Jun 17, 2016
While learning about the divine characteristics of God, I have grown to really appreciate the outdoors. Climbing up a high peak and glancing over the scenery has never gone short of leaving me in awe; the sunlit clouds moving across the clear blue sky, the different shades of colour in the trees, and the clear view of the horizon. As I take in the beautiful view, I am reminded that this is the same God who gave up His Son so that I can be reconciled to Him. I am reminded that as far as the east is from the west, God has removed my transgressions (Psalm 103:12). This is the God who is holy, eternal, and knows me deeply and specifically. He is the One who sought after my heart and asked for me to unite with Him in fulfilling His purpose for the world. The beauty of the whole universe is a reminder of His proposal to me. Before coming to School of Discipleship, I lived a life focused on gaining the approval from others. It was more important for me to be accepted by the people here on earth, than to live a life accepted and pleasing to God. Going through Crazy Love by Francis Chan, gave me a clear understanding of the love that God has for me. Francis Chan really emphasizes that even though I am a sinner who is prone to fail Him every day, He still chooses to love me regardless of my failures. He set me apart before I was born and chose for me to be a part of His glorious inheritance. How can I turn my eyes away from the God who offers the very thing that man cannot fulfill in my life? Does my life show that I have accepted His Love and His vision for the lost? Even as I write this, the feeling of guilt still overwhelms me.
In the book of Romans, God has a job description laid out for each one of His disciples. As a follower of Christ and a receiver of His love, I am called to go and preach the gospel so that those who hear will believe, call upon the Lord and be saved (Romans 10:14-15). If that is required of me, then I should not live a life staying idle and content with my bad work ethic. It reminds me of the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. Jesus tells the story of a master who went out to the market place and hired men who were standing there idle all day. When the master asked them “why do you stand here idle all day?” they said “because no one has hired us”. The master then gave them a job and sent them to go and work in his vineyard. This (according to Jesus) is exactly the perfect image of the kingdom of heaven. At one point in my life, I was standing idle, wasting my time and life. But God sought me out and hired me to be a worker for His kingdom and Romans 10:12-15 is the job description. This is what I’m required to do; it is why He has chosen to reveal His perfect love to me!
Father, thank you for offering me your perfect gift of salvation.
Thank you for choosing me to be your bride.
Thank you for surrounding me with your creation;
Never being able to forget your love and divine qualities.
Work in my heart and life so that I can be a vessel for your kingdom.
Give me the desire to draw others to say yes to your proposal
So that they can also bask in your unfailing love.
—School of Discipleship student
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Jun 3, 2016
Abide: to stay or live somewhere, to remain or continue, to wait for, and to endure without yielding.
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” Jude 21 ESV
School of Discipleship has been so good for my relationship with my Heavenly Father. I am growing in my love for him and learning to abide in Jesus like never before, by the help of the Holy Spirit. I am starting to learn what it is like to abide in Christ and in the love of the Father. It was during my time of solitude that the Lord started showing me a little glimpse of what is means to abide in Christ.
I was sitting outside for solitude on a lovely spring day, waiting on the Lord to direct me where He wanted me to read that it seemed he was directing my attention to a man who was pruning a tree. As I watched him prune away the dead branches the thought came that I should read John 15. This is where an absolutely amazing journey began (which I hope never ends). God started teaching me what it is like to abide in Jesus. I say started, because to abide in Christ and grow in Him takes time; it doesn’t happen overnight.
vs 1. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. vs 2. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. vs 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me… As my Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.”
While reading John 15, I was struck by how many times the words “abide”, “in me” and “remain” show up in the first 11 verses. I think Jesus is trying to tell me something. Jesus was and is trying to drive home a point! I need to abide in him and in his love all the time! When hard times come (which they will) we are to abide in the Lord Jesus. The times of pruning in our lives are when the vinedresser cuts away the dead branches that hinder us from bearing fruit. When they are gone, we can grow and yield lasting fruit that glorifies our Heavenly Father. There may be things in our life that distract us from abiding in Christ and loving Him relentlessly.
This is a wonderful promise from God. As we keep His commandments, we will abide in his love! The Holy Spirit is our helper and guide and He enables us to abide in Jesus. It is hard to share everything that I felt like the Father was revealing to my heart as I watched the man prune the tree and as we read John 15:1-11. I am the branch that has been grafted into Jesus the true vine. The dead branches which are being pruned away from me are the things that take the place of God in my life. I can rest assured knowing that my Father knows what He is doing in and through my life. The fruit that will come from this will bring glory to the Father, which is what truly matters.
