![]() We are so encouraged by what is happening in India. Tim makes a comment that summarizes what we see from our perspective: “This is so encouraging brother!!! I have ministered in India since 1996 and now, you and these leaders are doing in a very short time what I could never have done. This is truly an indigenous Spirit-led mission to reach all of India and beyond for our Father's glory. Thanks so much for the pictures. Rejoicing in Christ.” Though I have not been to India as many times as Tim, I share his excitement in what God is doing now. Many places where we have introduced God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and God’s Plan for His Church(GPHC), there is usually an initial interest and excitement until God’s Word confronts tradition and the authority of Scripture and the Spirit requires changes they are not willing to make. This condition never forces us to give up or even lose heart. Think of the many times Jesus was rejected in 3 ½ years or the number of times the apostles were rejected, and the Spirit led them to the next place (Acts 13:46; Matthew 21:43). That is not the case with this new opportunity in India. At the same time, we must pray that cold water is not thrown on the spiritual fire that began and the initial fervor continues.
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![]() Those words are either comforting or they strike fear in the hearts, especially when they are spoken by the Lord Jesus. His “knowing” is not the knowledge we are familiar with which is limited and imperfect, but His knowledge is infinite and perfect. To five of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus’ knowledge required a rebuke and warning that they must repent of their sins or face consequences. Yet, there was one church that did not have a warning or call for repentance. Notice His words to the church in Philadelphia; “I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My word and have not denied My name” (Revelation 3:8). Even though they had “little power,” that did not prevent them from keeping, or should I say, holding on with a powerful grip the teaching of Jesus. This kind of power is not defined by outward ability but by inner commitment. Our day requires men and women who value the Word of God authored by the Holy Spirit who will not compromise or give up His truth in the face of cultural pressures. What is your stand. ![]() We received information from our partner in S. E. Asia describing the progress of God’s work. It seems that the Lord is opening new doors to reach ethnic groups that have not been on their radar before. He starts with general comments (mostly unedited). “Your prayers and help for me and our brothers in the ministry of GPHC has been over the past 10 years. I am so happy to have you with us in continual prayer for God to open the way for developing Timothy’s and train many brothers in Ethnic Minorities in our country. Children have not yet been exposed to the Gospel because they live in remote places. They live deep in the forests and high mountains, and the government pays little attention to them.” As we see in the Book of Acts, the Lord kept opening new opportunities so that the gospel went from Jerusalem to Rome in 25 years. Now, this new “frontier in the deep forest and high mountains” has open opportunities. Is this what Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “…and to the end of the earth”? We are praying for the Lord to give our brother clear direction and supply what is needed to reach these people. May the Church there and here catch the vision and stand with him in prayer. ![]() As we receive reports from so many places from students who are doing their study of Scripture through God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) or God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC), we hear similar testimonies from every place. Here are a few examples of what they say.
