“I just want to share with you how the Lord has provided on an island in Vietnam for training and graduation of students who have worked through God’s Plan for His Church. One Christian lady has provided a large house free for lodging and training. The local churches are providing the food. Now why is this important? They have shared with me how happy and blessed they are to be able to share and be a part of this great occasion. It is obvious that they agree with Jesus’ words, “It is [MUCH] MORE blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35, emphasis added).
The Karen did the same thing for our previous training. It is a whole different atmosphere when they are providing versus us paying for everything. This is just a blessing I wanted to share.” (Tim) Through experiences like this, we are proving how rapidly God’s work moves forward when those being trained are more concerned about learning and providing for their own needs. As you pray for this ministry, please keep in mind the potential of Vietnam becoming a training center for S. E. Asia. We are not sure how God is going to work and lead, but we are certain that He has big things planned. Our commitment is that it all be for His glory, not that we be made much of.
0 Comments
“My time in China was so different than previous trips, but the same God is at work in very powerful ways. We have a wide-open door there, but I learned that the only way we can have an effective ministry there is to have our material translated into the local language, since so few speak English. If they do speak English, their comprehension is limited. But, the Chinese believers are VERY, VERY hungry for anything and everything (Good and Bad) Christian that is translated. That is the reason I hope we can get this tool in their hands as soon as possible, especially before false teaching and watered-down truth comes in.”
When the new revision is ready, we can head back with unlimited opportunities all over China. I believe they will be the ones to usher in the return of Christ to earth. It will be amazing to see what God will do when we take them back to the Bible, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.....LOOK OUT!” (Tim) If you feel the passion coming through this report, I hope you will be moved to pray for us, or even get involved in some way. “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). Part of understanding our purpose for being here on earth is recognizing the eternal, unchangeable power of God’s ownership. Before we get to the verses in John’s Gospel, I want to point you to Paul’s understanding of God’s ownership; “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20; also 7:23). That price was “the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:19).
Where is this ownership sealed and maintained? In Jesus prayer to the Father He says, “All mine are Yours, and Yours are mine” (John 17:10). This perfect divine unity extends beyond who God is in character as Father and Son to all they own, since “[Jesus] I and the Father are one” (10:30). In the context of what the Holy Spirit would teach us, Jesus told the disciples, “All that the Father has is mine” (16:15). In addition, the Holy Spirit has sealed us with His mark of ownership (Ephesians 1:13). In light of this ‘triple’ ownership, it is doubly important that we live accountable and in active pursuit of the will and purpose of God, “knowing that you were ransomed [liberated, or set free] from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers” (1 Peter 1:18). We must cultivate a mind-set that relates everything we do in life to this truth. Otherwise we will spend our lives on pointless and fruitless detours and endeavors. How you live your life does not just impact tomorrow, but all eternity! It deeply touches my inner being to know that Jesus is praying for me! This point is made abundantly clear in the Lord’s prayer John records in John 17:9; “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours.” Though Jesus is now in heaven, He continues to pray for His own here; “He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25b). That both humbles my heart and give courage to press on through every trial.
Why would Jesus end His ministry on earth praying for the disciples (See also Luke 22:32) and then carry on praying for us when He is in heaven, seated at the Father’s right hand? Here are a couple of points to consider in answering this question: · We were given to Jesus by the Father. · Jesus wants the Father to keep us in His name (John 17:11) which Jesus did throughout His ministry on earth (17:12). · We are not of this world because Jesus is not of this world (17:16). · We would need prayer because He was sending us into the world just as the Father had sent Jesus into the world (17:18). · Through our testimony, the world would believe that the Father had sent the Son (17:21). There are many other reasons, but this is enough to inspire us to live differently, set apart, holy for the Lord and God’s purpose. Jesus is praying for you right now; that your life would shine His light brighter in a dark world and you would become more effective in spreading His gospel of grace. There have been many times when someone said something about me that I knew was giving far more credit than I deserved. When we think for a moment about the words Jesus spoke to the Father about the disciples, we should be shocked by His generosity. So many times they said or did things that caused Him to rebuke or correct them. The following statement seems extreme in light of their track record: “they have kept your word” (John 17:6). Jesus continues to say, “I have given them the words that You gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you” (17:8). Was this really true? Would the hours between this meeting and Pentecost prove Jesus right?
It is an amazing act of grace that Jesus gave them and He also gives us more credit than we deserve. The main point in these verses is not how we have received the Father’s Word and obeyed it, but rather that we have it – given to us by Jesus! The proof of how they received it would unfold in their lives and ministry after receiving the Holy Spirit. The proof of our receiving God’s Word is in living it out day after day. It should be a growing experience in us as Paul says of the Corinthians; “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand” (1 Corinthians 15:1). Are you standing in the truth of the gospel, the Father’s Word? Let’s make our lives actually agree with the credit we are given. It is doubtful that many Christians understand the unique and special place they have in this world. Most are satisfied that they are going to heaven and leaving this sin-cursed place. If that was the only purpose for being saved, why are we here? Why didn’t God immediately take us to heaven after being saved? Jesus’ prayer in John 17 reveals some wonderful insights about why we are here, that I want us to explore.
