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Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned how God has already given us the relationships necessary to make disciples. We made or began making a list of 100 people we knew. In today’s post, we will discover some significant truths about God’s kingdom economy that might make you go "hmmmm". So let’s talk about God’s KINGDOM ECONOMY. In this broken world, people feel rewarded when they take, when they receive and when they gain more than those around them. In His Scriptures, God tells His people - My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways. God shows us in His Kingdom economy we’re rewarded not by what we get - but by what we give away. God says - I will save you, and you will be a blessing. Jesus said - It is better to give than to receive. Giving away what God gives us and blessing others when God blesses us is the foundation for the SPIRITUAL BREATHING we learned about before. We breathe IN when we HEAR from God. We breathe OUT when we OBEY what we hear and SHARE with others. When we are faithful to OBEY and SHARE what the Lord has shared with us, then He promises to share even more. Jesus said - Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. This is the path to deeper insights, greater intimacy and living the abundant life God created us to live. This is the way we can walk in the good works God has already planned for us to do.
If we want to be rewarded with God’s greatest reward, then we have to practice the two things that He promises to bless.
We must -- • OBEY and SHARE • DO and TEACH • PRACTICE and PASS ON - everything that God tells us to do. 
If we want others to receive God’s greatest reward, then we have to show them how to do the same thing, too. This is a major part of being a disciple and a major part of making disciples.
We are FOLLOWERS and LEADERS We are LEARNERS and TEACHERS We are BLESSED and we are a BLESSING 
God doesn’t want us to wait until we know everything before we start obeying and sharing. That day will never come.
God doesn’t expect us to be fully mature before we start multiplying. He wants us to multiply right away. God wants us to obey what we already know and to share what we’ve already heard. And then He wants us to teach others to do the same. After all - that’s obeying and sharing what He’s already told us to do. This is the path to maturity and growth. What are some differences you see between God’s kingdom economy and our earthly way of doing things?
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Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we considered how we can use a structure to help spend more time in prayer, The Prayer Cycle. In today’s post, we will discover a tool for finding people with whom to share the good news of Jesus and what we are learning from the Word, the breathing out part of Spiritual Breathing. Jesus said - “Go and make disciples…” And His followers did just that. They went to their family. They went to their friends. They went to people they knew in town. They went to people they worked with. They went. Jesus said “Go” and they obeyed. And God’s family grew. God has already given us the relationships we need to “Go and make disciples.”
These are our family, friends, neighbours, co-workers and classmates - people we’ve known all our lives, people we’ve just met. Being faithful with the people God has already put in our lives is a great first step in multiplying disciples.
And it can start with the simple step of making a list. 
You can download a form on which to record your list of 100 from here.
Make a list of 100 people you’re in contact with. Next to their name, write down if they’re already a believer, if they’re a non-believer or if you don’t know. Your List of 100 can include family members, friends or co-workers that you can share your testimony or God’s story with in the next 24 hours. Being faithful with the people God has already put in our lives is a great first step in multiplying disciples. Ying Kai says there are three truths that exemplify the Father’s heart. God loves you. God has saved you. God wants, through you, to save everyone related to you. This is your list of 100. Your List of 100 . . . a simple tool in your toolbox that multiplies disciples. ● What names on this list could you share either your testimony or God's Story with in the next 24 hours? ● When is a regular time in the week you can review this list and take steps to spiritually engage your personal network? 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we considered how we can help a follower of Jesus become a PRODUCER in God’s kingdom instead of simply a CONSUMER. In today’s post, we will talk about the importance of prayer and how we can become better pray-ers. Wesley L Duewel, former missionary to India and former president of OMS International, was also founder of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association’s Fellowship of Prayer. He said, “Many Christians are so spiritually frail, sickly, and lacking in spiritual vitality that they cannot stick to prayer for more than a few minutes at a time.” Jesus often taught His followers about the purpose, the practice and the promises of prayer. Jesus said - “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Jesus taught His followers that prayer isn’t for public praise, a selfish wish list or a rambling speech we repeat over and over again. Jesus showed us prayer has power because it’s a direct and ongoing conversation with our Father in heaven who loves us. Like any good conversation, a good prayer means both sides get to listen -- and speak. But speaking to the God who created the universe can seem intimidating. And actually hearing something back - well for most people that can be downright scary. The good news is that getting better at prayer - having better and deeper conversations with a God who loves us - is not only possible - it’s exactly what God wants. But when prayer feels like learning a new language - how do you get better?
The answer is simple - you practice.
The Prayer Cycle is a simple tool for practicing prayer that you can use by yourself and share with any follower. In just 12 simple steps - 5 minutes each - the Prayer Cycle guides you through twelve ways the Bible teaches us to pray. At the end, you’ll have prayed for an hour. Begin at #1-Praise and Adoration and work your way around the circle. The Bible tells us -- “Pray without ceasing.” Not many of us can say we do that. But after this hour of prayer - you’ll be a step closer. The Prayer Cycle - One more simple tool to help you make disciples. 
Easter came and went. There is a good chance that you hunted a few eggs, gathered with friends or family, and worshiped with your church.
Easter Sunday is one of the most highly attended church gatherings of the year. For many, it amounts to nothing more than a dutiful obligation, a day to reflect on a historical event but then to live as though nothing significant took place. But what does it all mean when the big day is over? Do we just put away the decorations like we do at Christmas and look forward to the next big celebration on the calendar? How does one get past the tendency to celebrate the date and learn how to live a life of resurrection celebration? How does one teach our children the importance that the resurrection has on our lives everyday? Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection was all part of the plan of Redemption. What Adam gave over to Satan in the Garden of Eden by disobedience, was taken back by one perfect Man’s obedience. God reclaimed THE BLESSING that was stolen in the garden of Eden and got His family back. He gave us back the dominion and authority that rightfully belong to us as His children. Jesus triumphed! Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (NKJV). He triumphed over the devil, triumphed over all principalities and powers, triumphed over the kingdom of darkness. He disarmed every power that could take a stand against us. Most Christians stop at the cross and don’t take full advantage of all that Jesus provided. But you can! Start today with these four ways to live in resurrection power every day.
Jesus’ resurrection gives meaning to our lives, and it is a truth we can bet out lives on. With boldness, we can tell others about the difference that Jesus makes. He seals our souls for eternity and gives our lives purposes for today.
Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18). The power of the resurrection is available no matter what we are trying to overcome. If God can bring back His son from death, He can fix whatever is messing up our lives right now.
Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Jesus triumphed over death and the powers of evils. That means we have rock-solid hope for the future. As Christians, we do experience sorrow when someone dies, but we don’t grieve like people who have no hope, because we do not have to fear death and the grave, we know the story isn’t over. Jesus is our tangible proof that the worst obstacles, even death itself, can be overcome. Because He lives, we truly can face tomorrow, and we can face each day with confidence. The gospel is life-changing news. We don’t live in true freedom until we live risen.
Whatever is overwhelming you right now, place Jesus in the center of it. He invites you to bring your burdens to Him, and He has proven He can handle it.
Have you ever asked a question before? What about a why question in particular?
At our house, we have a 5-year-old and lately, it seems to be very popular to ask a lot of questions that begin with why. When I say a lot, I mean a lot. Why did you do that? Why did you say that? Why is that like that? Why, why why? Kids in particular love to ask why questions, but as I really thought about this more, I realized that even as adults we can ask these questions a lot as well. And, in some seasons we may find ourselves asking these questions more often than others. While we all have asked these type of questions, if we are really honest, we have even asked God these questions. This is nothing new and there are actually quite a few examples of this in the Bible. Let’s look at a few together: 1- Moses asked, “Why have You dealt ill with Your servant?” Numbers 11:11 2- David asked, “Oh Lord why do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?” Psalm 10:1 3- Job asked, “Why have You made me your target?” Job 7:20 4- The disciples asked, “Why was this man born blind?” John 9:2 5- Habakkuk asked, “Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing?” Habakkuk 1:3 6- And even our Lord Jesus on the cross asked God “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 The fact that Jesus also used this type of question tells me that these are important questions to ask, sometimes.
When Jesus was on the cross, the sin that was placed upon Him allowed Jesus to feel that God the Father had forsaken Him. This was the only time that Jesus experienced this and He asked the question.
