“A preacher preaches a message. A voice is much more than this. A message can deliver content, but a voice comes from an anointed life that has the power to actually turn people. A message delivers information. A voice delivers people. Anyone can deliver a message, but only a consecrated life can be a voice.” Wes Martin
 
Today we are hearing voices from every direction. The voice of technology, and the voices on the internet and TV are at an all-time high. Rarely can we get away from all the noise. It is blaring for our attention all the time day and night. Everyone seems to be trying to be a voice in a busy and rapidly increasingly world of noise and empty promises.
 
But what is God looking for at this point in human history?
 
He is looking for consecrated ones who will be His voice; His voice in prayer, His voice in speaking words of truth, and His voice in everyday life in various situations that we encounter all day long. Even though we are in a world of noise, we are in a famine for truth. False promises and lies are everywhere. It’s time to stand on God’s Word and speak His truth into our life circumstances.
 
God is looking for those who walk in wholehearted abandonment like John the Baptist. His life is an example to each one of us.
 
The Life of John the Baptist
 
“Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?' He said, 'I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,' as the prophet Isaiah said” (John 1:22-23, NKJV). 
 
Let’s look at some of the qualities of the life of John the Baptist because he was God’s voice in the wilderness. What was John like? How could he become a powerful and anointed voice for God?

• John identified himself as a voice - He prepared people to encounter God Himself. When he spoke, decisive shifts took place in people’s lives and they turned toward righteousness.

• John lived in simplicity - He lived in isolation and was consumed with His message and the one who had sent him.

• John was a faithful witness - He was faithful to the word of the Lord regardless of cost (John 3:7-18, 29).

• John was established in His identity before God - He did not look to other men for his identity or for approval. He looked to God.

• John was a man of prayer and devotion - As he grew up he became strong in spirit in the desert (Luke 1:80). He had a deep life with God.

• John was a consecrated vessel - He was set apart as a Nazarite to minister to God all his days. He did not drink wine or strong drink (Luke 1:15). He practiced fasting regularly.

In these days God is looking for those who can be His voice in the wilderness. Like John the Baptist, He is looking for those who will prepare for His Second Coming.
 
Are you a voice for God? Are you that consecrated vessel God can use in this critical day? 
 
The Spiritual Violence of John the Baptist

“There has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater [in opportunity] than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matthew 11:11-12).
 
John was the Father’s messenger who came to prepare the way for Jesus. He was the greatest man and a burning and shining light (John 5:35). Matthew 11:12  speaks of spiritual violence. It points to being resolute to pay any price necessary in seeking more of God. This is what John the Baptist was like. He violently reordered his priorities and the way he did everything. His lifestyle had a violent impact on the devil’s kingdom.

Jesus set John forth as the premier model of wholeheartedness in devotion. In his spiritual violence, John radically sought after God without reservation or compromise. He loved God. He was great in God’s sight. When God releases a greater measure of His power and presence, He looks for a greater dedication. In these days God is looking for those who will experience the Kingdom of God in greater measure by the holy forcefulness of spiritual violence. John the Baptist was this type of man internally because of his extravagant love for God that confronted all the inner hindrances and barriers to fully experiencing God in his heart. John the Baptist was hungry for God. He had a vision to have everything that God would give the human spirit in his age.

John called himself a friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). This is how he saw himself. He had a forerunner ministry. He opened his heart to God and prepared the Bride for the coming of Christ. He stood, He heard, and He greatly rejoiced because of the Bridegroom’s voice. He modeled the way to prepare a spiritual highway (Luke 3:7-20). He emphasized calling people to repent and announced the coming of Jesus. He called people to righteous living. He modeled a wholehearted pursuit of God and what it looks like. His life’s message is clear. No one has ever passed him in abandonment to God.

