A dear brother sent me a text earlier today saying that he wanted to talk after he was home from work. It wasn't long after dinner (supper for those in the south) that we connected by phone. He immediately poured out events of the last two days where he seriously lost control of his spirit and almost acted physically against someone in his family.
There was a deep sense of regret, sorrow, and repentance for the way he had handled the situation. Thankfully, through confession he knew forgiveness had been given him from God and from the person he had wronged. Yet, it left a sense of shame on his spirit and feeling that God was holding this event against him. This feeling that God is against His children is a common problem among even devoted Christians. I immediately quoted Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." How can this be? "For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (8:2). If we were to review the first 14 verses of chapter six, we would see the moral process that took place when God saved us through His Son. Perhaps we can review that another time, but for now, we must grasp by the Spirit how God has placed us "in Christ Jesus." The point is no longer how we "feel" about ourselves, but what God says about us as His child. I trust you are living in this reality!
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It is an absolute privilege for me to sit in my office and every day receive news from the other side of the world of what God is doing. Just today I received an email from a faithful partner in S. E. Asia who wanted us to know of a "graduation of students in an ethnic minority people group (Hmong and Red Dao). There will be 38 people in 3 places." This last week (December 4-6), he launched the 176th course for pastors and leaders where 32-34 people attended. Then on December 11-13, he will start the 177th course for pastors and leaders with 30 to 40 people. This is a place where government interference could happen at any time. We must often be in prayer for places and leaders like this that God will uniquely protect them, and yet give them boldness in preaching and teaching the Word of God. We received an urgent request from our partner in India for our resources and training to be done with 100 pastors in February 2024. As they are trained, they will take back to their churches our training books to multiply what they have learned. They asked for:
We have updated God's Plan for His Church (GPHC - English) to the 5th Edition. It is at the printers, and we have ordered 1,500. There are orders for this book already. How thankful we are that our printer is working with us to make this book available as quickly as possible. After years of sowing seeds in this country and not seeing any results, the Lord has surprised us with "a wide door for effective work" (1 Corinthians 16:9). Will you join us in prayer that this opportunity becomes fruitful for God's glory? Randy is in The Republic of the Congo, Africa and was heading out to their last location, Entebbe. We spoke about what we are discovering in some of these very poor countries. Hardship is often the "fertilizer" that promotes spiritual growth. He said that God is working in mighty ways in these circumstances.
This reminds me of Paul's words to the Thessalonians about how they received the gospel. “For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." This is evidence that the Spirit is acting in those who bring the message of the gospel and in those who receive it. If there is no "conviction," there will not be any practical application. "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia." Notice that two things result from the work of the Spirit through receiving the gospel, even "in much affliction."
"For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4–8). Never limit how and where God will use your faith in the Lord Jesus! "It is not just training leaders that we do but planting new churches in rural areas. We are using Paul's strategy of church planting. Thanks to the NFI team for introducing this powerful and great teaching which is bearing much fruit. More specifically, "Timothy's" are being made through this ministry in the Congo. They will graduate next week when we finish the training in the first ten churches. I want to entrust this work to the pastors so they can carry on the training and develop other faithful men. We will come back and check on others they have trained and confirmed that they are ready graduate at a later date." (Partner in Zambia) This report comes from a faithful brother in Zambia who had the vision years ago to reach the church in the Republic of the Congo. Please pray that this work will not get derailed by some human program or deceptive idea but move forward in the power of the Spirit. "Yes! Despite the instability of the country, God is working wonders by equipping young leaders to impact their country and beyond. A businessman gave a tract of land in the mountains for a Bible school, and for 4 full days, 21 students, most in their twenties, immersed themselves in God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC). Searching the Scriptures under the mentoring of our Brother Moses, a new generation of missional disciples are being raised up. Using both God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) and God’s Plan for His Church (GPHC), Grace and Mercy Bible School is committed to training young church planters and missionaries who will carry this biblical model of ministry to all peoples.
This young lady is an orphan (right top), but through the love of God’s people, she is ready to teach others God’s Plan. The young man (below right) taught himself to use English through social media and the internet. All 21 young people are planning to complete GPHC by February, when Lord-willing, I will be back with them again. Let us keep lifting these amazing young leaders in prayer, asking God to empower them for His mission." (Randy) "Cornerstone Immanuel is truly my home away from home in Asia! Like the Book of Acts, they are a people committed to prayer and making disciples of all people. They use God’s Plan for His Disciples (GPHD) to establish strong Christ-followers, and even though this church is only 2 years old, God is doing mighty things in their fellowship. In their first church camp, their focus was on Intimacy with God. This focus inspired 5 people to be baptized on the first day of the camp! One of those who was baptized had come to Christ just 2 weeks earlier! They also invited 4 pastors to join the camp to be renewed and refreshed in their walks with God. Over 110 people gathered for 3 days to set aside everything to be in God’s presence. Please keep Cornerstone Immanuel in prayer as they passionately pursue bringing the gospel to the marketplace in Malaysia." (Randy) That question is not as strange as you might think. I am not referring to our natural birth which all humans experince with varying degrees of difficulty. This question has to do with a second birth that changes our state of being "dead in the trespasses and sins in which you (we) once walked"' (Ephesian 2:1) to being "alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Romans 6:11).
One of our grandchildren caused us much concern and for years we prayed that God would work in her heart and save her from a "dead" condition to new life in Christ. It is natural for any godly parent or grandparent to want the opportunity to say something at the right time and in a way that will convict their heart of their sinful condition. If we can't do this, at least if God would send someone else to do it for us. Is this the only way God saves? What if no one is diectly involved in their conversion? What if the very circumstances the lost family member is in, God uses to produce a deep conviction of sin such that they are "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5-8). The transformation is real and cannot be attributed to any human intervention but is wholly the work of God. Seeing new birth as presented in Scripture takes away any attempt to give ourselves credit for the work of new birth and causes us to simply glorify God for what He has done. There are times when I compare my 'shallow gratitude' to that of the Apostle Paul. I will give you a few quotes so you can see why I point to his perspective.
“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God, I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:9–10). “To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). "...even though I am nothing" (2 Corinthians 12:11). In these and other passages, Paul refers to what he was before the grace of God rescued him from a history of working against the purpose and plan of God. The mighty power and grace of God changed Saul in his pride to a humble servant. I can freely say that there was nothing in me deserving of God's grace, yet He took what was totally broken and made it new in Christ. How would you describe what God has done for you? Romans 3:27-28 has caught my attention and challenged my understanding of faith.
“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:27–28). There is a tendency in our human nature to seek some cause or basis for boasting, even a little bit or for a moment. It is a subtle mechanism that works in us without giving much thought to how it starts and why we don't immediately crush it. Specifically, these verses in Romans 3 help us deal with this fleshly tendency and inform our understanding that our salvation is solely in Christ Jesus by faith, plus nothing. There is NO basis for us to boast of anything. Paul says, we "were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you (we) once walked"' (Ephesian 2:1). To see ourselves as morally dead and without Christ and without hope (2:12) of any kind puts the work of Christ in the light that reveals the truth about God's mercy and goodness toward us. This produces worship! |
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