Today we are going to talk about blessing!
I don’t ever recall meeting anyone who doesn’t like blessings. Whether you are a believer or not, blessings are something that we all enjoy. It’s important to enjoy blessings, to be thankful for them, and praise God for them, but we also look a bit deeper into what it is to truly be blessed.
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I believe that during these times, God is calling us to reflect and to go deeper with Him and God is allowing us to do that through simple ways such as prayer, connection, and being in His Word more. He is also reminding us of how truly blessed we are.
So, to start. What is blessing? In the dictionary, blessing can be defined as: -praise; devotion; worship, especially grace said before a meal. - God's favour and protection. BLESSING IN THE BIBLE God's intention and desire to bless humanity is a central focus of His covenant relationships. First, a blessing was a public declaration of a favored status with God. Second, the blessing brought power for prosperity and success. In all cases, the blessing served as a guide and motivation to maintain that life within the blessing that was given. The history of Israel begins with the promise of blessing. The curse, which had dominated the early chapters of the biblical story (Genesis 3:14 Genesis 3:17; 4:11; 5:29; 9:25), was countered by God's promise to Abraham that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" which is found in Genesis 12:3. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” The institutions of society — the family, government, and religion were the means by which ceremonial blessings were received. Within the family, the father blessed his wife and children (Genesis 27:27-29). And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said: “Surely, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. 28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!” In the government context, the ruler blessed the people (2 Samuel 6:18) After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. Those who possessed a priestly role had the privilege of blessing (Genesis 14:19) and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. The parallels between the Old and New Testament usages of blessing are interesting. In the Old Testament, to be blessed is to be granted special favor by God with resulting joy and prosperity. In the New Testament, the emphasis is more on spiritual rather than on material blessings. There are many key components or things to remember and consider when it comes to blessing for us today. Let’s look at 4 today.
The first thing we must acknowledge is that blessing comes from God and begins with God. There is a beautiful song called, “10,000 Reasons.” The lyrics of the chorus are: Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship Your Holy name. Blessing always brings glory to God. He is worthy of all glory and deserves all glory because He is a good God. He first loved us and He first blessed us so it’s all about Him. I remember when we had been praying and trusting God for the blessing of a child. So when we found out that we were now expecting a little one, we were so excited. We had so many ideas and plans in mind already and it was just such an exciting time in our lives. A few weeks later, we had some unexpected news that the pregnancy was not viable and that the baby went to be with Jesus. It quickly went from a very exciting time to one of the most challenging times in our lives. It was hard, but God was faithful and we knew we were still blessed regardless of our situation. With time, I realized that we were so focused on the blessing and not as much on the One who was the source of the blessing. Blessing begins with God and we need to always have that as our perspective. God is so good and faithful and of course we now have our beautiful child who keeps us quite busy and whom we adore. 2. Blessing is generational “Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in His commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Psalms 112:1-2 When we fear God and take delight in His Word, generations will be blessed. Some of us may be first or second generation Christians in our family and it truly is such an honor to have. I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so for me some of the norms growing up were: alcohol and substance abuse, violence, anger, and rage as some examples. We believed in God and knew about God but there was no personal relationship with God and no transformation in our lives. We may have been blessed with a home to live in, plenty of food to eat, and all the latest clothing and shoes but we were not experiencing the most important blessings. The ones we cannot see. We can’t do anything about our ancestors, but we know that as children of God other generations to come will also be blessed after us. The things which seem like set backs whether from our past or present can actually be setups for the greater God has in store for us. When we have this perspective, it makes all the difference. Are there any setbacks in your life right now? I know you don’t see the blessing yet, but you ARE blessed and God has better in store for you. Keep trusting. So no matter what upbringing we’ve had, if we choose to follow the Lord, we will be blessed that blessing will be available to our children, grandchildren, and future generations. What an amazing thing to be a part of! 3. Blessing is meant to be shared “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.” Genesis 12:2 We have all heard the verse that says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” and that is so true. We are blessed to be a blessing- it is not meant to be for us only, but to be a blessing to others. There are so many ways we can be a blessing to others. We are blessed, and then we give the blessing away. And in giving it away, we are blessed all over again. So God blesses us, and we give it away. He blesses you again, and you give it away. He blesses you yet again, and you give it away. When God blesses, there is an outpouring that happens. This outpouring is meant to be spilled over to bless others. We need to share the blessing of Jesus and His salvation to others. This was never meant for us to hoard or keep to ourselves, but to share with others. 4. Blessing is undeserved “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23-24 We do not deserve God’s blessing, but by His grace He blesses us anyways. All the blessings that any of us receive from God are ultimately and only the result of the cross of Christ. God loves us and blesses us not because of who we are or what we can do, but because of who He is and how great His love is for us. It is not about us and all about Him. Here is a short story that I would like to share with you that I found online: -A Blessing in Disguise- [Short Inspirational Story] A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible behind. Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received word that his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he started to read, a key dropped from an envelope that was taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with a car dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. MORAL…. See, sometimes the blessing God has for us in right there but we can’t see it because we are so focused on what we are expecting as a blessing. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? Sometimes when we have certain expectations and those aren’t met it can cause us to feel disappointment. So, our attitude is key when it comes to receiving blessing. Many times God blesses us in ways we didn't think of and sometimes we don’t see the actual blessing because we are so focused on what we thought was the blessing. We need to remember that God’s blessings are sometimes not packaged as we expected but those are the blessings that will bring us closer to God and that is what’s most important and significant. It’s those blessings that will take us deeper with God. The waiting a bit longer will bring us to where God wants to take us. Even and especially in the waiting, there is blessing. Let’s begin to go a bit deeper together. BLESSING A BIT DEEPER We often hear statements such as, “I received the promotion that I’ve been waiting for…I feel so blessed!” or “We just bought the home of our dreams. We are incredibly blessed!” But what happens when we don’t feel so “blessed” in your current circumstances? For example: Someone who has been out of work and is trusting God for a job. They get an interview with a great organization but are not offered the job after praying and trusting God. Let’s think about this for a moment because we have all been through challenging and trying seasons. Are we no longer blessed when things are challenging or trying? The answer is no. God has a purpose and time for everything to be done according to His plan and what I believe God would like us to focus on here is that we often associate being blessed with positive circumstances, wealth, comfort, and the absence of problems or challenges. This tells me that we need to reflect and re evaluate what it truly means to be blessed. So, what does it mean to be truly blessed? Let’s look at some very powerful and profound words that Jesus shared. The beatitudes come from the opening verses of the famous Sermon on the Mount delivered by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and He began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. From a human perspective, most of these conditions would not indicate a blessed life. But from a heavenly perspective we know that we are blessed when we endure such things. We know that we will inherit the kingdom of heaven, and that we will be with God forever and He will rule and reign in His Kingdom. We know that we will be comforted, there will be no more pain, no more suffering, tears, heart ache, loss, discouragement, fear, we will be comforted by the good shepherd Himself. We will be satisfied and forever fulfilled. We pursue and keep striving on earth to find satisfaction, but Jesus says that we will be satisfied. He will truly satisfy us for all eternity. Therefore, we are truly blessed because we belong to Christ Jesus and He is our eternal reward. Though the world says we find happiness when we have the newest, biggest, shiniest, most advanced fill-in-the-blank thing on the market, Jesus says we find it when we demonstrate the true characteristics of Christian faith. There is a key element to blessing that we must not forget- its the spiritual element, the things which are eternal and last forever. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3 We may not feel very happy some days, but that emotional feeling doesn’t take away the reality that we are still blessed. We have the peace of God that passes all understanding, we have victory through Jesus Christ, we have been forgiven and set free, we are eternally secure, we are loved unconditionally, we have the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth, and so much more. THE GREATEST BLESSING Our greatest blessing is having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Great families, financial wealth, great jobs and homes, and good health are all wonderful gifts we can thank God for, but they are not his greatest blessings because they can make us delight, not in God, but in His gifts. I do not put my hope in the substance of the blessing but my hope is in the giver of the blessing. My hope is in Christ, I am blessed because I have Him in my life. God’s greatest blessing always rests in God Himself and when we focus on Him as our source for everything, we are truly blessed. et us not keep our greatest blessing to ourselves. There are billions of people in the world who haven’t heard about Jesus and the hope He brings. You can also share this hope with others by supporting OMS Canada. Blessings to you and your family. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
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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 to tell your story, your testimony, and how God can use it to save others. In today’s post, we will learn about baptism. Jesus said -- “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” Baptism - or “Baptizo" in the original language - means a drenching or submerging - like when you dye a cloth and it soaks in the color and comes out transformed. Baptism is a picture of our new life, soaked in the image of Jesus, transformed in obedience to God. It is a picture of our death to sin, just as Jesus died for our sins; a burial of our old way of life, just as Jesus was buried; a rebirth to a new life in Christ, just as Jesus was resurrected and lives today. If you have never baptized someone before, it may seem intimidating, but it shouldn’t be. Here are some simple steps. Find some standing water, deep enough to allow the new disciple to be submerged. This can be a pond, river, lake or ocean. It could be a bathtub or another way to gather water. Let the disciple hold one of your hands with theirs and support their back with the other. Ask two questions like these to make sure they understand their decision. “Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” “Will you obey and serve Him as your King for the rest of your life?” If they answer “Yes,” to both, then say something like this: “Because you’ve professed your faith in the Lord Jesus, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Help them lower into the water, submerge completely and raise them back up. You’ve baptized a new follower of Jesus - a new citizen of heaven - a new child of the Living God. It’s time to celebrate! Have you ever baptized someone? Would you even consider doing so? If the Great Commission is for every follower of Jesus, does that mean that every follower is allowed to baptize others? Why or why not?