So many in the Church have lost their purpose in life. In the pursuit of making this world a pleasant place to live, multitudes have chased after lesser gods. We must listen to the message of John the Baptist. We must repent and return to God with wholehearted abandonment. We must wait upon God and prepare in these end times (Matthew 24:42-43; 25:13; Mark 13:33-38; Luke 21:26; Revelation 3:3 16:15).

As we wait, pray, and live in righteousness, we gain strength for our hearts. Jesus is coming again. Like John we must prepare this generation for the Lord’s return. John prepared for the first coming of the Lord through modeling his lifestyle, his message, and through the power of the Holy Spirit that was on his life. We must prepare others for the second coming of Christ. We may be a forerunner as an intercessor, in the marketplace, in the media or as a preacher calling people to prepare the way of the Lord. We have the same Spirit in our lives as John did.

Let’s be inspired by John's life. Let’s let it challenge our lives to the core. We are God’s model of wholeheartedness. We are God’s voice at this time.

Being God’s Voice

As you pray, ask God to make you His voice. Ask Him to release His authority in your life to turn others back to God and righteousness. The world is living in a wilderness of increasing fear, anxiety, loneliness, and pain. People are hiding their fear through constant activity and in so many unfulfilling ways in their anxious attempt to make this life pleasant. They need God.

We are the voice of the Lord on the earth as we positively declare His will through our prayers and our lives. God is looking for consecrated vessels like John the Baptist. He is waiting for something to be done, waiting for someone to pray His will. We become God’s voice on the earth for breakthrough by praying His will as we listen and obey. Heaven responds to our prayers. God listens and acts on our behalf. 

The atmosphere changes; we change; our lives change.     

You are God's voice in this generation, pointing the way to His second coming. As you pray, you are releasing His power in the world. As you speak, you are declaring His will on this earth. As you travail, your tears are releasing His power to break the darkness over the land. As you live, you are modeling a dedicated life.
 
He wants to use you in greater and greater dimensions. He wants you to rise up higher as a consecrated vessel for His glory. But it’s up to you. The King of the Universe is calling you higher. Will you say “yes” to a holy lifestyle, to a deeper prayer life, to a level of consecration that only He can make real in your life?

Let’s be His voice in the wilderness. Let’s prepare others for His Second Coming. Let's prepare the way of the Lord.  
 
“He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in,
 every mountain and hill made low.
 The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all people will see God’s salvation... I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.' And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them” (Luke 3:3-6, 16-18).

A powerful word -  A Voice in the Wilderness - Prepare the Way of the Lord 

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The Bible describes prayer as “Standing in the Gap” or “Bridgingthe Gap” the channel through which God’s will is brought to earth. We are going to look in God’s Word to see some examples of people He used to stand in the gap so his purpose could be accomplished.                 

God chose or appointed Moses to stand in the gap between His people, the Israelites and Pharaoh. Esther stood in the gap for her people, the Israelites with prayer and fasting when Haman wanted to destroy the Jews.

There was no gap between God and the earth after God created the earth. However, after Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit in the garden, sin created a gap between God and his plan for the earth. ¹ 

Fortunately, God stood in the gap for us by sending His Son, Jesus to the earth to live as a man, die for our sins, and arise from the dead so we could have a personal relationship with Him. He chose us, to be a channel for His power to bridge the gap between himself and the earth.

God chose us to partner with Him and intercede in behalf of our children, grandchildren, and future generations. Just as Jesus, Moses, Esther, Daniel, Joseph, and many others in the Bible stood in the gap for God’s people, we as grandparents have the privilege to stand in the gap with prayer for our families.

Satan is very active in the world today; he knows his time is short. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:10, “We are to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” against Satan’s well- thought-out plans and agenda. His goal is to distract and steal our children, grandchildren, and future generations from faith in Jesus Christ. Our goal ought to be that our grandchildren would know the adventure of a full, purposeful, and fruitful life in Jesus Christ.