In any relationship, when we are in situations where we find ourselves asking why, it builds the intimacy in the relationship. For example: if someone said something that hurt or upset you, you may ask the person why they did what they did. These questions are definitely not easy to ask, but you learn more about the other person and as you work through it, it helps build intimacy and trust in the relationship. How many of us have ever been in a situation where we questioned God in this way? This goes way back to Bible times. The verses that we just went through were some examples of people that asked God why questions. Now, I would like us to focus on the book of Habakkuk for a few moments. This is a very small book in the Old Testament with 3 chapters. I encourage you to read through all of the chapters when you are able to. There is so much that we can learn in just these 3 chapters. Habakkuk is a prophet who is ministering during the “death throes” of the nation of Judah. The nation was repeatedly called to repentance, and they refused to leave their sinful ways. We know very little about this prophet except that he asked God questions and he received answers. The book is written in the form of a dialogue between Habakkuk and God, where Habakkuk is questioning why God is allowing evildoers among God’s people to go unpunished. Habakkuk 1:1-4 The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. Habakkuk’s Complaint 2. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen? Or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save? 3. Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. Habakkuk was troubled and confused. He had a problem that he couldn’t solve and it seemed like God wasn’t doing anything about it. So, then God responds to the prophet. Habakkuk 1:5-11 The Lord’s Answer “Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. 7 They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. 8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle swooping to devour; 9 they all come intent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. 10 They mock kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; by building earthen ramps they capture them. 11 Then they sweep past like the wind and go on-- guilty people, whose own strength is their god.” God revealed to Habakkuk that the Babylonians, would become God's instrument of judgment on Judah. Habakkuk could not fathom or understand God’s plan and he sure did not expect to hear what God was saying. For a time, evil would win over righteousness and bad things would happen to good people. This led the prophet to be a bit more troubled and confused. So, he questions God again. Habakkuk 1:12-17 Habakkuk’s Second Complaint 12 Lord, are You not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, You will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; You, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. 13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? 14 You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. 15 The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. 17 Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? Why was God going to use the Babylonians in this way? Surely God must have a better way or plan the prophet must have thought? How many times do we feel like we need to “help God” in our own lives? We have all done it at one point or another. So the prophet waits for God’s response. Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. I think that was a pretty bold thing that Habakkuk did. He was basically saying, Lord, I’m going to wait here for You and I expect You to answer me. Habakkuk just could not understand why this was happening and he really needed some more answers. If you notice here, Habakkuk also mentions something about being corrected. This is significant because that tells me that Habakkuk was open to correction, he was open to shifting his attitude in this situation as he got more insight from God. The Lord in His amazing mercy, answers the prophet again. Habakkuk 2:2-4 The Lord’s Answer 2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; It will certainly come and will not delay. 4 “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness. God also acknowledges that the people are being wicked, but also that they will destroy themselves by their own evil. Pride and cruelty always bring destruction but the just shall live by his faith. God always knows what He’s doing, no question. He is God. He is sovereign. And His timing is always perfect, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. And God will always work out all things for those who love Him. God will use everything in our lives for His purposes for us and for His glory. So now, we have the prophet who is listening to God again and this time, he is really hearing the Lord. Faith is rising up in him. He is realizing that God is in control and will indeed accomplish His purposes, His way, and in His timing. I love how the prophet responds to God. It’s with a beautiful prayer expressed in song. Habakkuk 3:1-2, 16 Habakkuk’s Prayer A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. 2 Lord, I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. 16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Habakkuk realized that though he did not understand God's ways or timing, he could not doubt God's wisdom, love, or reliability. Then Habakkuk wrote his great affirmation of faith. Habakkuk 3:17-19 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights. Habakkuk affirmed that even if everything he relied on failed, if everything that gave stability to his life crumbled, still he'd trust the Lord. This is so beautiful and very encouraging for us today. The prophet was able to move from questioning to trusting and praising. What’s your why? I encourage you to start praising God today, even through your questioning. It will build your faith in Christ and take you to a new level of trust and intimacy with the Lord. When it comes to us asking God these questions, I think it’s important that we keep a few things in mind and in check within ourselves. It’s good for us to ask these questions, and I encourage you to ask. Let’s look at 3 things to remember when asking God why questions: 1- When we ask why, it should bring us closer to God and not further. 2- When we ask why, our attitude and motives should be in check. (respectful, humble). (Habakkuk eventually had the right attitude. He was a man of faith and he went to God the second time expecting to be corrected, because he knew he needed it.) 3- When we ask why, we need to be ok with whatever answer we get or don't get. When you are about to ask God a why question remember this: W- walk towards God H- hold onto faith Y- yield control to God's plan. To yield is to surrender or to submit. When we yield our desired outcomes to God’s sovereignty, He can shift our why questions into other types of questions. So, instead of asking why we can ask: What can I learn from this situation? How can I praise God through this situation? Who can I help? God will always work all things together for our good, no matter the situation. He will also sometimes use our situations to help others. There is something about empathizing with someone who has been through a similar situation that we have. What’s your why? May God bless you, keep you, and guide you, as your surrender all of your “whys” to Him. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here. Last time we considered the value of being accountable to what the Bible tells us to do. Every follower of Jesus will be held accountable by God, so every follower of Jesus should practice accountability with others. In today’s post, we’ll talk about how we can help a follower of Jesus become a PRODUCER in God’s kingdom instead of simply a CONSUMER. In His perfect plan, God created us to live in balance - to PRODUCE and to CONSUME, to CREATE and to USE UP, to POUR OUT and to be FILLED so we can POUR OUT again. But, in our broken world, people have rejected God’s plan, and many spend their energy living out just part of God’s perfect equation. They LEARN things but they don’t share them. They are FILLED UP but they never pour out. They CONSUME but they don’t produce. If we’re going to make disciples who multiply, then we need to share with them how they can be producers and not just consumers. This is how — God uses His Written Word - which we call Scripture or the Bible - to grow us spiritually. Every disciple needs to be equipped to learn, interpret and apply Scripture. Over thousands of years and through many different authors, God spoke His word into the hearts of faithful men who captured and shared what they heard. The Scriptures teach us God’s story, His plans, His heart, His ways. In earlier posts, you learned two simple tools - SOAPS Bible Study and Accountability Groups. In an upcoming session, you’ll learn one more simple tool - 3/3rds Groups. These three tools work together to help equip new followers to learn, interpret and apply God’s Written Word. They will learn not to be just hearers of God’s word but doers and sharers, also. God also uses His Spoken Word - which we can discern through Prayer - to grow us spiritually. Prayer is speaking and listening to God. Prayer helps us know God more intimately and understand His heart, His will and His ways. Prayer helps us minister and serve others, helps us teach and share in specific ways that helps individuals or a group know God better. Two simple tools - Prayer Walking and The Prayer Cycle help followers develop a personal prayer life and learn to pray in ways that serve others. These tools help develop a habit of praying without ceasing and learning to see the world from a spiritual perspective instead of only relying on what we can visibly see. When used consistently, they help a follower of Jesus, increase their capacity for prayer and enhance their ability to hear from God and share what they hear. God uses His Body of Believers - which we call The Church or the Followers of Jesus - to grow us spiritually. As the gathering of believers, we are connected. God’s Word says that in Jesus - we are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In other words, we’re not just connected to God - we’re connected with each other. God says to submit to one another. God says to serve one another. Each of us has different strengths and each has weaknesses. God expects us to use our strengths to help others who may be weak. And He expects us to allow others to help us in our weakness using the strengths He has given them. God’s Word says God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings. Simple tools like 3/3rds Groups, Accountability Groups and Peer Mentoring help us encourage one another to love and good works by not only helping us to obey what God tells us to do but also helping us find ways to share what we learn with others. God also uses Persecution and Suffering - sacrifice and loss that we suffer on behalf of Jesus – to grow us spiritually. When people oppress and hurt us because we love and obey Jesus, or when bad things happen even though we love and obey Jesus, God uses those persecutions and sufferings to refine our character and make us more like Jesus. He develops our character, strengthens and purifies our faith, equips for ministry and allows us to serve others who are suffering in a special way - all while making Himself known more clearly to everyone who watches us and knows our pain. God tells us that as followers of Jesus we should expect to be persecuted. Jesus said - God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago. Simple tools like 3/3rds Groups and Accountability Groups give followers of Jesus an opportunity to share the persecutions and sufferings they experience. These groups give you a chance to teach disciples that God’s word says we should expect hard times and to equip them in how to respond well by trusting God’s love even when things go wrong. Scripture. Prayer. Body Life. Persecution and Suffering. These are all ways that God grows us to be more like His perfect Son, Jesus. Simple tools help us not to just be consumers of these good things that God has given us but to be producers and sharers as well. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last week we looked at a way to study the Bible, the SOAPS Bible study method. This week we will consider accountability. Jesus said - “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Jesus shared many stories of accountability and told us many truths of how we will be held responsible for what we do and say. Jesus tells us these things now, so we can be ready for later. And because we will be accountable to him one day, it’s good to practice being accountable to one another now. Accountability Groups are made up of two or three people of the same gender - men with men, women with women - who meet once a week to discuss a set of questions that help reveal areas where things are going right and other areas that need correction. Every follower of Jesus will be held accountable by God, so every follower of Jesus should practice accountability with others.
