INTERCONNECTED FOR MUTUAL GROWTH

Tanzania Update: It is just over a week before my trip begins. Preparations are going well. I will be spending extra time on my lessons next week. Please pray that other immediate needs do not interfere with this preparation time. My primary concerns at this time are the preparation of my lessons and teaching them through a translator; the extra burdens that will be upon Gloria and Michelle while I am away; maintaining good health and stamina before and during my time away; and my flight connections. If you could especially hold up these concerns I would much appreciate it. Please pray that God will teach and show Himself to the students both in the formal setting of the classroom and in the time we spend with them in the college compound. I thank God for your fellowship in the Gospel.

"We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings (weaknesses) of the weak, and not to please ourselves". (Romans 15.1) This verse is part of a larger section of teaching (Romans 14.1 to 15.7) on not allowing personal convictions and practices about food and drink and special days to bring disunity and destruction to the body of Christ. Some believers were still influenced by their Jewish rituals and beliefs, and some by their Gentile practices. Paul calls the believers who have carried some of these influences and convictions into their new Christian life, "weak in faith". They did not yet understand and practice their full freedom in Christ.
To some degree we can apply "weak in faith" to Christians in our churches today who still believe and live from their unchristian, worldly upbringing. In the scriptures above we are told that the convictions of these weak believers were to honor the Lord. This is not the case with these new recently-delivered-from-the-world believers but they are still "weak in faith". The church has many such people and should expect many more to come to faith in Christ. They become believers with little biblical background and often with distorted beliefs and practices. They will carry into their Christian life convictions and practices with no biblical basis or from a misunderstanding of the Bible's teachings.
Paul has some clear instruction on how the "strong" in the faith are to respond to those "weak in faith". First we are to welcome them (14.1). Paul's idea of welcome is not that of a man wearing a big grin, rubbing his hands together, ready after greeting the weak believer to pounce on him with a rebuke from the Bible, an itemized list of new behaviors and ideas, with a fierce determination to make him into his envisioned christian icon. No! Paul says in the same breath as welcome them, "but not to quarrel over opinions". We are not to despise them or pass judgement on them (14.3).
In 15.1 Paul says we have an "obligation to bear with the weaknesses of the weak and not to please ourselves". The strong are not to ignore the weak and hang only with the strong, nor are they to rule over the weak with an attitude of pride and disdain, but they are to bear with the weak in an unselfish way. This is more than pity and tolerance.

Paul does not say we are obligated to bear with the weak in their weaknesses but with the weaknesses of the weak. This is unusual wording and deserves some meditation. Paul is not asking the strong to approve of the weaknesses of the week but for the strong to accept the consequences that their weakness will have on the christian community as a whole, and to identify with those weaknesses and how they effect one another in the community in the day-to-day experience of life. In love and in Christ, this will promote hope and unity, opportunity for growth in love, in patience, in truth and in character both for the weak and the strong. God is strong in our weaknesses, and brings much fruit through weakness. The principle at work in these verses is more than toleration for the weak and putting up with the weak because we have to while living our own life in spite of the weak. This will only lead to a marginalization of the weak by the strong. No! God has a fuller plan to use the weaknesses of the weak to bring godly fruit, character, deeper love, sensitivity, mercy, compassion, dependence on Him, and a Spirit filled life to the whole community. Praise God for giving the community weak believers for as we respond to them God's way we will know God's growth as a body of believers.
Paul gives the example of Christ who was willing to identify with sinners to save sinners, and was willing to accept the reproach of others in this seeming unholy behavior (15.3). The end result will be the glory of God (15.6-7). "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God".
Tell me, how did Christ welcome you? Did Christ tell you to become perfect and then to come to Him? NO! Come as a sinner and I will forgive you, come and I will fully accept you and love you, come as your are and I will teach you, and I will identify with you even though the world despises you, to the glory of God.
A lot more could be said about these verses but I leave off for now.

LOVE, HONOR

Tanzania Update: The East Africa Christian College website is <http://maxpoint.org/eastafricacc>. Pray for the conversion of the Muslim people of Tanzania, especially from the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. Conversion among Muslims has increased but pray for more. There is a spiritual battle between Muslim fundamentalism and Christianity for the souls of these Muslim people. Pray for the work that is being done in Tanzania by a number of different Christian groups. Pray for ongoing Bible translations. 51 languages have no Scripture at all and 32 only have portions of the Bible. Pray as the nation increases in literacy that Christian tracts and books and digital resources will increase. Pray for the ministries of Christian radio, the Jesus film and Gospel Recordings, which has recorded gospel messages in 88 languages and dialects. God is working in Tanzania but the need is great. Especially pray for the church and the Pastors of the nation.