It is not only important to pray for our families individually, it is vital that we unite with other grandparents to pray for our families in these crucial times. As Prayer Coordinator for Christian Grandparenting Network (CGN), I would like to encourage you to stand in the gap for your grandchildren by participating in a Grandparents @ Prayer (G@P) intercessory prayer group.

We currently have about 22 G@P groups uniting in prayer. Go to http://www.christiangrandparenting.net/prayer/grandparents-prayer/introduction-to-g-p  check out the locations of current groups, testimonials, and additional information. We would love to have you to be a part of the G@P prayer ministry.

I would like to share one of my favorite songs May all who come behind us find us faithful which is my desire for my grandchildren and future generations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi-Mn5tRHvM

My Dear Brothers and Sisters, I greet you today in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know that many of you are very troubled by yesterday’s election outcome and even more by the overall direction our country appears to be taking. You, like I, care deeply for this country and know that its ultimate hope lies in a set of values and beliefs that we appear to be rejecting as a nation. You view President Obama’s reelection as even further indication that the country we love is becoming something other, something different, something, quite frankly, you don’t respect as much. I understand that.

But I feel compelled to remind you today that what you and I do right now is very important. I feel this compulsion, in part, because I share some of your frustrations, but also because I have been quite frankly shocked at some things openly confessing Christians have said and/or written about our President over the last few days. It has not been a good reflection of the Christ we serve.

Our Lord described us as salt and light. He said that we are to be the preserving and directing forces in our culture. He said that it would be our love–not our theology, our religious performances, and certainly not our political persuasions–that would be our greatest gift to our society. But he also warned that if we ceased to be salt, if we ceased to be light, and if we ceased to love, then we would become ineffective and lose our right to serve in his name.

I am afraid that we are getting dangerously close to becoming like the gripy Israelites who God left to die in the desert, or worse, the churches in Revelation who were dangerously close to losing their holy lampstands.

Perhaps we need to be reminded that God never promised us a certain way of life, or that the pursuit of happiness is an American, not a biblical virtue.

Perhaps we need to be reminded that for two thousand years Christians have lived under oppressive, repressive and even hostile governments and yet were still commanded to pray for their leaders.

Perhaps we need to be reminded that the vast majority of believers around the world live hand-to-mouth, sleep on the ground or in extremely rough, impoverished and unsafe settings, will never own a Bible, will never go to college, don’t have retirement accounts, don’t own or drive cars, don’t play golf on weekends or go on spontaneous shopping sprees, don’t have air-conditioned and heated church buildings, and never have to decide what they are going to wear out the next day. Americans, even in the economic challenges of the last several years, still have far more wealth and enjoy far more freedom than any nation in history.

And to all of that Jesus would say, to whom much is given much is required.

Christian brothers and sisters, we have work to do. It is the Church (believers in Jesus), that are the thermostat of a nation. Whatever we are set on is what our nation will become. If we are troubled by the direction our nation is going, then perhaps we need to compare our American Christianity to biblical Christianity, and adjust our thinking so that we are more of the latter than the former.

The future of our nation depends on it.

Read more at willdavisjr.com

“Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.” And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, “On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel.” Then the elders of Jabesh said to him, “Hold off for seven days, that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. And then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you.” So the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and told the news in the hearing of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept. Now there was Saul, coming behind the herd from the field; and Saul said, “What troubles the people, that they weep?” And they told him the words of the men of Jabesh. Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.  So he took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, “Whoever does not go out with Saul and Samuel to battle, so it shall be done to his oxen.” And the fear of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.” 1 Samuel 11: 1-7

The above text from 1 Samuel takes place during a time when the tribes of Gad and Reuben have been tormented by this King of the Ammonites named Nahash. If you recall, these two tribes were the ones who settled on the other side of the Jordan and chose to take the good pasture land there instead of staking a claim on the Promised Land. But, not neglecting their duties as full members of the tribe of Israel they left of their families and flock on the other side of the Jordan to fight with the rest of Israel to defeat the inhabitants of the land God had set before them, even though they knew the fighting gave their families no personal gain and it would put them in harms way.