This is a small sample of comments we receive. They remind me of David’s words, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105). They are the ultimate guide and wisdom. In Psalm 19, David declares that God’s Word is “perfect, sure, right, pure and clean enduring forever; they are true and righteous altogether” (19:7-9). What would you say God’s Word means to you? It would be a good exercise for you to write down what the Word of God has become to you. Some would give everything they have to receive a copy. We do all we can to make sure those we train have their of Bible. ![]() The comments you read below are from a schoolteacher in S. E. Asia who has gone through God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD). You will be moved by her amazing joy and desires in what she is learning from this study. “I have a personal desire to be equipped by God so that I can spend the rest of my life sharing the love of Christ with every one of the nations (ethnic groups) in English that He has given to me. Thank you for your book to lead me to walk day by day with The Holy Spirit! 'You show that you are a letter from Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3). Our response: “Thanks so much for the encouraging and detailed study of God's Word. Your answers and conclusions and application were spot on. You are a great encouragement to us and I know the Lord rejoices in your devotion to the Holy Spirit and hunger for the Word of God. You are also an example to us and motivation to devote even more of our lives to Christ, the Living Word!” ![]() This is a wonderful report we received from one of our Timothy’s in S. E. Asia. “In God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) course, there is a brother from the Ka-Tu ethnic group, an ethnic group that knows little about the Gospel, they live in high mountains. This group belong to the Central Highlands region. When the Ka-tu brothers studied GPHD, they were pleased to see what the Bible says, especially the story in Acts 8, (lessons 7 and 8 in GPHD). They knew how the Holy Spirit guided Philip go where he was needed, to help people who need to know about Jesus. This was for the Glory and God Himself. From my house to the Ka-tu brothers is about 65 km to 85 km, but traveling is very difficult. Pray that we can bring many Timothy’s to be trained so they can return to teach disciples in their homeland and in their language.” This is a practical example of what God is doing with the Ka-Tu ethnic group through their study of GPHD and Acts 8. It also confirms how important the local indigenous ministry is. It is so exciting and a huge blessing to watch God at work right where His people need strengthening and encouraging the most. He is using His Word to bring greater understanding of the gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. May this work continue to grow and expand for His glory!! ![]() Finally, after translating and updating the 5th edition of God's Plan for His Church (GPHC) into the Odia Language, it has been printed (See Attached Pictures) and is being put in the hands of several thousand leaders in the most persecuted and the poorest State in India, Orissa or Odisha State. This State in India is where the greatest hunger of God's Word is and where we are seeing His Word spread and disciples are multiplied. We are seeing our awesome Lord use this training material all over the world, now in nearly 35 languages. The question is, what makes GPHD so effective? It is not the material that produces this powerful work but the fact it redirects believers, leaders and churches to God's Word so they are compelled to return to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you have never gone through this study, we highly encourage you to go through GPHD yourself or with a group. We will gladly send you a copy at no charge. Just send your name and address to: [email protected]. I am always looking for contributions from our team, so I invite you to consider these comments from Terry.
"Psalm 143 is my prayer this morning in asking Yahweh to "Cause me to know the way in which I should walk" (8b). This is especially important to me now that I am retired. Then David says to God, "Teach me to do Your will" and "Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground" (10). I am trusting God to do this, because of His "lovingkindness (steadfast love” (12) which is loyal covenant love. I want Him to "revive me (preserve my life) for the sake of [His] name" (11). I know He will "answer me in [His] faithfulness in [His] righteousness" (1). I see David's desire and request for God's teaching and leading by His Spirit. This reinforces our emphasis on getting back to the authority of the Word of God and the Spirit of God.” Someone was asked why Christianity is on the decline in South Korea and on the rise in North Korea? A brother involved in reaching the North said, “the South is committed more to forms while the North is committed to the Word of God.” As you may remember, about a year and a half ago, we launched a new work in India that particularly addressed the spiritual needs of poor and persecuted pastors and believers. It began with a goal of training 168 pastors through God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) who in turn would train local pastors and churches. The final goal was reaching 40,000 believers with the authority and power of God’s Word.
From that beginning, GPHD and GPHC have been translated in two languages (Oriya and Hindi) and the ripple effect is coming back to us in messages like this: “Almost every day I get reports with photos from the GPHC training as it continues in the field. It's amazing. All glory to God.” As Paul sat in prison and heard how God’s work was progressing in Colossae, so I am often confined to my desk and think about what God is doing in almost every corner of the world. This is what Paul says about God’s work; “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus...Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth” (Colossians 1:3–6). We pray for India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and many more places where God’s Church is under severe persecution and the enemies that hate what He is doing. He will build His Church and finish what He started!! (Matthew 16:18; Philippians 1:6). Even those of us who have walked in the faith for a long time, we tend to be weak in grasping and appreciating the riches that are in Christ. Even though Paul was a vehement hater of early Christians, and therefore a hater of Christ, his conversion and God’s work in him was so thorough that he writes in extravagant terms to get across to us his deep appreciation of God’s glories and majesties of Christ. Consider the verses:
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!” (Romans 11:33). “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:17–20). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). When did you spend time in the presence of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and just gazed on their glory? |
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