But what are we accountable for? I think there is an issue with some of the existing kinds of accountability groups in that it’s never really clearly defined what anyone is accountable for. So let’s define it here.
Using a set of questions helps to keep the group on track and aware of what the group members are accountable for. Consider the following list of questions that can be used. Some of the terms might not be familiar but future blogs will define the terms and tools associated with them. Accountability questions Pray that we will become like Jesus. How are you doing? How is your prayer life? Do you have any sin to confess? (relational, sexual, financial, pride, integrity, submission to authority, etc.). Did you obey what God told you last time? Share details. Did you pray for the unbelievers on your list of 100 this week? Did you have a chance to share with any of them? Share details. Did you memorize any Scripture this week? Quote it. Have you done your Bible reading each day this week? What did God say to you from the Word this week? What are you going to specifically do about it? Did you meet with your discipleship (three-thirds) group this week? How did it go? Did you model or assist someone in starting a new three-thirds group this week? Share details. Do you see anything hindering my walk with Christ? Did you have the opportunity to share the gospel this week? Share details. Practice 1-3 minute testimonies and the gospel now. Who can you invite to do a DBS with you? Close with prayer regarding what was shared. The whole purpose of accountability is to encourage the expectation of obedience. Jesus said that a disciple is one who follows and obeys. Let’s help each other to follow and obey. So, are you part of an accountability group? Does this seem frightening to you? Do you see value in having this kind of accountability? Let us know in the comments below. If you want someplace to start contact Mark at mkroes@omscanada.org and we could put you in touch with someone in person or virtually to get you started. 
You've probably heard the playground jingle “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Well, believe me, it’s not entirely true. We all can testify to the negative effects of someone’s words on our soul, and worse yet, we’ve seen the hurt in the eyes of others whom we’ve wronged with our own words. We are all guilty!
We are told in Scripture that “no man can tame the tongue” and that “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21; James 3:8). According to the book of James, we can control horses with bits in their mouths and steer great ships with a small rudder, but taming the tongue is nearly impossible (James 3:3–6). However, when we study the entire counsel of Scripture, we see God preparing His messengers (preachers, instructors, singers, and musicians) by first transforming their hearts in order to affect their tongues. We have the Bible and numerous other historical records of God using men and women tongues to provide guidance in times of confusion, to release power when human hearts are helpless, and to rekindle fire in the human spirit. There is a positive to the power of the tongue, as demonstrated by Peter on Pentecost, Paul on a ship in the middle of a terrible storm, and Elijah who lit a fire on an altar in Israel. One may ask, “How can I tame my tongue”?
You see, as Jesus told us, what seems impossible for man is not impossible for God. He wants to help us in taming our tongue.
What words are you speaking lately? Are they helpful? Encouraging? Or are they bitter and spiteful? I encourage you to examine your heart, take your thoughts captive to Jesus and if there’s anything offensive inside of you, ask Him to reveal it and hand it over to Him.
Then begin to speak words of life. Ask God what to say before you say it. Ask Him for the words. He will give them to you. Never underestimate the power of the tongue. Allow God to use you for His good and for His glory. What’s one way you can guard your tongue today? We will like to hear from you. Leave us a comment below. 
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last weeks post was about Spiritual Breathing. We breathe in when we interact with God in His word and we breathe out when we obey what we learn and share it with others. But how do we interact with God in His word? What does that look like? Jesus said -- “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all I that I commanded…” If every follower of Jesus is going to obey all that Jesus commanded, then they need to know what Jesus commands. The Great Commandment and The Great Commission are a great summary of what God has to say to us, but if a follower is going to grow into the full measure of what God created them to be, then they need to know and obey even more. The SOAPS Bible Study is a method of interacting with God in His word with a view to obedience; or being doers of the word and not simply hearers.
SOAPS stands for
It’s a simple way to learn and remember an effective Bible study method that any follower of Jesus can use. Let’s look at each section a little more. When you read or listen to the Bible:
So let’s put SOAPS to work:
Try the SOAPS Bible Study and post it to social media with the hashtag #soapsbiblestudy 
In this third post in the discipleship series, we will talk about hearing from God and obeying what we hear.
Breathing is life. We breathe in. We breathe out. Life. Breathing is just as important in God’s Kingdom. In fact, God calls His Spirit - “breath”. In the Kingdom, we breathe IN when we HEAR from God.
In the Kingdom, we breathe OUT when we ACT on what we hear from God. We breathe OUT when we OBEY. Sometimes breathing out to OBEY means changing our thoughts, our words or our actions to align them with Jesus and His will. Sometimes breathing out to OBEY means sharing what Jesus has shared with us - giving away what He gave us - so that others can be blessed just as God is blessing us. For a follower of Jesus - this breathing IN and breathing OUT is critical. It’s our very life. And it is the way to move from being hearers of the Word only to being doers of the Word (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus said - the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does (John 5:19). Jesus said - I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. Jesus said that every word He spoke and every work He accomplished was based on HEARING from God and OBEYING what He heard. Breathe IN - Hear from God. Breathe OUT - Obey what you hear and share it with others. Jesus said that His followers would also hear from God because of His Holy Spirit - His Breath - that would be breathed into every one of us who follows Him. Jesus said - the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything that I have told you. Breathe IN - Hear from God. Breathe OUT - Obey what you hear and share it with others. Jesus was showing us how to live. So how do we hear God’s voice? How do we know what to obey? Jesus called Himself “The Good Shepherd”. Jesus called His followers His “sheep”. Jesus said - My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. Jesus said - Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. As followers of Jesus, we have to be committed to hearing His voice.
Not every voice, not every thought, not every vision, feeling or impression is God’s voice. Sometimes it is the voice of the enemy. Jesus said our enemy is a liar and the father of lies. Jesus said our enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. But God says that we WILL hear from Him and we will know it is Him when He speaks. With practice and prayer, we can know God’s voice better. We can learn to know whether what we hear is from God or another voice. Here are some ways to test what we hear:
The good news for every follower of Jesus is that when we breathe IN and HEAR from God and when we breathe OUT and OBEY what we hear and SHARE with others what we’ve heard – God will speak even more clearly.
His breath will breathe through us even more.
We will HEAR His voice more clearly. We will KNOW His voice and not another’s. We will SEE His work in the world and be able to join in and work with Him. We breathe in. We breathe out. Life. Consider these questions…
Drop your answers and thoughts into the comments below. We would love to hear your thoughts on spiritual breathing. 
What is a disciple? And how do you make one?
How do you take someone who has lived their life as a captive of the world and equip them to become a citizen of God’s kingdom?
How do you teach a follower of Jesus to obey all of His commands?
The meaning of the word disciple is a follower. So a disciple is a follower of God. Jesus said - All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. So in God’s kingdom, Jesus is our King. We are His citizens, subjects of His will. His desires, purposes, intentions, priorities and values are the highest and best. His Word is the law. So what is the law of the kingdom? What does Jesus tell His citizens to do? Jesus said -- Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength. Jesus said -- Love your neighbour as yourself. Jesus said that God’s commands from the Old Testament -- all the law and the prophets – can be summarized in these two things -- Love God and Love People. Jesus said -- Make disciples. Jesus said -- Teach them to obey all that I’ve commanded. Since making disciples includes teaching them all that Jesus commanded -- the New Testament can be summarized in this one thing -- Make Disciples who Multiply. A disciple is a follower of Jesus who Loves God, Loves People and Makes Disciples who Multiply. So what is a church? You may be used to thinking of the church as a building - a place where you go. But God’s Word talks about the church as a gathering - a people you belong to. The word “church” is used in the Bible in three different ways:
A spiritual family - followers of Jesus who Love God, Love People and Make Disciples and who meet together locally make up this last kind of church - the church at home or the simple church. When groups of these simple churches connect to do something bigger, together, they can form a city or regional church. All of those simple churches networked into regions and stretched across history make up the universal church. THAT’S CHURCH WITH A CAPITAL “C” Simple churches are spiritual families with Jesus as their centre and their King. Simple churches are spiritual families who Love God, Love Others and Make Disciples who Multiply. Some churches have Buildings and Programs and Budgets and Staff… But simple churches don’t need any of these things to Love God, Love Others and Make Disciples who Multiply. And since anything extra makes a church more complicated and harder to multiply, discipleship training leaves things like Buildings and Programs and Budgets and Staff to the city or regional church built from multiplying simple churches. In Matthew 13 and Luke 13 Jesus describes the kingdom of God as leaven or yeast -- a simple, single-cell organism that reproduces quickly. With discipleship training – we aim to be like that yeast - simple and multiplying. How would you answer these questions?
