The Missionary's Goal- Oswald Chambers
The+Missionary%E2%80%99s+Goal
I just read this devotional this morning with my kids. We focused in on Matthew 10:24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his masters. This goes along with what we read in church last Sunday in Malachi 1:6a "The LORD of Heaven's Armies says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve?"
So if we are followers of Christ, our will is to be laid down and we need to follow the will of the Father. Even if we don't understand why and even if others are not grateful for what we do. We do God's will because we love Him and want to honor our heavenly Father. :-)
I just read this devotional this morning with my kids. We focused in on Matthew 10:24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his masters. This goes along with what we read in church last Sunday in Malachi 1:6a "The LORD of Heaven's Armies says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve?"
So if we are followers of Christ, our will is to be laid down and we need to follow the will of the Father. Even if we don't understand why and even if others are not grateful for what we do. We do God's will because we love Him and want to honor our heavenly Father. :-)
Unity
Ephesians 2:12b-13 "You were excluded from citizenship...and you did not know the covenant promises God had made...You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ."
Sometimes I talk with people who seem so lost. This past week we had a caller at the Billy Graham Association that called ready to commit suicide. All of us stopped and prayed for the caller. I feel so much sorrow for people who have no hope. But I can look back at my life and remember that same feeling of no hope. God does not want us to be in such despair. He wants us to know the hope we have in Him. He is our hope and wants to be the one we turn to for everything. We can have unity with God.
Ephesians 2:14a,15b 16, 18, 19b "For Christ Himself has brought peace to us...He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family."
These verses are for us who have received Christ as our Savior, to remind us to be unified. No matter which Christian denomination, nationality, gender or school we go to, we are all ONE body under Christ. We BELONG to the same Father & have the same Holy Spirit within us because of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We are not outsiders as the world can make us feel, we are inside the family of God. We are called to worship the one true God, and to love each other with a deep love as Christ ambassadors.
So how do we do this with all of the waves of life, difficult people and sins in our heart? We do this by the means that we have been given. The Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
Ephesians 2:20-22 "Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you ..are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit."
How cool is that? We are made the dwelling place where God's Spirit lives. Wow! We no longer have to listen to our sinful nature but are free to obey God's Spirit that desires to work through us. :-)
Lord, I pray that I would be a willing vessel for you. That my sinful ways would not try to get in your way. That you would reign in my heart, mind and soul. That you would help me love others they way you want me to.
Sometimes I talk with people who seem so lost. This past week we had a caller at the Billy Graham Association that called ready to commit suicide. All of us stopped and prayed for the caller. I feel so much sorrow for people who have no hope. But I can look back at my life and remember that same feeling of no hope. God does not want us to be in such despair. He wants us to know the hope we have in Him. He is our hope and wants to be the one we turn to for everything. We can have unity with God.
Ephesians 2:14a,15b 16, 18, 19b "For Christ Himself has brought peace to us...He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family."
These verses are for us who have received Christ as our Savior, to remind us to be unified. No matter which Christian denomination, nationality, gender or school we go to, we are all ONE body under Christ. We BELONG to the same Father & have the same Holy Spirit within us because of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. We are not outsiders as the world can make us feel, we are inside the family of God. We are called to worship the one true God, and to love each other with a deep love as Christ ambassadors.
So how do we do this with all of the waves of life, difficult people and sins in our heart? We do this by the means that we have been given. The Holy Spirit that dwells within us.
Ephesians 2:20-22 "Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you ..are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit."
How cool is that? We are made the dwelling place where God's Spirit lives. Wow! We no longer have to listen to our sinful nature but are free to obey God's Spirit that desires to work through us. :-)
Lord, I pray that I would be a willing vessel for you. That my sinful ways would not try to get in your way. That you would reign in my heart, mind and soul. That you would help me love others they way you want me to.
Strength
There are times when I feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to do something. So I go ahead and jump in to that idea. As I am starting to do it, I begin to run like a hamster in one of those hamster wheels, thinking I can get somewhere fast. But God’s thoughts, ways and timing are not ours.
Isaiah 55:8 "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
He has much to teach us and others with each experience He gives us. So it is up to us to lean into our Father and trust Him even when we don’t understand the how, when or why.
Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
Philippians 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
I have a tendency to get derailed trying to do things in my own strength, which only leaves me exhausted and feeling defeated. But I like the phrase that says; “Do all you can…. And God will do, what you cannot.”
Isaiah 40:31 “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
So I come back to the Lords feet and hand Him my burdens knowing that He loves me and has a plan and a purpose for my life.
1Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
1Corinthians 6:17 “But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Romans 7:4 “So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the One who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.”
God is our strength. He is stronger and mightier then anyone or anything. He is our rock and can be trusted to be faithful.
Psalm 68:34 “Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel; His strength is mighty in the heavens.”
1Samuel 30:6b “But David found strength in the LORD his God.”
Job 12:16 “Yes, strength and wisdom are His; deceivers and deceived are both in His power.
Lord, I pray for Your will to be done in my life and that I would surrender to You no matter what may come.
Chosen
When I was young, my biological father left my mother, my sister and I. It was difficult to feel the hurt of my fathers rejection. It made life rough for awhile because I had a mom that was gone and dealing with so much while she worked to support us. But a few years later, Mom remarried and my second father decided to adopt me.
