There are times when no news comes from places where we have trained using God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). After contacting these places, we learn that God has been working all along through faithful persons who are determined to train others with God’s Word. Here is a short report from Ecuador.
“I started in July with the GPHC with 25 students, via zoom, but now there are 16. My desire is to multiply by finding faithful men who will be able to teach others. I am happy with this. Please don’t stop praying for this.” This is SO ENCOURAGING! It seems that the greatest fruit appears from those who are the quietest about what they are doing. It makes me think of my grape vine. Weeks went by during the summer and I only looked occasionally to see if any bunches of grapes were developing. As harvest approaches, I see very little fruit until I lift up the leaves, and then I discover there is a bumper crop! FAT juicy grapes!! Thank the Lord that He is producing disciples who are: · Faithful · Available · Teachable
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There were times when Jesus went to the temple or synagogue to be among those who gathered there. On some occasions, He healed the sick or He “drove out all who sold and bought in the temple” (Matthew 21:12).
Other times, Jesus went there to teach the people who had come to learn and worship. “And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22). Here we have an interesting contrast between the scribes and Jesus. Why was it that Jesus “taught them as one who had authority?” Jesus spoke from a source that had the real authority behind what he said. Jesus clarifies this in John 7; “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood” (John 7:17–18). The scribes were seeking their own glory which canceled out any authority in their teaching. The same principle applies to us. If we are not seeking the glory of God in every ministry, in some way we are seeking our own glory. People will know there is no authority in what we say. How thankful we are that God has opened a door for training in N. Vietnam. They are holding a night class for those who work during the day but are able to gather for study one evening during the week. Our Timothy has trained other “Timothys” and they are now training 24 to 30 people. They will take what they have learned back to their churches and continue with classes there. They plan to print GPHD in the Hmong language for 10 to 15 teachers so that they can use what they learned to train other brothers in their congregations and in the places where the Lord may allow them to go and train. Why is this so exciting to us? As the days and months fly by during the COVID pandemic and restrictions, we are learning more and more how God has moved in hearts of those that were trained before with God’s Plan for His Disciples and God’s Plan for His Church. Now they are taking the initiative to train others in strategic people groups and places so they will be carefully and fully equipped to reach the last unreached people groups in Eastern and Southeast Asia. Will you pray with us that these faithful disciples and “Timothys” follow God’s plan for this part of the world. Though world conditions become more and more challenging, nothing will stop God’s agenda nor those He was chosen to use. Let’s dig deeper into Paul’s motives from our blog yesterday. There are several reasons why the gospel held such a tight grip on his life. To start with, Paul experienced a dramatic salvation; one that made it perfectly clear how sinful his past had been. There was no mistaking that he could not live with any part of the old life in Judaism which fostered hatred to those of the Way. The Author of faith, Jesus, had confronted the old “Saul” and there was no going back to the old life.
Before being launched into his calling – preaching the gospel, disciple-making, planting churches and establishing them in the faith and leadership - Paul was given a course in Arabia for about three years. There he learned in quietness with the Lord what the gospel really meant through divine revelation. The strength of this revelation and glory of the gospel gave Paul the necessary courage to stand up to men like Peter and Barnabas who were being “hypocritical” and leading others astray. As Paul saw what was taking place, he realized “that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:14). For Paul, the need to confront those who preached “a different gospel” (1:6) was imperative so “the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you” (2:5). When will the Church rise up and stand for “the truth of the gospel”? Every human issue is resolved by this TRUTH. We are in a dangerous time in history. I am not referring to the riots, uprising against governments or tensions between nations. Those events have always been in every generation throughout history. I am referring to the detours many churches and preachers are taking from biblical principles to make social issues the central topics to preach on rather than the gospel of God’s pure grace.
This is not a new trend. The Early Church faced the same problem. What is new for us is that so many leaders are allowing cultural issues to drive their preaching agendas rather than staying with God’s agenda, proclaiming the gospel which resolves every human issue and problem. Paul understood this clearer than anyone. When the Church was being pressured to follow Jewish traditions, Paul saw their actions as an attempt to “spy out our freedom that we have in Christ, so that they might bring us into slavery” (Galatians 2:4). How did Paul respond to this? “To them we did not yield in submission even for a moment” (2:5). He kept preaching salvation by grace. That is the kind of backbone needed in the Church today. Paul answered every social wrong in Corinth with his decision “to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Whether it was immorality, injustice inside or outside the Church, issues of poverty or pride, he addressed each one through the gospel. We must do the same today! This morning I met with three young people (15 to 17 years old) just for the purpose of encouraging them in their commitment to follow Jesus. As I learned about each of their lives and desires to serve the Lord in some way, I was amazed at their spiritual maturity. Though their skills and gifts were all different, all three wanted their lives to count for God’s eternal glory.