Leave your answers in the comments below. If you are interested in discipleship training, give the office a call or send an email and we will get back to you with details. Contact information 
While Jesus was here on the earth, there were may things that He said and today, we will focus on when Jesus said, “You must be born again.” A man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus and had a conversation about being born again.
“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:1-8 I am always amazed at how Jesus responded to questions; always with such wisdom! So let’s discuss this a bit further now. We know that as believers we must be born again, but what does that mean for us exactly? I grew up in a Catholic home where going to church was only a couple of times a year and when you left church, you would come back home and do the same old thing. There was no transformation at all, no real relationship with God. I do not have anything against the Catholic or any denomination, I am just sharing my personal experience. When I heard about Jesus in a new way, how He died for my sin, I wanted to learn more. I learned about accepting Jesus into my heart and being born again. Now, there was transformation. Some of it was instant because there were some things that required that, but a lot of the transformation is still happening today, almost 20 years later. When we are born again, we change. Our behaviours, habits, and even our interests. And this change that I am talking about is not based on our own power or strength. We definitely do have our own part, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We must be born again because that is how we enter into the kingdom of God. It requires daily and sometimes hourly, discipline. We need to be in prayer, in God’s Word, and keep in check with how we treat others. These are all practical things that are a reflection of us being born again.
Unfortunately, there are many Christians (no judgement here) who are not truly born again. We really need to hear these words of Jesus today, and ask ourselves if we ourselves are truly born again. It’s not about being perfect, because only Jesus is. It’s about genuinely seeking God and asking Him to show us if there are any ways in us that do not please Him, asking for forgiveness, and asking for the strength to do our part.
What about you? Are you born again? Maybe you would like to be born again? I encourage you to seek God for yourself and have one or two other believers that you can be accountable to. This is very important and a great way to keep ourselves in check. God loves you, He has great plans for you, and He desires for that experience of truly being born again. There are also too many people in our world who have never heard about what it means to be born again. Let us continue to pray for more workers to share this great news with them. Let’s also keep our missionaries in prayer. They have a great task ahead as they serve, and our prayers truly make a difference. May God continue to guide us and equip us with all that we need in our daily walk with Him. 
Growing up, I was good at reminding my sisters that I am older than them. This often meant I did things they considered grossly unfair. For example, I would tell them to do the chore they had heard my mum tell me to do. While they would be unhappy about this seniority move, I felt justified in my actions because I was only doing what my cousin had done to me as the eldest. We saw fairness differently.
The thing about fairness is that it can feed into our illusion of control. After all, if the world is fair then things should work out a certain way. For example, being a good person, serving God and praying; are behaviours we often think should lead to good outcomes. When they don’t, we feel a strong sense of injustice. My pastor will always say, “Fairness died the day Jesus was crucified between two thieves. For it was most unfair for He who knew no sin to hang on a cross and became sin for us” How often have we been angry at God because we felt he was unfair to us? The truth is, many times we use the tools God has given us to connect with Him as a way to try to control outcomes in our lives…. “But God I prayed”, “But God I served you”. God can never be controlled but He is fair. The difference is, He controls the terms of fairness, not us. A faithful and righteous Judge!
The bible reminds us that God’s terms are the best even when it doesn’t seem that way. His plans for us are of good and never of evil.
Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us of one of God’s plan: “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you a future and a hope”. So don’t be discouraged, His ways are not ours. TRUST HIM. Want to pray with us? We host two online prayer gatherings each week. Tuesday morning at 10:00 am Eastern time and on Thursday evening at 9:00 pm Eastern time. We are happy to have you join us and we will send you the Zoom link if you ask for it. Send an email to mail@omscanada.org or give us a call at 800-784-7077. 
Hello, and welcome back to our series on Spiritual Warfare and Missions (SWAM). If you missed the previous posts in this series, you really should click here to read them first. And be reminded that this series is based on the book by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer called Spiritual Warfare and Missions.
Last time we learned that part of Satan’s Strategy is to destroy the spiritual vitality of the Church. It is that spiritual vitality that is the distinct witness of a dynamic, spiritually transformed people of God. In this final post of this Spiritual Warfare and Missions series we will look at the final victory and ask whether we will be found faithful. To begin this final chapter, the authors relate the story of Esther. Please take a few minutes to read the story if you aren’t familiar with it. In chapter 8, Esther had become the queen of Persia and, at risk of her own life, had intervened for her people. The conspiracy of Haman was revealed, and he was hung on the gallows prepared for Mordecai. However, the decree had already been issued, due to Haman’s devious influence that all Jews were to be destroyed. And the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. So the king issued another decree. In this edict he warned the Jews of the pending threat and gave them permission to arm and defend themselves. It was a message of salvation for a people doomed to be destroyed. The Bible tells us that they sent couriers with the message translated into every language to the most remote regions of the empire. There was a sense of urgency. They chose the fastest horses from the royal stables as the couriers “rode out in haste, at the king’s urgent command” (Esther 8:14). Several things could have gone wrong with this attempt to get this good news out. What if they had forgotten about one of the minority people groups in a faraway province in the remote regions of the empire? Or what if they had not been able to find someone in the capital city to translate the decree into the language of some of the people? What if the courier had stopped along the way, or been diverted, and the people to whom he had been sent never got the message? The people would have perished, not because a decree of salvation and deliverance had not been given but because they never got the message! That is exactly what has happened in our world today. Jesus Christ came and died for the sins of the world so that whoever calls on the name of the Lord can be saved. But many of the peoples of the world have not heard that good news, and they continue to perish in their sins. Multitudes continue to die and enter an eternity in hell, not because salvation is not available but because they have never heard the news. Of the sixty-five hundred languages in the world, fewer than a thousand have the entire Bible in their own language. We are the couriers sent to proclaim deliverance to all peoples, but we have stopped short. Instead of reaching the most regions, we have been diverted to caring for our own people and investing more in our own church programs than getting the gospel to all peoples. But, God’s mission will be fulfilled. God is moving in providence and power to bring the nations into the kingdom. Mordecai has this sense of God’s providence when he challenged Esther to recognize that God had uniquely positioned her within the palace to be the one to intercede before the king. We often miss the implications of the rest of that often quoted verse. Mordecai goes on to say in Esther 4:14, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Mordecai remembered God’s covenant with Abraham, the patriarchs and the affirmation of His promise to the prophets of God who foresaw the fulfillment of that coming kingdom. He knew that God would be true to his covenant promise. He would make a way to deliver His people that the Messiah would come and bring redemption. He said to Esther, “If you do not step up to be the one that God chooses to use, you are the loser. You and your household will perish along with others, but God’s purpose will be carried out through some other means and instrument.” God’s mission will be fulfilled. That day will come when those from every people, tongue, tribe, and nation will be gathered together around the throne of God singing praises to the Lamb. The tragedy is the fact that many of God’s people have forfeited the privilege of being the one used by God. Many have been unwilling to take the risk, holding on to their own security and comfort instead of recognizing that we have been called into the kingdom for such a time as this. We are called to be the faithful ones that have the privilege of extending the kingdom of God on the earth. “The Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). God is sovereign over the nations, and His kingdom will prevail. We need to recapture the vision that was so prominent among the Old Testament prophets. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3). The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, (Isaiah 62:2). It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem, (Isaiah 2:2-3). For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts, (Malachi:1:11). It is going to happen. The question is, will we be found faithful to our calling? Will we go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that Jesus commanded?
If you want to know how to do this better, let us know in the comments below and we can help you.
Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is like a woman who took a small amount of yeast and put into a great amount of dough.
