Sep 16, 2016
Some people like to live alone and others don’t think they could survive. But everyone has a family and needs a family because we were created that way. Of course family doesn’t have to be blood related, family are the people we treasure the most.
I’ve been at Gospel For Asia’s Discipleship Program for 1 year and nearly 8 months. I’ve lived in the same house for this time, with the same people for the first year and then a few different people for the second year. I’ve gone to serve at the same office every week day with these people and others for this whole time. It’s like a family. No, I’m not related to any of the people here, I didn’t know any of them before I came. But they are family, and as a house we do everything together. We get up at 6 AM on Monday morning tired and quiet to pray together for the day ahead, we all understand each other because we’re feeling the same things, we slowly travel downstairs to exercise together still tired and quiet. The kitchen is busy at 7 AM as everyone is eating breakfast and getting their lunch for the day, but no one fights or argues, we’re all polite and love to serve each other. Then our house remains silent and empty, because we all head to the office for prayer and ministry service. We come home at 5:30 PM, tired and hungry. A couple of us cook a meal for everyone. At 7 PM we sit down and enjoy each other some more, we’re more awake than in the morning and are able to talk and tell about our day – the joys and the challenges because everyone understands. They’ve struggled with similar things too. I love this family I have, I wouldn’t trade them for anything, but I didn’t realise how close I am to these people until I thought about leaving at the end of the year. They are my friends that I can rely on, as Proverbs 18:24 says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (ESV). Here I have made friends who are closer than my own family. I still love my family very much, and I know they love me, but these people know far more than my family does about what I’ve experienced this year and 8 months. They are the friends I won’t forget.
Though I believe I could live alone if the LORD called me to do it, I have found a greater joy in living with others who have the same vision and goal as I do. I want to find family wherever I go because I believe it is God’s plan that His children (Christians related through the blood of Jesus) live together in unity and love, able to say to like Jesus did in Matthew 12:48-50, “But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
—School of Discipleship student
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Apr 10, 2016
School of Discipleship Vision/Goal 8: Understand that the Christian life and ministry cannot be lived apart from God’s help.
When arriving at Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship program in January 2014, I was blessed to learn what the vision for the program would be. After just over a year and a half of having the privilege of being discipled and trained in the ways of God, I feel as though it is this core value that has become an increasing reality in my life.
When first pondering upon this truth- the Christian life made possible only by Christ- it seemed rather like a gimme. However, only now has the Lord been teaching me in a greater measure of the significance and necessity of His Spirit being preeminent in my life.
In a recent message we heard by Major Ian Thomas, he states, “ Christ is the only One capable of living the Christian life”. Oh the thought! When I ponder upon this, I must humbly conclude that this is the only thing that makes sense. I find myself coming repeatedly to quick failure when attempting to live the Christian life in the flesh. One author put it well when he declared, “There is nothing more nauseating than the flesh trying to be holy”.
Although the Lord has had to remind me of my neediness for His Spirit, I am blessed and relieved by the liberating thought that I simply will never have what it takes to live for Christ, but He sure does! I am challenged to remember this beautiful promise! My flesh must die, and then I will be able to live. It is in the moments of feeling strong that I invite a dangerous conception of following Christ in my own so called strength. Through self-denial, I must stay needy and completely dependent upon Christ alone.
Praise God for His Spirit that does indwell us, as we can be sure that His power and enabling that has kept us until now will continue to sustain us until the end.
“For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 2 Corinthians 13:4
—School of Discipleship student
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Nov 18, 2015
What a journey of faith we are called to walk! My time here at Gospel for Asia School of Discipleship so far, has allowed me to realize, like never before, that I MUST KNOW GOD! That in him alone do I have any value, hope, or help. He is indeed my All whether I agree or not, and oh how I must die so that he might become My Life in a more powerful, intimate, and evident way!
