EXEMPLARY SERVANTS

Liberia: Visas are all in hand, tickets are purchased, and my teaching notes are complete. This week I will be working on two sermons, one to preach in a Liberian church on Sunday, and one shorter message to the Pastors at the open session on our closing day. Please continue to pray for our team, the Pastors and the country of Liberia.

I love to read about the heroes of the faith, Abraham, David, Elisha, Paul and so many others. But I know I am not one of those Bible heroes, nor will I ever be, and that is why I so appreciate the minor characters in the great story of the Bible.
In my reading through Genesis I have particularly been impressed by two faithful unnamed servants. The first servant is found in Genesis 24. He is given the task to go to Abraham's kindred to find a wife for Isaac and he obeys Abraham without question. He shows great trust in God to accomplish his mission, and successfully completes his mission without wasting any time. The second servant is found in Genesis 43 to 44 and is called the steward of Joseph's house. This servant obeys Joseph's commands, which at the time would have been rather strange requests, immediately and without question not knowing what purpose Joseph had in these requests.
Here is what impressed me with these two faithful servants. Their complete loyalty to their master which also earned them promotion to their present positions of trust by their master. (Joseph knew about the rewards of loyal service in his own faithful service in prison and then to Pharaoh). They knew the character and the integrity of their master and wanted to serve them well, even if they may not have understood the purpose of the request. They knew the goodness of their master and that this request was for good and not for evil. They did not know how these requests from the master would turn out but they trusted their master and willingly obeyed every detail of the task they were given whether they understood the reason for the request or not.
I am not an Abraham or David or Paul, but I can certainly be a loyal, faithful, obedient, master-minded servant who loves my master, knows his goodness and knows I can trust my master in whatever request he makes of me, even if I do not understand the why of the request.

My AAA card from last year's anniversary

I am reminded of three things from the New Testament as I think of these faithful servants. 1) This saying from Jesus in Luke 17.7-10, "
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” 2) That the word "servant" used by Paul is most often the Greek word "doulos" which means slave. 3) Those words I want to hear from the lips of Jesus, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."
I want to be that kind of servant. Do you?

GRUMBLING AGAINST GOD

Liberia: I confess I am starting to feel nervous and a little stressed as departure time looms near. One more on our team of six is waiting for their Liberian visa. I still have some course preparation and two sermons two prepare so I ask for your prayers for me, our team, the Pastors in Liberia and the country of Liberia.

Israel spent a lot of time grumbling about their circumstances and their leader Moses after having been supernaturally delivered from their slavery in Egypt by God's mighty hand. In Exodus 16.8, in response to one of those grumbling times, there is an insightful comment by Moses which has a very important biblical truth at its core. Moses' comment is, "Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord". The biblical truth is that when we grumble or complain about our circumstances and our leaders we are denying and rebelling against the Sovereignty of God.
Since God is Sovereign, He either allows the circumstances we find ourselves in and the leaders that are over us, or He purposefully brings those circumstances into being or puts those leaders over us. God can intervene as He chooses or He can allow or establish as He chooses. Therefore, when I complain and grumble about my circumstances and leaders, I am rebelling against God and refusing to submit to His Sovereign rule over my life.

To submit to God in all my circumstances does not mean I have to enjoy or pretend to enjoy those circumstances but it does mean I have to thank God for them and work in them to fulfill whatever plan God has purposed in those circumstances and leaders. Looking back we may very well see why God allowed or established those particular circumstances or leaders but even if we do not see the hand of God in those circumstances we certainly must know the Goodness of God, the Love of God, the power of God, and the Sovereignty of God who works all things after the council of His own will.
So the next time you want to grumble and complain about your circumstances or leaders, Stop. You are grumbling against God's rule over your life. Rather in submission give thanks to God who knows and controls all things. The believer who knows and acknowledges the Sovereignty of God in all circumstances and gives thanks and praise to God will be filled with peace and joy that surpasses all his circumstances.

ABOUNDING IN LOVE

Liberia: Please join me this evening (November 15) at Rosedale Baptist Church, at 6:30 pm to view a video on Liberia and then to spend some time in prayer for Liberia. I will be leaving on this teaching trip with TLI <http://trainingleadersinternational.org/> in three weeks. I am started to feel the pressure. My passport, hopefully with a Liberian visa stamped into it, arrived in Welland today and I will pick it up on Thursday. Thank you for praying.

Philippians 1.9-11 says, "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."ESV 
Paul is praying for the saints in Philippi. He prays that their love will abound more and more. Because of the grace and mercy of God, and the love of God to them (1 John 4.19), these Philippian believers love God and love people. Love should be evident in our lives if we are truly born-again, and love is a fruit of the Spirit we should diligently and consciously nurture. Love for God and for others fulfills the Law of God and is the highest motivation for worship and service.
Paul wants their love to abound in knowledge. The Greek word used here means correct and precise knowledge. Christian love is not based on sentimental feelings but truth and doctrine from the Word of God. As Peter commands, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ".
Paul also wants their love to abound in discernment. Christian love is morally perceptive, understands right from wrong. Hebrews 5.14 teaches us that this kind of discernment is a sign of Christian maturity.

