“Refuse to be discouraged by the many signs that planet earth is the insane asylum of the solar system.” (Anonymous)

We are living in a time of the worst refugee crisis since World War II. Syria is in ruins and its people are on the run from a seemingly endless nightmare. Millions are trapped inside Syria in dire condition. Millions of others have overwhelmed neighboring countries—and their numbers and needs grow daily. More than 320,000 people have been killed in the war in Syria, with no resolution in sight. Before the war began in 2011, 23 million people lived in Syria; half of them have been displaced. More than 12 million innocent people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly 6 million of these refugees are children.

Like many Christians, I have been disturbed by the news concerning the continuing refugee crisis spawned by the turmoil in Syria. Frida Ghitis (CNN, September 4^th) described how she felt the world should respond to the Syria crisis. Her compassion is obvious; her challenge to action is stirring.

I believe we should respond to this crisis with compassion. If anyone cares, believers in the God who is love should. Seeing the image of a 3-year-old lying facedown on a beach, dead, after his family attempted to escape the horrors of civil war, touches our heart. Shame on us if we are not moved—apathy is disgraceful.

Yet compassion without action is meaningless. Our heartfelt concern should cause us to respond. Above all, we should pray. Though some consider prayer a waste of time, connecting with the Greatest Power in the universe surely is not a useless exercise.

We need to pray for world leaders—that God would grant them wisdom and courage to act to slow and halt this crisis. Unless world leaders intervene, the situation will worsen with more refugees and greater instability. Ghitis recommends an international gathering of countries—including Germany, the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and the United Nations—to focus on stopping the killing, helping the refugees, and ending the war. She advocates establishing safe zones inside Syria and ending the regime of Syria’s cruel despot who has rejected peaceful demands for democratic reform.

We need to pray for our President—that he will lead Americans to stop viewing the Syrian civil war as “their problem”. That conflict has not been contained there, but has led to ISIS threatening the security of many nations, including ours.

We need to pray for peace—that warring factions will stop killing each other, and that the Prince of peace will bless world leaders with backbone to respond effectively to “the moral and strategic challenge of our time” (Ghitis).

We need to pray for the refugees—that God will provide them with a safe haven, a home free from fear, a home where there is calm.

We need to do more than pray. UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders, the International Rescue Committee, World Vision, Save the Children, and the UN Refugee Agency provide cash assistance for rent, food, health care, and trauma counseling. By making a donation to these charitable organizations, we “put feet on our prayers” and demonstrate that our compassion is genuine.

“I urge you to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” (2 Timothy 2:1-3 NLT).

Johnny R. Almond

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Interim Pastor, Nomini Baptist Church; Montross, Virginia

Blog http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

If given the choice between a meal at the fanciest gourmet restaurant or McDonald’s, which would you choose? There are several reasons people frequently opt for fast food, and this points to some larger issues in how we make important, life-altering decisions in our lives.

Of course, sometimes you might just be having a Big Mac attack, craving greasy, high-calorie food instead of things that are better for you. Yes, there is some immediate pleasure, but how does that make you feel a few hours later?

At other times, your decision to settle for fast food may be a matter of cost. Hey, you can get LOTS of food at McDonald’s for the price of a good steak at Ruth’s Chris. But think about it: You also can buy dog food relatively inexpensively if that’s what you are willing to settle for.

Although I don’t eat much fast food these days, I’m sure it’s main attraction for me was simply SPEED and convenience. Even when I could afford Ruth’s Chris, I didn’t want to spend an hour or two to eat there. Usually, I was in a time crunch, on the way to some meeting or appointment. Sitting down for a gourmet meal wasn’t enough of a priority to carve out time in my schedule.

I’ve been challenged by these principles lately, for they don’t just apply to my diet, but to other priorities and decisions in my life.

For example, am I truly willing to practice delayed gratification instead of indulging my “sweet tooth” for momentary pleasures? Am I willing to patiently pay the price to receive God’s BEST for my life instead of settling for mediocre options and outcomes?

Many Bible stories speak to these issues, but I’m especially intrigued by the prophet Samuel’s quest to find the next king (1 Samuel 16:1-13). The Lord had instructed him to select the new king from among the sons of Jesse, which at least narrowed down his search.

But it turned out that Jesse had many sons, so it potentially could be a long day to determine which of them was God’s choice.

Starting with the oldest son, Eliab, the prophet began his review process. “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” he said enthusiastically (v. 6).

This misguided assumption by Samuel should cause each of us to pause and realize how we might be prone to the same error. Like a McDonald’s drive-through, the easiest decision would be to simply anoint Eliab and be done with it.

Yet as the story continues, God tells Samuel his perspective is all wrong:

Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (v. 7).

Think of how this might apply to your own life today. If you’re considering a business deal or new career offer, are you content to merely examine how it appears on the surface? If you are seeking a wife or husband, are you prone to be swayed by their physical appearance rather than what God has done in their heart?

One by one, seven of Jesse’s sons came before Samuel, and the Lord surprisingly turned each of them down. From a human perspective, each of these young men probably seemed like good candidates: handsome, strong, and with a good upbringing.

But could you imagine how Israel’s history might have been different if Samuel had settled for one of these first seven options? It would have been quite easy to do so, especially when Option #8 hadn’t even appeared on the scene yet.

Samuel must have been puzzled when God refused to put His stamp of approval on any of Jesse’s first seven sons. “Are ALL the young men here?” he finally asked in frustration (v. 11).

No one had even thought to invite David to the big event. After all, he was the youngest, assigned to the menial task of caring for his father’s sheep.

Like Samuel, perhaps you’re looking at your options today on some important matter. Maybe you’ve already discarded the first seven possibilities, and you see no other prospects on the horizon. So…will you wait for Option #8—the option that’s still hidden from your view?

It had been a long day for Samuel, just as our selection processes in life may seem long and arduous. But when David finally appeared, there was no doubt that He was God’s man. “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” Samuel said, certainly with great relief.

My friend, God has wonderful plans for you. He wants to give you His best. But that means you’ll have to be patient, waiting for the other options to pass by.

Your “David” is right around the corner. I hope you won’t settle for anything less.

God's Strange Process to Create Something Beautiful in You

Recently God gave me a stunning word picture while praying with a friend. Through no fault of his own, my friend had been going through a difficult and often bewildering trial.

In my mind’s eye, I saw a beautiful pearl being formed amid the darkness of an oyster shell.