So now fast forward to the time of 1 Samuel 11. The historian Josephus states that this King Nahash “had been grievouly oppressing the Gadites and Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant [them] a deliverer. No one was left across the Jordan whose right eye...had not been gouged out...[except] seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” Do you not think the rest of Israel knew what was going on? Was there any account in the above text to indicate they were doing anything about this injustice? Not even their newly appointed King was doing anything – he was in his field plowing with his oxen. It was not until the people cried out and the Spirit of God led Saul to generate dread in their hearts, that the nation of Israel began to rise up against this injustice and fight.

As I sat and read this story this morning, my thoughts were quickly brought to places of injustice and the more typical response we as a Christian people have in those instances. It is sad but true, but we live in a nation defined by a lot of complaining and very little action to rectify the problems we see before us. We simply turn our backs on injustices when we hear about them, or if we do put out any effort we then speak words of disgust about them, but then go back to our own lives not wanting the bad news we have heard interrupt what we have planned for our own happy futures. But listen to what the following scripture verses have to say about that type of attitude:

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.  For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.  But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.  You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.  Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.  But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.  For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,  who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.  See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.  Do not despise prophecies.  Test all things; hold fast what is good.  Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 2-22

I don't know about you, but in light of all I have shared above, added to these verses here, I find it very hard to justify a lifestyle which turns its back on the injustices heard about in the world and pursues personal gain. And not only the injustices we by chance hear about, but those we are to be sobering searching out as is our calling as we watch and wait on the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the scripture verses from 1 Thessalonians states with the weapons of faith, love and salvation we are to comfort and edify one another in Christ as well as warn those who are laboring among us who are moving out of the will of God in their work for the kingdom (that is what admonish means). We are to stand up and speak out to those who are doing things against the law of the Lord. We are to bring comfort to those who have been pushed down by the injustices this world, as well as stand next to those who need someone to lean on if the weight of this world is crushing them in mind, body and/or spirit. We are to persevere with the best and the worst of this world, hoping and praying for salvation for all mankind. We are to show the world how good prevails by returning good for evil no matter what.

And as we seek to do these things, the way we stay on track is by rejoicing in the love of the Lord, by praying and keeping in communion with Jesus every moment of every day making sure all we do and say are directed by Him and are supplied by His overabundance of grace, mercy, and love for the world we live in. It is when we live in communion with the One true Judge that we are able to help in spreading the works of righteousness and justice through our land.

Finally, the warning we all must not ignore. Where the Spirit of the Lord grieves your heart you must lean into that injustice and pursue the way God is moving your heart to act out against it. Whether you are called to pray against it, comfort those who are hurt by it, speak out for those who are unable to speak for themselves in the midst of it, or be a strong pillar among a group that needs your spiritual strength to lean on, you cannot turn your back if you are to call yourself a Christian and a true follower to Christ.

The time is coming soon when Christ will return and we do not have the luxury of pursuing our own interests and seeking out happy havens in this world of evil. We must willingly put ourselves before the Lord daily and say, “Here I am Lord. Send me.” when the Lord shows us through His word and through the circumstances in our lives how we are each individually called to work as His kingdom and reign approach the coming day.

I leave you with theses words of encouragement today from 2 Chronicles 32:7-8:

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed ...[for]with [man] is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.”

Feel free to visit my personal blog at www.sheddinglightonthepath.blogspot.com

Too much has been said about freedom, deliverance, breaking free, breaking loose from the bondage and shackles of our past without the actual application of just doing it! So many Christians live such defeated lives that it would take me another book to dissect all the reasons; rhymes and horrible times we put ourselves through when we refuse to live in the Victory.

True Meaning of Christmas … “Tell the Children!”

