When I got to my desk this morning, there was a message and picture waiting for me from Randy who has been training in Uganda. Here is his note: “What an incredible day! We held a graduation of 21 poor farmers who completed ALL their study of God Plan for His Disciples. Even though they cannot read or write in English because their tribal tongue is Alur, Rogers helped the learn in their tribal language. As we have found so many times, the poorest and least educated Christ-followers do the best and most complete work of any we train. I was humbled to tears in their presence, and now they have undertaken to learn God Plan for His Church(GPHC)! What a privilege to be with them!” What can we learn from these poor farmers?
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For the true believer in Jesus, we cannot separate “truth” from the Holy Spirit who was sent here from God the Father on the Day of Pentecost. Jesus told the disciples ahead of His coming exactly what to expect. “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:17).
It follows then that every true believer who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them also has the truth living in them. There is a major problem though. So many lean more on the teaching of men to understand the Scriptures rather than first asking the Spirit to give them understanding. Jesus made it clear that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). Why is this promise missed by so many? Do we trust human leaders more than unseen Divine Persons who have all power and authority? “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come” (John 16:13). I would far rather be taught the truth by a Divine Person who is ALL truth than place authority in some leader who makes claims about himself or herself. Whose authority do you stand on? This world is convulsing under the deception that Satan started in the Garden of Eden when he asked the question, “Did God actually say…” (Genesis 3:1). That doubt is at the root of every human crisis! Whether the conflict is personal, marriage, family, church, or government, the root cause is doubting there is any absolute truth that we can stand on. It is called ‘relativism.”
There were some who followed Jesus that John calls “disciples.” They were caught between what Jewish leaders insisted was the “Law” that had to be followed, and the words of Jesus who said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Knowing what is “true” is inherent in the relationship with Jesus. The “Law” put persons under bondage and condemnation. This was the issue the apostles faced in the Early Church and brought the Church Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15). It was in this context that Paul became concerned that false teachers were placing new Gentile believers under requirements the Spirit had never asked the Church to follow. Notice Paul’s bold statement on this issue. “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (Galatians 2:4–5). We will look at this issue more tomorrow. What Scriptures would you turn to if you were to tell someone about God’s heart for the lost? Here are a few that immediately come to mind.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1–4). “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth’”” (Isaiah 49:6; Acts 13:47). The more we learn God’s heart for mankind, it will be impossible for us to remain silent. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3).
Who are these people? “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Every people group (ethne) will be represented there in the new heavens. Because God’s plan has, and never will change, I want to be part of being His witnesses who share the gospel with those who have never heard. Do you? We have often reminded each other that the most effective places to expend our time, energies, and resources is where God is already working. In these places, there is clear evidence that God has stirred hearts and given them a desire to know Him and His truth better. The hard part about this principle is being able to discern where God is working.
This need for discernment is especially seen in various places in Africa. Some we introduce our training resources to receive it gladly, but in other places they have developed a “dependence” on Western money in order to carry on local ministry. This does not foster a self-sustaining, self-supporting ministry that promotes a hunger for God’s Word and the ability to ‘feed themselves.’ This challenge for Spirit-given discernment is not new. Paul faced a major change in plans in Acts 16. First, Paul and Silas were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (6). Then when they tried to go on to Mysia and Bithynia, “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (7). Did they give up? No! In a vision from the Lord, Paul sees “a man of Macedonia…standing there, urging him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them” (16:10). We must trust our Master to give accurate and precise directions when and where they are needed! Tim is just leaving S. E. Asia to return home after two full weeks in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. I have shared some of this work in previous blogs, but he has ended the time there with some wonderful high points. Several months ago, God’s Plan for Young Disciples (Teacher’s Edition and Young Disciples Workbook was translated into Vietnamese. After printing a supply and training those who can teach young people, a movement was started. Already a Medical doctor and two other young ladies have committed themselves to teach youth using this resource. Another young man is doing the same thing in the Highlands of Vietnam. Please be in prayer for these young leaders, that they will have a powerful impact on the next generation. This training is critical for this generation in countries where there is open opposition to the gospel. Pat has just finished his visit to Sierra Leone and sends this update so you can join us in praise and thanksgiving for what God has done and will yet do. “It was a great week of ministry and connecting with the pastors of the National Pentecostal Mission church. At the left is a picture of those who finished and graduated from God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) training. Other pastors are working on God’s Plan for His Church in small groups. They will finish GPHC in 6 months when we will have a graduation for them. In the meantime, Bishop Benjamin and his team are planning to use GPHD with all their Sunday School classes and God’s Plan for Young Disciples (GPYD) with the children. They have approximately 47 churches with approximately 10,000 members. They are excited about planting new churches and seeing kingdom growth throughout the country and beyond. Let’s join them in praying for a movement of God to take place and that this spreads throughout all these churches. On another note, after 3 years of not being able to minister at Bridgeport Correctional Center in Connecticut, USA, due to Covid, we are now able to do a weekly Bible study. We already have 8-10 men who are excited about studying God’s Plan for His Disciples. Praise the Lord that He “opens doors and no one will shut” (Revelation 3:7).” How exciting to see God at work, both in places around the world and right here on our own turf. This was the vision that Jesus left with His disciples in Acts 1:8 just before He ascended to heaven. There are many times I wish you could be sitting with me as I receive and answer emails from around the world. Each bit of news that is worthy of your attention is passed on with joy and thanksgiving for what God is doing in so many places.
I want to share something that happens each Thursday evening. The NFI team gather via Zoom to share what is happening with current training events around the world and to pray for each area where we are working or receive reports from. This is a very moving time as we pray for many indigenous leaders, their families, their challenges, and their goals for ministry. Last night we prayed for a brother and leader in Uganda who has very bold faith. He is reaching out with his team to very remote and dangerous areas in northeast Uganda. In their leadership group, one of the leaders was killed by a radical group that opposes God’s work, yet the others press on with trust in the Lord. They need our prayers! While I could write pages with many other examples, I give this one from last night which moved our hearts. Will you bend your heart in prayer with us. “For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles” (3 John 7). Randy leaves Saturday for Africa again. This time he will be going to Uganda, and I have given his agenda below for your prayers. As our team gathered last evening via Zoom for prayer, we realized there are challenges with the church there; how to encourage those who are motivated by God’s living Word and spread it everywhere no matter what the cost, and how to train those who depend on Western support to do God’s work. How thankful we are for the first group and pray for the second.
June 3-4: Fly JFK to Entebbe, Uganda – As Randy heads out, please pray for Roger, the coordinator for our work in Uganda. Please pray for protection and provisions for this ever-expanding work. June 5: Graduation (GPHD) in Jinja – Please pray for Charles, who has resumed training of leaders. May he and these leaders multiply into unreached areas of Africa. June 6-7: Graduation (GPHC) in Bweyale – Pastor Martin has begun training other leaders throughout Northern Uganda. Lift him up and those who work with him that they might become a powerful team that press on into Northeastern Uganda despite much oppression and unreached people groups. June 8-9: Graduation (GPHC) in Karuma. Travel to Gulu – Karuma is a new area for our work and Gulu is a strategic city for all of Northern Uganda. Pray that our Lord will raise up and equip leaders to infiltrate the most unreached areas of Uganda. June 10-13: Graduation (GPHD) and Introduction GPHD at Gulu Bible Community Church that has a vision to plant churches in 10 African countries in the next 10 years. God’s passion for reaching the unreached is alive in this church. Let’s pray that God equips their key people to start churches in the least reached countries of Africa. Thank you for standing with us in prayer during these training events. We could not do this work without your partnership! |
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