Through great pains and triumphs alike, Jesus the Christ of God has revealed himself in the most loving and intimate ways possible. Never before have I felt like such a child in the care of my Heavenly Father… crying, giggling, and overflowing with laughter all at once, in His precious presence!
I recall my first week, feeling myself to be completely shattered by temptation and burden of soul, the Lord spoke to me through the entire chapter of Isaiah 40! Silenced before his HOLY POWERFUL PRESENCE, I could do nothing but think, WOW what a GOD! To know that the SOVEREIGN LORD of the universe would take interest in giving one such mortal as I life and strength… and beyond, that he would allow me to mount up like the eagle and soar in heights of Glory! Surely this God is worthy of POWER and RICHES and WISDOM and MIGHT and HONOR and GLORY and BLESSING! And of how wonderful to know that this God is pleased when we take pleasure in Him… What DIVINE LOVE!
—School of Discipleship Student
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Nov 4, 2015
At some point we have all heard the account from John 4 of Jesus and the woman at the well. I have heard this account so many times that for awhile I actually missed what Jesus was saying when He referred to the gift of God as the “living water.” I was quite humbled at my lack of knowledge for a seemingly elementary concept of Christianity. But when I asked God to please show me what He means when He says the “living water,” His response was almost instantaneous, as if He had been eagerly waiting my whole life to reveal this truth to me.
“What does water do?” came the voice in my heart. Well, let’s see here… Water refreshes, it cleans, it gives life, it sustains life. The world and everything in it cannot stand a chance without water. Of course! How could I have overlooked this for so long?
Jesus was using water to tangibly describe Himself and the gift of salvation in a way that we can understand. What water does for our mortal bodies, Jesus does for our souls!
Jesus refreshes us when we are exhausted. Jesus washes us of our sins and makes us clean. Jesus gives us life and He sustains our life. Without Jesus we are dry and lifeless. Knowing now this tangible way that Jesus is in my life, how could I ever go a day without a drink of Him? And I love what Jesus promises us, “whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)
I hope you are encouraged in whatever drought you may be facing, that Jesus is the source of your life and refreshment to your soul.
—School of Discipleship Alumni
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Oct 21, 2015
I am so blessed to serve with a Body of Believers who are really like the Church in Acts. We are all here for two purposes: to grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to proclaim His name and His glory to those millions who haven’t heard His name.
The reason I write this post is because I have been struggling with headaches consistently everyday for the past… 7 months? And when I walked down the hallway today, someone stopped me to see how I’m doing. When I mentioned the headache, they stopped what they were doing and prayed for me right then and there. This is not an uncommon occurrence, actually it happens all the time. We are a people who pray together constantly, are transparent with one another as the Body should be, we are there to encourage and give of ourselves (out of the strength of God) to help others, we love others even when its hard to do. The staff here at Gospel for Asia are living out what it means to be the Body of Christ. And I am so encouraged by it.
I’m sure there are other places out there that are similar. But I am so blessed to be a part of this family. 🙂
—School of Discipleship Alumni
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Jun 10, 2015
As my class and I read through How to Pray by R.A. Torrey I ask myself, how do I know if I am abiding in Christ and staying connected to the vine? If I am in Christ and the connected to the sap (the Holy Spirit), I will bear fruit accordingly.
Therefore, to abide in Christ means that I need to be surrendered to God. By surrendered I mean as the Lord shows me areas in my life that I need to give up, that I do. It will be a continuous process of surrendering to the Lord for the rest of my life.
Yes, this is going to take a lot of time. I wish I hadn’t prayed for patience all those years ago. The Lord is finally answering my prayers. If that is the way that it needs to be, then the Lord will give me grace and strength to persevere.
Now the real question is, how will I practically apply or act upon what the Lord showed me?
With the Lord’s help, I will surrender those things in my life that the Lord shows me and to seek to abide in Christ. I may have to surrender on a continual basis, maybe even moment by moment. Lord, I am going to need your help even more than before. I know You are faithful though, so I’ll make it. No problem.
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