In middle school, I remember waiting to be chosen for one of the basketball teams that would play during recess. The one thing that no one wanted was to be the last one chosen. Most of the time I was chosen somewhere in the middle, letting out a sigh of relief. I wasn't the best player but was ok.
I think being wanted, or chosen is something everyone yearns for and God put that hole in our heart that only He can fill. In reality, we already have been chosen, FIRST.
Ephesians 1:4-5 "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure."
These verses make me think of a little pound puppy waiting to be picked. This puppy is filthy and waiting for love and a family to belong to. We are like the pound puppy, filthy in sin, yet chosen. God points to us and says, I want that one. He brings us into His family and washes us clean by the blood of Jesus that covered our sins. That is just what happened when God sent His Son Jesus, to die for our sins and make us spotless in His eyes. :-)
Galatians 4:4-7 "But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir."
1Peter 4:8 "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
Christ died once for all. He is asking us to live not for a way to earn heaven but out of a grateful heart. To follow His example of love and gentleness to have victory over sin.
Lord, I pray for your help to live expressing your kind of love. Only you can give us the power to do this.
In middle school, I remember waiting to be chosen for one of the basketball teams that would play during recess. The one thing that no one wanted was to be the last one chosen. Most of the time I was chosen somewhere in the middle, letting out a sigh of relief. I wasn't the best player but was ok.
I think being wanted, or chosen is something everyone yearns for and God put that hole in our heart that only He can fill. In reality, we already have been chosen, FIRST.
Ephesians 1:4-5 "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure."
These verses make me think of a little pound puppy waiting to be picked. This puppy is filthy and waiting for love and a family to belong to. We are like the pound puppy, filthy in sin, yet chosen. God points to us and says, I want that one. He brings us into His family and washes us clean by the blood of Jesus that covered our sins. That is just what happened when God sent His Son Jesus, to die for our sins and make us spotless in His eyes. :-)
Galatians 4:4-7 "But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now you are no longer a slave but God's own child. And since you are His child, God has made you His heir."
1Peter 4:8 "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
Christ died once for all. He is asking us to live not for a way to earn heaven but out of a grateful heart. To follow His example of love and gentleness to have victory over sin.
Lord, I pray for your help to live expressing your kind of love. Only you can give us the power to do this.
By Your Side
Psalm 121:1-8 "A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the One who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, He who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD Himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."
Missions
Today I wanted to take a moment to let you know about something God has put on our hearts as a family. We are planning to go to the Dominican Republic (God willing) in Feb. 2012. Here is a link that you can go to for updates: http://servewiththevanterves.blogspot.com
Friend of God
James 2:20-23 "How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God."
How precious it is to be friends with God. :-)
2 Forces, 1 Joy
Today we read Galatians 5 about our freedom in Christ. How sweet is that! Since Christ loved us and died for us, if we sin today we are already forgiven. :-) We are told that if we try to find favor with God by keeping the law, that we have fallen away from God's grace. But if we live by faith in the Spirit, we receive the promise to be made right with God through faith. And our faith is made evident and expresses itself in love.
In verse 13, we are reminded that we are not given freedom to satisfy our sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. If we are living according to our new life in the Spirit, we won't crave doing sinful things. But we are told that our choices are never free from the conflict of these 2 forces (our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit within us).
If we rely on our intellect and strength, we will make bad choices with consequences. But if we are ready to listen to God through His Word and obey it, discerning the difference between our feelings and the Holy Spirits prompting, then we will be following His lead.
Following our sin leads to: immorality, impurity, lust for pleasure, idolatry, demonic activity, anger, selfishness, pride, envy, drunkenness, partying, and the like. Living this sort of life does not lead to the Kingdom of Heaven.
However, allowing ourselves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (surrendering our will to His), produces joyful things like: love, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. The coolest part about letting God be in control is that we are free to do all of these things as much as we want, and there is no conflict with the laws of God.
Romans 8:9 "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christian at all)."
Romans 8:12 "So... you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do." vs 14 "For all who are lead by the Spirit of God are children of God."
I pray that we would all seek the Holy Spirits leading, and feel the joy that only comes by being a child of God. :-)
In verse 13, we are reminded that we are not given freedom to satisfy our sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. If we are living according to our new life in the Spirit, we won't crave doing sinful things. But we are told that our choices are never free from the conflict of these 2 forces (our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit within us).
If we rely on our intellect and strength, we will make bad choices with consequences. But if we are ready to listen to God through His Word and obey it, discerning the difference between our feelings and the Holy Spirits prompting, then we will be following His lead.
Following our sin leads to: immorality, impurity, lust for pleasure, idolatry, demonic activity, anger, selfishness, pride, envy, drunkenness, partying, and the like. Living this sort of life does not lead to the Kingdom of Heaven.
However, allowing ourselves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (surrendering our will to His), produces joyful things like: love, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control. The coolest part about letting God be in control is that we are free to do all of these things as much as we want, and there is no conflict with the laws of God.
Romans 8:9 "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christian at all)."
Romans 8:12 "So... you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do." vs 14 "For all who are lead by the Spirit of God are children of God."
I pray that we would all seek the Holy Spirits leading, and feel the joy that only comes by being a child of God. :-)
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