“Give God time to reveal Himself to you. Give yourself time to be silent and quiet before Him, waiting to receive through the Spirit, the assurance of His presence with you, and His power working in you. Take time to read His Word as in His presence, that from it you may know what He asks of you and what He promises you.”
Hudson Taylor
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When our children were young and beginning to read books, we encouraged them to read biographies of missionaries. We wanted them to sense the passion that drove missionaries to sacrifice the comforts of this life for something that had eternal value. Though none of our children became missionaries, three of them went on short-term mission trips and tasted cultures that were very different from ours. They gained lasting values they still have.
As a family, we have often prayed for missionaries in our generation who are on the field and experiencing trials we know nothing about. If we really don’t know what they go through, why should we pray about things we have never experienced? Reflect on the words of John Henry Jowett and see what answers you get: “It is in the field of prayer that life's critical battles are lost or won. We must conquer all our circumstances there. We must first of all bring them there. We must survey them there. We must master them there. In prayer we bring our spiritual enemies into the presence of God and we fight them there. Have you tried that? Or have you been satisfied to meet and fight your foes in the open spaces of the world?” When Jacob wrestled with God in prayer, he gained two things:
When was the last time you wrestled with God? What did you gain? “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
I know this part of Randy’s prayer letter, but in another way it is important for us to be in prayer now. Last night when we gathered for prayer, our hearts ached for some of our brothers and sisters who are facing severe trials. Please read the report below prayerfully. TANZANIA (Feb. 20-23) “Once again I have the honor and privilege to work with R. and V. who are seeing church planting movements increase in villages among radicals who oppose our faith. Just recently, certain radicals tried to kidnap, persecute and even kill a dear brother and leader we will call A. Other leaders helped hide this brother while his family still suffers on the island of Z. Please pray for A. and his family as they have lost everything for Christ and are looking to reestablish themselves in another remote place. This incident reminds us that even in a developed country like Tanzania many face great hardships that go under the radar of our news. How do we react to such atrocities? We keep encouraging and equipping 35 fully devoted followers of Jesus who are planting churches in difficult and even dangerous places so that radicals see and hear the good news of Jesus. Let us keep them in our prayers.” (Randy) A. J. Gordon made the following comment regarding missionary life. “Translators are always needed on the heathen fields; but the greatest among such is he who can translate the example of Jesus Christ into the dialect of daily life, into the universal speech of pain and poverty and suffering for the sake of others.(The Holy Spirit in Missions).
As I pondered this statement, my mind traveled back to Jesus’ final words to His disciples ten days before the Spirit came, “You will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The noun “witnesses” means “those whose lives and actions testify to the worth and effect of faith” and that faith is in the person of Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus did not say to them ‘you will be My apostles, preachers or teachers.’ They became those types of leaders, but “witnesses” is a much broader concept which embraces the inner character of the person that spoke to others in a powerful way of who they represented – Jesus! Take for example Stephen. “But they could not withstand [resist] the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10). He was a servant “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (6:3). The question for us is, ‘how are we translating the Lord Jesus in our daily life to a world suffering under the weight of sin?’ I am sure you have experienced seasons and moments when you feel dry and in need of spiritual refreshing. I have! David speaks of times like this when he had sinned or when he was being pursued by his enemy, Saul. Even in times like this, David knew where to find refreshment and renewal. Here are a few verses that reflect David’s heart for the Lord and source of building up.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (Psalm 23:5). “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Jesus gave this invitation: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37, ESV) There is one major thing that stands between us and refreshment. We are too busy! In this western culture, we allow ourselves to be driven by many demands and we allow them to control us. If you are feeling mentally and spiritually tired and lacking joy, it’s time to STOP and come to Jesus. Ask Him to take control of everything and live out of HIS PRESENCE! There are moments in ministry that bring great joy to my heart! They remind me of John’s words to the elder Gaius, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). John had faithfully taught the truth to this group of believers and pointed out one individual who was not conducting himself as the truth required. Gaius was different. He took John’s teaching to heart and walked in the truth.