Romans 12.10 says, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." As followers of Christ we are called to glorify God by loving and honoring others. Loving others as we read in 1 Corinthians 13 is selfless and sacrificial. We are to give to others and treat others in a way that helps them not so much to get what they want, but to discover what they need and have in the fullness of Jesus Christ. Sometimes an act of benevolent love is a voice of support for the Gospel that someone else will preach at a later date. At other times the action of love is in the form of a rebuke or even a withholding of support that God may have room to work in the life.

As Christians we are especially called to love and honor fellow believers in Jesus. We are commanded to show them genuine appreciation, affection and admiration and to put them first as we are told in Philippians 2.3-11 and shown in the example of Christ. Of course other believers are people and that is the problem. We know that we are easy to love, but them, well that is another situation!!! God enables the Christian to embrace the porcupine in love and honor as well as the teddy bear.
We are to outdo one another in showing honor. What a loud message to a back biting, self-centered, proud world. As smiling, humble, serving, honoring, loving Christians we may be mocked for our beliefs and marginalized in our social circles, but let us make sure we are never accused of hypocrisy, and partiality. Let's at least be attractive to the world and not give any valid reason for their rejection of Jesus. "Let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven". (Matthew 5.16). "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation". (1 Peter 2.12).
Grab a coffee or tea or juice or water. It is time to take 1/2 hour to quietly meditate on 1 Peter 2. God has given us much and also calls us to much as we live in Christ.

SET APART TO SERVE GOD

Tanzania Update: Christopher John and Peter Andrew (pray for them) started East Africa Christian College two years ago. Training Leaders International (TLI) shares a large portion of the teaching responsibilities and also does training seminars for area Pastors. This is a small school with four living-room sized classrooms, with chalkboards and small desks. Desks and chairs need to be replaced with more durable ones and a TLI team member is seeking to raise the funds for this. TLI is also providing funds to build a second overhang where teaching can be done outside. The TLI team (5 of us) will be staying at the school. Water is intermittent and the city dump next door produces acrid smoke which irritates the eyes but otherwise the conditions are clean and safe. We will be teaching 5 hours a day for 5 days. The EACC is seeking to expand its 100 book library so a number of us will be bringing reference books and commentaries as a gift to the school. We will be flying through Amsterdam to Nairobi and the whole trip with layovers is 42 hours long. I will be leaving February 1st and returning late on the 13th. The Saturday before we fly back we will spend the day in the Serengeti National Park which will be a treat after a long week.
Here are some statistics and prayers for Tanzania. I would encourage you to read about and pray for Tanzania from Operation World until February 13th. Let me know if you are committing to this prayer time. That would be so encouraging to me. Tanzania is 54% Christian (all denominations) and 31% Muslim. The evangelical population is about 18% of the 54%. From 1990 to 2010 the evangelical population grew from 9.2% to 17.9%. Conversion growth continues. The country is very poor, life expectancy is 55 years, witchcraft and occult practices are rampant, aids afflicts almost 9% of the population, many children are orphans because of aids, and Islamic fundamentalism is seeking inroads. In spite of all this the church is growing and evangelizing. The greatest need in the church is for leadership development. There is a critical lack of trained, mature leaders, and many pastors must care for 10 or more congregations, often miles apart. 45% of Tanzania's population is under 15 years of age so the future of Tanzania is in the hands of the youth who need Jesus. Many students are being converted including Muslims and training them is essential. There are many other needs to pray for. Please join me in praying for Tanzania.

The Bible is filled with rich diamonds. Here is a diamond for you. "And for their sake I consecrate myself,^[a] that they also may be sanctified^[b] in truth." (John 17.19) In this verse Jesus is letting us listen as he prays to his Father about how he has fulfilled his mission on earth in obedience to the Father. Jesus says that for the sake of the disciples that have believed in him he has consecrated himself. The footnote to this verse [a] says, Or I sanctify myself; or I set myself apart (for holy service to God). That sums up the whole purpose of Jesus to God his Father. Jesus has set himself apart for God's holy service and the cross is the culmination act in this service, and he does this for the disciples. Why? So that the disciples may also be sanctified. This word is the same verb as consecrate but a different tense which looks to a future possibility. Footnote [b] says, Greek may be set apart (for holy service to God). Jesus set himself apart for God's service so that we might be set apart for God's service in truth. We can go so far as to say that the abandoned life of service that Jesus lived unto the Father was so that we might live the same abandoned life of service unto the Father in truth, so that others may be able to live the abandoned life of service to the Father in truth and so on... Here is how the Expanded Bible translates this verse, "For their sake, I am making myself ready to serve [sanctifying/consecrating myself] so that they can be ready for their service of [sanctified/consecrated by] the truth." What a radical thought. What a radical privilege. And what a radical responsibility. 