Not knowing much about how pearls are formed, I later did some research at AmericanPearl.com and found this intriguing description of the process:

The birth of a pearl is truly a miraculous event. Unlike gemstones or precious metals that must be mined from the earth, pearls are grown by live oysters far below the surface of the sea. Gemstones must be cut and polished to bring out their beauty. But pearls need no such treatment to reveal their loveliness. They are born from oysters complete—with a shimmering iridescence, lustre and soft inner glow unlike any other gem on earth.

A natural pearl begins its life as a foreign object, such as a parasite or piece of shell that accidentally lodges itself in an oyster’s soft inner body where it cannot be expelled. To ease this irritant, the oyster's body takes defensive action. The oyster begins to secrete a smooth, hard crystalline substance around the irritant in order to protect itself. This substance is called “nacre.” As long as the irritant remains within its body, the oyster will continue to secrete nacre around it, layer upon layer. Over time, the irritant will be completely encased by the silky crystalline coatings. And the result, ultimately, is the lovely and lustrous gem called a pearl.

How something so wondrous emerges from an oyster’s way of protecting itself is one of nature's loveliest surprises. For the nacre is not just a soothing substance. It is composed of microscopic crystals of calcium carbonate, aligned perfectly with one another, so that light passing along the axis of one crystal is reflected and refracted by another to produce a rainbow of light and color.

It’s not too hard to see the parallels between creation of a pearl and the difficult circumstances we all face in life from time to time:

1. The pearl never would have formed without an “irritant”—some unwanted foreign object that intrudes into our peaceful world.
2. The pearl, though ultimately beautiful and lustrous, is formed in utter darkness, in the “secret place” where no one can see.
3. The larger the irritant, and the longer it remains, the larger and more lovely the pearl will become. It’s fascinating the Bible describes 12 pearls in the New Jerusalem as being so enormous that each pearl can form an entire city gate! (Revelation 21:21)
4. The nacre that forms a pearl is actually made up of the same substance that created the outer shell. This is a great illustration of a life of integrity, consistent inside and out.
5. Creation of a pearl is a slow process, usually requiring at least three to five years. In the same way, our maturation into Christlikeness is an ongoing process that requires time and patience.
6. The painful, irritating process will be worth it in the end! Just as AmericanPearl.com describes for pearls, the result for us will be “a rainbow of light and color.” As an interesting parallel, the trial experienced by Noah and his family was rewarded at the end by a rainbow, a sign of God’s covenant love and faithfulness (Genesis 9:13-16).

So why did Jesus speak in Matthew 13:45-46 of “one pearl of great price,” so valuable that a man “went and sold all that he had and bought it”? In a much greater way than my friend’s irritating, unfair trial, Jesus went through history’s ultimate agony when He suffered and died for us on the cross. The result was the gospel, a pearl so valuable that we should be willing to sell everything else in order to obtain it (Philippians 3:7-10).

If you are facing some difficult circumstances today, I encourage you to remember how pearls are made. You may not like the process, nor do I. But I’m pretty sure we’re going to love the outcome when the oyster shell opens and we marvel at what God has produced in us in the darkness. 

Recently, 85 men and women from 7 military bases attended a Discipleship Practicum Retreat. There was no main speaker, there was no formal band, and there was no comedian to hype up the crowd before we got started. There was, however, a Testimony Scavenger Hunt, four workshops, a fun night and a close-out session.

Friday night we held a Testimony Scavenger Hunt where we practiced giving our Jesus stories to each other. Everyone was given a sheet of paper with twenty categories, being instructed to find one person for each category, tell them your Jesus Story, and have them tell you theirs.

Saturday we held four workshops, each being facilitated by area Navigator Staff and co-facilitated by someone they were discipling/training. The purpose for this was so the attendees of the retreat would see discipleship in action.

The plan for each workshop was to have a topic presented to, an illustration explained to, and information practiced among workshop attendees. Next, each attendee was paired with one from another workshop to share with each other what had just been passed on. The purpose of this was to have each attendee practice "discipling" another as they shared what had just been learned.

Saturday night was fun night, where skits, music, and testimonies were presented to the group by members of the seven military bases. The testimonies were presented by those of specific categories: a new believer told how they had come to Jesus, a growing believer told how they were being discipled, one who is discipling others told how they came into relationship with the one being discipled, and a mature disciple-maker told how to make disciple-makers.

Sunday morning we talked about the processes of the weekend: seeing disciples being trained, learning information to pass on, and practicing to pass on to another what had been learned. We told the attendees that the intention is not to sit on what they were taught nor to stuff their notes on a bureau drawer, but to ask God for one with whom they can do as they learned during the weekend.

The theme for the weekend was Philemon 1:6"I pray you are active in sharing your faith so that you may have a full understanding of every good things we have in Christ." That is my prayer for each one who came to our weekend Discipleship Practicum Retreat.

Many Christians today believe—or at least live as if they believed—that Jesus died solely to forgive them; and that because their messes are now cleaned up, they can go on with their lives as if Christ had no further claims upon them. This is, quite simply, not true.

Based on recent news reports and political talk shows, I’ve concluded that a growing number of Americans want us to be a nation without discrimination. While you probably think a discrimination-free country is a very good objective, you need to be careful what you wish for.

Let me explain…

According to dictionaries, to “discriminate” means to differentiate or make a distinction. So we can reframe my original question like this: Do you really want a country where no one can differentiate or make distinctions?

The entire Bible is a book of distinctions: God vs. Satan, light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, faith vs. unbelief, and so on. In fact, the very first test given to the human family was to discriminate between two trees, one that would lead to life and the other to death (Genesis 2:16-17). Failing to discriminate properly, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice, leading to disastrous consequences.

A nation without any discrimination would be a nation of anarchy. Nothing right. Nothing wrong. Everyone setting their own moral compass without fear of contradiction, because it’s politically incorrect, or even illegal, to say otherwise.

This problem can be illustrated by my annual eye and ear checkup a few months ago. While my senses are in pretty good shape for my age, I had to come to grips with my declining ability to discriminate. When they showed me the eye chart, I could see all the letters, of course. But when the letters were too small, I couldn’t differentiate between “M’s” and “N’s,” “C’s” and “G’s.”

The same thing happened when my ears were tested. I could hear all the sounds, but sometimes I couldn’t distinguish one from another.

You see, discrimination is a great thing when you’re using it properly. It’s terrible if you can’t differentiate between letters or between sounds.

Again, the Bible warns against blurring the lines when it comes to moral absolutes: “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter” (Isaiah 5:20 NLT). Instead of bringing freedom and happiness, the result of this kind of nondiscrimination is sorrow and confusion.

