Thinking about the contrast between the Old Testament way of dealing with sin and the New. The difference is amazing! Most of the offerings of animals in the OT were sacrificed to atone for sins. The blood of these animals merely covered sin but never took them away.
God promised in Jeremiah 31:31, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities (sins), and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). A day would come when something better would happen. Instead of sins being covered, God would deal with them so they could NOT be remembered. How would this happen since God is omniscient? That means He knows EVERYTHING. So, how can He forget? In that same chapter in Jeremiah Vs 34, God promises, “I will forgive their iniquity (sin), and I will remember their sin no more.” I want to take you to Hebrews 10 where the writer was trying to help persons who remember how things were done in the OT. Look at verse 1. “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb. 10:1). That is why I referred to all those sacrifices as covering sin, but never taking them away. Tomorrow we will look at the change Jesus brought by His death.
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How important is it to study our Master? This morning I was reading John 13:12-20 and felt humbled and challenged by the example we have in our Lord. Jesus rightly refers to Himself as the “Teacher and Lord”(13) which makes what He taught the disciples to carry authority and power. He showed the disciples by example what he was teaching them, and then said, “I have given you an example that you should do just as I have done to you” (15).
Many who speak on this section try to distinguish this event from today by saying the dusty roads and sandals required foot washing and that it was a common courtesy of the day. That may be true, but is that the central point of Jesus’ example? I don’t think so. Jesus was emphasizing the character of servanthood. It makes no difference what our rank or position is in life or ministry. Being a servant in any role means that I must serve others no matter what their status is in life. Footwashing conveys far more than cleaning feet and refreshment. It should express love, care and fellowship with the person I am serving. Is that what we communicate to those we serve? I will never forget traveling with a brother to an eastern part of India to introduce our training to Christians in a village. We were greeted with music and dancing to celebrate our arrival. Before we could enter the bamboo meeting hut, they insisted on washing our feet. In turn, we insisted that we wash their feet. This resulted in a sense of unity in serving each other even before teaching began. As I have been preparing notes for a mid-week Bible study entitled, “Who We Are In Christ,” I am filled with joy to review truth I know, but which is becoming richer. In a world distracted by war and the pain of suffering, it is important for followers of Jesus to stablize their minds and hearts with truth that does not change with world conditions.
“Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will” (Ephesians 1:4–5). God “chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world.” There are three parts to verse 4 & 5. (1) God’s election, (2) the positional aspect - where we were chosen, and (3) when we were chosen. All three of these could only happen because they were done by God alone.
All this divine plan brings me to utter speechless worship! From that title you might think I am referring to the many refugees who are displaced from their homeland. Though they are in my prayers and I am deeply empathetic for them, they have made me think Abraham and how the writer of Hebrews casts his experience in a very different light.
There is no mention anywhere in Genesis or Hebrews that Abraham ever wanted to return to Ur of the Chaldeans where his family was from. Instead, “he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). Even though Abraham had many opportunities to return to Ur, he “desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city” (11:16). Abraham saw more than a better city and country. He valued a close relationship with God and from that intimacy he would gain a much better place. Do we? What do we really long for above anything else in this life? Comfort and ease are nice, but they often distort our vision for what is really “better.” It is characteristic of Jesus to use every opportunity possible as a teaching moment for those around Him. When we read these occurances, it is importamt that we not settle for the first answer, but look for the deeper meaning that Jesus is teaching. Read this example:
“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him”” (John 9:1–3). Jesus answered the question as to why this man was born blind but immediately turns the disciples attention to “the works of God.” They are far more important than what caused this man to be blind. Shouldn’t we be asking the question, ‘what is God going to do in this situation that will bring Him more glory and so we can know Him better?’ As stories are received from missionaries and families dislocated by the Ukrainian/Russian conflict, we hear accounts of courage so God will be known by those who don’t believe. Every challenge we face can be turned into an occasion of witness to the power of God in saving and regenerating the soul. How will God use your next event to exalt Jesus and make Him know to others. I just had a wonderful conversation with the brother who translated two of our books into Arabic. Though he has gone through many trials, he is praising the Lord for being part of a work that will strengthen believers in the Arabic speaking world and advance the gospel to the unreached. As our team is in Morocco, his work is being used to accomplish this very goal. We and our brother are anxious to hear what God has done during this visit. Today I also received great news from Ecuador. When Tim and two others with him came to Ecuador, they visited a church in Quito. As a result, a tiny Otavalo girl, Hilda, asked for a copy of "God's Plan for his Disciples". On Friday Santiago met her on a pedestrian bridge in North Quito, and explained again the purpose of the manual and how to use it. (Sample of an Otavalo girl to the left.) Santi crossed the bridge and took the bus back home. This morning Hilda texted Santi about what happened next. Hilda stood at the bottom of the bridge waiting for her bus and reading the manual. There are a lot of people that use the bridge as a market to sell goods. One of the men on the bridge saw the cover of the manual and came up to Hilda and asked her what it was about. Hilda explained, and he asked, "Where can I buy it? I need something like that." Hilda got his contact info and told him about Santiago who will get this man GPHD. Who knows what God will do with this? HOW BIG ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS? ARE THEY BIG ENOUGH THAT ONLY GOD CAN FILL THEM? Some years ago one of my sons was on a business trip over a weekend and attended a very large church on Sunday. He got there early hoping to get a good seat. When he approached empty seats near the front, he was told they were reserved for special church members. After the service, those visiting were told they could meet the pastor if they went to a certain room. After visitors shook hands with the pastor, they were told he would sign inside their Bible if they would like.