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor.  I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house.  I opened the door to the front room and, to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree.  He placed a finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask.  The words choked up in my throat, as I saw he had tears in his eyes.  His usual jolly manner was gone.  Gone was the eager boisterous soul we all know.

He then answered me with a simple statement, "TEACH THE CHILDREN."  I was puzzled; what did he mean?

He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree.  As I stood there bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the meaning of Christmas.  The meaning that children now-a-day's have forgotten!"

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year around, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind.  All the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR.  "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago.  God promised a savior for the world, and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of that promise."

He then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDLE.  "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaced the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the eternal nature of love.  Real love never ceases.  Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled out from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF.  "Teach the children that I, Santa Clause symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

     -- original source unknown; submitted by C. Neal Davis, Ph.D., ACFRE (12/22/11) nealpatdavis@hotmail.com

He reached in again and pulled out a HOLLY LEAF.  "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality.  It represents the Crown of Thorns worn by our Savior.  The red holly berries represent the blood shed by Him."

            Next he pulled out a GIFT from the bag and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ..."  "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.  Teach the children that the Wise Men bowed before the Holy Babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  We should always give gifts in the same spirit as the Wise Men."

Santa reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree.  "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds crook.  The crook on the shepherd's staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock.  The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brothers keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL.  "Teach the children that it was the Angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth.  The angels sang Glory to God in the Highest, on earth peace, and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, from his bag he pulled out a BELL.  "Teach the children that the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should bring man to the fold.  The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back at the tree and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes.  He said, "Teach the children the true meaning of Christmas, and to not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the ONE That Is, and I bow down and worship HIM, our LORD, our GOD.

Orality & Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPG) that may be two entirely new terms for you! If that is the case or if you have heard these terms but want to find out more, then this blog may help you.

UUPG's are groups of people who have less than 2% known Christians in their people group AND no known evangelical work among them to bring the Gospel to them... they have no portion of scripture, no gospel recordings/radio or no Jesus Film available in their heart language.

The group that I work with International Orality Network (ION) seeks to influence the body of Christ to make disciples of all (4.35 billion) oral learners.

Are you aware that 2/3 of the world or some say 70% are oral learners. An oral learner is one who does not, cannot and will not read. They come from oral cultures. Since they do not read, you will need to use a different format than literacy to reach them initially. Tracts unless in picture form, will not be received. We must change the way that we present the Gospel to a format that they can really hear and understand.

Orality is a wide stroke and encompasses many different formats. The most widely understood form is called “storying.” Simply telling the stories of the bible. Orality can be songs, art forms, media, multimedia, film, or various formats. The ultimate goal of orality it to get the Gospel to them in a culturally appropriate way.

To begin your journey to understand these new terms and this new ORALITY movement, take a half an hour and watch this session from Call2All where Paul Eshleman explains what this is all about. Paul talks about Unengaged Unreached People Groups, this session was recorded by GodTV at the very first Call2All.org Congress.

GodTV - Call2All - Paul Eshleman (Finishing the Task) Interview and Session - 36 minutes

To view the session go to: http://www.god.tv/node/416

3400 groups where NO ONE HAS GONE...

2251 where there is not one verse of scripture available to them...

639 UUPG - people groups with over 100,000 in population that are classified as unreached, yet unengaged.

Finishing the Task - www.finishingthetask.com- for the update and listing for the 639 UUPG

Who are those people who have been neglected?

What can YOU, YOUR PRAYER GROUP and/or CHURCH do?

How can you link to the network of Great Commission Partners group!

Here is a challenge from Paul -- 82% of all muslims do not know of one Christian - Would you pray about inviting one muslim into your home for a meal and "demonstrate" God's love in a tangible way.

Matthew 24:14 - What if this is true?

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Oral Story Bible - Here is another great video/education piece that describes what it will take for an "Oral Story Bible" team.

