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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Apr 3, 2016
Last year I had my relationship with God and that was good enough. I knew what I wanted to do and how I wanted to live to please God. Hmmm, there are a lot of I’s in that sentence. Then God brought me to Gospel for Asia’s School of Discipleship, not only to grow me in my walk with Him, but to show me the importance of walking with other Christians. Just like the song “They Will Know We Our Christians by Our Love”, God created us to live together in unity; to work together and encourage one another.
Right now for class we are going through the book of Philippians. Paul’s love for the church stands out to me, it was his desire and goal to serve the church and see his brothers and sisters grow in the Lord.
He says “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.” Philippians 1:21-26
Paul was so selfless and willing to give up his wants to pour himself out for the benefit of the Philippians. If it helped anyone, Paul was willing to do it. This shows me that I can’t just have my relationship with God; Jesus says we love Him by obeying His commands, and the second greatest command is to love one another. How can I love God when I live only for myself and refuse to serve others?
If I was faced with the choice like Paul to meet Jesus and be free at last from trials or to continue living and encourage others, what would I do?
—School of Discipleship student
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Apr 2, 2016
In 1 Kings 17 Israel was going through a drought, because of the nation’s rampant idolatry. The Lord commanded the prophet Elijah to go to Zarephath where a widow would provide food for him. He obeyed the Lord and found a woman at the gate of the city gathering sticks. He called her and said “bring me a little water in a vessel that I may drink” and “bring me a morsel of bread in your hand” (verse 11-12). The widow had very little ingredients left, just enough to fix one meal for her and her family. She had no expectations to live after the meal, embracing the reality of starving to death. But Elijah tested her faith and obedience by telling her to use the ingredients to make food for him first, and then to use the left overs for her and her family. With that command, came promise: “the jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth” (verse 14). The widow obeyed the command of Elijah and had faith in the promise of God. Her faith and obedience led to God’s promise being fulfilled in her life: “the jar of flour was not spent; neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that He spoke to Elijah” (verse 16).
The widow’s faith enabled her to willingly sacrifice and obey what the Lord had commanded through Elijah, and so, the Lord blessed her with an abundance of flour and oil, so that her and her son would not starve during the drought. Her obedience, sacrifice, and faith in God gave her life and freedom from death. She is an example of what it looks like to give to the Lord whatever He requires of our time, our earthly possessions, and our energy.
During my time here at School of Discipleship, I have been learning how to die to self. It was hard to commit my life to the Lord knowing that I would have to sacrifice the goals and plans that I had set for the next coming years. I knew that God’s will was perfect, and the promises that He has stored for my life would be well worth it, but I couldn’t give it all away without a blueprint of what my life would look like. My hands stayed closed, but slowly I began to open them by seeing the lives of the missionaries in Asia who are willing to die in order to fulfill the will of God. They opened as God began to speak to me through His word, and the widow of Zarephath is one that He had prepared to convict my heart. She obeyed God, even if it meant death because she had great faith in His promise. Because of her obedience, God rewarded her with Life. Even though I do not have a clear view of what God has for my life, my faith is greater than my fear of failure. I can give my life to the Lord knowing that the life he has planned for me is far greater than the one I was holding on to.
“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2
—School of Discipleship student
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Apr 1, 2016
In the last two weeks, I have learned of the deaths of five different people. Four of them I didn’t know personally. They were friends or relatives of friends, however it does still affect you. Today I was able to take some time to grieve for these people. It was probably not the best to put it off so long, but sometimes it seems easier to ignore the pain in our lives not realising how it is impacting us.
The one I knew personally was kind of the Grampa of the Church that I attended. A few years ago, I had helped him move to the place he was living at. We had precious times with the rest of the Church during Good Friday foot washing services. This is another topic, but it always seemed to connect the younger saints with the older ones. This and other activities with him made him dear to me although I never knew him well.
As I was thinking about their deaths and their lives, I was reminded of a statement about death by a 19th century author, “How strange this fear of death is! We are never frightened at a sunset.” Without our God and Saviour, death is a very fearful thing, however, He has passed through death and given us the hope of the resurrection. A sunset on the one hand is the end of a day, but it is also the promise of new day coming. The sun will return and everything will be bright again. This is also our hope for death for those of us in Christ. He will transport us into the new day of His kingdom where we’ll meet those who have passed through the sunset before us.
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 31, 2016
This past weekend I was able to go to a Women’s Conference. The theme of the conference was “Take your Jericho”. The Keynote speaker shared stories from her own experiences and testimony to demonstrate her points. The passage she shared from was Joshua 6-8; the Israelites had to keep walking and trusting God even when they were tired and wanted to give up. They wouldn’t have defeated Jericho after only six times around the wall, they had to walk the seventh time around. There are many times when I’ve wanted to give up the battle and go the easy way. How can we keep from the discouragement that causes us to give up?
The speaker shared three ways for us to fight our battle. The one I want to point out is the second one because it is the most important to me at this time. Self-confidence is a big way that causes us to lose our battles. In Joshua 7, Joshua is ready to fight another battle after watching God defeat Jericho before them. He doesn’t realize God isn’t with them anymore because of disobedience in their camp. They go up to battle against the smaller army of Ai and are defeated. Then Joshua falls on his knees and cries out to God.
Suddenly I realize I am like this so often. I go forward confident that I can do it and I will come through okay. Only to fall on my knees, moments later in complete defeat.
God commands Joshua to get up and cleanse the sin from their midst, only then will they have victory. It’s the areas where I am disobeying the command of God, that cause me to fall in defeat, but when I come before God asking Him to show me my sin and cleanse me from it, I then can go forward in His strength.
And the Israelites attacked again the city of Ai and this time they defeated it because they obeyed the command of God. It’s in obedience and humility that the toughest battles are won.
—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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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.
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