Mar 26, 2016
Today, as I was praying, God reminded me of a phrase that was once quite special to me. The phrase is “a man after God’s own heart.” In my early teens, I spent a lot of time reading the books of Samuel and Kings. At the time I was looking for insights about faith and how people were demonstrating faith. I didn’t really understand faith so I ended up reading these books over and over and I became very familiar with the stories. It was at this time that this phrase began meaning a lot to me.
In my early twenties God brought me to a place where I spent a lot of time in the gospels and the teachings of Jesus. This concept of being a man after God’s own heart was kind of placed on the back burner for a time. Now God is bringing the two concepts together for me.
In class we have been learning about having a radical Christian lifestyle. A lifestyle in which we renounce and hate everything, that would keep us from pursuing our Father with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is a lifestyle where we renounce everything as we pursue Christ.
What is it that enables us to do these things? How do we get from knowing that these are the right things to do to the place where we are able to do it? This is where I see being a man after God’s own heart fitting in. It is when we have that heart that we are able to pursue Christ radically without worrying about what others will think.
What does it mean to have a heart after God? I believe it means to be absolutely controlled by the Spirit of God. When we are totally yielded to His Spirit, we can live the radical life. The life and love of God will flow out of us. It will no longer be a standard that we are attempting to attain to but it will be a lifestyle that naturally flows out from the Spirit within us. This is having a heart after God. This is being a radical disciple. The life controlled by the Spirit is the life of True Discipleship.
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 24, 2016
Less than a year ago I would have found it strange to raise my hands in worship. Even if a song would say “I lift my hands”, my hands would stay down. Lifting up my hands for praying was also something I wasn’t used to.
We read in Psalm 134 verse 2, “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.” It’s mentioned in many more places but another one I like is in 1 Timothy 2:8 again “lifting up holy hands…” hands that are set apart for God’s disposal and to do His will.
To me raising my hands speaks volumes. The first thought is surrender. It’s acknowledging I am powerless and it’s outwardly shown. Though there’s a time to throw up your hands because you have been trying to do things out of strength that stems from self and not from God. I have found that choosing to surrender, even when things are not on the brink of falling apart, is crucial. To lift up holy hands in praise, prayer and adoration confirms in me, the relationship between the Creator and His creation that I am, and my dependence upon Him. Active worship has become very important to me in the last six months. Simply lifting up my hands like a child reaching for a father, acknowledging my great need for our Heavenly Father, and having a transparent life with Him, needs to come out in every area of my life because I am a child of God. Lifting up my hands gives me a good perspective of where I’m at, and helps me to have a surrendered life when I’m in the valley, or on the mountain top.
—School of Discipleship student
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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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Aug 19, 2015
Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
in·vest·ment = time, energy, or matter spent in the hope of future benefit.
The Lord has been challenging me in examining my heart for its true investment. These verses arouse a soberness that causes me to ask myself, what am I ultimately striving to treasure and invest in?
We have all heard the saying, “Life is precious”. Yes, without a shadow of a doubt, I believe it surely to be true. But what is it about life makes it to be so uniquely precious? The answer is Christ.
As a part of my curriculum this year, I have the great privilege to read the book Character of God’s Workman. Even though I am just a ways into it, this book has made me examine my own life in regards to God’s love for all humanity. There is a part in the book where Nee writes, “Many who would work for God have a serious deficiency, which is, that they are totally lacking in the love of humanity. They lack the proper respect towards men, and they lack as well knowledge of the value of man in God’s sight. Indeed, each and every life on earth has been uniquely designed and created by an absolute wonderful Creator. And in each life is a soul, a soul that needs to hear and know that Love Himself has come to give more than this life ever could provide–eternal life through Jesus Christ alone!
To invest in the lives and souls of others seems like the toughest, yet greatest possible investment on earth. To think about this investment forces me out of my comfort zone, yet it seems like the only possible and worthwhile investment when reflecting on the amazing redemptive plan that Christ has for all the world. Oh to simply invest in a precious soul! This is an eternal investment! The benefits, being eternal ones, are of unimaginable value, as we anticipate to soon gather around the Lord’s Throne to worship Him forever and ever!
So, with life having that much of value, I pray the Lord would make me mindful of His love for all humanity. As we as God’s children, have been huge beneficiaries of His amazing grace, may the Lord use us in the lives of others for whom He has also died and cherishes greatly. As each life is compared to a mere vapor that disappears as quickly as it appears, I pray the Lord might continue to reveal the true purpose and meaning of life on earth. May our hearts be consumed with Christ Himself as our Treasure, and thus have an outflow of a love for mankind.
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Aug 12, 2015
It’s Saturday morning and I’m headed out the road with my friend to do some shopping. We get a weather advisory for a severe storm coming our direction. Heeding the warning, we go back to our houses and wait it out. I grab my Bible, journal and a fresh cup of French vanilla coffee. I make myself comfortable on the back porch and watch the sky. The clouds are getting darker and the thunder starts to roll. It’s incredible to watch! I ask the Lord to speak to my heart, to teach me from His word.
My mind immediately went to Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” The skies are God’s creation. They glorify Him and reflect His majesty. You and I are also His creation – and far more amazing than a cloud or lightning bolt! Something I hear from a lot from folks who say they love Jesus is that their ultimate goal is to glorify their Creator, God. I’ve always felt that “glorifying God” is a wide and general statement. So how do I glorify God in my life? How do I reflect His glory daily? I started thinking about what I see in other believers that glorifies God and points me to Him. Here are a few simple ways I’ve seen God’s glory displayed through others: obedience, thankfulness and humility.
In a world where it is hard to differentiate between grace and tolerance, God’s word is true and perfect. Listen to what David says about God’s law: “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.” Words like radiance, sweetness, wisdom and joy – he explains God’s law as something wonderful, not staunch or overbearing! We will bring glory to our Creator by obeying His commands.
In an average day, I see far more unhappy people than joyful people in the world. It’s far more likely to hear someone complain or grumble than to hear a genuine “thank you” or “wow, I am so blessed.” Regardless of our circumstances, any hardship or trial, there is always something to be thankful for. (I’m not talking about a hypocritical cheese festival where you say we are happy when we’re not. I’m talking about genuinely being grateful for God and what He has done for us!) And most often, sharing gratitude will encourage someone else as well, resulting in more glory to God! Remember He says thankfulness is a fruit of His spirit living inside of us. Having a heart of gratitude will glorify our Creator!
No one is perfect. David’s life was chock-full of mistakes. The amazing thing is that God often shows His glory the brightest through people’s failures. The Bible says “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. ” Proverbs 16:2 David asked forgiveness for hidden sins and willful sins, as well as asked God to keep him from walking into sin. Then he says “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, o Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” He humbled himself to please the Lord above anyone else. Life is full of hurts, misunderstandings, and mistakes – and life is far too short to dwell in those. We will glorify God by consistently asking Him to search our hearts and motives, and to purify us.
Just like the heavens declare the glory of their Creator through beautiful sunsets, sunrises and even storms, so you and I can declare His glory in many ways. Obedience to Gods word, thankfulness regardless of circumstances, and constant humility are three simple ways I have personally seen Christ glorified through the lives of Christians here at Gospel for Asia. Being a student in School of Discipleship has also given me ample opportunities to put these things into practice in my own life.
Now, I need another cup of coffee. (And hey, I am truly grateful for coffee! 😊)
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