—School of Discipleship student
At Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship, you have the opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus while making it possible for people in Asia to experience His love for the first time! The application deadline for the August 2017 class is coming up fast on May 31.
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Apr 5, 2016
Forgiveness is something, I am finding, that has to be done daily. A person in my life who has a certain role in ministry has several times betrayed my trust. In consequence, though it should not be, I have trouble trusting anyone else who also serves in a similar role.
Christ has granted to me everything that pertains to life and godliness, why do I not have love for that person. I had not realised how much this person was affecting me until about a week ago and then it hit me twice in the same week that I was transferring the resentment I had for that person to others.
The reason that it is so difficult may be I am trying to forgive in my own strength. I am looking at what they have done rather than what Christ has done for me. To truly forgive I must allow the resurrected Christ to live through me and in such a way that His kingdom comes to earth. Forgiveness and everything else that is Godly comes only when we allow the Spirit of God to live our lives.
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 30, 2016
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13
“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.” Isa. 26:8-9
This past month God has been teaching me what it really means to seek after Him, not for what I can gain but for Him alone.
So often the time I spend with God each day is only to bring to Him all of my wants and needs.
Yes, God desires to meet my needs and hear about my struggles but he also longs for true fellowship with me.
God wants to share His heart with me. Just as He knows my thoughts, desires, hopes, and dreams, He also wants to reveal to me who He really is.
A truly close and intimate relationship is one in which both people involved are willing to give of themselves, holding nothing back from each other.
If I am only concerned with my own wants and need I will never fully experience a close fellowship with Jesus.
I must be willing to humble enter into His presence and just be still before Him allowing Him to speak to my heart. My whole being should be devoted to knowing all that He is and what He desires for me to be.
To pursue means to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish a goal.
“God, teach me how to pursue You and You alone with my whole heart and life. Let my only goal be to seek your presence.”
May the following words become my desire as I learn to follow after Christ
Strip everything away till all I have is You
Undo the veils till all I see is You
I will pursue You
I will Pursue Your presence
I’m pressing in to You
so do not pass me by
I’m breaking through the boundaries
I will not be denied.
Open my eyes, search me inside
I can’t live without Your presence
—Pursuit by Daniel Bashta
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 29, 2016
How am I to live? (This is a question I have often asked myself.)
We can sum it up in one sentence…
I am to live as Jesus lived.
So the more important question is how did Jesus live here on earth?
Jesus by His birth, life, and death represented the very definition of humility.
He lived in such a way that no one felt intimidated by Him. Friend or foe approached Him freely. He lived in a way that He had no reputation; if you would have passed Him on the street you probably wouldn’t have recognized Him unless someone pointed Him out to you.
Jesus being fully God and also fully human faced every temptation that we face today. Being fully God He was perfect and did not sin. Jesus as human let Himself be touched by people and He reached out to them too. The children, the lepers, and many others felt the warmth of His hands.
Nothing Jesus did on earth was for His personal gain or selfish ambition. He had many opportunities to use people for His advantage. The crowd that followed Him were ready to make Him king. Jesus could have influenced the rich and intelligent that came to Him in a way that would have pleased them so that they would have willingly helped Him succeed. That is not why He came to earth, He came to redeem mankind.
Jesus was obedient to His father in everything, even in death. He prayed “not my will but Thine be done.” He did only what He saw the Father do.
Now Jesus commands all those who believe in Him to live as He Lived. We must be willing to live in complete humility. As a pilgrim, walking through this life; not working towards fame and fortune. We must be willing to sacrifice our very lives for the sake of the gospel — to take our eyes off of ourselves and focus on the needs of others.
Just as no one was intimidated by Jesus so we should not live in a way that would hinder others from approaching us. Jesus lived a completely transparent life, not hiding any emotions from His followers. We are also called to live in complete transparency, so that the sinner looking on can see Jesus working in us and give glory to the Father. Most of all we are called to love as Jesus loved. The world will know if we are true disciples of Jesus by the love we have for one another.
Looking at life through Jesus’ life style I realize how wrongly my view on life has been. I see now to truly live is, to live as Christ.
—School of Discipleship student
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