None of us wants to be known as a critical, judgmental person (Matthew 7:1-5). However, a normal and extremely valuable part of life is the ability to distinguish between things bearing good fruit and things bearing evil fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

When Discrimination Goes Wrong

Just as the Bible strongly warns that we must discriminate at times, it also makes it clear that we must NOT discriminate based on the wrong criteria.

For example, the apostle Paul writes, “In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ” (Galatians 3:26-29 MSG). These were quite revolutionary words at the time! People were discriminating based on invalid distinctions, and Paul rebuked them for not recognizing their inherent equality in Christ.

Martin Luther King Jr. put this in perspective when he said people should be judged based on “the content of their character” rather than the color of their skin. So true. Nor should we judge people based on their gender, ethnicity, or income level.

But today many people have missed a vital component of King’s message. He didn’t say people shouldn’t be evaluated at all. Nor was this a “different strokes for different folks” kind of message.

MLK, in stark contrast to many pundits today, was proclaiming our right to evaluate, discriminate, and judge based on the content of people’s character and the fruit of their deeds. When we’re longer able to do that, our nation will quickly descend into an abyss of chaos and moral relativism.

One More Thing

So I would argue that the Bible gives us every right to discriminate, if our discrimination is based on the right criteria. For example, since we’re told that “bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV), it’s necessary to have discernment about what “bad company” looks like.

Yet many well-meaning Bible-believers have left out an indispensable part of the equation. They excel at pointing out the bad behavior all around them, but they’ve forgotten another principle found throughout the Scriptures: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:10 NIV).  

This means we have no license to be mean to those we disagree with! Quite the contrary, we are called to “do good” to EVERYONE, whenever we have an opportunity. This means showing them love and respect. It means serving them, even when we adamantly disagree with their beliefs or their lifestyle.

You don’t have to throw out your biblical beliefs or spiritual discernment in order to do this. It’s possible to walk in BOTH grace and truth, just as your Lord modeled so perfectly.

I think everyone feels the need to get off of the proverbial treadmill now and then. I am a true proponent, as I've had many experiences where fifty miles changed both my attitude and my energy level. Just the same, I'm thankful refreshment comes in many forms. I can't always find the time, money or opening in my schedule to satisfy my wander lust. This doesn't mean the pull to get away from everyone and everything lessens to any degree. I still crave a getaway.

That's why I've developed my own form of spiritual staycation. I take as little as a few hours and as much as two days to hide from the world. Staycations have to be planned ahead of time, just as any good trip, containing a few satisfying components such as variety, beauty and refreshment. Mine tend to include a book on a topic that intrigues me, a comfy eye-pleasing place to cop a squat (my sunroom is best), and my favorite beverages. I start with tea in the morning and drift to other special treats as the day goes along. Sometimes, I include an outing to the neighborhood park, museum or even range further into explorations of labyrinths. 

Like any getaway, it's important to begin by divesting oneself of distraction. Being alone is something that seems to have graduated levels of accomplishment nowadays. I first have to come to terms with turning my phone completely off. Next, the inevitable run through of all of the mental to do lists hanging out between my ears. Finally, I settle into hearing the Holy Spirit. It is then the best part of my journey begins. I start to understand the term, "be still".

It's amazing how rejuvenating regular staycations can be when I plan and execute them with regularity. The treadmill drifts away to be replaced by a form of solace, yet in the company of the One that matters. The "grand" schemes of my life start to fit back together like a well played game of Tetris. I emerge to a world that is better than the one I left.

With the approaching of Valentine’s Day, I found myself Googling “The Greatest Love Songs of All Time.” Wow. Pretty interesting list.

Many of the “secular” love songs could be described as mushy…overly sentimental…even corny. And some of your favorite songs probably didn’t make the list (sorry, but Kenny Chesney’s “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” was overlooked).

One of the striking things about the tabulation of great love songs is that often they’re just a dim reflection of the kind of love God has for us, and wants from us. After all, the Bible tells us “love is from God” (1 John 4:7). That’s where it comes from. Our Lord is the ultimate Lover and the source of all genuine human love. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And even if you think you’ve got a pretty good supply of human love, it’s destined to run out someday unless you’re connected to the never-ending source of love.

Perhaps you’ve never really thought of God as the ultimate romantic. But if you take a look at the world’s great love songs, you’ll see they’re often more scriptural than you’ve ever imagined.

For example, when the Bee Gees asked the probing question “How Deep Is Your Love?,” can’t you hear Jesus asking you about that as well? In John 21:15-17, He asked Peter this question not just once, but three times. And Paul picked up on the same theme when he prayed for you to be “rooted and grounded in love…able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).  

Yes, God’s love is very deep, very wide, very long, and very high. As John Mark McMillan says in his song, “How He Loves,” “if His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.”

So, I could go on and on about how the world’s love songs reveal the human craving for a love that ultimately must be found in a relationship with God:

• We all want to experience a constant love like Whitney Houston expressed in her song, “I Will Always Love You.”
• We want to experience the transforming love described in Celine Dion’s song, “Because You Loved Me.”
• When we pass through life’s storms, we want God’s assurance that “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
• We’re desperate to have someone who truly believes in us, even when we don’t believe in ourselves, and Kenny Rogers expressed this well in “She Believes in Me.”
• We need someone who loves us not because we’re perfect, but rather says “I Love You Just the Way You Are,” as Billy Joel and Bruno Mars have sung about.

Yes, we’re looking for romantic love, but we also need something deeper and more durable than that. We want someone who sees us with grace—“Through the Eyes of Love,” as Melissa Manchester’s beautiful song says.

However, if your God is just a religious God, it will be pretty hard to see Him in any of these love songs. You definitely wouldn’t want a religious, angry, puritanical God to be your Valentine, would you?

I’m sure glad God saw to it that The Song of Solomon would make it into the Bible. Lest we think of Him as some distant, judgmental, religious tyrant in the sky, He reveals Himself there as our passionate Bridegroom and Lover, obsessed by our beauty—even when we feel anything but beautiful. And even when we’re down on our luck and down on ourselves, He sings love songs and dances with us (Zephaniah 3:17).

It’s so cool that Jesus didn’t choose to do His first miracle in a church service. Instead, He turned water into wine at a wedding! (John 2) Ironic as it might sound, Jesus wasn’t nearly as religious as we are. If we could grasp that fact, we would be much better at attracting unbelievers—and especially young people—to the Savior’s unending, sacrificial love demonstrated on Calvary.

What are your favorite love songs? They probably say a lot about what you need God to do in your heart today. So, go ahead and sing. Go ahead and dance. Throw caution to the wind.

