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In the blog post yesterday, I noted that prayer was at the foundation of the Moravian movement. Along with that was another vital element which should be at the core of every Christian and church endeavor today.
Amadeo Molnar describes it like this, ““The Word of God is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9). It must spread freely in the language of the people and so prepare the way for realization of divine promises. It is included in the conviction that Christian people should renew their faith through listening to (and reading) the Word. The reform of the Church itself must be undertaken with a view to the future conversion of the whole of humanity.” This falls right in line with how the Early Church started. “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Are you convinced this can happen today? If not, then you have not allowed the power of God’s Word impact your life. It is time to put off our slumber and become serious about what God has spoken!
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Moravian historians identify the main achievements that were key to mission success:
There are moments in our lives that cause us to think more deeply about our lives, what they have been, and what they will be in the presence of Jesus. The apostle John gives us the right perspective when he says, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:1–2).
To be like Jesus and in His presence will be so wonderful! Just to see HIS FACE…!! At the same time, I look back on my life and see the AMAZING FAITHFULNESS OF GOD! This brings to mind a song we often sing – The Goodness of God! The chorus goes like this: “‘Cause, all my life You have been faithful, And all my life You have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God.” If you are reading this and can’t say or sing those words, you have not looked forward into the presence of Jesus who gives the true perspective of the past. Get into His presence and stay there until your vision changes. Yesterday we focused on our joy that comes to persons who deal with sin through genuine repentance. This may be a process depending on the person and situation. In any case, God’s goal is complete restoration and the joy that comes along with letting God work in us.
In this blog, I want to capture the Father’s heart and the joy of heaven. Most of us are familiar with Luke 15, but I will quote a few verses to remind us of the setting. The lost sheep: “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). The lost coin: “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (15:10). The prodigal son: “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to celebrate” (15:22–24). There is no possible way to mistake what happens in heaven when repentance takes place in us. This is what makes the Bride of Christ so special! Consider this: “Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints” (Rev. 19:7–8). ARE YOU PART OF THIS JOY? I doubt we know exactly when repentance turns to joy. If we focus on wanting joy in our hearts and minds because of the pain of sin, confession, and repentance, we may hinder God from finishing each phase. We may prolong the process and it seems to take so long to get through to joy.
David knew this when he says, “For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah” (Psalm 32:4). But then as he stays with the Lord through this time of discipline, David changes his attitude and says, “You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah” (32:7). David would not have known this unless he remained under God’s conviction of sin and truth that brought him to genuine repentance. Are you under God’s discipline? DO NOT FRET! “For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every son whom He receives. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:6, 11). J. Oswald Sanders gives a wonderful illustration of how God our Father uses discipline to promote our spiritual growth.
“As with the eagle, so with the Lord. The eagle builds its nest on the mountain crag, first using sticks and twigs, then lining it carefully with fur, feathers, and grass. The little eaglets hatch out into an ideally comfortable home. Life is perfect. Meals are delivered regularly. There is nothing to be desired. One day the mother eagle appears to go berserk and tears away the soft lining of the nest, leaving only sticks, twigs, and thorns. The fledglings are mystified at the change in their mother. The nest becomes so uncomfortable that they climb up to the edge of the nest and look down at the forbidding rocks below. Suddenly, the mother eagle gives one of them a push, and it goes tumbling through space to certain death. But swifter than the fall is the mother’s flight. Just in time, she swoops down, catching the eaglet on her wings and brings it up to safety of the nest on the mountain craig. As an eagle, so the Lord!” Is the Lord making life a little uncomfortable? Let Him push you out of your comfortable place so you learn to fly and sore with Him above this world in spiritual strength. He has designed you for this! In trusting Him, you will not fail. (Enjoying Intimacy with God, page 95). There are a couple on our team who are going through serious medical issues, and I ask that you hold them up in prayer. Pat has come through a procedure and is doing well. Tim and Tom are in the middle of tests and treatments which cause us to pray more intently. This has limited their ability to travel, but we are counting on the Lord to raise them up again.
As I considered their conditions, I was reminded of how Paul reacted to weakness in others. Here are a couple quotes from his letters that expose his heart. “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2 Corinthians 11:29). “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Corinthians 12:26). And then the Apostle exhorts us to “Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). There is a bond between followers of Jesus in the Body of Christ that is part of our God-created DNA. It is natural and Spirit-inspired for us to pray for others and care for one another. This is what Paul refers to as “members who have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25). Do this with love for the person and because of love for Christ.  There are times when it is hard to contain the joy that fills my heart, much less be able to put that joy into words. Our partner in Ecuador has been so faithful to spread the word to pastors and churches of what GPHD, GPHC, and the children’s books can do to bring revival of God’s Word. Not only that, IT IS HAPPENING!! The picture at the bottom is of a recent graduation from GPHD. Please pray for their spiritual growth because of this study so they can disciple others.  Continuing the theme of young people, we must step back and look closely at the heart of a mother and her desires for children. Most who read this blog are familiar with the story of Hannah (1 Samuel 1 & 2). Hannah received the mocking of Peninnah because she had no children. The bitterness of this drove Hannah to pray a commitment to the Lord at Shiloh.
“And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head”” (1 Samuel 1:11). This raises a very important issue. What is the motive behind our prayer requests? Hannah’s request was based on a God-given desire that came from God’s design. John knew this design and purpose when he wrote; “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one” (1 John 2:12, 14). I urge each of us to find ways to invest in the younger generation since they will be the next leaders and missionaries. You may have noticed that several of the recent blogs have focused on God’s work among children and young people. I say with carefully chosen words that we are seeing the greatest hunger for God’s Word in those of this age group. We should expect that this would be true among the older generations, and it is but to a much lesser degree. Throughout the Old Testament, God invested in young men. Here is the example of Jeremiah:
“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord”” (Jeremiah 1:4–8). This attitude is seen in others whom God called, but He did not call the well-educated or skilled in oratory. He called the humble who did not think they were worthy of filling the shoes God put them into. It has been said, "God doesn't call the equipped; He equips the called." The challenge is whether we will humbly accept God’s call and let Him equip us. Whether they realize it or not, young people and children are hearing God’s call and responding. He will use the Scriptures they read and study to equip them with the eternal truth and authority of His Word so they can be sent out to witness in His timing, THEN, God promises His presence with them! Will you hear and answer God’s call? |
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