No one in the New Testament Church suffered more obstacles than Paul. None of the things he endured dampened his passion for spreading the gospel. If we read the list of his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-29, we are amazed that God kept him alive through all these events.
A careful examination of Paul’s life reveals the secrets of his undaunting perseverance. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:7–10). The question we must ask ourselves is, ‘what do we want our lives to reveal to the world around us?’ Do they manifest “the life of Jesus”? Is there any other purpose for living? For many of our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution or those caught in a war-torn circumstance, this is the only way to live and they are succeeding! We may not be able to join them where they are but we can join their example.
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Pat and Randy, along with Joshua from EMS Nigeria, worked together to train 46 key leaders and their excellent coordinator, Rev. Moise (Moses) in Garoua, Cameroon. These were eager to search the Scriptures for the strategy of the Early Church. One man stood up to confess how his ministry had not been according to God’s Word, and asked for prayer as he starts anew. It reminded me of our Brother Henry in Zambia who said after studying GPHC he had to “replant” the churches he had started. The work in Cameroon is difficult, but we sense the leaders are renewed and encouraged. A missionary from Maroua said he was discouraged and thinking of quitting, but now has renewed vision and strength for his work. Please continue to pray for these who labor in a spiritually barren land. Another key point: When we arrived there was division among the missionaries and pastors, but by God’s grace they started facing their discord and have begun steps toward reconciliation and unity. As I take time to pray for the Church of Jesus Christ in places where there is suffering, I think of Jesus’ words to a church in the first century that suffered greatly and needed encouragement.
““And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death’” (Revelation 2:8–11). I underlined key points in this letter to help us think about what is really important in suffering. (1) Jesus has been there with us from the beginning and will be there at the end. (2) Jesus sees our condition differently than we do. We feel loss and pain. He see the richness of our testimony for Him. (3) Jesus already knows what we will yet go through and has put limits to what we must endure. (4) Even if suffering ends in death, that becomes the door into our reward for being faithful. Let our suffering for Christ become the opportunity to be our best portrait of Him. We are certainly living in very unusual times. The Ukraine - Russian crisis has brought to light much more than just the conflict. As the days go by, we are receiving more information from various sources about what believers are facing in this trial. These reports reveal that churches in Ukraine have mobilized to care for each other and for anyone who will receive their help.
Because this is a public form of media, I cannot give specifics, but I can tell you that shelter, food, and care is freely given to anyone in need. With men from the age of 16 to 65 being conscripted into service, it leaves women/mothers and children vulnerable, fearful and alone. Please pray and gather others for collective prayer. Because we belong to Christ does not mean we are immune from suffering, but we are to encourage and comfort each other and those in suffering. A large part of Paul’s ministry was given to “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). Peter gives the perspective that “…after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10). This is our confidence! While we pray for the continual spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth, let us also pray for those parts of the body that are particularly connected to this conflict. Remember that there are families even here in the US with members in both Ukraine and Russia. Pray for them as well. Where God is working is the place we want to be. In early December, Jonathan went to Nicaragua and became aware of two separate groups of believers in El Salvador that had completed God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and were eagerly waiting to be introduced to God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). What an amazing privilege to join God’s work among these brothers and sisters. This trip is very special to Jonathan because he is taking his oldest son Israel with him. This young man has a growing heart for the Lord and it is his first missions trip outside the US. It will be exciting to see how God will use this time and experience to further clarify His purpose for Israel. Also, our brother David from Nicaragua is meeting them in El Salvador. It is always a joy to work with this Brother who has been faithful in the Lord’s work. Please pray they will be a source of encouragement and strength for the church in El Salvador. One of our main concerns is that noting will hinder the Holy Spirit and the work that He is already doing. We deeply desire that God’s Word multiply and those who have never heard the gospel will be reached very soon. Schedule: 2/24/22 - Travel to San Miguel - Graduation for students who completed GPHD. 2/25/22 - Introduce God’s Plan for His Church. 2/26/22 - Travel to San Salvador - Graduation for students who completed GPHD. 2/27/22 - Worship/Preaching and the Introduction go God’s Plan for His Church. 2/28/22 - Return Home There are certain riches that cannot be measured. Because most of us are busy every day trying to make enough to provide for ourselves and our families, we have a default mechanism that causes us to think more about money and what we can do with it. Scripture has over 2,500 references to money, work ethics, stewardship, saving and giving. As Paul points out, money is not wrong or evil, it’s the “love of money [that] is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).
If you are interested in the major Scriptures on this subject, email me at nfi@newfoundationsinternational.org and I will gladly send you a copy. Material money is not the kind of riches I am pointing you to. This is what Paul says about eternal riches; “To them [believers] God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). There is nothing in the whole universe as great, as important, or as rich as having Christ living in you. It is a mystery that the world cannot and will never understand. Yet, God has given those who believe in Jesus to be sealed with the Holy Spirit “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17). We have an eternal inheritance with HIM! All the riches of this world can never begin to provide this kind of wealth. Do you have HIM? Paul makes a very unique statement to the Colossian church. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).
We can be very certain that Paul is not referring to the atoning suffering of Christ. Remember Jesus’ words to Paul on the Damascus road? “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4). Paul was inflicting suffering on the Church that he hated, but now that he is converted and become a “minister” of the gospel, he is being persecuted (suffering) by those who hate the gospel. This suffering was for the sake of saints in every place so they might receive the “pure gospel of grace.” If Paul had been willing to compromise any part of the gospel, water it down so it would be more acceptable by the masses, his suffering would have been much less. There was no compromising with Paul. He took seriously “the stewardship from God that was given to” him for all believers, “to make the word of God fully known” (1:25). What would we have missed if Paul have taken an easier path to avoid suffering? Are you in any way compromising the gospel to make your ministry more appealing? If so, what part of God’s Word are you holding back from those you serve? Tom, Tommy, and Tim will be traveling to Ecuador February 21 - 28. This is a follow-up from the amazing expansion and multiplication of God's Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) among the Quechua People in Riobamba. It is astounding and encouraging at each celebration to see these disciples receive their certificates after completing the Spanish GPHD. This has resulted in disciple and church multiplication throughout Ecuador. It is clearly a movement of God and we are so dependent on the Lord to facilitate this work without hindering it in any way.
The three “T’s” will introduce the Spanish God's Plan for His Church (GPHC) to those who have completed GPHD and desire to go into leadership. They will also introduce the Spanish God's Plan for Young Disciples(GPYD) to teachers and parents who desire to teach children. Like the Macedonian call, the Otavalos People group who live in Northern Ecuador in the Andean Mountains heard about what God was doing among the Quechua People and have requested that we start GPHD training. This is a follow-up to an introduction several months ago in Quito and will be the main focus of this trip. Please be in prayer as these men seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Without His empowering and the headship of Christ leading them and the churches they visit, nothing will be accomplished. “If I die here in Glasgow, I shall be eaten by worms; if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; for in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.”
John Gibson Paton How you look at the end of your life will play a major role in how you live it. |
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