He’s waiting to be your Valentine.

Is there a disciple-making crisis in the world today?

No doubt. It is well acknowledged that the global Christian movement is not really making disciples as we should, regardless of where we are in the world. Here in the U.S. we can look at the decline of the American Church over the past twenty years, with a doubling of the “Nones”[i] and know that something is not right about how we have been making disciples or even if we have. That was the notable experience of Willow Creek and what they found from their own 2007 study[ii] about their lack of effective disciple-making. Globally the issue is even more critical, even though many places of the world are growing very rapidly in terms of new believers. Africa is leading the charge with 390 million Christians, which more than tripled the number of Christian there in the past 35 years.[iii] It is often said that the Church in Africa is “a mile wide and inch deep” but that’s not an uncommon condition for the world in general, including right here in the U.S.A. The good news is that there are significant disciple-making movements in some parts of the world and a re-emphasis on disciple-making the past several years. Time will tell how effective this will be in sustainable growth and church health.

Why is there a disciple-making crisis?

We could simply say we have not followed the mandate of Matthew 28:20, the Great Commission Part II, “teaching them to obey” all that Jesus commands. I read a report recently that two-thirds of the nations of the world now have a Christian majority.[iv] We could conclude that the world would be a much different place with that majority. But what kind of impact does the majority have? Is community health affected due to the influence of Christianity? To some extent, yes, in terms of some economic and social indicators.[v] But while some improvements have been made much more can and needs to be done – biblically and contextually.

The “why?” of the disciple-making crisis came into sharper personal focus for me the other day in conversation with a South Sudanese-American pastor, James, I met over lunch.  Pastor James told me that he had asked a Bishop back in his homeland what the greatest need of the Church in South Sudan was. The Bishop’s response, “We need trained pastors!”   One of the greatest needs negatively affecting the health of the church worldwide is the lack of trained pastors, with 85% of the world’s 2.2 million pastors have little or no training.[vi] This lack of trained pastors contributes to and perpetuates the disciple-making crisis. We must not take for granted, here in the U.S.A., that the majority of pastors in the world lack access to training and resources. But even with access many pastors are calling out for help.

More good news is that the church is growing globally by over 50,000[vii] new believers every day . Some put the number over 80,000. But that means that we need over 1,000 trained pastors every day, for churches of fifty each, just to keep up with the daily demand of the growth of the global Christian population. Complicating the issue even further, seminaries, or the formal training sector, can only meet 10% of the present demand for pastoral training. This truly is the crux of the disciple-making crisis – lack of trained pastors who preach, live, think and lead their congregations biblically.

How must we strategically attack the problem?

Dr. Ramesh Richard, President of RREACH, with whom I serve likes to say that “pastoral health affects church health, church health affects community health.” If pastors aren’t well trained and resourced we will continue to see the church “a mile wide and an inch deep,” or more likely in decline. The most strategic way, we believe, to begin to address the problem is through improving the delivery of pastoral training, increasing access to the best training practices, expanding training and forming opportunities for the greatest number of pastors. They are already called, gifted and placed by God. They need pastoral skills, ministry tools and vital peer relationships for long-term pastoral health. Our strategy is to connect, unite and strengthen pastoral trainers—the “providers of pastoral health”—since they are the leaders on the front-lines training pastors.  Pastoral trainers are in the best position to strategically address the problem at the grass-roots and the highest levels, at the non-formal and formal levels. This is presently a community of perhaps 7,000 based on a Gordon Conwell study commissioned in 2012 by RREACH. But the need is clear for large, systemic, and intentional delivery of better pastoral training for more pastors who will preach, live, think and lead biblically. That is why we are working toward hosting the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers.

What is the Global Congress for Pastoral Trainers?

Or, what we call GProCongress for short. The GProCongress is the first of its kind gathering of the pastoral training community of the world who minister in 200 countries to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, June 15-22, 2016, the Lord willing. This historic event will bring pastoral trainers together to build community, explore opportunity, discover resources and receive encouragement. Our hope is that up to 5,000 pastoral trainers will come together from the formal and non-formal training sectors to share best practices, form learning communities, and serve better together toward the deliverability of pastoral training to large numbers of undertrained and isolated pastors. The hope is that this result in better pastoral training and large numbers of pastors trained with impact beyond the 21^st century. A New York pastor friend of mine said in December, upon learning about the GProCongress, this isn’t just an historic event but a “seismic” event. We always like to add, the Lord willing.

Why is the GProCongress important?

By multiplying pastors who better preach, live, think and lead biblically, Church health will better keep pace with church growth, and community health will see discernible, even measurable improvement. This is not about pastoral training for the sake of pastoral training but pastoral training for the sake of the Great Commission. Toward that end, the GProCongress is not the end but rather the beginning of a 4 year process to determine if we’re making gains in the area of church health. Every delegate who attends is asked to affirm that they will be responsible for the training of 25 pastors a year for the following four years. The mission is 100,000 better trained pastors by 2020 contributing to our vision of spiritual health of 1 billion individuals by 2030. That is something we must do together as the global Church. Partners are already coming forward wanting to share in this vision.

Who belongs at the event?

Anyone who trains pastors^__individuals, churches, organizations or institutions from the formal and non-formal sectors. Additionally, we are inviting pastoral training strategists, theorists, facilitators, funders and aspirants to the 2016 GProCongress.

Where & When?

The GProCongress is being convened at the Impact Convention Center near Bangkok, Thailand from June 15-22, 2016. Applications are now being accepted. They are already coming in from across the globe, at www.GProCongress.org.

How can we help?

We are suggesting three ways that the global Christian leadership community can help:

Come – apply to be a delegate if you train pastors. Our primary focus is Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Bring – plan to bring other pastoral trainers with you.

Send – invest in a pastoral trainer from an economically weaker part of the world to attend.

We invite you to help us spread the news about the GProCongress and pray with us toward “accelerating the health of the church worldwide.”

Brian Considine serves with RREACH (Ramesh Richard Evangelism and Church Health) as Mobilization Director for the Global Proclamation Congress for Pastoral Trainers. Brian has served in ministry since 2001 and with the Mission America Coalition since 2011.  Brian resides in McKinney, Texas with his wife, Debbie, of nearly 30 years and two college aged children, Michael and Alexandra. Email Brian@RREACH.org.

And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”—Matthew 28:18-20

Let Christmas not become a thing merely of merchant’s trafficking,

Of tinsel, bell and holly wreath and surface pleasure.

Beneath the childish glamour, let us find nourishment for soul and mind.