At one point in our conversation, I asked them “what was the greatest challenge they faced as a follower of Jesus.” The youngest said, “maintaining a spirit of humility.” I really did not expect this observation to come from someone this young. My follow-up question was, “why is this important to you?” Again, I was shocked by the answer. They “wanted others to be attracted to Jesus and not themselves!” (ADULTS: TAKE NOTE!!!). I find it very difficult to find adult Christians with this attitude, much less teens! The essence of their answers is found in Paul’s exhortation to Timothy; “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12). He meant by this that young Timothy would live in such a way that no one could condemn him for his conduct or speech. How can we multiply young people like this? First, model these attitudes and behaviors yourself. Second, invest your time in young people as Paul did in Timothy. Third, train them, release them, and then go out of sight (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Joseph (Jacob’s son) is one of the persons in Scripture that inspires me every time I read Genesis 39 to 50. In spite of family history and characteristics, Joseph developed godly qualities early and they took him through some horrendous events. His reward for being faithful in Potiphar’s house was prison, based on a false accusation.
This sudden change in Joseph’s life did nothing to change his standard of integrity. Two of Pharaoh’s top employees got in trouble and ended up in the same prison with Joseph. These two men dreamed separate dreams which Joseph interrupted; the baker was beheaded as Joseph predicted. But Joseph knew that the cupbearer would restore him to his position and asked him to “remember me when it is well with you, and please do me the kindness to mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house” (40:14). “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him” (40:23). All during the time leading up to this point and two years later, Joseph was left in prison. Four times in chapter 39, it says, “The Lord was with Joseph” (2, 3, 21, 23). Is that what kept him steady and unshaken in character? I think so! (See 2 Timothy 4:17-18). You may be in a situation where you have done your best to remain faithful to the Lord, but it seems that you are forgotten. There are many like you; some in worse conditions than you can imagine, yet they are remaining faithful and the Lord is with them. Though you should be remembered by those you have served, the presence of Jesus is enough to carry you through. It wasn’t the Corona virus, but it was as bad, if not worse. “A great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius)” (Acts 11:27) cause the Church to unite “so the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea” (29).
In difficult times like this we tend to allow fear to control our hearts rather than act in faith. “About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also” (12:1–3). Before I go any further in this account, I want you to ask yourself; ‘what is the natural thing we do in times of crises?’ The answers will vary and range from more fear to protests against those we feel are responsible. Notice what the church in Antioch did; “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (12:5). Prayer was a natural response for the Early Church (see 1:14; 4:24-31). I am pleading with the Church today to humbly repent for our lack of prayer. As we can see from the following verses in Chapter 12, God immediately answered their prayers, to their surprise! We will never know how God will act on our behalf until we give ourselves to prayer. The story I told yesterday reminds me of another “secret” gathering and special visitor. “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you”” (John 20:19).
Thoughts may have been racing through their minds about what would happen to them. If the Jews and Roman leaders killed Jesus, what would they do with them, His followers. They had each other and needed to meet for comfort. Mary came and told them that she had seen the Lord, but the other disciples still had not seen Him. Their fears remained real. For Jesus to step into that room, even when the doors were locked was what they needed. His first words to them were, “Peace be with you.” No wonder “the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” Jesus wasted no time in diverting their attention away from their fears and what had happened to the next great event on the divine calendar. “And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (20:22). Though Pentecost was still about fifty days away, Jesus wanted them to be ready. This was the same message in Acts 1:8 just before He ascended into heaven. What is the lesson for us in this appearance and instruction? In the same way, we must not focus on how difficult the times are, but on preparation for what God wants to do next. You will need the power of the Spirit in you to be ready for doing His work. Is He unhindered in your life? It is truly amazing to get the following news from a disciple of Jesus in an Eastern Asia. He and many others like him live under a very repressive form of government that is bent on silencing every Christian and replacing the Bible with their godless ideology. In the face of these conditions, they find ways of implanting God’s word into each other and spreading the gospel:
“Thanks for H1S grace, we are doing good in H1M. We also have changed our normal life to reduce public activities and maintain a negative status of virus test. According to the official medical advice, it is likely to rebound as winter draws near. GPHD (God’s Plan for His Disciples) really helps. As a matter of fact, we have formed a small family group to gather every Sunday, setting up a projector, to study it together. There are 5 to 7 participants who are devoted. I am very happy to see it happen, and praying this study will branch out with more seeds when completed. Praise H1M for H1S work!” It would be a good idea for us in the western world to learn a lesson in devotion from these faithful believers. Their situation reminds me of Jesus’ words; ““Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Jesus warns that conditions will be difficult, but using wisdom and maintaining a “pure, untainted” attitude will give us a way to pursue God’s purpose for our lives and the Church in these days. |
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