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we learned to tell God’s story from Creation to Judgement and the reason for telling this story. In today’s post, we will learn how to share Your Story. As followers of Jesus, we are “witnesses" for Him, because we “testify” about the impact Jesus has had on our lives. Your story of your relationship with God is called your Testimony. It's powerful, and it's something no one can share better than you.
“Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things, (Luke 24:45-48).
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” (Acts 1:8). Everybody has a story. This is a chance to practice yours. Choose one or two followers to practice with and then pick 5 names from your List of 100. Make sure you choose people in the category “non-Christian” or “unknown spiritual status.” Practice your testimony - your story of Jesus - by having your practice partners pretend to be 1 of the 5 people you chose from your list. Practice shaping your story to make it specific for each of the 5. You should be able to share a short version of your story in about three minutes. There are endless ways to shape your story, but here are some ways that we’ve seen work well with others: You can share a simple statement about why you chose to follow Jesus. This works well for a brand new believer. You can share your “before” and “after” story - what your life was like before you knew Jesus and what your life is like now. Simple and powerful. You can share your “with” and “without” story; what your life is like “with Jesus” and what it would be like “without Him”. This version of your story works well if you came to faith at a young age. When you finish sharing, let your practice partner take their turn. Keep going back and forth until you’ve both finished your five. Want to make an even greater impact? When sharing your story, it’s helpful to think of it as part of a three-part process:
Have you practiced your testimony before? Do you have someone with whom you can practice? If not, would you consider practicing with us? Give us a call at 289-812-0661 and let’s get started.
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we discovered the impact of changing the focus of activity from teaching to training. In today’s post, we will learn how to share God’s Story - the Gospel - from Creation to Judgement, from the beginning of humankind to the end of this age. There are many ways to share God’s story. The best way will depend on the person you’re sharing with and their view of the world and their life experiences. God uses hearts willing to share to work on hearts willing to hear. It’s His work. He just invites us to join in. One way to share God’s Story is by explaining what’s happened from God’s Creation to His Judgement at the end of this age. When we tell God’s story in this way, we can make it long or short, detailed or just broad strokes but always connected to the culture of the one who hears. To help tell His Story across different cultures and world views, you can also use hand motions that make it easier to learn and teach. Here is God’s Story of Good News. In the beginning, God made the whole world and everything in it. He created the FIRST MAN and the FIRST WOMAN. He placed them in a beautiful garden. He made them PART OF HIS FAMILY and had a CLOSE RELATIONSHIP with them. He created them to LIVE FOREVER. There was no such thing as death. Even in this perfect place, man rebelled against God and brought SIN and SUFFERING into the world. God BANISHED man from the garden. The relationship between man and God was BROKEN. Now man would have to face DEATH. Over many hundreds of years, God kept sending MESSENGERS into the world. They reminded man of his sin but also told him of God’s FAITHFULNESS and PROMISE to send a SAVIOR into the world. The Savior would RESTORE the close relationship between God and Man. The Savior would RESCUE man from death. The Savior would give ETERNAL LIFE and be with man forever.
God loves us so much that when the time was right, He sent His Son into the world to be that Savior.