The result of love abounding in knowledge and discernment is the approval of what God calls excellent. Love abounding in knowledge and discernment results in purity and a blameless life before a Holy God in the day of Christ. Love abounding in knowledge and discernment enhances the fruit of righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. And above all love abounding in knowledge and discernment brings praise and glory to God.
God has called his saints to the life-long pursuit of abounding love by seeking the knowledge of God and His will, and discerning right from wrong by the Holy Spirit as knowledge is applied to circumstances. The harvest of abounding love is what we were created for in this life and in the next. Can I hear a passionate and enthusiastic Amen?
 

WHITE PAGES IN A BLACK BOOK

Liberia: It is less than a month before my departure. My passport and visa application are in Washington DC at the Liberian Embassy and I hope they will be coming home this week. Flights will be booked this week. I want to encourage you to continue to pray for the Pastors who will be attending training and for the teaching team. Thank you for your prayers, encouraging words, and support.

I recently read that the Bible has 1,189 chapters, only four of which do not involve a fallen world. Two of these chapters are found at the beginning of the Bible and two are found at the end of the Bible when a new heaven and earth are created. The Bible is like a book of black pages introduced by two white pages and ending with two white pages. What are written on those white pages?
On the first two pages we find man and woman created in the image of God, commissioned to be fruitful and multiply and to fill the earth and to subdue it. Mankind was to reproduce physically and to make known the image of God in and over all creation. This was to be done through the enabling given by God and in fellowship with God. Man was a natural, naive, untested, unproven, innocent, creation without precedent or history. This man choose to disobey God, failing his commission, resulting in a fallen world.

 On the last two pages of the victorious end of God's story we have resurrected man who is spiritual, wise, tested and proven, glorified, understanding man's failure in sin and God's purpose of redemption, worshiping God, ready and able to rule the world in God's name, in God's kingdom. God's original plan is now fulfilled, never to be disrupted. Glory to God.
What makes these last two white pages possible is what is found at the very center of the story - the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sin of mankind, and the gracious work of God who joins us to Christ and justifies us in Christ. We shall indeed glory in the grace of God for all eternity.
For now we find ourselves in the middle of God's story, in this age of black pages, looking toward to new age of white pages to come. As believers we already have one foot in the eternal kingdom of God and we are called to pull the other foot into that kingdom by the renewing of our mind in line with the theology and worldview of the Bible, and by disciplining our bodies to serve the Spirit in all its compellings. We are to prepare our minds and hearts now for white page living and tell others about the possibility of white page living while we still live in this present evil world. What a Gospel, What a Christ, What a God, What a Grace, What a Story.

NEW DESIRES, NEW LIFE IN CHRIST

Liberia: My passport along with my visa application and payment have arrived at the Liberian embassy in Washington DC. Pray for quick processing and return so that this part of my preparations will be complete. Next is booking flights. Please pray for the Pastors we will be ministering to. These Pastors have a heavy responsibility to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to show how this Gospel can meet some very deep needs caused by war, disease, conflict and severe poverty. Pray that the Holy Spirit may work through these Pastors and churches that many may experience the transforming and sustaining power of the Gospel in Liberia.

"The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and to be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." 2 Thessalonians 2.9-11. I was very much encouraged by this verse this week. How, you may ask, can a verse like this encourage me? Well this verse so clearly shows me that I am not of this world or of this age, but that I am a child of God in Jesus Christ and have new godly desires in the Holy Spirit. I do not believe what is false but it is very evident to me that I know and love and believe the truth, and my pleasure is not in unrighteousness but in righteousness. In fact I can strongly say that my desire for the kingdom of God is not to escape from this world (although I am looking forward to that) but to be fully righteous in every faculty of my new being while living in a righteous environment where there is no more sin, in the presence of a Holy and Righteous God. I thank God I am not blind, not deceived, not deluded, following Satan after false signs and wonders, but God has opened my eyes and made me a lover of truth in Christ.

 A believer in Christ is a supernaturally transformed person and this transformation applies to desires as well as thoughts. These new desires and thoughts in our human nature need to be supported daily by submitting our bodies to them and by saying no to those old and long-resident desires and thoughts generated in us by inherited and practiced sin. The Christ-like transformation is gradual and conflict is certain for those who choose this narrow road. We also help ourselves in this transformation by daily Bible reading and meditation, prayer, service and fellowship with like minded saints. Each believer is promised final glorification by the fact of their being foreknown, predestined, called and justified (Romans 8.29) but a number of believers seem to only casually pursue this road of transformation promised to all. May God give each of us a greater understanding and determination in accordance with Paul's prayer, "that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead". [Philippians 4.10-11]