In one of my brief conversations with Tim and Oswaldo, I gathered that the GPHD graduation in Guayaquil was far beyond expectations. These believers have been truly Bereans and “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Their joy in discovering the principles of truth from Scripture multiplies our joy! As you pray for them, please keep in mind a follow-up visit in May. Many of the leaders are taking the next step to study through God’s Plan for His Church which will equip them for biblical leadership. They are willing to accept responsibility for training their own people. This follows a biblical model and ensures the Lord’s blessing for years to come.
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Some of my editing work led to a question about the jailer in Acts 16. As I read over his conversion and the immediate impact it had on his life, family, and the local authorities, it made me realize again the wonder of divine transformation. Though the passage does not give these details it is evident that the jailer took Paul and Silas from the jail to his home and no doubt wanted to know more about their answer, “believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (16:31).
This immediate follow-up in his home gave opportunity to speak “the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house” (16:32). We are not told what Paul and Silas said other than “they spoke the word of the Lord.” Since a local church was established in Philippi, we can conclude that Paul and Silas established them in the large scope of what the gospel does. This reminds me of another occasion when Peter was asked by Cornelius, “I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (10:33). In both examples, the impact of telling what God was doing through salvation extended beyond the individual asking the question to the whole household which may have included servants. The “Spirit fell on all who heard the word” (10:44). In our witness and work of spreading the gospel, we should always “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) to explain how the gospel has come to us by grace thr After receiving an email in response to yesterday’s blog, I wanted to share my answer to their very encouraging comments. We are truly humbled by the interest and support of so many!
Some of the trainings and graduations remind us of the mighty work God is doing. It is NOT that there is anything great or special about us. We have no special skills. The wonder of what takes place is that the Holy Spirit is taking our introductions and training to open spiritual eyes (Ephesians 1:18-20) to see fresh insights in God’s Word what they had not seen before. God is rekindling a fire of desire and quenching a thirst that had been suppressed by tradition. All on our team look back over 36 years of this ministry with wonder at what God has done. The resources He has allowed us to develop are in 28 languages and nearly 40 countries (that we know of). The Lord has brought to us translators who understand our vision and purpose for this ministry. We are deeply indebted to their long hours of toil over making sure each word conveys the appropriate meaning, so the student learns with a high degree of accuracy. I must not overlook our Graphic Designer who has brought skill and technical development to all our books in every language that provides necessary quality. Dani has a special servant’s heart that we value more than words can express. As you pray for us, ask the Lord to keep us dependent, humble, and sensitive to His leading. We want to be faithful for the sake of His purpose and glory. It is a special honor and joy for me to get a phone call from my partner Tim, especially when he is in another country introducing one of our training books, doing a follow-up, or attending a graduation. While Tim has been in Ecuador doing all of the above, he attended a graduation of pastors who completed their study of God’s Plan for His Church (picture). I have been to graduations like this before, but this one has special meaning. A couple of years ago, God gave us a connection with the Quechua believers and placed in their hearts a desire to study God’s Word through the tools we provide. As a result, there is a movement of God that is rare in our day. As you can see from the picture, these leaders are excited with learning principles from Scripture they have not seen before. What they are learning will strengthen and establish believers and churches to stand firm in the gospel and spread it to others. Please pray for the Quechua churches scattered across Ecuador. God has started a work among them that could impact the spread of the gospel in many other parts of Central and South America. Pray that we will be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading as we encourage these graduates to disciple their own people. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night” (Psalm 92:1–2).
“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all His praise?” (Psalm 106:1–2.) “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for His steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His steadfast love endures forever; to Him who alone does great wonders, for His steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1–4). Often the pressures and problems of life distort our spiritual vision if we focus on them too long. It is healthy for us to carve out time, put aside the anxieties and just find things to thank the Lord for. There are plenty of reasons to be thankful! We received news today that a dear servant of the Lord in Burkina Faso trained around 270 pastors using God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD). He says, “We have great joy in knowing that about 270 pastors were trained over 3 days. What a blessing!! We know the Lord will use this to advance His work in Burkina Faso.” As you can see from the picture, these brothers are working diligently together to discover from Scripture the foundation of our salvation in Christ. With this number of pastors together with one objective, one heart and purpose, you can only imagine the impact it will have as they return home to the flocks God has entrusted to them. We must pray for them! With rising persecution and economic pressures, the Lord’s work must be supported with our prayers. As this work expands in BF, they need to print another 1,000 GPHD very soon to meet the growing interest in getting back to the authority and sufficiency of God’s Word. If you are interested in making an investment in this work, please go to our “Support” page for ways you can help. Inter. = Interactive Format IT = In Translation IP = In Process FM - Formatting GPHD = God’s Plan for His Disciples GPHC = God’s Plan for His Church GPYD = God’s Plan for Young Disciples – Teacher’s Edition – Young Disciples Workbook If you are interested in any of these languages or books, please let us know at: nfi@newfoundationsinternational.org Every time I look at details of Paul’s life and ministry, I find another episode that fills me with amazement. Barnabas and Saul (now Paul) had just been “set apart” by the Holy Spirit and sent out by the Antioch church on their first missionary journey (Acts 13. Under His guidance, they sailed to Cyprus and walk from Salamis to Paphos (approximately 114 miles).
There were Jewish synagogues on the island where Paul and Barnabas preached, and John Mark assisted in this ministry. As we might expect, trouble immediately appeared through magicians who “opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Elymas the magician … opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (Acts 13:8-10). Did Paul go too far in directly confronting the man? “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (13:12). We always need ‘Spirit-filled’ discernment to know when to walk away from opposition and when the Lord wants us to use spiritual ‘grit’ and face opposition squarely, defending the truth of the gospel. Paul’s walk with the Lord equipped him with both. Scripture is so practical! There is hardly any passage I read that does not have some application to my life. After observation and meditation on what I have read, the Holy Spirit is so faithful to give some application that touches circumstances and issues we face today.
Paul’s ministry was filled with experiences and accounts of his passion to serve the Lord under many different conditions. Not all churches he planted or persons he mentored remained friendly to Paul. What was it that kept him steady, standing firm in the truth, and undaunted by trials? To some he appeared foolish and weak in appearance (2 Corinthians 10:10). He loved to identify with the weak (11:29) so they would not feel alone, left out, or ignored. How can this same attitude be ingrained in our thinking and rooted in our hearts. Consider what Paul says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This is the grace we need working in our lives so that through our trials we can enrich others through the grace God give to us (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). In my quiet time with the Lord this morning I was wrestling in my heart with some difficult issues, asking Him to pour His wisdom into my heart. In these moments He took me to several Scriptures which I want to share with you and trust you find the same confort I did.
“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). There will never be a time when God’s grace will not be enough for the situations we pass through. The question we must ask ourselves is whether we are looking to God for this grace and are willing to receive what He gives. Hebrews 12:15 warns us “that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” Paul is a perfect example of a person who received God’s grace through very difficult circumstances (2 Corinthians 11:23-29 and 12:7-10). Let us remember these principles as we face trials and suffering. Then we can glory in God’s sufficient grace as we do His work. |
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