As I indicated yesterday, Jonathan spent a day at an orphanage in Myanmar with children and young people, teaching them how to study the Bible. Sometimes we wonder how fruitful times like this are and whether the time was well spent. To give you an idea of the response to teaching them, Mary handed Jonathan a “thank you” note. Here is a partial unedited quote from her note:
“Thanks a lot for everything. Especially, you used simple words. So, we understand what you want to share God’s message. We must improve our listening. Thank you. If you didn’t come to Myanmar (in Tamu at Sophia), I will not get this file (book), or hear good news. Sir Jonathan, I really want to tell you my enjoyments more. I have a new dream after we met. That is to become the best follower of God. Please can you help me by praying to God. Thanks.” This reminded me of Jesus prayer to the Father in Matthew 11; “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will.” (11:25–26). Taking in the Word of God is best done by those with ‘child-like’ hearts.
0 Comments
Paul makes a very important observation about the Thessalonian believers regarding their love for each other. “Now concerning brotherly love, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another” (1 Thessalonians 4:9). This is a principle that is often repeated in Scripture, but also overlook by the church.
We are seeing this principle in action in many places where God sends us. The following is a testimony of this taking place in Myanmar in the last week. “First time these students were doing Lesson 6 (How to Study the Bible) in God’s Plan for His Disciples, we used John 3:16 as the text. Applications they made to this verse were: “I will go to my village and tell them that God is love, that He created everyone, and displayed that love by His Son dying on the cross. You should receive Him today.” In 3 hours, God taught us what countless semesters of Bible college exposition couldn't. Incredible! If you ever wanted to know what it means to be taught by God, I just witnessed it through tears at an orphanage. This was the first time they had ever done a study like this.” Top the icing on this story, these students were children and young people at an orphanage. If they can grasp the four simple steps of Bible Study, anyone can who desires to learn. Principle: OBSERVATION - MEDITATION – DISCUSSION - APPLICATION We now come to the portion of the parable in Matthew 13:18-23 where Jesus refers to seed being sown into “good soil.” Unlike the heart that allows the “evil one” to snatch the seed away, or the rocky ground, or where the heart has allowed thorns, “good soil” receives the seed of God’s Word. Here is some important instruction from verse 23:
· The heart with “good soil…hears the word.” The condition of the heart must have times of quiet when it can listen. In our busy world, this is becoming more of a challenge. Hebrews 5:11 says that some who were immature had “become dull [slow or lazy] in hearing.” Paul makes the connection between the work of the Spirit and “hearing with faith” (Galatians 3:2, 5). This is what I call ‘active hearing.’ We must not be passive in listening to what God is saying to us. · The next point in verse 23 is that the heart understands what is being heard. There is only one way we can hear with understanding – only by the Spirit. Jesus promised that He would “teach us all things” (John 14:26). Jesus said that understanding comes to those who have child-like teachable hearts (Matthew 11:25). Hearing and understanding are bound together for those who receive “the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). · Through ‘active listening’ and Spirit given understanding, the seed of God’s Word will bear fruit. Jesus points out, the harvest varies from heart to heart. The question becomes whether I want my heart to produce “much fruit” so the Father is glorified (John 15:5-8). As you examine your heart, what sort of hunger do you have for the Word. To the degree you want God’s Word to bear fruit in you is the degree you will be able to help others gain the same hunger. As we continue to look at Matthew 13:18-23, we find there are two more problems that hinder hunger being created for the Word of God. · The person that “has no root in [themselves].” There are several purposes for roots. One is for the plant to draw up water out of the earth that causes growth and refreshment. Jesus speaks of water to be like the Holy Spirit who provides life to our spiritual beings (John 7:37-39). The next purpose for roots is to draw nutrients from the soil that make the plant healthy and strong. As these two functions take place, the root system also grows so the plant is supported, and remains steady when adversity (“tribulation or persecution”) comes. Without roots into the Word of God, none of these essential patterns of growth and stability will take place. If there is hunger in the heart, all three will take place at the same time. · If the seed is planted “among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (13:22). Where there is discontent with the circumstances God has placed us in, the “thorns” of this world cause deception and we are preoccupied with everything except the Word of God. We become busy with priorities we have placed before a quiet time with the Lord. If your life is like this, you will “prove unfruitful” and will struggle developing a hunger for Scripture. Tomorrow we will turn a corner and see what creates hunger in the heart. If any of these issues addressed yesterday and today are present in your life, take time right now to allow the Spirit to cleanse out the obstacles and make way for an appetite for the Word that never stops. As we watch God work in hearts around the world, we see a hunger for the Word of God in some places that is rare. What creates this hunger and how do we promote it in others? The easy answer that most of us would give is that God creates the hunger, and this is true. But let’s dig deeper into this question and see if we can expose why there is not more hunger for reading and understanding the Scriptures than there is. When Jesus told the parable of the sower, He made some important observations that we should use to examine our own hearts and measure the conditions where we are sowing the “word of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15). The problem in this parable is not with the sower or the seed. The problem is found in the soil or heart of those who should receive the “word” or “seed.” Here is a short summary of three problems: · The evil one is allowed to “snatch away what has been sown in [the] heart.” In other words, the priorities of the heart have not been placed on God’s Word and we allow it to be taken from us by things that we give higher priority to. · When the seed falls along the “path” or “rocky ground,” there is a hardness that results from habits of the heart or unbiblical traditions. Inviting God the Spirit to work in us softens our hard hearts. The Lord says in Jeremiah 4:3; “Break up your fallow ground.” There are more conditions to look at, but we will do that tomorrow. These three should cause us to examine our own hearts first to see why our hunger for the spiritual food of the Word is not as great as it should be. As we correct the problem in our hearts, we are better prepared to help others “Break up your fallow ground.” We will continue to study this subject tomorrow. One of the greatest elements of missionary work is faith. Abraham, the first missionary, had this in his character so he could answer God’s call, leave “Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan” (Genesis 11:31) and follow God’s leading. “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8). That requires faith! We often confine this type of faith to those missionaries who venture into remote places of the earth, learn a new language, and willing to face hardships and even death. But, what about many of us who are afraid to tell a neighbor, co-worker, or relatives about what Jesus has done for you. The same faith that Abraham exercised is needed for this. Also, the same obedience that was seen in Abraham is needed by each of us. The “Great Commission” is addressed to all believers. “I love my life as a missionary, keeping myself on the front lines. The image in my mind is that God, my general, stands at the door when I go out every morning; and, knowing what the war is like, day after day he gives me his most powerful weapon: His Spirit. For this I am grateful. Clayton M. Christensen You are on the front lines wherever you are. Trust God, as thousands since Abraham trusted Him, and watch how He will provide at the moment, courage and words by your faith. “Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest”” (Matthew 9:37–38). This instruction from Jesus is repeated in Luke 10:2 and with a slightly different approach in John 4:35-38. Notice that Jesus does not ask the disciples to pray for a bountiful harvest; it is already “plentiful.” God has made sure through His own work in people that there would be an amazing harvest of souls. What is needed in every generation is “laborers.” Why is it necessary to pray for more “laborers?” Here are some points to consider: 1. The laborer must know the heart of the “Lord of the harvest.” 2. The laborer must work in cooperation with the “Lord of the harvest.” 3. The laborer must be willing to go where he or she is sent by the “Lord of the harvest.” 4. The laborer must realize that what is harvested is there because the “Lord of the harvest” was working first to bring souls to the point of being harvested. This humble attitude is reflected in a quote I found; “I am not reaping the harvest; I scarcely claim to be sowing the seed; I am hardly ploughing the soil; but I am gathering out the stones. That, too, is missionary work; let it be supported by loving sympathy and fervent prayer!” (Robert Bruce, Scottish missionary to the Iranian Muslims in the late 1800’s. This quote reflects what we are finding in so many places. There is a sad void in understanding the biblical foundation for missions in the plan and purpose of God and therefore the vision for missions is short-sighted, blurry, or not even there. To clear the “stones,” get back to