As she worked the yeast into the mix, it spread until all of the dough was leavened. Jesus was showing us that an ordinary person can take something very small and use it to make an impact that’s very big! Our dream is to do what Jesus said -- to help ordinary people around the world use small tools to make a big impact in God’s kingdom! Have you ever wondered how the church got started? In the beginning, nobody was a professional. Are you surprised? It’s a good thing God had a plan that didn't require professionals. God uses ordinary people. He did it to start the first movement of the church. And He does it today. The first church sent ordinary people around the world to tell others about Jesus. It sent ordinary people to stand before governors and generals and rulers and kings. It sent ordinary people to heal the sick, feed the hungry, raise the dead, and teach all of God’s commands to everyone in the world. The first church sent ordinary people to change the world. And they did. Our dream is to do what Jesus said -- to help ordinary people around the world use small tools to make a big impact in God’s kingdom!
Jesus’ final instructions to His followers were simple. He said — All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all I have commanded, And I will be with you always - even to the end of the age.
Jesus’ command was simple - make disciples. His instructions on how to do that were simple:
So what are the steps to make a disciple?
Every follower of Jesus should count on the promise that Jesus is always with us. Because He is! But that also means every follower of Jesus should commit to the fact that Jesus wants each of us to make disciples. Because He does. Jesus said - All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples. The authority that Jesus relies on when He sends us -- is His authority. Jesus says there is no authority higher than that. No tradition has more authority. No culture has more authority. No law on earth has more authority. Jesus said - Go and make disciples. Ask yourself this… If Jesus intended every one of His followers to obey His Great Commission, why do so few actually make disciples? Is the idea that God uses ordinary people different from what you had learned or assumed was the plan? Do you wonder what simple tools are available to help you make a big impact for the Kingdom of God? Let us know in the comments and we will get in touch. 
If you’ve ever been in any type of relationship, you know by now that all relationships require work. I am not just talking about a marriage, but rather any type of relationship. We all know people and it takes work and great effort to maintain these connections.
Our relationship with God is no exception, and it is actually the most important relationship that we can have with anyone. All of our other connections with others can actually sometimes reveal things about how we relate to God and our own relationship that we have with Him. Today, we will talk about how important it is to maintain our relationship with God and how this can help us keep the faith. Pray “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 This is where we must begin. We need to develop a relationship with God where we pray often. This involves talking to God, and also listening to God. God can speak to us in different ways and we need to be sensitive to hear what He is saying. Prayer is a great way to build our relationship with God and grow in our faith. Like other relationships that we have, if there is no communication the relationship will suffer and this can unfortunately have some significant impacts in our life and the lives of others. Maintaining relationships is key and asking God for wisdom where needed is also extremely beneficial. Be in the Word “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 One of the greatest ways we can grow in our relationship with God is by being in the Word. Sounds simple, but this requires discipline and taking the time to actually read and meditate on God’s Word. Faith comes by hearing the Word, so we need to hear it, read it, know it, live it, and share it with others. I remember when I first heard about Jesus. All I wanted to do was learn and I had such a desire to serve God in whatever way I could. I very much still desire that today, but I have also learned the importance of reading God’s Word for myself and making this a priority. This is so important for us, so that we understand what God is specifically saying to us as individuals. Hope in the Lord “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 When times get challenging, we need to have hope. Our faith is sometimes tested and sometimes God is allowing us to go through certain things so that we can grow and be more mature in our faith. When we have hope, we allow God to do the impossible in our lives. He is a miracle working God, and all things are possible with Him. Hoping in the Lord also allows us to keep going, to keep the faith. I think about people like Noah and Job, who had very obvious challenges, but they continued. No matter the circumstance and no matter what people said, they trusted in God. This is the kind of hope I desire. The kind that does not waver. What about you? Fight the Good fight “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7 When Paul wrote these words, he must have been so full of emotion. What a feeling to fight the good fight, to finish the race, and to keep the faith. This is something we should all be encouraged about and make a priority in our own lives. Paul also encouraged others to do the same. It’s also important that we are encouraging others daily. The reality is we all need encouragement at times, so we need to do the same for others. In all of our relationships with others, we take the time to maintain these friendships and relationships. Today, we talked a little about how we can maintain our own relationship with God. There are many other ways, but by being in prayer, in the Word, hoping in the Lord, and fighting the good fight, we have some very practical ways that we can use to get closer to God. Are you keeping the faith? Are you sharing this with others? At OMS Canada, we are always looking for others to pray with us. Prayer is essential and we are always in need of more prayer warriors to pray for our OMS missionaries, projects, and ministry. Will you consider starting this new year with taking the time to faithfully pray together with us? We would love to see you on zoom! May God continue to equip us for every good work and may we use all of the resources and tools that we have to keep the faith and spread the gospel to others. There are way too many who have not yet heard and our hearts are for those people. May God be glorified in all that we do for His glory. 
Hello, and welcome back to our series on Spiritual Warfare and Missions (SWAM). If you missed the previous posts in this series, you really should click here to read them first. And be reminded that this series is based on the book by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer called Spiritual Warfare and Missions.
Last time we learned that part of Satan’s Strategy is to erode the faith of God’s people. In the same way that the children of Israel believed the negative report of the 10 spies rather than the faith-filled report of Joshua and Caleb, the enemy has eroded the faith of God’s people in our day. Collectively, we have become fearful of Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Tribalists and the unreligious, believing that the message of the Gospel is not powerful enough to save or not worth the risk to ourselves and others. May God forgive us for our lack of faith. This week we will see Satan’s strategy to destroy the spiritual vitality or energy of the church. If Satan cannot get us to neglect our mission to the nations due to lack of faith, he successfully debilitates our witness by eroding the distinct witness of a dynamic, spiritually transformed people of God. Even in Canada, churches seem to have little energy for engaging their culture in an attractive, positive witness that would draw people to Jesus. Unbelievers may even attend our worship services and see a shallow, meaningless ritual that does not speak to their life needs and even discourages them in their search for God. The lost see Christian neighbours loading the family into their SUV for the Sunday morning pilgrimage to church but observe their squabbles, conflicts, and indulgence in a self-serving lifestyle that hides any reality of a vigorous faith. Unfortunately, many Christians compromise their walk with the Lord by adopting the carnal values of the world. They give in to the temptation for fleshly gratification that comes from a materialistic and hedonistic lifestyle. The Holy Spirit is grieved and God is deprived of His glory when people become in bondage to internet porn, allowing infidelity to destroy a sacred marriage covenant, or engage in fraudulent business practices. Sexual innuendoes and vulgar language become such a normal part of television entertainment and the workplace environment that we dismiss it as meaningless and even participate lest we be perceived as prudish. What we are failing to see is how the enemy of our souls is devastating the spiritual vitality of a life that has been redeemed to reflect the glory of our Lord. Satan knows that most Christians are repulsed by the blatant disregard for God’s Word and the unrighteous values expressed by society, or at least they should be. So he subtly leads us astray in other devious ways to destroy or nullify our witness. Most churches faithfully proclaim the Word of Truth and try to nurture members in the faith, but they are unwittingly distracted from recognizing its calling to a global mission and diverted from its task of exalting God among the nations. Israel continually fell into sin along the way to fulfilling God’s mission. Their half hearted devotion to the task, while longing for the comforts of Egypt, is reflective of the attitude of many today. Their complaints about the sacrifice required to be the people of God discouraged even Moses. Even after they got possession of the promised land, their continual attraction to the high places of pagan altars and inclination to worship the Baals compromised any hope of being the people that would exalt God among the nations and proclaim His glory to the ends of the earth. They even engaged in carnal revelry and turned from God to worship the golden calf along the way. Here’s how the apostle Paul reflected on this incident: For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea… and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” (1 Corinthians10:1,4-7) What an indictment and powerful warning for us. The people of God were anointed for a special mission that came from none other than the pre-incarnate Christ. They were led under a covering of God’s Spirit, benefactors of the miracle-working power of Almighty God. But they were rejected and struck down because they were more interested in enjoying life, feasting, and playing, than pressing forward in obedience to fulfilling God’s mission. Think about it; in God’s providence, what that was all about was an example and a warning to the New Testament church and God’s people today. You do not mess around with a sovereign God who has called you to a mission of glorifying Him among the nations. Our time-consuming church fellowships and expensive activity centers, built for our own enjoyment, reflect something of the values that brought judgement on Israel in the wilderness. So Satan opposes the mission of God by opposing local churches. He has a vested interest in what is going on at your church. Satan would love to keep churches self-absorbed, blind, and inward-focused. If he can only stop us in the parking lot, then the lost in our communities will never see or hear the gospel. He would love to stop us before we get started. So he will attack the health of the local church and its members. He will attack relationships; he will draw people into sexual immorality and create a false sense of wellness, all to keep the mission of God stalled. Healthy churches are populated by healthy believers. How can you tell when believers are healthy? You can tell they are healthy through their relationship with Jesus Christ. Healthy believers are passionate about what Jesus is passionate about. Healthy churches, in turn, are always involved in the mission of God, everywhere. They are doers of the Word, not simply hearers. They are obedient disciples of Jesus. So, how are you doing? Are you comfortable with your little routine of going to church, hearing the Word preached and believing that’s all that’s required? Do you have the feeling that there is more to this Christian life? Or are you one of those obedient disciples who is impacting your community and your world with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Let us know in the comments below. And if you want to know more about how you can become that kind of follower and that kind of church, we have some practical steps you can take to move toward that kind of obedience. Get in touch to learn more. 
