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As time passes and God takes me through more learning experiences, I know He is teaching me more about my relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. This truth should become more precious and special to every lover of Jesus, but particularly anyone who has lost a natural father. I will try to explain.
There are 187 references in the Gospel where Jesus refers to God as "My Father" and 156 references when Jesus refers to God as "your Father." Interestingly, there is no reference to the disciples speaking to God as "our Father" though Jesus taught them to pray this in Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2 to pray, "our Father in heaven." This intimate way of speaking to God in prayer is still not understood as it should be or used much. Yet, Jesus told Mary right after the resurrection, "go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God’” (John 20:17). This wonderful term of a close relationship with God flows out of two things:
I trust you will grow in this intimacy with God and treasure His name as your Father
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A few of us met today with a dear Brother from Africa. He came here to the US for a time and then realized that God was calling him to return to the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia to strengthen the work among believers. More specifically, he was introduced to God's Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD) and has a vision to introduce this biblical training to schools in Tanzania and Zambia.
These schools are being opened in areas where the government has not been able to provide education to children. The plan is to open one of these schools in Congo as well. Most of these children know and speak English, so there is no need to translate these books into Swahili as we have with our other training resources. I will be getting quotes for printing so the Teacher's Edition and Young Disciples Workbook can be presented to the schools by May of this year. Please be in prayer for this new opportunity and that printing can be done quickly and economically. You may remember that we brought you news a few months ago that our partner in India has a tremendous vision for equipping pastors and church members, especially in Odisha State. This area of East India has always been difficult for believers because of persecution, but they are not backing down from their commitment to be faithful disciples of Jesus despite circumstances that seem against them.
At the end of October 2023, I sent the English files for God's Plan for His Church (GPHC) and God's Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD) so they could begin translating into Oriya and Hindi. The plan was to have them both translated and ready for printing by the end of January. As 2024 rolled in, we realized that both books were not going to be ready and told the translator to just focus on GPHC. We are at the end of January, and nothing has been received from the translator. In addition to this, arrangements have been made for 100 pastors to gather at a central point so they can go through an introduction of GPHC starting February 27th. Between now and the 27th, the book must be formatted, graphics completed, and printed. We have been asked to print 5,000 copies so these pastors can take copies back with them and train others in their districts. We are coming to you and asking for urgent prayer that God will turn this situation to good and that He be glorified through it. WITH US, IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE!  One of the most exciting features of this ministry is the connections God brings together, persons who have never met or known each other before suddenly find a common bond in the Lord Jesus. This is especially true when people in the same country and same ethnic background meet and realize that it took the training through God's Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) to bring them together.
In a South Asian country, which must be keep unnamed, someone heard about our resources and did not realize they had already been translated into their language. Another brother in the same country had gone through our training. We were able to link the two brothers together so the one who had gone through our training could travel across this country to introduce (GPHD) to the church of the other brother (picture above). There was an immediate sense of unity in what God was doing. This new connection will be God's way of strengthening the churches in this area of Asia that is so difficult. When God is at work like this, it is much like what He did in Acts 10 when Peter obeyed the vision and went to the house of Cornelius. After Peter recounted what God had just done in his life, Cornelius says, “Now therefore, we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord” (Acts 10:33). What connections does God have in mind for you that will further His work with unexpected people in unexpected places? Will you be obedient and "GO"? I love the expression in Proverbs 12 verses 3 and 12; "the root of the righteous." This indicates that they are drawing life and strength from the right source, God's wisdom. which Solomon has emphasized for the first nine chapters. From this anchor comes stability and direction for life. When the winds of evil and Satan's deceptions attempt to derail our lives, God infuses the righteous with all that is needed to stand firm.
This reminds me of Paul's many references to "standing firm" (Ro. 11:20; 1 Cor. 16:13-14; 2 Cor. 1:24; Gal. 5:1; Eph. 6:11, 14; Phil. 4:1; 1 Thess. 3:8; 2 Thess. 2:15). Paul also uses this analogy in his letter to Colossae, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Analogies like this help us get a mental picture of the kind of stability God wants us to have in our day. Jesus used the visual analogy of building a house on sand or "like a wise man who built his house on the rock" (Matthew 7:24). Such building in a spiritual sense must be intentional with Spirit guided wisdom.  We have just received a shipment of our newest publication, God's Plan for His Church, 5th Edition. Through the years of training and experience in so many countries and languages, we strive for clarity and accuracy. Most of the corrections and edits are minor except for the Summarize and Applicationquestions. These have been reworded to help the student draw more out of their study. Many of the graphics have been upgraded for better quality. Some of the Scripture references have been altered to include important verses for context.
We highly recommend this book for pastors and church leaders. If you want to request a copy or copies for your church, please click on the envelope at the bottom of the "HOME" page and send us their name and address. There is no charge. Let us do all we can to reestablish the Church and believers on a stronger biblical foundation so “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:20). Despite the evils that Satan has spread through the advancement of technology, there are things we can do today that could not be done even five or ten years ago that are for the blessing of God's work and the Church. I well remember traveling to S. E. Asia in 2008 and having a difficult time getting a good internet connection so I could communicate with my wife at home.
Today, part of our team used Zoom to do a one hour training with brothers in Southern Asia. It was very encouraging for all who participated. They have been working through God's Plan for His Church, and today were discussing Chapter 3, Lesson 2 on the progress of the gospel in Acts 6:8 to 9:31. How important it is that we use technology with wisdom from God so that the gospel is spread faster and farther. Bible translators are saying that new developments in electronics are enabling them to put the Bible into new languages much faster than even a few years ago. With the Lord's help, we will continue to push toward equipping more leaders and believers around the world so they can reach the unreached and unengaged. Please pray with us that we keep a keen eye on developments so they can be adapted and used so that our resources can be used in more languages around the world. It is both a relief and a comfort to realize the truth that the Lord is the one who "adds... multitudes" to the Church. I have been in many places where huge amounts of time is spent planning and money spent investing in man-made programs bent on increasing church attendance numbers. These efforts were never expended in the Early Church. Why?
"And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). In this setting, the Holy Spirit was acting through the apostles who were content to remain under His control. Persons were added to the universal Church, not some church with a well-known name. Even after Gentiles were being saved and added to the Church, God continued to work in the same way. “When he [Barnabas] came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:23–24). It is the work of the Spirit through those who are submitted to Him that causes such growth. No programs! No planning! Just doing God's work, God's way in humble dependance! While working on other projects for NFI, my attention was directed to Acts 5. Usually, this chapter immediately causes us to think of Ananias and Sapphira who "lied to...God" and came under discipline from God through the Church. But there is more to this chapter that requires our attention.
“Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem" (Acts 5:12–13). We have noted before in chapter four that persecution started early in the history of the Church, but this did not alter their commitment and passion for God's Word and truth. So powerful was their witness that unbelievers were afraid to "join them". No public protest was made because there was opposition to the doctrine or practice of believers. It was the way they lived and ministered to others that made a powerful difference. It grieves me that the witness of the Church today has been tainted with a desiring to blend in with the world instead of developing a passion to be more like Christ. When I think about the purposes of God, my mind goes back to Paul's words in Ephesians 1. Let me break this glorious truth into bite sizes that I trust will encourage you.
There is no human explanation for this sovereign act! We must allow the Spirit to unfold the majesty of God's character in chapter 2:4 with these words, "but God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us!" No wonder verse 8 says, "by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works." How could God do this when we had sinned against Him? He had a righteous basis in His Son who exchanged our sin for His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). What is our response to such a gift? |
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