Let us follow kinder ways through our teeming human maze,

And help the age of peace to come from a Dreamer’s martyrdom.

- Madeline Morse

The sacred holy day of Christmas has degenerated into a holiday season pressuring consumers to spend unreasonably. Close on the heels of Thanksgiving Day—when we took time to thank God for blessing us with everything we need in life—Black Friday offered irresistible deals to enthused consumers. Then followed Small Business Saturday, a time to shop at “mom and pop” stores. Today is called Cyber Monday, luring millions to purchase gifts online. And every day remaining in this annual American retail festival, stores won’t let up on us for an instant. I wonder how long it will be before some enterprising merchant tags the Sunday between Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday with a name that encourages increased spending on a day when most businesses used to be closed.  

Surely there’s something better than a holly-jolly-jingle-bell-rock-Rudolph-and-Frosty-and-shop-‘til-you-drop Christmas. We need to reevaluate our way of celebrating Christmas. We need to realize that a real Christmas has nothing to do with purchasing power. Instead, in an uncertain and dangerous world, the most valuable currency we can save and spend is hope. And the hope we have in Christ is not cheap—it was bought at an incalculable price.

Jesus is not the reason for the holiday season of shop-‘til-you-drop—He is the reason for the holy season of love, peace, joy, and hope.

“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! His name will be the hope of all the world.” (Luke 2:10-11; Matthew 12:21 NLT)

Johnny R. Almond

Christian preacher and writer

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity

Read blog at http://GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized.com/

This Thanksgiving I find myself reflecting on the responsibilities we all have when we realize how blessed we are. On this day when we recount the blessings we’ve received from God, it’s also a great time to ask ourselves how we can BE a blessing to others (Genesis 12:2).

One day King David woke up with this same quest on his mind:  (2 Samuel 9:3)

If you know David’s story, he had experienced lots of hardships on his way to becoming king and fulfilling his destiny. As part of God’s training process, he had overcome lions, bears, giants, and a deranged, homicidal king. At times he had to run for his life, living in caves and other dark places.

But by the time we get to this episode in 2 Samuel 9, David was feeling overwhelmed by how much God had blessed him. He recognized that he had abundantly received “the kindness of God.” And as a natural by-product, he wanted to find someone to share the blessings with.

Sounds something like Thanksgiving, doesn’t it?

David had a particular desire to bless those from the lineage of his former enemy, King Saul. What a great example this is for us. Perhaps there’s someone you need to reach out to who was once your nemesis. Maybe there was friction or suspicion in the past, but it’s time to overcome all of that with kindness and generosity.

Remember the Pilgrims and the Native Americans? Talk about cultural differences! But what if we could reenact that same kind of spirit in our cities today, where police officers and the black community sat down to break bread and share their resources together?

In David’s case, the options were pretty limited. It turned out that the only person left of Saul descendants was a bitter, crippled man named Mephibosheth.  This son of Jonathan was living in a desolate place called Lo Debar, and his self-image was so low that he considered himself no better than a “dead dog” (v. 8).

Just the kind of person you should invite to your home for Thanksgiving, don’t you think?!

Remember: When you’re looking for people to show kindness to, they might not be the easiest people to love! In fact, you can count on the fact that the people who need love the most will be the hardest to love.

But love them anyway.

Mephibosheth was described to David in such a way that the king might have been reluctant to get involved with such an unsavory character. Yet David immediately had the man brought to Jerusalem to eat at the king’s table—just as if Mephibosheth was one of David’s own sons (v. 11).

Thanksgiving is a time for families, of course. But it also can be a great time to invite someone else to sit at your table, as David did with Mephiboseth.

I’m feeling blessed today, and I hope you are as well. If so, is there someone you can show the kindness of God?

Sadly, church prayer meetings in the U.S. have largely gone the way of the dinosaur. Even when a church attempts to rouse God’s people to gather and pray, the results are often disappointing, both in attendance and in results. However, God wants the church to become “a house of prayer for all nations,” and these 12 tips can make your prayer meetings exciting!

1.  “We” trumps “I.” Jesus instructed us to pray “OUR Father…” (Matthew 6:9). Ordinarily, things are getting off-track if there is too much use of the word “I” in corporate prayer.
2. God-centered rather than problem-centered. The Lord’s Prayer, the prayers in Acts and Paul’s epistles, and the other prayers in the Bible sometimes addressed current problems (e.g., the prayer in Acts 4:23-31 regarding persecution). However, the overwhelming them is always God’s power, glory, and sovereignty (e.g., “Hallowed be Your name” and Ephesians 1, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion”).
3. Brief trumps long. The Pharisees were known for their lengthy prayers, but Jesus encouraged His disciples not to put their trust in long prayers or “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7, Matthew 23:14). Compare the longwinded prayers of the prophets of Baal with the simple, short, and powerful prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:22-39).
4. Focused prayers trump shatter-shot prayers. Too often, people’s prayers are unfocused, covering too many topics and petitions all at once. If we want to have our prayers answered, it’s much better eliminate “fluff” and unnecessary rabbit trails. Specific prayers bring specific answers.
5. Prayers filled with faith and victory will always trump prayers marked by doubt and defeat. Nothing will bring discouragement to a prayer meeting faster than people who are praying prayers of unbelief.
6. United prayers trump individualism. Corporate prayer is only powerful when the prayers are offered in one accord (Matthew 18:19-20, Psalm 133, Acts 2:1-2). This is undercut if people’s prayers cannot receive an “Amen” from the rest of the participants. When Jesus described the power unleashed through prayers of agreement, the Greek word for “agree” is symphōneō, from which we get the English word “symphony.”
7. Spirit-led prayers trump human concerns. Understandably, prayer meetings often attract people who have “burdens” to pray about, whether the burdens are for themselves or for others. But unless these human concerns become motivated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-30), they will end up just being filled with well-meaning “flesh.”
8. It’s often helpful to mix elements such as worship and Scripture into prayer meetings. We see this approach in Colossians 3:16-17: God’s Word and “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” etc. Our prayers should not be based on wishful thinking but on God’s promises in His Word. This is not meant to endorse longwinded preaching during our prayer meetings, but rather prayers that are Scripturally based (e.g., Ephesians 1:15-23, 3:14-21).
9. Prayer meetings should be times of HEARING from God and not just SPEAKING to God. The principle in James 1:19 applies, being “quick to listen and slow to speak” (or pray). This means it’s OK to have times of silence and listening, not feeling it necessary to fill the entire time with speaking/praying. This means waiting on God, not just speaking to Him.
10. Prayer meetings usually work best when there is a balance between human leadership and free-flowing group involvement. If the hand of human leadership is too strong, people will be intimidated from listening to God or participating. But if there is no leadership at all, the prayers will often go off on tangents and become unfocused. This doesn’t mean the leadership has to be from just one person, but it’s helpful if people know who is “in charge” of sensing God’s direction in the meeting. People who are intercessors or prophetic sometimes distrust structure and time constraints, but the Bible provides numerous examples of God instituting structure before He performed miracles (e.g., breaking up the people into groups before feeding them loaves and fish). However, if there is going to be structure as to the format, time limitations, etc., they should be clearly communicated in advance (e.g., Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 14 about the use of spiritual gifts in public meetings).
11. Since repentance and revival are objectives of corporate prayer meetings, the elements of 2 Chronicles 7:14 should be kept in mind: humbling ourselves, seeking God’s face, turning from our wicked ways), listening, receiving forgiveness and forgiving anyone who has wronged us.
12. Just as in our individual prayer lives, it’s helpful to keep an informal record of some of the prayer requests offered, and then the answers received. Keeping track of some of the testimonies will build faith in God’s faithfulness and in the power of prayer.