I was on a website this morning about legacy giving. Don’t know what legacy giving is?
A legacy gift is a planned future gift that designates some part of an individual's estate as a donation to a registered charity.... In some cases, legacy giving can be a source of funding from supporters who haven't had the ability to make a major gift during their lifetimes. However, like most Canadian Christians, you’ve probably spent a lifetime contributing to a cause that’s close to your heart. Now imagine making a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible, without using any of the money you need during your lifetime, or significantly taking away from your loved ones. You can do both with a charitable gift in your Will. This is Will Power.
Consider an average estate of $845k. You probably want to leave the majority of your estate to your loved ones. But what if you left a small portion of your estate – 5% of it – to your charity of choice? That small percentage translates to a $42,000 donation, a bigger impact than most of us would ever be able to make during our lifetime. Imagine what could be accomplished with a donation that size! It’s also important to consider that a charitable gift in your Will can go a long way towards reducing the amount of taxes to be levied against your estate after you pass. The truth is, you could be using your Will to do a lot more. You can take care of your family while making a big difference for the causes you care about. We all want to help those around us and leave the world a better place. Leaving a charitable gift in a Will is another way to make your mark. I would love the opportunity to speak to you about your Will Power. Give me a call at 289-812-0661 or send me an email at mkroes@omscanada.org. 
The Answer to Prayer
For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? (Deut. 4:7) Most Christians have a moment when they pray in desperation. It feels like their whole future is falling apart. They send rushed text messages to friends sharing their pain and asking them to pray. They lapse into a tearful silence, with a sense that words had finally failed them. They needed to call out to God but wondered if he would hear them or if he would care. At that moment, what would they call him? How would their prayer start? Who hears them? We refer to God by different names: God, Lord, Father, Jesus, Spirit, Savior, and countless others. Each sheds light on God’s character. Sometimes we call God by a certain name to emphasize his goodness or his mercy. Sometimes we call on a specific person of the Trinity, like when we pray to the Father. Other times, we may refer to him by his title, “Lord.” On that tearful, desperate night, I hope you know whom to call on. This name isn’t new. Millions of Christians had called God by it over the ages. It was a name that was common to the Puritans, a name that may begin to reshape your idea of who God is and how he loves you. That name is “Providence.” Who Is Providence? The early church father Irenaeus wrote, “The Maker of the universe . . . exercises a providence over all things, and arranges the affairs of our world.” Providence is the way God sovereignly rules all of creation. But it’s more specific. More than a thousand years later, John Calvin wrote, “He sustains, nourishes, and cares for, everything he has made, even to the last sparrow . . . nothing takes place by chance”. God cares. God nourishes. God, in His sovereignty, has in mind what is best for those who are his. In college, I can remember countless debates and squabbles over God’s sovereignty. There were horror stories of overzealous young preachers who used the doctrine like a hammer. But it was the doctrine of God’s providence that turned God’s sovereignty from a hammer into a pillow on which to rest my weary head. I had been told countless times how God was sovereign over everything in the world and my life. The message of God’s providence, however, opened my eyes to the truth: God’s love governs God’s sovereignty. His sovereignty isn’t his cold, harsh rule with no regard or feeling for man. In the doctrine of providence, we see more clearly: God meets the needs of his people, according to his love for them. When Providence is the one caring for you, you needn’t fear loss or pain or death. This is what undergirds Jesus’s teaching in Matthew 6:25–34. Be anxious for nothing, he says (Matt. 6:25). Jesus says we can look to God’s providence over creation to see his love for us in miniature. The birds don’t sow, but they are fed (Matt. 6:26). The lilies of the field don’t toil, and yet they are dressed with more magnificence than Solomon (Matt. 6:28–29). And we, Jesus says, are far more than they. God isn’t just our Creator; he’s our loving Father. Jesus’s conclusion is the kicker. “The Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them all,” he says. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:32–33). He knows you need them all. God’s provision isn’t arbitrary. He doesn’t withhold blessings to put his children through a cosmic test of pain tolerance. Providence is our God, and he knows our needs. He adds them to us. On that bitter, tearful night, I knew the God to whom I prayed is the God who knows what I need and who provides for me. Prayer and Providence If that’s true, it changes our prayer life from beguiling, bartering, or boasting to faithfully entrusting ourselves to the God who provides—the God who is Providence. When it comes down to it, God answers prayers in only two ways: provision or protection. If he gives us what we ask for, it’s because of his great love. But the converse is also true (and what we so often miss): If the Lord isn’t giving us what we’re asking for, then he’s protecting us from it. Because God provides his children with only good gifts, any time he withholds from us we can be sure it’s because that blessing doesn’t serve his ultimate purpose: to conform us into the image of Christ. Sometimes God withholds things we ask for because the thing itself is bad. Other times he withholds it because of the rotten fruit it would bear in our lives, the unseen pain it would cause, or the lessons or formation it would steal. Sometimes God’s “no” is for a season, whereby he provides for us, in the waiting, that which we couldn’t get through immediate gratification. Often we’re called to be like the woman from Jesus’s parable seeking justice from an unjust judge—to wait on the Lord and be persistent in our asking. But even then, God isn’t the unjust judge. In those moments, he isn’t holding out until we grovel; rather, in his providential timing, he’s forming us and conforming us until we’re ready to receive his answer. Whatever the answer, we can be sure of this: In every granted request and every “no,” the one who answers our prayers is Providence himself. He has shown us in the incarnation, cross, and resurrection of Christ the extent to which he’s willing to go for our benefit. Charles Spurgeon once said of God, “[A Christian] trusts him where [he] cannot trace him.” When the dark night of the soul comes, when the tears flow over like a river after a rainstorm, and when our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling, we can rest assured that our prayers are heard and answered not just by the God who reigns, but by the God who provides, nourishes, and promises to make all things new. 
Have you ever received good news about something? I am sure that there are many times that come to mind. What about news that was not so good? We also tend to remember these very well, and both of these experiences can bring us closer to God if we surrender all to Jesus.
Christmas has always been my most favourite time of the year. Growing up, it was mostly about getting together with family, eating lots of good food, laughing, exchanging gifts, and having a good time. As each year passes, I still love Christmas but I have a different appreciation for it. My family does our best to make it all about Jesus and we celebrate with a cake and some other little traditions that we do. Today, we are going to be looking at the good news of Christmas but first I would like to share a story with you. In 2007 on Christmas Eve, my family were together eating, laughing, exchanging gifts, and having a good time. It really was a great time that we all spent together and I will never forget it. Later into the late evening, my father was not feeling too well and we called an ambulance. Everything happened so fast and much of this part was a blur. The ambulance rushed him to the hospital and we followed in our vehicles. In about an hour, we received the news that my father had passed away. He was 48 years old and he had a heart attack. This was very sudden news that was not so good to hear, especially during Christmas. Whenever we receive good news or not so good news, we need to remember that the greatest news we have already heard is the good news of Jesus.
He came to give us the wonderful opportunity to accept Him in our lives and live forever in heaven. There is a wonderful song by Chris Tomlin called, “He Shall Reign Forevermore.” You can listen to it here. The chorus goes like this:
And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore Unto us a Child is born The King of kings and Lord of lords And He shall reign forevermore, forevermore “But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” Luke 1:30-33 Jesus will reign forevermore. This is the good news of Christmas. No matter how Christmas has been in the past or how it seems like it will be this year, be encouraged that Jesus will always reign. We are so blessed because we have a God who is always there for us, no matter what news we receive. Let’s remember to share this good news of Christmas with others. We can share it all year! There are so many people out there who are losing hope and need to hear this good news. At OMS Canada, we believe the power of the gospel in the hands of disciple-makers will transform all nations. We give every missionary and donor the opportunity to make a generational investment in the lives and communities of people around the world who have yet to hear the good news. Your investment will multiply disciple-makers, churches, leaders, and missionary movements. Disciples making disciples. “Engaging the One to Reach the Many" with the hope of Christ. Will you join us? Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the good news of Jesus be a priority in your life today and everyday. 
