When we submit to the Lord and don’t make decisions on our own understanding, God can work in our lives in ways we wouldn’t expect! I am not saying that is will be easy. There will be trials and tribulations because it happens whether you are a Christian or not. The difference about Christianity is that from all religions, God comes down to man, instead of man trying to get to god! The one true living God is the only one who has actually shown us the example of what He expects from us.
One of the stories in the Bible that displays the life of submission is Joseph. He had dreams and decides to tell his father and his brothers that he is going to someday rule over them and this made them furious! How would you like to hear that! Joseph ends up getting beat up by his brothers and sold as a slave. Knowing the dreams he had, he doesn’t give up hope for God’s plan. Since God is the ultimate authority and has placed earthly authorities over us, Joseph submits to Potiphar and does it joyfully. Potiphar finds favor with him and allows him to take care of the whole place. Potiphar’s cunning wife comes along and so Joseph leaves the building to not be distracted – later ending up in jail, as Potiphar’s wife came up with many reasons that weren’t true. Joseph through his heart attitude of submission finds favor with the authorities because of his love for God – they see his honesty and respect. They allow him to pretty much run the place. Next Pharaoh has a dream and Joseph is able to interpret it. He is set free after 13 years from jail and later becomes the priminister for 43 years! Through submission to God’s authorities, even though they weren’t perfect, (they are accountable to God), so we need to just obey and submit with our hearts, unless it is sinning against God. Joseph submitted with a good attitude so God blessed him by having him become the priminister! This whole time he knew he was supposed to be a leader but he had to go through a process of humbling in order to be fit for the job! Submission brings testing and trials but through it all God is molding us into who He has made us to be, and the only way to experience His blessing upon our lives!
The story of David is quite amazing, as God sees his heart in how he handles a little – such as herding sheep, God blesses him through this and later he becomes a King! God told Samuel to anoint David as King because Saul wasn’t submissive – he offered a sacrifice without waiting for Samuel and that was disobedience. Even knowing he is going to become King he faithfully serves Saul; plays his harp and becomes his armor-bearer. Next David kills Goliath and Saul becomes jealous as the focus of everyone is now on David. Saul ends up getting an army together trying to kill David. This went on for years, and through it all he still respected Saul’s authority, even the times he could have killed him, he chose not to, even when his friends were telling him to. David didn’t let outside negative influences run his life, rather his creator, God! Saul’s heart softened when he realized David’s respect towards him.
The life of Jesus and the others in the Bible like Joseph and David show us that we can live godly lives on earth, as long as Christ is the center! Submission isn’t being a doormat but rather we are able to use our skills and abilities God has given us, and use them in the most effective way. Only through submission can God work through us and use our strength for His greater purpose and our spirits are filled. Be open and patient; allow God to direct you in life even when it doesn’t make sense, He never gives us more than we can handle. We can stand against the schemes of the enemy no matter how much we are tempted. Jesus was tempted and that isn’t sin, sin happens when we give in to our wrong emotions and thoughts. We can overcome the strongholds in our lives through the power that Christ gives us!
When I heard of The School of Discipleship, I thought that this would be the last place I would choose. In my own reasoning it didn’t make sense because I kept more to myself which makes me not used to hanging around people. I did not like computers, homework, reading, written assignments, and I have health problems. Literally everything was going to be a challenge, but I was going if God wanted me to. I realized that God spoke though my parents who encouraged me to go. Seeing it through His perspective I realized that at the School of Discipleship, I am able to get discipled, study scripture, His life, and reach out to the lost people of this world in ways I could never have done if I went anywhere else! It is amazing how much peace He has given me away from home, as that was a struggle I thought I would not be able to overcome. My health is actually doing much better, and He is providing in so many ways! It’s not exactly fun or easy, but my spirit is filled, and I know I am where God wants me to be; He always has the best in mind!
Through being at the School of Discipleship, He has also given me a better understanding about what it means to know more of who I am in Christ. It is accepting and loving our weaknesses! If we desire God’s will for our lives, only in our weaknesses will we succeed so much more! The reason why is because then we are humble, having to rely more on Him, and His will is accomplished. This way God will be glorified. The kind person God is looking for is someone with a joyful attitude of submission, and this is how we can be used in a powerful way! When we honor God He will honor and bless us (1 Samuel 2:30b).