Jesus was God’s Son. He was born into the world through a virgin. He lived a perfect life. He never sinned. Jesus taught people about God. He performed many miracles showing His great power. He cast out many demons. He healed many people. He made the blind see. He made the deaf hear. He made the lame walk. Jesus even raised the dead. Many religious leaders were THREATENED and JEALOUS of Jesus. They wanted Him killed. Since He never sinned, Jesus did not have to die. But He CHOSE to die as a SACRIFICE for all of us. His painful death covered up the sins of mankind. After this, Jesus was buried in a tomb. God saw the SACRIFICE Jesus made and accepted it. God showed His acceptance by raising Jesus from the dead on the third day. God said that if we BELIEVE and RECEIVE Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins -- If we TURN AWAY from our sins and FOLLOW Jesus, God CLEANS US from all sin and WELCOMES us back into His family. God sends the HOLY SPIRIT to live inside us and make us able to follow Jesus. We are BAPTIZED in water to show and seal this restored relationship. As a symbol of death we are buried beneath the water. As a symbol of new life we are raised out of the water to follow Jesus. When Jesus rose from the dead, He spent 40 days on earth. Jesus taught His followers to go everywhere and tell the good news of His salvation to everyone around the world. Jesus said - Go and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and TEACHING them to obey all I have commanded. I will be with you always - even to the end of this age. Jesus was then TAKEN UP before their eyes into heaven. One day, Jesus will COME AGAIN in the same way He left. He will PUNISH FOREVER those who did not love and obey Him. He will RECEIVE and REWARD FOREVER those who did love and obey Him. We will LIVE FOREVER with Him in a New Heaven and on a New Earth. I BELIEVED and RECEIVED the sacrifice Jesus made for my sins. He has made me clean and restored me as part of God’s family. He loves me, and I love Him and will live with Him forever in His kingdom. God loves you and wants you to receive this gift, as well. Would you like to do that right now? What do you learn about mankind from this story? What do you learn about God? Do you think it would be easier or harder to share God's Story by telling a story like this? Let us know in the comments below.
Have you experienced some good things in your life?
What about challenges? Have you faced any challenges or difficulties that you can remember? Today, we are going to look at what the Bible says about how good things and challenging things actually relate and work together for God’s purpose in our lives. Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Let’s look at this verse for a few minutes and really get the context of what Paul was saying here. He wanted the Romans to know that God, who didn’t cause their suffering, would cause all their circumstances to cooperate with His divine plan—for their ultimate good. Paul is not saying that all things are good. He is saying that all things are turned by God and used for good. This is really important to understand because it gives us a different perspective on the difficult situations that we face in this life here on earth. The good to which Paul referred was not the temporary blessings of good health, wealth, or even success, but being “conformed to the image of God’s Son.” (v. 29) Romans 8:29 “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God is most concerned about where we will spend eternity. He is so concerned that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us so that we could spend eternity in Heaven.
Yes, we all go through different things and sometimes very challenging things but the promise that God causes everything to work for our good is for us. It’s a promise for every child of God who has given their life to Christ.
Today, I would like to look at 3 things for us remember when we face challenging situations in life:
1 Chronicles 16:34 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” I remember when I was first saved. There was a peace and a joy that I had never experience before, and it was amazing. God radically transformed my life, I was serving in various areas, I got my first car, I graduated college, and I met my future husband. Life was pretty good and sweet! Fast forward a couple of years, on my most favourite day of the year, my father passed away at the young age of 48 unexpectedly. It was a heart attack and he was instantly gone, just like that. My life that was going pretty good had all of sudden been shaken, especially since I was still growing in my faith. It was a difficult thing to go through. I questioned God, I grieved, but I also answered this question by His strength: Was God still good? Yes. He absolutely was! But the thing that I was going through definitely did not feel good. But God was still good. He is good all the time. Even as Christians, our lives are not perfect but we have a God who gives us perfect peace in the midst of very difficult situations. God was working on my character. God was teaching me to trust in Him no matter what. God was drawing me closer to Him and to depend on Him for all things. 2. God is always faithful What does it mean to be faithful? True to one’s word, promises, vows, reliable, and trusted. Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.” If we were to all share of how God has been faithful to us time after time, we would need quite a bit of time to do that. It is important to reflect on God’s faithfulness in our lives. Remember what Joseph went through when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph’s brothers made a bad choice by selling their brother into slavery, but Joseph chose to believe God was with him. God took the awful thing his brothers did and not only saved the nation of Israel but also many other nations as well. God had a good plan for Joseph, and He was faithful in making it come to pass. Joseph spoke about how God used the bad for good in this verse: Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” 3. God works out all things for our good Have you ever had brisket? If you haven’t, I encourage you to try it. It’s one of my favourite meals and if seasoned and cooked properly, it is delicious and