As I prepared to lead a bible study on The Cost of Discipleship, I ran across two great resources, which shed light on:

– The relative newness of Western persecution
– The personal experience of God…in persecution

Christianity Promises Suffering and Persecution: Here’s How to Prepare by Zane Pratt

“The comfortable experience of Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly in this regard. Because of the Christian heritage of Western civilization, combined with democratic freedoms and historic rule of law, Western Christians have largely been left alone for their faith. Even today, as Western nations become increasingly post-Christian (and even anti-Christian), the opposition experienced by most Christians goes little beyond mockery. However, there are signs that this protected status may be changing. If it continues to do so, it will simply put Western Christians in the same boat as their brothers and sisters all over the world.”

5 Reasons to Rejoice in Persecution by Tim Challies

God is near to you in your persecution. 1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” This is a promise that God does not abandon you in your persecution, but is right there with you in the middle of it. This is one very good reason to read church history. What you find as you read about people who are being persecuted is that they have a supernatural joy and that they so often speak about God’s nearness in their suffering. When it seems that everyone else has abandoned them, they have a much deeper awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit living within them, blessing them, and comforting them. While they do not love being persecuted, they would not trade away their personal experience of God in that persecution. As C.S. Lewis so aptly said, God whispers to us in our pleasures but shouts to us in our pain. Rejoice, because God is with you.

Robert J. Morgan, one of my favorite authors, writes in his book, The Strength You Need: The Twelve Great Strength Passages of the Bible,

“God hasn’t given us a book simply filled with miscellaneous quotations or motivational mottos. He has given us a book rich in history, with riveting plots, unforgettable characters, and enriching stories. Every great quotation has a great context.”

Recently, I emerged from the Desert of Leviticus in my Bible reading plan to the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy, books awash with leadership lessons. So, as I jot down a few insights in the next few weeks I thought I would share some “Wilderness Wisdom” from the nation of Israel.

Chapter 11 – Rebellion in the Camp

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp. 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and when Moses prayed to the Lord, the fire was quenched. 3 So he called the name of the place Taberah, because the fire of the Lord had burned among them.

Despite all that God had done for them, it’s startling how ready the people are to complain against God. 

William MacDonald notes, “A clue to the discontent is found in verse 1 – ‘consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.’ The malcontents were at a distance from the ark.”

And Spurgeon commented on this passage,

“Observe how the mischief began in the outskirts among the mixed multitude, and how the fire of the Lord burned in the uttermost parts of the camp. The great danger of the church lies in her camp-followers or hangers-on: they infect the true Israel. Hence the need of guarding the entrance of the church, and keeping up discipline within it. Grumbling, discontent, ungrateful complaining — these are grievous offences against our gracious God.”

Practical application: A church that does not call believers to baptism and then to church membership can be, unknowingly, creating its own “outskirts of the camp” from which discontent and disobedience will arise.

This week I had the opportunity to reach out to church members in my community to encourage them to participate in two new bible studies. Below is the content of the email, which should be motivating to all believers, regarding the importance of faithful study of the Word of God:

D.L. Moody stated in his book How to Study the Bible,

“I believe the reason there are so many Christians who do not show much evidence of walking with God, with whom you only see the Christian graces coming out every now and then, is that they do not take the Bible for doctrine, reproof, and instruction.”

I’m excited to inform you of two new opportunities within our community to help us “Grow in our walk with God by studying the Word of God.”

Moody went on to write,

“In Psalm 119, David prayed nine times that God would quicken or strengthen him according to His Word. For example:

– ‘Quicken me according to thy word.’ (Psalm 119:25)
– ‘Strengthen me according to thy word.’ (Psalm 119:28)
– ‘Cause me to live, O LORD, according to thy word.’ (Psalm 119:107)
– ‘Uphold me according unto thy word.’ (Psalm 119:116)

If I could say something that would motivate Christians to have a deeper love for the Word of God, I think I would be doing them the most important service that could be done for them.”

So please prayerfully consider joining us for one of these studies, as,

“God speaks through His Word. The Word of God does the work of God through the Spirit of God in the people of God.” – Alistair Begg

Earlier this month Mike and I experienced an annual highlight of our year: the EA Christmas party at our offices in Santo Domingo.