Wow, it has already been 6 months as a student here at Gospel for AsiaSchool of Discipleship! The Lord is teaching me so many things and He is also encouraging me! I think the biggest thing the Lord is encouraging me to do is to keep following, pursuing and seeking Him no matter how I feel. I think this is the absolute hardest thing for me to do because when I am emotional and don’t know why (and even when I do know why) I just want to hide and get away from everyone. Now if I chose to rely and act on what my emotions said, I would probably be back home. Making the decision to rely in faith on the Lord’s promises, is so hard for me, but once I do it I feel better because when I read His Word I truly trust what He says. There have been times however, when I read God’s Word and didn’t feel any different afterwards — this is where faith comes in.
Hebrews 11:1 says “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT). This verse explains it perfectly. When my emotions decide to take over; immediately faith needs to step in. I have to have confidence that what I hope to happen (which would be that the feelings go away and ultimately that His perfect, good, pleasing will would be done so He may be glorified) and by hoping this will actually happen I can be so assured that it will happen. I know the Lord and He promises to answer the cries of His righteous ones, to deliver, and give them such perfect peace for those who choose to trust Him and keep their thoughts fixed on Him (Isa. 26:3). He also promises us that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him (Deut. 4:29) He is not going to hide Himself from us. He doesn’t desire us to stay on an emotional roller coaster for the rest of our lives! He came to give life and to give it more abundantly! (John. 10:10).
I find this so encouraging that the Lord showed me this because it really is so important to this Christian life. I mean think of one who is in the position of leadership. Don’t you think there are days when they just feel like giving up and not leading anymore? I mean those in leadership have so many different tasks to do, decisions to make and there not always easy decisions, and they most importantly have to shepherd their flock like Jesus calls them too. If they decided to just give up and stop leading because that’s what their feelings were telling them, I don’t think we would have any leaders in the world, and I know Gospel for Asia would not still be in existence.
The Lord has shown me I have to train my emotions. Whenever I feel them coming up and taking over I have to immediately go to the Lord and ask for faith. And all I need is faith as small as a mustard seed to move mountains. (Matthew 17:20) God has used so many people in my life, especially here at Gospel for Asia to remind me that my emotions and heart are very deceitful above all else (Jer. 17:9) and I need to put my faith in the Lord’s promises. The president of Gospel for Asia, K.P. Yohannan reminds us all of this very often. We need to be reminded because emotions are nothing we can hope in and make decisions based upon.
I think back in my life before School of Discipleship when I used to make so many decisions based on my emotions and every single time, it turned into a huge mess. I remember receiving a text, e-mail, or phone call from someone who made me so angry and instead of taking it to the Lord I decided to react and I ended up really hurting that person and caused them to view God not as a loving God but as an angry God because I called myself a Christian. I praise God that He has been so gracious to me and grown me very much in this area of my life! I also praise God for even bringing me here to School of Discipleship so that these areas in my life can be revealed.
I desire to live by faith and I am encouraged to do so by all the wonderful people here at Gospel for Asia. Each day they encourage me even when I fail to not give up and to keep running the race for Christ. Praise God 🙂
“If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” -1 John 4:20.
How many times I have heard this, I cannot even begin to count. At School of Discipleship I think one of the key things taught here is love. Before coming here, I would read verses like these and say to myself “this doesn’t apply to me because I do love.” How do I know I love? Well, because I certainly don’t hate. I serve my family (only when they ask), I am patient with my little sister (only when she does what I say), I’m an encouragement when others around me are feeling down (only if I feel good or ‘up to it’). You get the point and the list goes on. Shortly after I got here to School of Discipleship, we read one one of Gospel for Asia’s required reading called The Calvary Road and the author Roy Hession specifically states that anything that is not love is hate…..when I read that my whole world turned upside down. I realized I have not been loving anyone AT ALL. I realized this, but I still justified myself and kind of brushed it off my shoulders.
Recently, God has humbled me and shown me yet again how I have not been loving those around me, therefore, I have not been loving Christ. The fact that I have not been loving the God who saved me from a life of death has broken me and hurt my heart so much. Recently, I have had quite a few instances where people have come up to me and told me how I hurt them by my words, tone, and actions. In the end all I wanted to do was go hide and say “I am not coming out of my closet until my year here is done — I refuse to talk or give advice because all I do is hurt people.” Only by His grace has He changed my heart because of my willingness to want to love others.
After all these experiences, I had to ask myself, “what is love anyway?” According to the Word of God love is patient, kind, does not envy, is not boastful, conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, not provoked, does not keep any record of wrong (that was hard for me to read), finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:4-7).