Have you ever planned for or prepared for something? It may have been for years or for a shorter period of time, but we all go through times of preparation in our lives. When we prepare for something, we are intentional. Lots of effort goes into it and in the end, it’s a great feeling of accomplishment.
As we prepare for the Advent season, let us be encouraged to intentionally prepare for the wonderful celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus. It is truly a wonderful time of year.
Advent is a time of reflection, hope, anticipation, faith, joy, and peace. Today, we have many resources that can help us be more intentional as we prepare for Christmas. There are things like: advent calendars, daily Bible readings and devotionals, crafts, candles, wreaths, and more.
Today, we will look at 2 resources that can help us during this time of preparation. Here we go! Devotionals In our family we have a book that we really enjoy where we read a short devotional each day and share. We have gone through this book for the last few years, but each time seems to feel like we are reading it for the first time. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 God’s Word is always relevant, year after year. That is one of the things I most appreciate about the Bible. No matter the season we are in, God has something to say to us and it is relevant. Calendars Similar to devotionals, these are also a wonderful way to count down to Christmas. They even have chocolate advent calendars where you get to eat a chocolate each day- yummy! It’s also important to remember that we need to appreciate each day and a calendar is a great way to do that. You can make it a memorable way to spend time with family and take a few minutes each day to share about what you are thankful for, that particular day. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 Like that beautiful hymn says: Great is Thy faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness Morning by morning, new mercies I see All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me. Let’s remember to be intentional day by day. God is faithful to not only provide all that we need, but to extend His mercy to us each day. Intentional Preparation As we prepare for Advent and Christmas, let us also remember to think about eternity. Jesus came so that we could have the opportunity to be with Him in heaven forever. Let’s be encouraged to intentionally prepare for eternity each day. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:3 As we prepare for eternity, Jesus prepares a place for us. This is so beautiful. Be encouraged today. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas this season! May you continue to live for the Lord and serve Him each day with gladness. Please remember to keep all of our missionaries and their families in prayer this Christmas and for the upcoming year. Please also pray for more workers, so that those who have not yet heard, will hear and respond. There is hope in Jesus. 
Hello, and welcome back to our series on Spiritual Warfare and Missions (SWAM). If you missed the first couple of posts you really should click here to read them first. And be reminded that this series is based on the book by Jerry Rankin and Ed Stetzer called Spiritual Warfare and Missions.
Last time we learned that part of Satan’s Strategy is to distort the call of God. He has convinced many of us in North America that it takes some sort of a mystical experience with God, like a burning bush, to call someone to serve as a missionary. Instead, we are all responsible to be on God’s team, to glorify God among the nations for the rest of our lives. This week we will see Satan’s strategy to erode the faith of God’s people. The nation of Israel is an example of how the people of God can so easily be led astray from the mission of God. His calling and purpose for His chosen people were clear. In His providence, He had brought them to Egypt where, for four hundred years, they were protected and prospered and grew to be a mighty nation. He led them out of Egypt, delivered them from bondage, and set before them a mission to possess the promised land and become a witness to all the peoples of the world. As Moses reviews their history in Deuteronomy, he reminds them of God’s commissioning, “See, I have set the land before you. Enter and take possession of the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants after them” (Deuteronomy 1:8). When they finally reached the borders of the land of Canaan, twelve spies were sent in for reconnaissance. They came back affirming that it was a land flowing with milk and honey and even brought back fruit and produce as evidence of its prosperity. But they went on to report, “However, the people living in the land are strong, and the cities are large and fortified. We also saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amelekites are living in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country, and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan” (Numbers 13:28-29). They concluded the report with a dismal assessment, “We can’t go up against the people because they are stronger than we are. . .The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, and all the people we saw in it are men of great size” (Numbers 13:31-32). In spite of the contrary opinion of Caleb and Joshua, in faithlessness, the people succumbed to fear and turned their back on the mission of God. It takes faith to engage the nations. Many churches today are like the children of Israel in that they clearly understand the Great Commission task, but they don’t have the faith to move out and give priority to personal involvement in fulfilling God’s mission. In fact, they cower in the security of their church building, enjoying the nurturing fellowship of believers, insulated from even impacting the cross-cultural secularism in their own community. Like Israel seeing the pagan tribes to be confronted in the land, we are made aware of the number of unreached people groups around the world. Media and our own travels may expose us to the massive cities of Istanbul, Cairo, Shanghai, and Sao Paulo, fortified by religious history and traditions that appear to make them impregnable to a Christian witness. We are overwhelmed, feeling we are like grasshoppers among giants. We figuratively throw up our hands in dismay, concluding that we can do nothing. We are too small; we don’t have the resources or know what to do. We will just try to be good witnesses where we live. Such lack of faith to trust God and His promised empowerment (Acts 1:8) to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth is an obvious and devious tactic of Satan. It keeps the majority of God’s churches from unleashing the resources to storm his strongholds around the world and claim them for our Lord. The contrast was the minority report from Joshua and Caleb who believed God and said, “We must go up and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it” (Numbers 13:30). We know that God was angry with the people for their faithlessness. The consequence was their meaningless wandering in the wilderness for forty years as He replaced a faithless generation. Many churches are wandering in the wilderness, trying to find their way, in futility searching for relevance and direction, because they have rejected the priority of their mission. God commended Caleb, saying, “But since My servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed Me completely, I will bring him into the land” (Numbers 14:24). All a church has to do is to pray for the peoples and nations of the world, and God has promised to claim them as His possession. “Ask of Me and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession” (Psalm 2:8). God is sovereign over the nations and will deliver them to the lordship of Jesus Christ, for either judgement or salvation; should we not intercede and pray for them that God would open their culture to a channel of witness and their hearts to His saving grace? Such prayer is born out of compassionate hearts that are burdened for a lost world, stirred in response to the Great Commandment of our Lord. Satan is clever. He knows if we prayed for the Baluchi of Pakistan, the Pamir in Tajikistan, the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq that enemy strongholds would crumble and these people would be penetrated with the gospel. Satan is a fallen angel, a messenger, who has access to our minds to distort our perceptions and values. So, if we are going to be a people of prayer, he influences us to concentrate our praying on our own interests, focusing on personal concerns - our needs, our family, our church, our community. How much time do we spend lifting up to the Father our pleas for the salvation of the Hazara in Afghanistan or the Bejas in Sudan? Not only does God work in response to our intercessory prayers; those prayers move us to be involved and do something about reaching a lost world.
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It is not how big your church is or how many resources it has at its disposal but whether or not a congregation has the heart to follow God and His heart for the nations. Paul expressed concern for the believers in Corinth, “But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be corrupted from a complete and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Where is evidence of faith and devotion to Christ when we excuse ourselves as being too small and fail to trust Christ to guide, empower, and use us in whatever one’s place may be in fulfilling God’s mission?
So let me challenge you to consider adopting an unreached people group. Go to www.joshuaproject.net and find one to adopt. Learn about your people group. Find out all you can about them. And pray. Pray that strongholds would be broken, that workers would be sent into that harvest field and that the gospel would do its transformative work. Let us know if you do adopt a people group. We would love to pray with you. Drop us a comment below. 
What does a good shepherd do when a sheep wanders off? The greater the distance between the one missing sheep and the watchful eye and protective care of the shepherd, the more the danger. Understanding this, the good shepherd springs into action, taking risks to find the one lost sheep. In the parabolic picture that Jesus paints in Matthew 18:12-13, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine and launches an urgent rescue mission to find the one at great risk. The use of the definite article by Jesus, the good shepherd, was an indication of his focused love, deep concern, and willingness to give all for the one.
As the Good Shepherd has rescued you, would you consider engaging in a similar mission to help rescue others? Jesus’ mission was to seek and to save what was lost. He gave himself fully, even submitting to a horrific and unjust crucifixion, to bear our guilt, failure, and shame. Hours after the most powerful and hope-filled event in all of history, his resurrection, he showed his followers his hands and side declaring, “As the Father sent me, so send I you.” As the Father sent Jesus to seek and to save what was lost, are you willing to make yourself available for him to send you to help carry out this mission, even if it costs you greatly?
As he wept over the death of Lazarus and in seeing Jerusalem filled with people who were like sheep without a shepherd, he knew his followers would weep many tears in carrying out this mission. He understood they would face mocking, rejection, insult, heartbreak, betrayal, persecution, injustice, torture, and even death just as he had faced all of these and more in carrying out that mission.