I’m a firm believer in studying the Bible every day.  To be honest, I don’t do it every day but it’s my desire and I attempt to make the effort.  The reason we read and study our Bibles every day is that they bring us the very words of God.  As Moses told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 32:47 about the Word of God, “These are no idle words for you, but your very life.”  I could go on and spend pages writing about the benefits of Bible study.  Instead I want to give you 5 books that I believe will enrich and strengthen your personal study of the Scriptures.  There are, of course, many other books.  These are just my top 5.

I will say up front that these books are not cheap.  They are reference books and they tend to get expensive, although the link I have provided should get you to the best prices. Just click on the highlighted text.

There is no substitute for sitting down with just your Bible and a journal.  You don’t need any of these books to study the Bible.  All you really need is the Holy Spirit to guide you into it’s truths.  However, these can enrich and enhance your study, making it even more fruitful.  So here goes…

1. The ESV Study Bible.  The notes in this study Bible are excellent. They provide valuable insight, background and understanding to the Scriptures.  From the publisher, “The ESV Study Bible was created to help you encounter the truth of God's Word as a powerful, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, it combines the best evangelical scholarship with the text, which, as an "essentially literal" translation, is especially suited for Bible study.” You can get it in a variety of covers like leather, hardcover, etc.
2. The Gospel Transformation Bible.  I love this Bible.  It helps the reader understand the Christ-centeredness of all of the Scriptures. From the publisher, “The apostle Paul summed up his whole ministry as existing “to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). That single-minded goal is the heartbeat of the ESV Gospel Transformation Bible. Produced out of the conviction that the Bible is a unified message of God’s grace culminating in Jesus, it is a significant new tool to help readers see Christ in all of Scripture, and grace for all of life.”
3. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery.  Have you ever read the Bible and wondered what certain imagery it was trying to convey? What do the cedars of Lebanon mean? This huge compendium is extremely helpful in understanding the images of the Bible that we may not naturally get due to the fact that it was written in a different culture and times.  From the publisher, “The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery is the first contemporary reference work dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and literary patterns found in the Bible. More than that, it examines the Bible's universal archetypes or master images--including the plot motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature and the Bible.”
4. Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem.  Doctrine is important. Theology can be confusing. This is a solid reformed systematic theology that will help you make sense out of the doctrine of Scriptures.  From the publisher, “The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introduction to systematic theology has several distinctive features: - A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching - Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum - A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today - A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect - Frequent application to life - Resources for worship with each chapter - Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies.
5. The Westminster Confession of Faith with Larger and Shorter Catechisms.  A concise theology of the reformed faith.  This confession guides our understanding of the core doctrines of the Bible.  Catechesis is the art of learning through memorizing questions and answers. Many children as well as pastors have used this to grasp the basic doctrines. The particular edition I am recommending references the Scriptures that each doctrine is based on.

I hope this helps!

Fletch

Rediscovering a Key to Being an Effective Disciple-Maker

Even though I haven’t seen him in over 35 years, I’ve found myself thinking about Bill Green lately. After hearing my story about Bill, see if you think I owe him an apology.

Bill Green can best be described as a Bible geek. With thick glasses, unkempt hair, and woefully out-of-style clothes, you might picture him as resembling George McFly in the “Back to the Future” movies.

But Bill really knew the Bible, and I’ve never to this day met anyone as committed to one-on-one discipleship.

I had given my heart to Christ as a senior in high school, and I met Bill just a year or two later. He offered to come to my college dorm and disciple me, and at first I happily agreed. I was hungry to know more of God’s Word, and he was eager to teach anyone who would listen.

Sadly, it turned out that Bill and I only got together for our Bible studies three different times. I remember these distinctly, and I can still recite the three specific teachings. In many ways, they became a valuable part of my spiritual foundation, and I also was deeply impacted by Bill’s incredible passion for teaching the Bible to new believers like me.

So why didn’t Bill and I continue to get together? If I gained so much in only three sessions, just think what a Bible genius I could have been if I had hung in there for several years.

However, I soon decided I was “too busy” to continue being discipled by Bill Green.  

Although I’m sure I could have learned more great information from Bill, that’s not the full story. You see, discipleship is not just a matter of passing along Bible facts from one person to another. Jesus puts it in nutshell in Luke 6:40 when He says that every disciple will become like his teacher.

The bottom line was that, even though I admired Bill Green’s knowledge of the Bible, I didn’t want to become like him in his personality, demeanor, and attitudes.

I admit that some of this was simply being turned off by his geekiness and his George McFly grooming style and wardrobe. (Can you imagine how your friends would react if George McFly came to visit you regularly at your college dorm?)

But my brief experience in discipleship with Bill Green also served as a warning that Bible knowledge is only one component of the discipleship process. As the apostle Paul warned, “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Although I was attracted by Bill’s Bible knowledge, I was very turned off by his life.

So if you’re frustrated today in your attempts to win lost people to Christ or lead believers into a deeper relationship with Him, remember this one indispensable key: People must want what you have. If they don’t want to be like you, you’re wasting your time in trying to get them to respond to your message. 

I still feel bad that I wasn’t able to overlook Bill’s social awkwardness and dorky appearance. I could have learned a lot from him.