When the Lord showed me this verse (which is the complete definition of who He is and what true love is), I was so broken because too be honest I didn’t see any of this in myself. I am not patient or kind, I love to keep records of wrongs…and so many other things. I realized that I have not been loving any of my brothers or sisters, this way. As the Lord was showing me all this, my flesh wanted to run and hide, but my Spirit was saying “repent to all those whom you have not loved, and let Me get you through by My grace.” As I heard this from the Lord, this is exactly what I did. I asked a lot of people for their forgiveness and still have more people to ask. I will tell you though, that by me obeying and submitting to the Lord, I have so much freedom!!!
I am so challenged here, not just during the time I am at Gospel for Asia’s office, but more so in my daily living, especially in my apartment with the three others girls I have to live with. I don’t believe I ever knew what true love was until I came here to School of Discipleship, and to be honest, I still don’t know what it is. What I do know is that God is love and only by Him can I love others with the perfect love we all should be loving one another with.
I am so happy that the living God loved me enough to show me this area in my life that has lacked so greatly because it is a HUGE deal! I was lying saying I loved God when I couldn’t even love those around me. I am still learning this and striving to live it out each day, but only with Jesus Christ ruling my life. The second I decide to do it in my own strength, I fail. I have to consistently choose to remain in Him. Love is not something that the Lord has just given me I have to choose each second to love because love is a choice, and as I choose this it becomes more and more natural.
I pray that as I continue this journey here at Gospel for Asia‘sSchool of Discipleship , I will choose to love everyone with a pure heart because I desire to love, honor, and please my Lord.
Gisela Yohannan shares with the graduating class on what it really means to graduate. We graduate from a program or a time, but our learning and growing never ends. In our pursuit of the Lord our heart must be seeking to grow in Him and never come to the place that we think we know enough.
“They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’” Rev. 4:10-11.
In the beginning of my School of Discipleship year I use to become distressed when I would think of that verse because every time I thought of that verse I would envision something that wasn’t pleasant at all.
My Dream: All the saints are before the Lord on that Day receiving their crowns. As they received their crowns they all fall on their knees, worship the Lord and give Jesus back the crown and all out of mere humility. As for me, I didn’t want to bend to my knees. I didn’t think it was necessary to give Jesus his crown back. With much pride I put the crown on my head and walked away as to say, “That’s right, I deserve this crown. I worked hard for it; I did the labor.” In the vision I walked away and that was it.
That dream of me before Jesus with that attitude was a reflection of how my life was here on earth as I served the Lord. I was selfish, self-centered, greedy and prideful. Yea, I know, gross! But God didn’t show me that to condemn me but to allow me to repent, become purified by the Holy Spirit and grow into the likeness of Christ.
What did I do? I prayed and prayed to become broken and humbled by the Lord so that my heart could change and Christ be glorified. After those prayers I started facing many challenging times in my life and all so that I could be purified and cleansed. (1 Peter 1:6,7)
The other night (Dec. 1, 2011) I was reflecting on my year and that night I was asking the Lord, “Lord, have I changed at all this year? Did I not take advantage of this year?” As I was praying that prayer the Lord brought me back to that verse in Revelations; I had that dream again but this time I saw myself in bended knees begging the Lord to take his crown back because he deserved it and I didn’t. I knew that brokenness and humility occurred this year in my life. I knew that I had more of an understanding of who I am and who God is and what he has done for me and for all the saints. In the midst of the dream I could feel the intensity so much that I wanted to cry; I never use to be eager to go before him because I knew of the condition of my heart but last night I was extremely eager to see him and worship him forever and ever as the creatures did in Rev. 4:10.
What God has started in me has not been finished. God continues but only if I truly yield to him, repent and allow him to change me.
How would I encourage you?: Pray, pray, pray and allow the Holy Spirit to search you and reveal your condition to you. When he reveals it to you yield to him, repent and allow the sanctification to begin. The process will be different for everyone but whatever the process may be remember that the painful process will be one that is good for you. Whatever situation God uses to purify you remember that it is about making you into the image of Christ so embrace the process with much joy and continue to walk in godliness. Brothers and sisters remain strong in the Lord because we will be with him soon and we will inherit the promises that he has given to us. PRAISE GOD!!!!
And another thing as you seek brokenness and humility: follow Jesus’ commands in Matt. 28:18-20. Make disciples of all nations… teach them the ways of Christ as you have been taught… in all this don’t forget that you go in the authority and power of Christ – remember Jesus will be with you until the end of the age.
I love you all with the love of Christ. The only love that lasts an eternity!
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