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 28, 2015
Of the many things I have learned at School of Discipleship so far, I think the most precious is the sweetness of prayer! It has been well said that GFA was founded by prayer, continues through prayer, and will die without prayer. How true I have seen and experienced this to be over the past 7 months of being here. It is an unexplainable privilege that I have often overlooked, and am learning to be more thankful for….. being united together as His people in Spirit with a heart cry for God and His kingdom to be established in our sinful world. God is ever-faithful in answering the pleas of His little children and because of it many precious souls are coming to life in Jesus Christ! Glory be to God who alone is worthy!
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:9-10
—School of Discipleship Student
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Aug 26, 2015
A couple of weeks ago, we had a time of solitude. During that time, God directed my attention to the second epistle of John. In this epistle, John reminds us that it is not a new commandment, to love one another but the original that was from the beginning. He immediately brings up that this is in opposition to the deceivers who teach that Jesus did not come in the flesh. What correlation do these two teachings have? It deserves a closer look.
Let us gather the context first. In the first part of the book John’s excitement for the truth is almost overwhelming. He uses the word five times in the first four verses. This culminates in his statement of joy that some of the children of the elect lady were walking in truth.
With this premise of excitement about truth, He naturally flows into the commandment to love one another. Defining love as walking according to the Father’s commandments, he states that loving one another has always been the commandment even from the beginning.
It came to mind that if this truly is the case I should be able to find it in the books of Moses. Looking at Genesis we learn that in the beginning God created the earth as a place to put man to dwell in unity with one another. A place where they could love one another, within the protection of God’s garden. However, man refused to live in love.
Having rejected the ideal place that had been provided for them, they were without hope. God, however, in the book of Exodus through His servant Moses, demonstrated that would not give up on them. He, in His mercy, gave them a law to show to everyone what love looks like in daily life. As I was reading Exodus recently, I noticed everything that is in the law is about either loving God or loving others and what this looks like in practical terms. Man, sadly, did not have the ability to live in this way of love.
God therefore had to become flesh and demonstrate that the life of love can only be lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now because He rose again, Jesus imparts the Holy Spirit to all who believe on Him. If He did not come in the flesh and be tempted in every way as we are, He could not give us the power of the Holy Spirit to live this way. Denying Jesus’ deity, therefore, is not just some random theological point. It is rejecting the means God has given us to live the way we are commanded i.e. through Christ and is thus intrinsically connected to loving one another.
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Aug 5, 2015
Look around at creation. Think about it. Really try and think about it. Try to comprehend.You can’t. It’s impossible. I look at the sun, the bright blue sky. I feel the breeze, I hear it lightly rustling the leaves. I breath in and taste fresh, crisp, cool air. Where did all this come from? What is it made of? Why is it here? Why so complex? Why so beautiful? How can you not believe in someone who created it all. I don’t have enough faith to believe it was an accident. What utter, absurd, foolishness to explain reality, life and nature, without God. It is a vain and impossible endeavor. All things have their beginning and their end in Him. There is no other logical conclusion.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
—Psalm 19:1-2
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made….
—Rom. 1:20
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
—Rom.11:33-36
Creation tells us much about God. All we have to do is look. I see creativity. Creativity so great that all the creativity mankind has ever mustered to bring us to where we are today is only an iota of a fraction of all the creativity God contains.
I see power and ability as such that the wielder should be feared and worshiped without hesitation. Such ability and power that SPOKE the galaxies, stars, space, sky, water, air, plants, people, cells, materials, dirt, spirits, time into existence. There was nothing then God declared there was and it was there. “What is man that you are mindful of him?”
I see wisdom. Our smartest minds admit that they don’t understand the cell, or DNA, or atoms and molecules. They admit that we have hardly begun to think about scratching the surface of what exists both microscopically and macroscopically. We are such a tiny, minuscule part in this universe that extends forever in all directions around us, in so vast an expanse that we don’t even know how to think about it properly. God is wisdom. He has FULL knowledge and understanding of all that was, is and ever will be in existence.
I am overwhelmed. I can do nothing but worship. There is no other thinkable or imaginable action. My one and only response should be complete, immediate and unrestrained worship. Look at creation, it will knock you flat on your face before the Creator.
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May 20, 2015
Recently God has been reminding me of His call on my life here at Gospel for Asia. I know that God has called me here, but in recent weeks it has gotten tough.
It all started during Lent (the 40 days heading up to Easter). The whole focus of Lent is on Jesus’s death on the cross. I started having this thought, “If Jesus could give up everything to die for a sinner like me, then why couldn’t I dedicate my life to Jesus and reaching the 2 billion people who have never heard of Jesus.” As much as I tried to shrug it off, I simply couldn’t.
These are people who Jesus loves they are going to Hell, 80,000 of them every day without having heard of Jesus before. Why shouldn’t our hearts break for the people of Asia (especially in Nepal where the earthquake happened)?
Yet while this was going on, I was reminded of some of some of the difficulties serving here at Gospel for Asia. This is when God started asking me another question. He started asking me, “Are you willing to suffer hardships for my sake and for the sake of the call I have given you?” I was a little hesitant to answer that question.
With this question, you can go to two extremes. The first one is to blurt out something like Peter did and then be rebuked by the Lord at the end. The second extreme is to run away just like Jonah only to be turned back. The Lord knew my heart though. He knows I would be able to (with His strength) to continue in His calling and not run away.
Jesus never promised our life would be easy if we followed Him and shared the Gospel. On the contrary, He promised hardships and suffering to all who followed Him and His calling. Though this certainly didn’t attract followers, it sifted out His true followers from those who wanted to get something out of Him.
At the same time though, Jesus promised our lives would be fulfilling. Not only are we spreading God’s kingdom throughout the world, but the Lord promised heaven for those who believe in Him and do what He wants them to do. I choose to follow the Lord, what about you?
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