Knowing involvement in the Good Shepherd’s mission means tears and all kinds of hardship, will you remain fully engaged, not running away from difficulties but running toward them for the sake of rescuing lost sheep? At One Mission Society, we’re passionately committed to a very strategic principle. When God uses us to help rescue the one who is redeemed by the power of the resurrected Christ, we seek to prepare that one to reach the many. As the one engages with Christ, forgiveness and restoration come. The result is a new creation in Christ; the old has passed, the new has come! In equipping the one to become a disciple maker, this remarkable principle is lived out. God uses that one to help rescue many, who in turn are prepared to rescue many more . . . and over time with God’s help, multiplication continues, spreading widely and growing deeply! One God-glorifying, Christ-adoring, Spirit-empowered disciple-maker can be sent on mission by the resurrected Lord to carry out his rescue mission among many. This is why we engage the one to reach the many! 
We look ahead to November 11, Remembrance Day.
The Remembrance Day Ceremony has played a major role in Canadian Remembrance since 1931. Every year, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we gather in memorial parks, community halls, workplaces, schools and homes to stand in honour of all who have fallen. Pandemic restrictions have meant smaller ceremonies, or their outright cancellation. Other gatherings are being replaced with virtual ceremonies. Nevertheless, the tradition of Remembrance will continue, and Canada’s Fallen will not be forgotten. The Royal Canadian Legion encourages all Canadians to observe a moment of silence on November 11, to mark the sacrifice of the many who have fallen in the service of their country, and to acknowledge the courage of those who still serve. The most sacrosanct and central element in Remembrance is the Two Minutes of Silence. During this time of reflection, Canadians pause to honour, thank and remember our Fallen. Jesus also gave us instructions to commemorate and remember something as well. Right before his death, Jesus instituted a special meal for his church to observe. Historically, this meal was called the Eucharist, which means “thanksgiving.” Often today we call it communion or the Lord’s Supper. Although churches differ on how frequently we should take communion, the universal consensus among Christians is that this meal is an important part of our faith. When Jesus was reclining with his disciples, after breaking some bread and distributing it to them he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) Many Christians have taken this to mean that during communion, we are to do our best to recollect the story of Christ’s death. We remember the gospel, and as we’re reminded, the gospel stirs our hearts in worship. This is, without a doubt, a good thing, but is it what Jesus was really getting at when he said, “Do this in remembrance of me”. (Luke 22:19) Many Christians have taken this to mean that during communion, we are to do our best to recollect the story of Christ’s death. We remember the gospel, and as we’re reminded, the gospel stirs our hearts in worship. This is, without a doubt, a good thing, but is it what Jesus was really getting at when he said, “Do this in remembrance of me”?
Memorial language was not uncommon in Palestinian Judaism. In the Old Testament, especially in contexts relating to the service of the temple, there were “memorial” offerings (Leviticus 2:2, 9, 16). In these passages, where the context is the people of God at worship, typically it was not the Israelite worshiper who was remembering; it was God remembering.
For example, God says to the Israelites, “On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feast and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God” (Numbers 10:10). In the context of God’s covenant faithfulness to his people, He would often give them signs that didn’t just serve as reminders for them but for Him! This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and he earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and ever living creature… (Genesis 9:12-16) The rainbow served as a covenant sign that displayed front and center God’s promise to never flood the earth. It reminded God of his promise. Communion is a covenant sign, too. Jesus called the cup of the Lord’s Supper the cup of the “new covenant” in his blood (Luke 22:20). When he told his disciples to observe the meal for his memorial, it wasn’t simply so that they’d be reminded of the gospel but that they would re-present, or convey it through the tangible sign before God. In fact, the phrase “in remembrance” is used elsewhere in the New Testament to refer to God’s remembrance, when Peter told Cornelius, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.” (Acts 10:4) When the church takes communion, it’s not primarily a time for our individual, subjective recollection of Jesus’ life and death. It is the objective transmission of the gospel through ordinary signs like bread and wine. The sacrifice of Jesus two thousand years ago is being set forth now, before God, as a memorial. This, to be sure, is not a “re-sacrificing” of Christ (Hebrews 10:12 makes clear that Christ could only be sacrificed once), but by faith it is the application of the benefits of Christ’s once-for-all death. When the church gathers together to “do this in remembrance of me [Jesus]” she is proclaiming Christ’s death (1 Corinthians11:26) as a memorial before God, who sees the sign and blesses us, nourishing us with Christ’s body and blood by the Holy Spirit. In communion, God remembers, and we receive! He remembers his promises to us, his people, and he sets these promises before us on the table. Christ’s body was given for you; his blood poured out for you. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of me”! 
Welcome back to this series on prayer. If you have missed any previous posts you can click here to catch up. But in this post, we are focusing on fasting and prayer.
When I first outlined this series on prayer, I thought that I would be using the OT experiences of Israel and the times that the singers led the army into battle. As it happens, that only happened once in 2 Chronicles 20 and there wasn’t going to be a battle because God had said He would fight for them and they were going to observe the victory. So Jehoshaphat sent out his army, not to fight, but to watch what God would do. And who did he place at the front line? His best singers! He placed the singers ahead of the soldiers and commanded them to shout out praises to God. They lifted their voices and sang, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever” (v. 21). And God did rout the enemies, the three armies that had come against Judah, causing them to turn on each other and every one of them was killed. God will fight for you God will fight for you, when you place your full trust in him. When you stop worrying and trying to fix it all on your own, you allow the space for God to step in. Give the glory to God and praise his power and faithfulness. Trust that God is working for your good in all things. “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed,” (2 Chron. 20:22). And don’t forget that the ultimate good for which God is working in you is to conform you to the image of His Son (Romans 8:28-29). God will protect you God is your shelter from the storm, your refuge in times of trouble. He will protect you from the battles in this life. So, rejoice in the God who loves you so much and give him your praise. When your heart turns to God, trusting him and praising his great name, you’ll find his peace which passes all understanding. “But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you,” (Psalm 5:11). “Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!” (Psalm 64:10). God will renew your spirit When the trials of this life leave you worn out and weary, singing God’s praises will fill your heart with joy. Lift up your heart to God and allow him to refresh and renew your spirit. Praise can turn around even the worst day and make your heart feel light. It can boost your spirits and put a smile on your face. So, turn up a worship song and sing along. Pray along with your favourite Psalm of praise. Look around you and praise God for all the blessings you see. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him,” (Psalm 28:7).
Praise is a gift and an offering to God
Praise is not only a command but a gift we give to God. It’s a sacrifice of our heart – giving him our best, even when we don’t feel up to it. The more we praise God and give him this gift, the more we’ll be filled with God’s love to share with others. Praising God through the storms not only blesses God but will bless those around you who witness such faithfulness. “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,” (Hebrews 13:15-16). Praise gives trouble a proper perspective When life is hard, it’s easy to focus on all the problems you’re facing. Those challenges begin to loom larger and all you can see are the difficulties you’re facing. When you turn your heart to praising God, though, those problems begin to shrink. As your eyes focus on God, you’ll find a new perspective on your trials. As the song says, “the things of this earth will grow strangely dim”. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,” (Colossians 3:2). Praise opens your eyes to blessing When you’re embattled and under fire, it can be hard to notice the blessings. Your focus is on the issues in your life, not on the blessings. Praising God will open your eyes to see all the ways God is at work in your life. You’ll see the blessings he’s given you outside of these trials and you’ll see how he’s at work in your battles. Set your eyes upon him, and you’ll see him more clearly. “So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, 9 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper,” (Deuteronomy 8:6-9). Praise paves the way for miracles Do you need a miracle? Do your problems seem bigger than any earthly solution? How are you praising God and praying for that miracle? When troubles begin to surround you, look for ways to focus your thoughts and actions on praise and thanksgiving. Allow God to work his wonders through your testimony of praise through the storm. “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened,” (Acts 16:25-26). What has been your experience with prayer and praise? Have you experienced a victory through your praising of God? What will you do to incorporate praising God into your habits of grace? We would love to talk with you about this. Leave us a comment and let us know about your experience of praise and prayer. Is there something we can pray about with you? Send an email to mail@omscanada.org. Want to pray with us? We host two online prayer gatherings each week. Tuesday morning at 10:00 am Eastern time and on Thursday evening at 9:00 pm Eastern time. We are happy to have you join us and we will send you the Zoom link if you ask for it. Send an email to mail@omscanada.org or give us a call at 800-784-7077. |
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