2017 SENT ONES

Tanzania mission trip update: I now know and am preparing to co-teach Biblical Theology to a certificate level class at the newly established East Africa Christian College. I also hope to take along a suitcase of reference books to donate toward building up their new library. Thank you for praying and continue to pray for this trip. Pray for safety and health, flying and connections, class preparations, and finances. Please pray for Malaki, a Tanzanian pastor who is translating the course material into Swahili. For donation information for this trip see <http://ron-east-west.blogspot.ca/2016/12/trip-to-tanzania.html>

Earlier this week I finished reading the Gospel of John. Toward the end of my reading I started to notice three things: 1) how the Jews are ready to stone Jesus for making himself equal with God 2) how Jesus often says the he is only saying and doing what God has told to him to say and do 3) And how often Jesus says that he is sent from God. So I am reading John again with pen in hand, underlining in different formats these three items as they repeatedly come up in John.

In John 20.21-22 Jesus says, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.^" And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." 
Let us see ourselves in 2017 as sent ones, sent by Jesus to bring the glory of God to this world.
As sent ones we need to daily maintain fellowship with our Father in heaven so that we might know God's will and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Daily prayer and meditation on God's Word is an important part of maintaining fellowship with the Father who sent us, so we can be conscious and aware of those he is sending us to. Read John 17 to see why Jesus was sent by God and what he desired to leave behind upon his return to the Father.
As sent ones we need to know God's message that offers salvation to sinners who repent and trust Christ to save them, and God's message that can sanctify the saints and conform them to Christ the firstborn son.
As sent ones we need to live loving and holy lives and live out a biblical worldview.
As sent ones we need to be familiar with the ways of our enemy the devil, to know how to rule over our flesh, and learn to live as dead to the world.
As sent ones we have received the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses to Jesus but we are to make sure we are filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit.
Yes, we have a great calling upon us for 2017 as Jesus' sent ones but we are sent by the Father fully equipped and supported so let us take every opportunity as we follow the leading of God.

May 2017 be a year of deeper intimacy with the Father, of knowing a fuller love from the Father, of deeper insight into the Father's Word, of increasing faith in the Father's promises, and of bearing more abundant fruit through abiding in Jesus. As the world collapses around us let us bring glory to God in word and action.

MONEY MATTERS

 It is not very difficult in our materialistic culture to defend how we spend our money. As Christians we seldom directly connect our spending to the state of our hearts and are often oblivious to how our heart should effect our spending. Should we allow spending and the state of our hearts to harmonize we would be surprised on both fronts. We would find our spending to be more in line with the world's values than God's values, and we would sadly discover that our hearts harbor more of the love of this world than we imagined or would like to admit. Jesus said that we cannot, try as we will, serve God and money. But we still try to serve both God and money, and think we are accomplishing the impossible. To the Pharisees who served money while claiming to serve God, Jesus said "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God." Luke 16.15 esv

How to use "unrighteous wealth" (v9,10) in the service of God is not easy and straight forward. We do not have a legal list of buys and don't buys, of amounts and percentages, of ethics to guide our spending, but we do have a few guidelines given to us.
1) Acknowledge that all you have comes from God and give yourself with a grateful attitude to God. "For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." (2 Corinthians 2.3-5)

2) Give to God  the first portion. "Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come." (1 Corinthians 16.1-2) "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.^" (2 Corinthians 9.6-8)

3) Strive to be content with what God has given you and be grateful for it. We don't need all that the world says we need. "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." (Philippians 4.11) "But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." (1 Timothy 6.8) "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13.5)
4) Seek to fulfill God's purpose for you as you walk filled with hope for the present and God's promised future. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (Matthew 6.33 [Read 26-34, a wonderful passage]). "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2.10).