Click here: http://www.call2allmedia.org/watch/7f092466c13bf42cd641/Oral-Story-Bible---Animated-Explanation

Food for thought... did you know that 2 billion of the 4.35 billion oral learners are children?

International Orality Network - Influencing the body of Christ to make disciples of all (4.35 billion) oral learners - PRAY for the children represented in this number...

Unengaged Unreached People Groups (UUPGs)

Right now there are still over 6,000 unreached people groups in the world. (An unreached people group being one with less than 2% evangelical Christian believers.)

Astonishingly there are 3,400 people groups who are not only unreached, but no one is even trying to reach them. Mission strategists call them “unengaged.”

After 2,000 years, it should be unthinkable to us as the church of Jesus Christ that there would be any unengaged people groups left in the world. Finishing the Great Commission can be defined in different ways, but what is most important is that we start to finish the task. It will be accomplished primarily through local congregations planting indigenous churches among the people groups they adopt.

The 639 unreached, unengaged people groups referred to in this video is the number of UUPG's with populations above 100,000. The rest of the 2,700 groups have less than 100,000 people.

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To help you understand an “Introduction to Orality and the International Orality Network”

I have put together several articles that were taken off the internet... each is individually noted.

This following first portion was taken from the Orality section of the Call2All.org website.

ION is a founding partner with Call2All.org www.Call2All.org

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International Orality Network

The International Orality Network is an alliance of mission leaders partnering together to make God’s Word available to all oral learners in culturally appropriate ways.

ION relates to the Lausanne Committee on World Evangelization and is committed to provide oral strategies to communicate the gospel, make disciples, train leaders and enable church planting movements among all peoples in ways that are reproducible by oral peoples.

It’s task forces are directed by world missions leaders representing Wycliffe International; International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention; Campus Crusade; Trans World Radio; Epic Partners; Hosanna/Faith Comes By Hearing; Discipling A Whole Nation; The God’s Story Project; The Jesus Film Project; Progressive Vision; The Seed Company; Scriptures in Use (SIU); visionSynergy and Youth with a Mission. All hold to the principles of the power of the spoken Word of God, the progressive revelation of Scripture, cultural relevance, and telling God’s story to all peoples in reproducible ways.

A Story worth telling

Imagine a people group with no written language. There are 2700 in this situation. Imagine communities with no access to the Gospel. There are 2.8 billion who have not heard.

Part of Call2All’s strategy to reach these people with the Good News is by sharing the Bible through story form.

Cultures that have no written language rely very heavily on story to record their past and to teach the next generation. They have an amazing memory capacity to remember details in stories, and when trying to understand a concept, will bring in a story to give explanation.

Samuel Chiang, Global Director for the International Orality Network. The Orality Network’s aim is to make disciples of all oral learners. Through the Network Samuel has seen significant success in bringing the Bible alive to unreached people groups.

He explains how it works: “Once you have identified the people group you want to reach, who have no scripture and no written language, you must first understand their worldview."

Then fifty to sixty Bible stories are prepared and crafted to engage in the world view of the culture. For example if the community has a matriarchal society, somewhere you need to address and respect that culture. The best way to do this is to bring out Bible stories that they will connect with, the Old Testament stories of Esther and Ruth for instance.

Alternatively if the culture has high regard for the spirit world, and evil spirits are revered, then to tell the story of Jesus delivering the demoniac in Luke 8 would have a huge impact.

The key is to identify barriers, gaps and bridges between the story teller and those listening, so that what is being said will have the greatest impact.

Jesus was the greatest story-teller, following His example we can change the lives of those who cannot read by telling them a story. Log on next week to hear how sharing the Gospel in story form has changed communities around the world.

To find out more about ION visit their website at www.oralbible.com

Read All About It?

67% of People are Non-Literate Oral Learners

The Challenges Print Evangelism Ministries Face In Meeting The Needs Of Oral Cultures

By Avery Willis and James Greenelsh

What do you think Mr. Guttenberg?

