:23 - Here He sent the multitudes and His disciples away so He could be alone with the Father.
Mark 1:35 - After a night of healing and casting out demons and before it was daylight again He went to spend time alone in prayer. Jesus knew that had He waited until after sunrise, He would have been surrounded again by the curious eyes and urgent voices of the whole city.
Luke 4:42 - Imagine, people are clamouring for your help and have many real needs, and you are able to meet all those needs. Can you ever feel justified in pulling away to be alone? Jesus did. So, if it was necessary and possible for Jesus, how much more for us?

The point should be obvious: To be more like Jesus we must discipline ourselves to find times of silence and solitude. Then through these habits or disciplines, we can pursue the many blessings that Jesus experienced through them.
 
2- To minimize distractions in prayer

One of the more obvious reasons for getting away from the sounds and surroundings that divert our attention is to better focus the mind in prayer. In addition to the examples of Jesus in the previous section, other biblical examples of this might include Elijah going to Horeb, the mount of God (1 Kings 19:8) where he heard the low whisper of God (1 Kings 19:11-13). Consider Habakkuk entering a guard post and keeping watch to hear from and answer to God (Habakkuk 2:1). Or look to the apostle Paul going to Arabia after his conversion where he was presumably alone with God (Galatians 1:7).
Many of us realize the addiction we have to noise. The portability and accessibility of technology is a mixed blessing. While we should be grateful for its massive benefits, we should also recognize its invasive and distracting tendencies. The more we use audio and video technology, the more we need to learn the discipline of silence and solitude.
 
3- To express faith in God

The simple act of silence before God, as opposed to coming to Him in a wordy fret, can be a demonstration of faith in Him. Twice in Psalm 62 David displayed this kind of faith. In Psalm 62:1-2 he affirms that his soul waits in silence for God alone because he knows Him to be his rock, his salvation and his fortress. Then in Psalm 62:5-6 he challenges his soul to wait in silence for God alone, again because He is his rock, salvation and fortress.

Sometimes, the prayers we speak can be filled more with fear and doubt than faith; silence before the Lord can sometimes express more faith and submission to God than words.
 
4- To regain a spiritual perspective

One of the very best ways to step back and get a more balanced, less worldly perspective on matters is through the discipline of silence and solitude.
When Zechariah was told by the angel that he and his elderly wife would have a son, he doubted. In response, the angel told him that he would be silent and unable to speak until the day the baby was born (Luke 1:20). During this time of silence and solitude, his perspective was changed and when the child was born, his mouth was opened again and he gave glory to God for what He had done (Luke 1:57-64).
 
5- To learn control of the tongue

Learning to keep silent for short periods of time can help us better control our tongue all the time. There is little doubt that controlling our tongue is critical to Christlikeness. The Bible says that the religion of the person with no tongue control is worthless (James 1:26). Proverbs 17:27-28 connects the Christlike qualities of godly knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and discernment with the power to rein in one’s tongue.

Ecclesiastes 3:7 refers to control of the tongue in two ways. One is the ability to restrain it and the other is the ability to use it. Godliness, therefore, involves learning whey you should not talk as well as when you should.
James 1:9 also describes power over the tongue in terms of the ability to keep it in check. This applies to our online social media speaking as well as what is done with our lips.

And remember that the great purpose for practising these habits or disciplines is godliness, that we might be more like Jesus, that we may be more holy. Austin Phelps, in his book The Still Hour wrote, “It has been said that no great work in literature or in science was ever wrought by a man who did not love solitude. We may lay it down as an elemental principle of religion, that no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often long alone with God."
​
So let’s do it. Let’s spend time in silence and solitude with God for the purpose of godliness.

 
​Welcome back to the Commands of Christ blog series where we are examining together the nine foundational commands given by Jesus and which are essential for new disciples to understand and obey. If you missed the first three posts in this series you can find them by clicking    Repent and Believe, Be Baptized and Pray.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age,” (Matthew 28:18-20).

In this post, we will look at the fourth of nine foundational commands that Christ gave for disciples to obey. This fourth command is to make disciples, and is found in Matthew 28:18-20 which is quoted above.
 
3 Reasons Why Being a Disciple Matters

Why does discipleship matter? If we claim to be a Christian, then we are claiming to be a follower of Jesus and if we are a follower of Jesus, then we are one of His disciples.

Here are 3 reasons why being a disciple matters:

1. Jesus Commands Us to Make Disciples

When Jesus gave the disciples the Great Commission, He told them to make disciples of all nations. How can you make a disciple if you aren’t a disciple yourself? In order to make a disciple, you have to be a disciple of Jesus.

If you are not strong in your faith, you wouldn’t be able to train and make disciples. No matter where you are or what profession you’re in, you’re called to be a disciple of Jesus. He will use you wherever you are, whoever you are.

2. A Disciple is a Doer of the Word
Anyone can say they are a disciple of Jesus but are they obeying what Christ commanded? This is the difference between being a hearer of the word only and being a doer of the word. This is made clear in James 1:22-25.

It says,“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

In order to live out your life as a disciple, you must be growing in your obedience to do what Jesus commands.

3. You Become More Conformed to the Image of Christ

When you lay down your life for the sake of Christ, you are making a step towards becoming more Christ-like. Discipleship is a direct result of sanctification.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” We are made new when we repent and believe in Christ and allow Him to work in us.

In order to become more like Jesus, we should surrender our lives daily and deny our flesh. We will never live a perfect life but we can walk in the Spirit, take up our cross daily, and quickly repent when we fail and then get back up and go again!

The 3 Main Goals of Discipleship

Once you have committed to being a disciple of Christ, there are three main goals of discipleship you should keep in mind: share the Gospel, make disciples, and glorify God.

1. Share the Gospel

To be a disciple of Jesus, you must share the Gospel, this is what Jesus told His disciples to do before He left the earth.

Put yourself in places where you will have the opportunity to share the Gospel. For example, volunteer at a homeless shelter or help your neighbour with a painting project.

Not only are we to share the Gospel to those in our community but we are called to share with every nation. If you’re not called to be a full-time missionary, you can support missions from home with your finances and prayers. You can also pray for an unreached people group in the world (for more information on Unreached People Groups visit Joshua Project).

Pray and ask God to guide you and provide you with opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus!

2. Make Disciples

After sharing the Gospel, we are called to make disciples. This means teaching people how they can live out their faith and encouraging them in their walk with Jesus.

You may consider volunteering at your church’s youth group or mentoring someone. Discipling people will look different for everyone depending on your age and how mature your walk with God is. Again, I would encourage you to pray and ask God who He has placed in your life for you to disciple.

3. Glorify God

The most important part of being a disciple of Christ is to glorify God. Let all that you do be honouring and glorifying to Him. Do all things for His glory rather than your own.

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:10)

We can show God glory by being responsible at work and complete tasks with diligence, by having healthy relationships and growing alongside each other, and by setting aside devotional time every day. We don’t just bring Him glory when we are at church; we can bring Him honour during our everyday tasks too.

Lastly, we can give God glory by praise God throughout the way day. When you are working or running errands, tell Him how grateful you are for the blessings He has given to you!

Now that you know your call as a disciple is to make disciples of all nations and teach them the ways of Jesus, it’s time for action. Pray and see how God wants to bring discipleship into your own life and how you can disciple others.

Lastly, remember the most important part of being a disciple is to bring God honour and glory!

If you want to know more about discipleship and making disciple-makers, contact us via the comments or by sending an email or giving us a call at 800-784-7077.