Have a Merry Christmas and may God help us to increase in the understanding of our spiritual richness in Christ. "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." (2 Corinthians 8.9)

TRIP TO TANZANIA

On Wednesday I was approved for a mission trip to Tanzania from February 3-12 2017, with Training Leaders International <http://trainingleadersinternational.org> the same group I worked with in the Philippines in May. Have a look at the website. Here are the trip details ---

Tanzania Feb 2017  –  February 3-12, 2017

Location:  Mwanza, Tanzania
Trip Leader:  Steve Krogh
Synopsis:  We are partnering with East Africa Christian College (EACC) in providing theological training for pastors in the Tarime region along the Tanzania-Kenya border. This newly opened school is strategically located in an area underserved by pastoral training ministries. Recent gospel advances make the need for equipping pastors especially urgent. We currently teach Swahili-speaking pastors (via interpreters) in a Certificate Program and in 2017 we anticipate teaching English-speaking pastors in the new Diploma Program. TLI has also been asked to teach a bi-annual conference for regional church leaders, which has been well-attended. Tanzania is a beautiful country, home of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti National Park, which is located a few hours drive from EACC.
Courses to be taught: Biblical Theology & Attributes of God

Mwanza is circled in red

 Preparation time for this trip is quite short so please pray as I prepare my lessons. It is not too early to pray about good flying weather (leaving from Buffalo), making connections, health and safety before, during and after the trip, the long flight, the preparation of the students, working in Swahili through a translator, the other teachers on the team and the establishment of this new Bible College. I look forward to this trip.

If you would like to support this trip you can donate:
1) By mailing a check to Reach Beyond Canada, Unit 3- 44 Saltsman Dr, Cambridge, ON, N3H 4R7 or online at <http://reachbeyond.ca/> then clicking DONATE button, and then from the drop down menu select - "Donate to a missionary and indicate name below in message", then enter Ron Latulippe in the "Message for Reach Beyond" box below, then fill out remaining information.
3) US citizens can donate directly to TLI at PO Box 310 / Wheaton, IL 60187 and specify that your donation is for Ron Latulippe for the Tanzania trip or through this link <https://trainingleadersinternational.org/support/give?tbl=teams&id=260> select "short term team members" and in step two select "enter unlisted team member" which is at the bottom of the drop down menu and add my name and trip "Ron Latulippe Tanzania Feb" to blank space, then proceed with donor information. Please let me know if donate directly to TLI so I can make sure it gets to my account.

Thank you for your patience.

Please feel free to pass this blog on to others. To subscribe or unsubscribe send me an email at rtulip231@gmail.com

ALL WEATHER CONFESSORS

How easy it is to confess Jesus as Lord when the sun is warming your face and a slight  breeze makes you feel just right, and the bright blue sky is inviting you to a picnic or a walk or to read your favorite book in the shade of the back porch. What joy there is in being a fair weather confessor. But those days are not common days but special days, days to be enjoyed and remembered and hoped for. These are days which point to our eternal hope and destiny in the presence of Jesus. Eternal days that are yet ahead of us. For now we live in this present evil world, in these mortal bodies of sin, in the consequences of our own sin and the sin of others around us compounded into an anti-Jesus world atmosphere. And in this unholy atmosphere we are called to confess Jesus as Lord by deed and word and attitude not by compulsion but in love that we are to renew in the presence of our beloved Jesus each day. And this we must do on the peril of not being an all weather confessor of Jesus our Lord.
Peter is an example to us in this respect. "Peter answered him, 'Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away'". (Matthew 26.32) Peter had just shared in a wonderful communion with Jesus and the disciples. The future looked bright and promising. The weather was fair for confessing allegiance to Jesus. But that soon changed with the happenings in Gethsemane, the betrayal of Jesus, his arrest, and the trial before Caiaphas and the Council. A servant girl came up to Peter and said to him, "You were with Jesus the Galilean". And Peter denied it before them all saying, "I do not know what you mean". And then a second time, "I do not know the man". And then finally invoking a curse on himself and swearing, "I do not know the man". (Matthew 26.69-75)

Before we condemn Peter too harshly we need to see that we too can easily be fair weather confessors, not so much by deliberate denial but by convenient conformity to our circumstances. Peter would have been happy to sit and watch the proceedings on the trial of Jesus but when called out, deliberately denied his Lord. We too are too often content to watch and hope we are not challenged to confess, content to live in avoidance in our workplaces and playplaces and errandplaces. God calls us to be witnesses of Christ in deed, attitude, and word like lights shining in a dark world. (Philippians 2.14-16) Choose to be an all weather confessor of Jesus as Lord.

To unsubscribe send an email to rtulip231@gmail.com
If you know of anyone who would like to receive this blog send me their email.