The year was 1488. A young boy accidentally left a wooden shape dripping with dye on a piece of parchment overnight. In the morning he discovered an image remaining after removing the wood. It was an “aha moment” that led to the invention of the printing press. That one insight changed the world we live in. The boys name, Johann Guttenberg. His idea lit the fuse on a literacy revolution that supercharged the field of knowledge. The bible finally came within reach of the common man. Christianity in Europe flourished. For over 500 years since then the Church in western societies has trumpeted the superiority of literacy.

I had thought for so long that the Guttenberg revolution was a worldwide phenomenon. I grew up thinking that literacy was the one thing the world needed to level the playing field for everyone.

Then one day, I made an alarming discovery: 500 years after the invention of the printing press—only 33% of the world are truly literate.

That single fact stopped me dead in my tracks. A banner headline. Extra. Extra. Read all about it:

Approximately 67% of the people of the world are non-literate oral learners.

If you printed that headline in every newspaper in every country of the world, in every language known to man and you threw it on the coffee table of every home on earth— close to four billion people couldn’t read it.

That should get our attention.

Let me ask you, if you had a business and you found that 67% of your target audience were non-literate oral learners, you can bet you’d tailor your business plan, dedicate your work force, and allocate a huge portion of your operating budget especially to reach them. That’s just smart business.

The world of missions is just now waking up to the fact that Oral learners are at the center of the firestorm to complete the Great Commission. The bull’s eye. Imagine. Four billion oral learners in the cross-hairs of redemptive history at the beginning of the 21st century. What are you, your church and your mission agencies doing to hit the bullseye?

If the term “oral learner” is unfamiliar to you let me offer a simple definition. By oral learners we mean those people who learn best and whose lives are most likely to be transformed when information comes to them through oral, not literate, means. Oral learners transmit their beliefs, heritage, values by means of stories, drama, songs, and proverbs.. They have built their customs, culture, and social fabric around storytelling.

What does this mean for us as we endeavor to fulfill the Great Commission?

We must start asking questions like these. How in the world do we share the Word of God with people who can’t. don’t or read? Who don’t write? Who may not even have a written language? HOW?

Listen to this story from a young Christian leader in Bihar, India. His name is Bihari Mukhiya.

I come from village culture. I want to tell you what it is like there. Most of the people in the villages are non-literate they have never been to school they have never read any books. Village people take interest in stories in music and in drama. In the village in the evening time people meet in the street, tell stories and sing village songs. They learn lessons from these stories and they put them into practice in their lives. They never read a book; they never have been to school. They are not literate, but they listen and then they learn.

I come from a Hindu family. In my childhood I used to join in Hindu customs. I listened to many Hindu stories. But when I reached sixth standard in the school I had a chance to hear the stories of Jesus. I had never heard such stories. I had been taught that there were many gods. But through the stories of Jesus I came to understand that Jesus is the true God. I committed my life to the Lord and began to tell people about Jesus.

After some time I went to Bible college to learn the word of God. There I was taught a literate western style of education. When I came back from the college I used the same western methods to preach the gospel but nobody accepted Christ. I was very discouraged and I was thinking I would leave the ministry. Then, I got the opportunity to learn how to communicate with oral cultures through training provided by Scriptures In Use. I learned how to share my faith and plant churches among non-literate people. I was influenced by the teaching and returned to the mission field and started using the same storying method. So many people believed in Jesus Christ through this method.

I witnessed so many souls coming to Christ by telling stories from the Bible. So many souls are being saved. I am now training many missions workers throughout Bihar. The training is going well, every month many people are accepting Jesus Christ. Each month 500 to 600 people are taking baptism and 50 new churches are being planted every month. Through the cooperation of several ministries, a church planting movement is taking place throughout Bihar.

Brace yourself for this headline: An estimated 90% of the world’s Christian workers present the gospel and do discipleship using highly literate communication styles. 90%. Throw that up against the 67% who are oral learners and what do you have? A strategic problem.