Joined by 25 of our staff and key volunteers we engaged in a number of activities:

1. Worshiping together

2. Praising God for Christmas, by praying through Joel Beeke’s Why Christ Came: 31 Reasons for the Incarnation

3. Celebrating 5 years of service by Jose Lorenzo, noting 2 Benefits of Longevity in Ministry from the life of Paul: You can see God’s Work over time (Acts 13:15-26) and God can increase the effectiveness of your work (1 Thess. 2:10-11)

4. Studying together 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, noting what Paul prayed for the Church of Thessalonica: Worthiness, Fulfillment and Power, and motivated by Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s admonition that “what the people in our lives need most from us is our personal holiness.”

5. And finally thanking God for what He had graciously accomplished within and through EA in the past year, and Asking for His continued provision in the year to come.

I got quite a chuckle when I shared this picture above, explaining that the End-of-Year Feeding Frenzy in the states, at times, felt to me like a battle for survival, as non-profits, churches and charities fight for limited resources, capitalizing on charitable holiday spirit and strategic tax deductions.

I explained that, beginning with Giving Tuesday and culminating with 11:59pm New Year’s Eve, citizens are besieged constantly with requests for year-end donations, as December alone can account for 30% of annual giving, and the last three days of December on average accounts for 10% of a non-profits income.

They laughed at my attempt at humor, which doesn’t always translate into Spanish well.

But I went on to explain that, while I joke about feeling that way, there were a few core beliefs that determine my perspective on year-end giving:

1. God owns a cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10) and does not have a limited budget

2. The Lord says, “He who honors me, I will honor…” (1 Samuel 2:30), so our focus needs to remain seeking first the advancement of the Kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33) and trusting God to “supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)

3. However, we want to encourage the spiritual discipline of charitable stewardship, as “Generosity is God’s gift to all of us, rich or poor, and participating in God’s work is a gift that shouldn’t be denied to anybody.”*

4. When Jesus stated in Matthew 6:21, “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also,” he was not merely offering us a thermometer to measure the temperature of our hearts, but also a thermostat to change the temperature of our hearts. Therefore, anything we can do to foster a biblical worldview of possessions and giving should be encouraged. *

So we ended our time praising God for our current year-end Matching Campaign and…praying the same scripture passages we have prayed for the past 6 years:

– “Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” (Prov. 30:8-9)

– “Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:16-17)

 

* Source:Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save, and Give

The Apostle Paul states in Colossians 2:6-7,

 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

Consider for a moment that last phrase “overflowing with thankfulness.”

An attitude of ingratitude hardens our hearts and destroys our relationship with God and others. Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. One of the Bible’s indictments against humanity, which is as true when it was written 2000 years ago as it is today) is “although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.” (Romans 1:21)

And nothing will restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thanksgiving, so below are…

5 Ways to Thank God this Thanksgiving

 1. Thank God for the Material Blessings That He Gives You

-“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12)

-“Give me neither poverty nor riches — feed me with the food allotted to me.” (Proverbs 30:8b)

-Pray that God would bless you with just the right amount – not too much that you forget to acknowledge God as the source, and not too little that you might be tempted to dishonoringly acquire more.

 2. Thank God for the People in Your Life

-“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times;” (Romans 1:8-10)

 3. Thank God in the Midst of Trials and Even Persecution

-Why? Our view of God’s sovereignty

-“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance” (James 1:2-3)

-“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18)

4.Thank God Especially for His Salvation in Jesus Christ

-Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)

-He did for us what we could not do for ourselves

 5. Thank God for His Continued Presence and Power in Your Life

-When we come to Christ, it is not the end but the beginning of a whole new life! He is with us, and He wants to help us follow Him and His Word.

-“…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

 

“First things…first!”

If your childhood was anything like mine, that saying was ingrained in your mind, and for good reason.

In Christian transformational development we too must be constantly reminded to keep “First things…first.”

C.S. Lewis wisely noted,

“We must try by every medical, educational, economic and political means in our power to produce a world where all have plenty to eat. But we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we should not have saved their souls. A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world – and might even be more difficult to save.”

Our first priority in Christian transformational development must be the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:11-21). Beyond that, we are to encourage and instruct, as to the benefits and contentment in a comprehensive, God-honoring life.

As Ron Rhodes points out in his book The Key Ideas Bible Handbook, our lives should reflect our Creator in three overarching areas,

“You and I are made in the image of God. Live accordingly! Genesis 1:27 tells us, ‘God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.’ Elsewhere in Scripture, we learn man was created in God’s image in the sense that he is a finite reflection of God in his rational nature (Colossians 3:10), in his moral nature (Ephesians 4:24), and in his dominion over creation (Genesis 1:27-28). In the same way the moon reflects the brilliant light of the sun, so finite man—as created in God’s image—is a reflection of God in these aspects.”