Yet there’s a hidden leadership principle tucked away in God’s instruction about those who would serve as priests in Old Testament days (Leviticus 21:18). Those who had a mutilated or disfigured face couldn’t serve as leaders. Translating this over to the New Testament, the issue isn’t about outward appearance at all. Rather, it’s about accurately reflecting the image of Christ, which requires much more than just communicating Bible factoids.

If you pride yourself on astute communication of Bible knowledge to your would-be followers, remember this leadership key from Paul: “  (1 Thessalonians 2:8 MSG). People have to be attracted as much by your LIFE as they’re attracted to your message.

Many claim that discipleship includes most everything we do in church. I would agree that this statement is true in many evangelical churches; anything that helps believers grow to become like Christ is part of the discipleship process. That being said, what would Jesus’ disciples have concluded to be the method they should use in obeying his command?

I am sure this wasn’t even a question to them, because there was only one common method in that day for making disciples. But if there had been other methods, there still would have been only one answer. Without question, they would have said that Jesus meant for them to make disciples of others just as he had made disciples of them. Jesus’ method is the only method they would have considered.

Secondly, let us question what modern-day method and procedure most effectively accomplishes the task of making disciples. When we make a financial investment, we undoubtedly want the mechanism that will give us the best return on an investment. We should evaluate our eternal impact in a similar way if we desire to have the greatest impact on people’s lives. We should actively be “redeeming the time” (Col. 4:5, KJV), “making the most of the opportunity,” practicing the method that will produce the greatest yield in discipleship.

Based on my thirty-five years of experience and the opinion of countless number of Christian experts, life-on-life discipleship remains the primary method used in our modern age that incorporates the discipleship methods of Jesus Christ. This discipleship method, when followed correctly, will more deeply develop a person’s spiritual transformation and growth in the shortest amount of time than any method known to man.

Easter is the highest holy day of the Christian faith. The Presence of the living Lord in trusting hearts changes all of life.

“The Easter message tells us that our enemies, sin, the curse and death, are beaten.

Ultimately they can no longer start mischief.

They may still behave as though the game were not decided, the battle not fought;

we must still reckon with them, but fundamentally we must cease to fear them anymore.”

- Karl Barth

The resurrection of Jesus is a fact we could never have imagined, a reality changing our destiny.

His resurrection was not merely the product of hallucinatory desperation or wishful thinking.

The disciples were not convinced by an empty tomb—personal encounter convinced them.

“I have seen the Lord!” canceled their doubt and dispelled their fear—today, it still does.

An empty tomb never proved resurrection; but a heart full of love is strong evidence.

                                                         Because He lives, enemies are beaten, all life changed.

Despair is not the last word—hope indeed springs eternal.

The grave is not a prison—the body will decay, but the soul is free.

Death is not the finale of the symphony of life—eternal life is the encore.

Aging will not have the final say—a glorious body will replace a humiliating one.

Funerals are not a final good-bye to loved ones—hellos will echo in heaven’s reunion.

Rough roads are not permanent–when time’s journey is over, saints will stroll golden streets.

Sin’s nightmare will not last forever—pain and tears will disappear when God’s dream comes true.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again

to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

Johnny R. Almond

                Pastor, Colonial Beach Baptist Church, Virginia

Author, Gentle Whispers from Eternity—Scripture Personalized

GentleWhispersFromEternity-ScripturePersonalized (copy & paste to browser for blog & book info)

During the first years of his earthly ministry, Jesus devoted time to form his apostles and the disciple. He was a very patient teacher and devoted a lot of his time to instruct, form, teach and show to his people how to walk with God. Twelve of all his first followers later became his close circle and had further “trainings" and became the apostles. We cannot be all apostles, but we are all called to be the disciples of Christ.

Jesus was known for his miracles, but more importantly it was his teaching that was the force of his ministry. He came with a whole “new” way of living for the lord who caused so many to stumble and others to re-discover the life in God. The Pharisees must have been very angry as their disciples must have stopped following them and was now following Jesus. In fact, their anger was surely based on the fact that so many people were turning to the teachings of Jesus rather than to the normal Jewish teachings. Their concern was that those teachings will become the new sets that will be adopted by the people, and this would cause their demise.

The question we face today is whether we are disciples or not,  do we understand what this means, are we similar to those disciples who lived during Jesus’ time and the early church time?  If not,  Why?

If we want to talk about discipleship,  we will need to have a short study of this word and how it came to being and what it really meant.

We hardly find any use of this word in the OT except for 1 Chron. 25:8 and  Isa. 8:16.  In those references, it normally means someone who is following a teacher,  in Chronicles it referred to those who were attached to the temple’s musicians as learners or scholars who were being trained for the various offices. In Isaiah,  the reference is to those who are following the word of the Lord of Hosts, those who are following the commandments of God.

In the Greek environment, the word “disciple” was used to describe any adherent of a particular teacher or religious and philosophical school. His task was to study and learn from his masters, then he was expected to be the one who will be passing along the sayings and the teachings of his masters or teachers.

The Jews have a different use of the word disciple in the sense that for them, it meant one who was committed to the interpretations of Scripture and religious tradition given to him by the master or Rabbi. This was done during several meetings, where the disciple would be taught, instructed,  and follow memorization, recitation techniques that will allow him to pass on the teachings without any distortions in the original. The disciple would finally become fully devoted to his master and his teachings.

When we come to the NT, there are various uses of this term, we can find the disciples of John the Baptist (Mark 2:18; Luke 11:1; John 1:35), Of the Pharisees ((Matt. 22:16; Mark 2:18), and of course  the most commonly of all disciples,  the disciples of Jesus. Since the arrival of Jesus, the word disciple has been more used to describe those who are following Jesus, but not only following, but as we have seen, be a real student, adherent,  someone who will follow his teachings, sayings and would live by that and would be the one responsible to pass along the teachings and sayings of Jesus.

What are then the characteristics of a “disciple” ?

I think that firstly,  the disciple has to be a good listener. He must be someone who takes time to listen to what the teacher is saying, What he is talking about and what message he is bringing.

Secondly, a disciple must be a believer. It is hard to find anyone who does not believe in something but continue to follow and behave like a disciple. The disciple must have believed in the message and teachings of the master or teacher. For him, everything that the teacher is saying is true, and he firmly believes in those truths enough to be willing to follow the teacher and engage in a constant exposure to what the latter has to teach.

Thirdly,  he must be a very committed person. When we read about those who followed Jesus, we read about the thousands of people who continuously followed him. We have the first disciples who followed him night and day and wherever he was, they were. Dedicated in the sense that once they have heard the first teachings, and they have been captivated or touched by the teachings; they were dedicated to make the most of every single thing the teacher has to day or show. This meant being present at every speech or teachings of the master. The disciple would place the study and the following of his master as the priority of priorities. Remember that the early disciples of Jesus,  left everything to follow him.