Some investments take longer than others to reap rewards. Like many other things, the best changes take time to accomplish. With faithful prayer, patient influence, and loving words of truth, God moves in a way that will give Him the greatest glory. I am writing this to encourage any who feel that spiritual progress is slow. Work with patient endurance with the Spirit as your guide and He will produce unity on the foundation of HIS truth and a stronger witness to Christ as Head and the power and authority of the Spirit. Hear the advice from James; “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains” (James 5:7). It is easy to become impatient which James says leads to “grumbling against one another” (5:9). This works against the Spirit. Remain with the Lord in seeking to bring about biblical change. He will work for those who wait for Him. In a meeting we had a few days ago, the conversation turned to the many brothers and sisters we work with across nearly 75 countries. We asked ourselves whether we are doing enough to encourage them and keep the connection strong and current. Our concern is not numbers but making sure they do not feel forgotten or become discouraged through lack of communication from us.
As so often happens, this turned my thinking to the Apostle Paul. With his busy schedule planting churches and planning for the next harvest field, he never forgot those left behind in churches that had been planted. Even to a church that caused him much pain, he says. “we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Though Paul had not been to Rome yet, he was thankful that they were standing “firm through faith”(Romans 11:20). To a church that had received the gospel “in much affliction, but with the joy of the Holy Spirit,” Paul states that he had been comforted through hearing about their faith. He makes a very emphatic statement, “Now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 3:8). If you have discipled someone and they are standing firm in their faith, have you taken time to thank them for their faithfulness and give them further encouragement? Normally we do not think of ourselves (the Church) as being in a war zone, but we are. The world hates Jesus and the truth He stands for. That is why Jesus reminded His disciples, ““If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).
Since we live in these conditions, how do we combat evil forces that either reject truth or seek to dilute it enough that people can live however they want and don’t feel guilty for living in sin? Start by knowing your weapons. “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). There have been times in the Church’s history when they took up physical weapons to defend or battle against evil forces, but they left a scar on the testimony of the Church. Paul helps us see how the battle against Satan’s lies and false teaching is conducted and won by the truth. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (Ephesians 6:10–13). The battle for truth begins in your mind and heart. Start by using the armor of God to defend truth in yourself and then you will be prepared to battle for truth in a world of lies. “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel and not frightened in anything by your opponents” (Philippians 1:27–28).
As we often see in Paul’s letters, his concerns for the churches and believers are that their faith and conduct revolve around the gospel. It is difficult for us to transition our human way of thinking away from a ‘works’ mentality to God’s sovereign grace in the gospel. To walk “worthy of the gospel of Christ” is to allow the Spirit to live the life of Christ in us, never for personal gain. That is Paul’s point in Galatians 2:20. The next important point is “that you are standing firm in one spirit.” One of the great and most beautiful reasons for the Spirit coming was to “baptize [us] into one body” (1 Corinthians 12:13). We “built together” (Ephesians 2:22) so we can stand firm in one spirit, supporting each other when winds of opposition and adversity come against us. That unity is for “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” This is how the gospel spreads! Are you doing this with believers around you? If your agenda is not the gospel, this principle will not happen, and you will be working against the purpose and will of the Holy Spirit! The next reference to "standing firm" is general in nature but are vitally important for anywhere and at any time in the history of the Church. We must never assume we are out of danger or immune from attacks by Satan. Read these two verses carefully.
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13–14). This exhortation contains verbs that must happen all the time no matter what the conditions or pressure of circumstances beyond your control. To be “watchful” has the same force that Paul used with the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:31, “Be alert.” We never know when Satan will use a different tactic to deceive or stumble a believer. As to “the faith,” Paul is pointing to the gospel that was preached by the apostle from Pentecost onward. Jude refers to this as “our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). “Acting like men” refers to the need for spiritual maturity. If we are ‘children’ in our thinking so we are “no longer…tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14). The next verse addresses the need to stand firm “in love.” “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ” (4:15). Is this how you are “standing firm in the faith”? |
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