Scripture. This blog is a continuation of the report from Nicaragua. “Earlier one evening, we had a graduation for 25 brothers and sisters (see photo in yesterday’s blog) who had already completed GPHD in just three weeks! And what was so encouraging was that the leaders of the church had also finished GPHD and received their graduation certificates along with the others. No one is concerned about position or stature. They are all humbling themselves beneath the word of God and simply desiring to be with Jesus (Acts 4:13). If I were to try and describe what I witnessed here in Nicaragua, I think of the saying from Hudson Taylor; “God’s work done God’s way never lacks God’s supply.” When we are pursuing Christ through the Word by the power of His Spirit, He will establish and strengthen us (Rom 16:25). Let us pray for the next steps as we will be introducing God’s Plan for His Church soon.” “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages” (Romans 16:25.) Printing of the Spanish book, God’s Plan for His Church, is in the process of being negotiated. Please pray with us as we plan for the next training event in Managua, Nicaragua. This is a very important step toward expanding the training in neighboring countries. As we talk to so many pastors in Spanish speaking churches, we hear of the same need; maturity on a biblical foundation. As Jonathan has completed his visit to Nicaragua, Central America, God has revealed how He is working in hearts to open them to return to the Word of God and the principles that must govern believers and the Church. This is what we have prayed for! Here is part of the report as a result of his visit in Managua. “Wow, what a week it has been down in Managua, Nicaragua! As you may know, Tim was invited to go down to Central America last month to do an introduction to God’s Plan for His Disciples. What he found was a real hunger for the Word. After meeting with Tim and hearing his experience, I had to go down and see for myself. I stayed with the same Pastor that Tim stayed with. All I can say is, what a Timothy! David has a real heart to see the brothers and sisters in Managua learn to walk on their own and depend on Christ. We spent many hours in the afternoon heat between our GPHD trainings discussing GPHC. David is a hungry brother who is yearning to return to the way of the early church. He desires to see the Church in Nicaragua follow Paul’s exhortation; to have “no need to depend on anyone” (1 Thess. 4:12) and see “disciples multiply greatly” (Acts 6:7). What humbled me most about David is his passion and ability to teach the training material immediately. David talked to three church planters/pastors after dinner. We had just gone over absolutes/non-absolutes that afternoon in his house and a couple hours later he is teaching others. This just reaffirms to me that God is answering our prayers and connecting us with more Timothys who can teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Hours before leaving Nicaragua, David was teaching absolutes and non-absolutes. We sat together in the afternoon as I had explained this and his response was; “I wish I had known this earlier because I would have done things differently.” One pastor testified that he had lost the passion to preach but is now inspired to get up early and spend time with Jesus! One sister said that she made a big sacrifice to be here for three days but was encouraged by the Spirit and it was well worth it!” Will you praise the Lord with us for what He is doing, and at the same time pray that His work will expand and grow beyond what we can imagine. (This post was delayed due to travel) One of the questions I am often asked is; ‘how do I make sure that the choice I make for a spouse is the right one?’ This is a good question, but one that requires several elements that are put together before discovering the answer. Here are some important considerations: 1. Our personal relationship with the Lord must be active and growing. 2. Seeking the guidance of the Lord must be our constant attitude, before and during the time of seeking and discovering God’s choice for us. 3. We must remember that we are frail by reason of our human nature and nothing is perfect. 4. It is important to know if the other person is also committed to the Lord and has a desire to grow in their relationship with Him. 5. Though your personalities may be different, is there a commitment to work together to grow in intimacy with the Lord and with each other? 6. Will decisions between you be made based on what will glorify God, not what makes you comfortable or satisfies your fleshly desires. Ultimately, the best choice we must leave to the Lord, and at the same we try to work through developing relationships. Even if we seek to apply each of the above guidelines, we must allow Him to bring the one of His choosing into our lives. This dual approach is presented as a general principle in Philippians 2:12-13; “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” This is where desire and submission work together to accomplish God’s will. |
Archives
December 2023
Link To Our Old Blog:
|