Fourthly, The disciple has to be someone who is willing to be taught and has a very humble heart. He must be someone who accepts that he does not know everything and that the master is the master, and his role is to learn from the master and his teachings. He must be willing to be disciplined to his masters “rules” and way of doing things. He must be someone who understands that his ways are not good, but the master’s way is the good one to follow.

Fifthly, The disciple must be someone who puts what he learns into practice. Everything that he is learning, he believes in that. He thinks that it is the truth and the reason he is studying or following is because he will himself proclaim or teach those values. What a better way that to live what you are being taught?  If we study any of the disciples, they all had this in common, that they started to live the way their master was telling them. The firm belief they had in the teachings and sayings, made them change their behavior and way of life to adopt the one that their master was teaching. In any case, it is what was really expected of any Jews or Greek disciples.

Finally, the disciple is someone who is totally ready to die for his master. This type of disciples, is only true for those who follow Jesus. History can tell how many Christians have been killed and martyred since the resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the early church. What they all have in common even with the apostles, is that they did not reject their master. They did not reject the teachings they received, and they were ready to sacrifice themselves so that the teachings would remain. Without they sacrifice and dedication to pass along those teachings, we would not be here today, in liberty to practice our Christian faith.

This is precisely what my question is today. Based on what it means to be a disciple,  are we real disciple?

Are we the same kind of Christians to those that heard the good news for the first time and set  out to listen and live what Jesus was teaching?  Are we taking the time to read our master’s teachings and sayings?   Do we believe in what our master has taught us?  Are we dedicated to the teachings and sayings, are we believing and dedicated enough to put into practice what we learn from our master?  Most of all, are we ready to die for our master?

If we cannot answer those questions positively, then we need to assess ourselves really. Because being a disciple implies all of these things. We must not be living a life of a lie, where we think, we are disciples, when we are simple being Pharisees.

We are not the disciples of some mere human philosophers, politicians or other star. We are the disciples of our Lord God,  Jesus Christ.  We do not need to walk a lot, to wait for the letters of the apostles today; we have the Bible. We have everything at hand.

If we cannot be true to him, if we cannot follow him,  if we cannot believe in his teachings and live to it, if we are not ready to pass along his teachings and saying;  Can we still call ourselves disciples?

In one of Jesus’ most famous sermons, He told three different parables about things that were lost: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son (Luke 15). If He was giving the same sermon today, He probably would add the Parable of the Lost Jetliner.

The facts of the story would already be well known. A commercial Boeing 777 carrying 239 people suddenly vanished from the sky. Despite pervasive modern technology such as radar, communication satellites, and Google Earth, the simply plane could not be found. Debris sighted in the ocean turned out to be a false alarm, having nothing to do with the missing jetliner. Black box “pings” were heard at times, but then the batteries apparently went dead.

People all over the world were captivated by the story. Everyone loves a good mystery, after all.

Video clips of anguished family members were shown by cable news. Unbelievable pain, anger, and confusion fueled tears and tortured screams. Oh, what love…what loss…what agony.

Meanwhile, TV pundits and aviation experts spouted never-ending theories on what could have happened. Was terrorism involved? Did one of the pilots take the plane on a suicide mission? Was there some kind of catastrophic electrical failure? Had the plane been hijacked and landed in some remote location? One CNN anchor even asked if a black hole might have been involved!

After more than a month of fruitless searching for the hapless jetliner, billions of dollars had been spent by countless countries and humanitarian organizations. But despite the focus of the entire world and a massive outlay of resources, the plane and its 239 people remained LOST.

At this point in the parable, Jesus would segue to some personal applications for His followers. In particular, He would note a strange fact: While people around the world devoted enormous time, money, and technology to recover a lost plane and 239 lost people—people who were already dead—there were hundreds of thousands of LOST people in every major city in the world. “Where is the passion, anguish, and commitment to find and rescue those lost people?” He would ask.

Jesus then might remind us that when He stated HIS mission statement, He was also giving us OUR mission statement as His followers: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”  (Luke 19:10). I don’t think He was referring to lost jetliners. He meant people—sinners in need of a Savior.

Shouldn’t we be challenged to have the same kind of anguish for lost souls as the relatives have for their loved ones who were on Malaysian Airlines Flight 370? Shouldn’t our devotion to rescue the perishing surpass the energy and resources shown by the search teams combing the Indian Ocean? Where are our tears for the lost people all around us?

We don’t know the exact time frame of the journey made by “wise men from the East” in search of young King Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12). It may have been several months or even a few years after Jesus’ birth when they arrived at Herod’s palace and asked, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (v. 1)

But while some of the details of their journey may be unclear, there’s much we can learn from the wonderful example set by the magi:

1.   They made it a priority to pursue the Lord (v. 1). These men came from a great distance to encounter the Savior. They weren’t just casual believers, but were committed to having a personal encounter with the newborn King. In the same way, shouldn’t we make it a priority to pursue the Lord and spend time in His presence?

2.   They came to worship Him (v. 2). Right from the beginning, the magi made the purpose of their journey clear: “We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” May that be our focus as well during this Christmas season. Instead of being distracted by all the trappings of the holidays, let’s take time to worship Jesus!

3.   Nothing could divert them from their mission (vs. 3-8). When God gives us a dream to pursue, we often have to deal with a “King Herod” who tries to distract us along the way. The magi truly proved to be “wise men,” able to discern that King Herod had no intention of furthering their mission. In the same way, we must avoid the influence of toxic people and naysayers during the holiday season.

4.   They not only worshiped Jesus with their words and their time, but they also worshiped Him with a generous offering. “When they had opened their treasures, they presented to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (v. 11). If we have a genuine encounter with our Savior, the King of Kings, how can we not honor Him with our possessions? True worship demands nothing less. Our treasure and our heart are always linked together (Matthew 6:21).

5.   They returned home “another way” (v. 12). Genuine worship will transform us and cause us to walk on a different path than we started on. If necessary, we’ll even be given supernatural direction or “divinely warned in a dream.” As you worship Jesus this holiday season, He wants to instruct you, change your life, and give you the breakthrough you need!

This Christmas, may the Lord give you a fresh revelation of His LOVE for you—love that took Him from the glories of Heaven to a dusty stable in Bethlehem…to a Cross on a Jerusalem hillside…to the right hand of God’s throne in Heaven…so that you might spend eternity with Him.