so tender. Brisket is one of my family traditions and as delicious as it is, there is a process for it to taste the way it does. It needs to be marinated for a few days with a few special ingredients, turned around, cooked, put in the fridge, sliced, and then cooked again. Doesn’t that sound delicious? See, before the brisket is marinated and cooked, it actually doesn’t look appetizing at all. It is simply a bit piece of raw meat. All the ingredients WORK TOGETHER to get that beautiful cooked brisket. We need to wait until the ingredients work together to achieve something they could not achieve individually. Ok, now let’s talk dessert since we just talked dinner. Dessert has always been a part of my family’s meals and that couldn’t be more true today. We love our dessert. Take a strawberry shortcake for instance. It has fresh cream, strawberries, custard, whipped cream…I could go for some right now! You see, eating the ingredients on their own would not taste good. Raw eggs, baking powder, flour, etc. Doesn’t sound very tasty, but when the ingredients WORK TOGETHER, something beautiful happens. Let’s look at this verse again: Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Just like the brisket and baking ingredients aren’t very tasty on their own, when the ingredients work together the finished product is very delicious. It is the same in our lives with everything that we go through. Some things are good and some are challenging. But God says that He causes everything to work for good for us. In closing, let’s look at what our Lord and Saviour did for the whole world. For someone who doesn’t know Christ and has not accepted Him, this is where it all begins. The Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His Only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. It all starts at the cross. The cross was a terrible way to die. It was painful and even Jesus Himself said these words to God the Father: Luke 22:42 “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done.” The Bible then goes on to say that an angel appeared to Jesus and He was strengthened. Jesus than in agony prayed more earnestly and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. As difficult as it was to go through what Jesus went through, God reminds us that He can take the worst situation (dying on a cross) and turn it into the best (the redemption of God’s people). All things have a purpose in our lives because they all help us be transformed into Christlikeness. This is how Paul ends in Romans chapter 8: Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God works all things for our good and nothing can separate us from God’s Love which is in Jesus Christ. In whatever situation we face, let us remember that God works out everything for our good and nothing can separate us from His Love.
Welcome back to the Discipleship blog series. If you haven’t read the previous posts, you can find them here.
Last time we discovered some significant truths about God’s kingdom economy, that God rewards us based on what we give away. In today’s post, we will learn about the impact of changing the focus of activity from teaching to training. At every missions conference we talk about the Great Commission. It is found in several places in the gospels, but is most often referenced from Matthew 28. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”– Matt. 28:18-20 NIV This verse speaks of actions we all can be involved in. It tells us to; 1) Go 2) make disciples of all nations 3) baptize them and 4) teach them to obey. Ying Kai and Steve Smith, authors of the book, T4T A Discipleship Re-Revolution, speak of how we are Trainers of Trainers. Ying uses the word trainer for a disciple maker. Do you see yourself as a Trainer of Trainers? For many years I saw myself as a teacher. What I didn’t see was that I was to train the people I taught until they could train others! Instead of seeing myself as a teacher, passing on knowledge and information, I began to see myself as a trainer and those who were learning from me as those who in turn would immediately train others. I am a Trainer of Trainers- A Disciple Maker. I train one person to follow Jesus and obey His commands, they go and train another, who trains another. In this way the Kingdom multiplies and grows. We call this engaging the one to reach the many.
Making disciples of Jesus (trainers of trainers) is a crucial task not only for pastors, spiritual leaders and missionaries. This is the task of every believer. This is the task of everyone who is a disciple of Christ. As basic as it seems, why do so few get involved directly in disciple making? Why don’t we see ourselves as trainers of others?
We have settled for a model far short of what Jesus taught. Why? There are numerous answers to this question. We could blame anyone from Constantine to today’s clergy for not placing more emphasis on empowering local believers to do the work of the ministry. Blaming them would serve no real purpose, though sometimes it can be helpful to understanding the process that led us to the situation the church is in today. You see, if you are focusing only on teaching and not training, you are not creating the kind of wise people Jesus talks about in Matthew 7:24-27. The wise man or woman is the one who hears the word and does what it says (is trained). The foolish man or woman is the one who hears the word but does not do what it says (is not trained). And Paul tells us in Ephesians 4 that the reason that Jesus gives some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers is to prepare (train) God’s people to do the work of ministry. Instead of analyzing the history or blaming various people, it is time for all who follow Christ to wake up to their identity and to their task. We are disciples. Disciples train other disciples. It’s natural. It’s normal. It requires no special skills or special qualifications. We just need to obey Jesus’ command, and begin to do it. Who are you training to obey Christ? Who are they training? Are you a trainer of trainers? A disciple who makes disciples? If not, you can be! Embrace that identity today.
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?
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. |
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