The basic necessities of food, water, shelter and even gainful employment can actually become hindrances to an individual’s all-important spiritual need of reconciliation with God through Christ Jesus, unless we remember to “Keep first things…first.”

 

 

Life often seems to be an unending series of meetings, some of which turn out to be trivial, while others quite consequential. And yet, none is as impactful as a meeting with God.

Isaiah 64:5 states,

“You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways.”

 Octavius Winslow writes about this passage,

“God meets His people in all their works of faith and labors of love. They are never alone. He meets them in the path of duty and of trial- both in doing and in suffering His will.

– He meets them, when embarrassed; with counsel;
– He meets them, when assailed, with protection;
– He meets them, when exhausted, with strength;
– He meets them, when faint, with cordials.

 If we take up Christ’s cross upon our shoulder, Christ will take both us and our cross up in His arms. If we bow down our neck to His yoke, and bend low our back to His burden, we shall find our rest in both.”

 

 

The Apostle Paul writes,

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
(Colossians 3:2)

Of this verse Puritan Thomas Watson commented,

“…Our affections should be very narrow downwards to the earth, but wide and large upwards towards heavenly things. Thus we see that death is a privilege to believers; death is yours, the heir, while he is underage, is capable of the land he is born to, but he has not the use of the benefit of it, till he comes of age. Be as old as you will, you are never of age until you die. Death brings us of age and then the possession comes into our hands.”

It is strange to consider:

• Martin Lloyd-Jones dying at 82;
• Hudson Taylor passing away at 73;
• and Gladys Aylward going to be with the Lord at 68,

as all “not being of age.”

And yet, as believers, who lived heavenly-minded lives on earth, death was a privilege, whereby they took possession of their heavenly inheritance as a child of God, saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection.

There is one characteristic, above all else, that sums up what we, as an organization, look for in those who desire to serve on short-term teams, in order to encourage and equip (and be edified) by our full-time, in-country church partners.

That phrase, found in Titus 2:14, is “zealous for good works,” where an individual is willing to labor in any capacity that furthers the cause of Christ, casting aside any personal preferences or inhibitions, in order that they might maximize God’s glory in their momentary service alongside their Dominican brothers and sisters in Christ.

Titus 2
“11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

J C Ryle writes of this passage and characteristic,

“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called zealous. It impels them to make any sacrifice, to go through any trouble, to deny themselves to any amount, to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil, to spend themselves and be spent, and even to die, if only He can please God and honor Christ. They see only one thing, care for one thing, live for one thing, are swallowed up on one thing, and that one thing is to please God. Whether they live or whether they die; whether they have health or sickness, whether rich or poor; whether they please others or give offense; whether they are thought wise or foolish; whether they get blame or praise; whether they get honor or shame—for all this the zealous person cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God and to advance God’s glory.

 I want to strike a blow at the lazy, easy, sleepy Christianity of these latter days, which can see no beauty in zeal, and only uses the word ‘zealot’ as a word of reproach. I want to remind Christians that ‘Zealot’ was a name given by our Lord to His Apostle Simon as a mark of honor, and to persuade them to be zealous men…. There is in a sense in which it may be said that zeal is contagious. Nothing is more useful to the adherents of Christianity than to see a real live Christian—a thoroughly zealous man of God…. Zeal is good for a Christian’s own soul…. It will help mightily to promote inward feelings of joy, peace, comfort, and happiness. None have so much enjoyment of Christ as those who are ever zealous for His glory.”

In the past week America has been shocked and saddened by the unexpected suicide of two high profile, immensely successful celebrities with a combined net worth approaching $200 Million Dollars, leaving behind young children.

At times such as this, our hearts are broken and ache for their loved ones, and yet we are reminded of the danger and emptiness of pursuing satisfaction apart from Christ.

As H.A. Ironside stated,

“The sluggard and the shiftless are not commended by the word of God, but rigorously condemned, and exhorted to thrift and energy. But to run to the other extreme, and to set the heart upon business and the accumulation of wealth, is equally fatal to spirituality.”

And D.L. Moody reminds us of the theology at work, stating,

“Man, like the sea, has no rest. He has had no rest since Adam fell. And there will be none for him until he returns to God again, and the light of Christ shines into his heart. Rest cannot be found in the world, and thank God, the world can’t take it from the believing heart. Sin is the cause of all the unrest. It brought toil, labor, and misery into the world.”

 

“You make known to me the path of life;
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
At your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
(Psalm 16:11)