This reminded me of an interchange between Jesus and the disciples when they disputed “which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves” (Luke 22:25–26). I often feel a dangerous emotion that stirs up in my heart when others say nice things about me to others or to an audience. If persons speak of transformation that has taken place because of the message, that is one thing, but praise for me is another. How important it is that we deflect praise from people to the One who rightly deserves credit for what we do or say - the Lord Jesus! In Revelation 4, 5 and 7, the “Lamb who was slain” is the only one worthy to receive praise. I am very excited to announce the Second Edition of this special publication, both the Teacher’s Edition and the Student’s Workbook. This is a tool that lays a solid foundation and helps children develop a good spiritual beginning by exposing them to the Word of God, the Bible, through pictures, stories, and activities. When training your own children or other children to be disciples of Jesus to their generation, starting with these lessons will help them grow into devoted followers of Christ. God’s Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD) is designed to be used under the oversight of someone who has already completed God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD). GPYD is to be used with and alongside GPHD. We would encourage you, as the trainer and mentor of the information in this book, to become familiar with the stories in each lesson so you can tell and explain them in a simple story format. You can adjust or tailor your storytelling, teaching methods, visuals, discussion, and questions to what is suitable for the young disciples’ comprehension and ability levels. Although the page numbers will be different from GPHD, the lesson numbers and headings will be the same. If you or someone you know is interested in reviewing this book to review its content, we will send you a free copy of both books. If you desire multiple copies for a Sunday School, Christian School, Home Study or small group, please let us know by email: nfi@newfoundationsinternational.org. How much does God prize unity in the Body of Christ? One of the best expressions of what unity in the Church means to God is Jesus prayer in John 17.
““I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (John 17:20–21). Jesus had a very clear expectation that the disciples would be power witnesses for Jesus (See Acts 1:8). There are several areas that unity affects which we must take into consideration:
I look at just the names on church signs and feel with sorrow how divided the Church is. This was never God’s plan and it should grieve us. Can it be different? Can the unity Jesus prayed for be achieved again? YES! It will require deep repentance and genuine humility. Jonathan and his son Israel have returned from El Salvador and they sent me this report. “What a time of “refreshing” for Israel and myself in El Salvador. These brothers and sisters are a living example of what God can do when we take Him and His Word seriously. We thought our visit would encourage the church in El Salvador, but we were the ones encouraged. We met with two separate groups of believers. The first two days we were in San Miguel, which sits between two active volcanos, and it was hot! Yet the Holy Spirit was burning in the hearts of the believers. They had received God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) during the pandemic and printed it out on their own. We graduated a group of about 30 believers. The testimonies were incredible! The pastor’s daughter, a 20 year old in law school, spoke of how she desired to join her parents vision and develop leaders of character who will reach those who have not heard of the Gospel in Central America. Our next stop was in the capital, San Salvador. We met with a church that was incredibly hungry, and full of young people. There is no telling what God could do with this group of believers. About 25 believers finished GPHD and graduated. We also introduced God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). There were times during our meeting where I felt like Elijah being caught up in a whirlwind to heaven. What a privilege to be part of this amazing movement where God is at work! The most memorable time for me was the opportunity to serve God alongside my oldest son Israel. Here is his report of his first mission trip: “El Salvador, where do I even begin? This experience is one of the greatest experiences of my life! The hunger for God’s Word is greater than any place I have ever been before. James talks about not just being hearers of the Word but doers. The people in El Salvador are Doers of the Word. The love of Christ is truly being perfected in these people because the Truth is in them. There is so much opportunity for the Gospel here and the churches have capitalized on that by shining the Good News and GPHD with everyone that they know. Lastly, if I had to describe the churches in El Salvador in one word, it would be “servants.” The heart that these Christians have here I want to possess. I want to imitate them as they imitate Christ.” -Israel “…the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.” Philemon 1:7b” |
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