He begins by thanking the Father that the hour had come when the Father would glorify the Son by resurrection, which in turn would glorify the Father (17:1). This is followed by the authority given to Christ so we might know God and receive eternal life (17:2-3). Jesus knew He had glorified the Father through His life on earth and it was now time to return (after resurrection) to the Father and be glorified with the glory they shared together “before the world existed” (17:5). Two days ago, we saw that we must live for God’s glory FIRST! Jesus knew this about His purpose for coming to earth, and the same purpose is ours. Yes, His coming was that we “may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). But as we will see in this prayer, Jesus reveals a much larger purpose. In addition to salvation, Jesus gave us: 1. A relationship with His Father as our Father (17:6; 20:17; Romans 8:14-17). 2. We belong to Christ (10:14, 27-30; 17:6). 3. The Father’s Word (17:6, 8). We will look at other insights tomorrow, but these are enough for now to make us realize that Jesus is revealing a much bigger purpose than most of us normally think about. How will these three points change your view of God’s purpose for you? A young man spoke to my wife about his deep concern for his peers who are struggling with some of the pressures this world is imposing on them. It is so rare for a young adult of his age to show the level of interest in the welfare of others like he did. The present generation is more interested in what satisfies themselves than caring for the needs of others.This reminds me of what Paul said to Timothy; “For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare” (Philippians 2:20). Paul is indicating in this comment that such quality as this was rare. But, should it be rare among those who profess love for Jesus? The answer is given in the next verse. “For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (2:21). This sweeping statement should arrest our attention and cause us to ask, ‘am I putting my own interests and desires before those of my Savior?
The general condition in the church drove Paul to invest in a young man who showed potential. We must do the same! In Paul’s last letter, he wrote to Timothy and said, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). Though Paul had invested in this young man since he found him at Lystra, Timothy must keep working at making the fire for the Lord burn bright. If he didn’t, it would become dim and his influence on others would weaken and eventually be ineffective for God. Your level of interest in the spiritual welfare of others is determined by how you are fanning “into flame the gift of God” in you. What is your spiritual temperature? There is no doubt in my mind that all problems Christians and the church face could be resolved by asking one question; Is the glory of God being put first? I fully agree with the statement made by A. W. Tozer, “Always and always, God must be first. The gospel in its scriptural context puts the glory of God first.”
Paul makes this point twice in Ephesians 1; “so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory.” And the Holy Spirit “is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:12, 14). That is the whole purpose of the believer. So much of our lives are wasted, resources are thrown to much lesser goals, and we struggle because this question is not asked and therefore never answered. God will never fail to reward those who put Him first. Start now, asking this of everything you do and see how it changes what you do, and how and when things are done. Born After Midnight, Moody Publishers, 2015, page 27. I do not want you to think that no one is responding to the Lord’s call to repent and return to a vibrant love for Him and His Word. This morning I received news from the mission field in Vietnam that fills my heart with joy, and it should fill yours.
“We just found out that seven young indigenous, self-sustaining men, all completed the manual and are going on this trip to islands off the coast of Vietnam. They are all equipped with God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC) and are “FIRED UP” with what they have learned. This is a dream come true. THANKS BROTHERS for making this possible!” They will be involved in training a new group. Can you imagine the impact they will have on their own people? I pass this on to you who have prayed and supported New Foundations International, so you know what is happening as a result. We have never seen God work as powerfully as He is today. I know this will encourage you, but at the same time, we need your prayers more than ever. Handing off this work to the indigenous people, quickly and to the right persons, is so critical. “So the Word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily” (Acts 19:20). “There were 120 men and women in the Upper Room, and (without electronic media…printing houses, 100,000 preachers, Bible schools, etc.) they “turned the world upside down”! Now, with millions of Spirit-filled people…plus all the main-line denominations…why do we have the greatest mass of sin within our nation (and the churches) that we have ever known? Where is the “salt” and “light”? (1)
This question by Leonard Ravenhill caused me to stop reading his book and do some prayerful thinking. It was only twenty-five to thirty years after most of the apostles were martyred or died that Jesus writes a stunning letter to one of the strongest churches Paul planted. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Revelation 2:5). Why was there such a rapid decline? Was the problem with Paul and the way he planted this church? NO! It was in their hearts; “you have abandoned the love you had at first” (2:4). The word “abandoned” means “to stop doing something with the implication of complete cessation – to give up, to quit”. That is very serious and hard to admit. The church at Ephesus had stopped loving the Lord as they had at the first and He was about to come and remove their light because their salt had almost completely lost its taste and was no longer good for anything (Matthew 5:13). Turning to the latest program, attending another conference, or even reading another book, will never solve our ‘lack of power’ problem! WE MUST REPENT and start doing and being the people God planned and purposed us to be at the beginning. Revival God’s Way – A Message for the Church, Bethany House Publishers, 2006, page 58. |
Archives
December 2023
Link To Our Old Blog:
|