Let me put it this way. We can try all day long to install software on a Macintosh computer but if the software is Windows only PC, we’re out-a-luck. We can know that our customers need software. We can spend big bucks on designing great software. Our investors may be excited about the software. But it all means nothing if when we go to install it on our customers computer. We find out that two-thirds of them are using an incompatible operating system!

Oral learners do not have a literate operating system. They need different software. That’s what this young leader in India discovered. That one single insight should rock our world as it did his. It should stun Christian leadership. It should change our mission strategies for sharing faith, training leaders, and planting churches. It should radically change the focus of our Christian stewardship.

How do we fulfill the Great Commission among oral learners? We change our approach as Bihari Mukhiya did. He simply learned to use the stories of the Bible to communicate in a way that functionally illiterate people relate to and understand. That’s it. So obvious. So brutally simple.

He put away his printed books and tracts. He stopped communicating abstact theological ideas that he’d learned in Bible school. He started telling the stories of the Bible. Straight forward. He used these oral stories to cross natural bridges into the lives of his listeners. He used stories from the Bible to bring forth truths that challenge the worldview of the people in his culture. Then he watched the Holy Spirit speak through these stories. You can’t argue with the results.

The fact that we, as literate, print oriented, missionaries from the west, have missed this oral storying method for so long may be one of the single most serious tactical mistakes we have made in the last 200 years! I grieve over all the time, energy and funding that I have personally directed toward print evangelism mission endeavors that missed the mark for oral learners.

I finally got the picture. Literacy software does not fit two-thirds of the world’s population. Until we wake up to that fact, we will continue to expend manpower and resources in less fruitful endeavors, with inadequate tools, and methodology. The result? We miss our audience. We missing our opportunity to effectively share the stories of faith among oral cultures.

The development of oral strategies is not meant to detract from print evangelism or Bible translation. In fact, the opposite is true. The most comprehensive strategy for communicating the word of God in the heart language of an oral culture should start with an oral approach that leads to translation and literacy. The problem is, too often we get the cart before the horse. Or worse yet, we forget the horse completely. Without the horse. That cart isn’t going anywhere.

I’m convinced that if we take the unique needs of the oral learner to heart and if we make them a leading priority in shaping our all mission strategies we will make monumental progress in completing the Great Commission.

We urgently need ministries willing to rethink what they are doing. Ministries willing to create new tools, new methodologies, new approaches that put the needs of oral learners first.

In doing so God will enable us to harness the greatest force on earth for spreading the gospel and multiplying the church—the power of His stories reproduced by word of mouth over and over again among each unique oral culture of the world in culturally sensitive ways.

We need a movement of cross cultural Bible story experts who have the skill to train people to engage unreached oral learners with a complete set of Bible stories in the local language that are tailored to transform their unique worldview. It’s cost effective, reproducible and grass roots accessible.

It is the goal of the International Orality Network to influence the Body of Christ to disciple all oral learners. We envision nothing less than a worldview specific, word-of-mouth-Bible storying revolution in the mother tongue of each oral culture of the world.

This is our greatest hope for fulfilling the great commission among 4 billion people who have yet to hear the Story. It’s a simple insight with world shaking possibilities.

What do you think, Mr. Guttenberg?

"This article appeared in the October 2006 issue of Lausanne World Pulse, www.lausanneworldpulse.com, P.O. Box 794, Wheaton, IL 60189, USA."

Making Disciples of Oral Learners

Avery Willis

Two thirds of all people in the world are oral communicators-- who can’t, don’t, or won’t learn through literate means.

Orality

What is Orality?

Two thirds of the world (that's 4.35 billion people) and 70% of the unreached people of the world do not understand the message when it is delivered by literate means. They don’t understand the concepts even when they hear them.

The writers of the Bible and Jesus used oral means before the message was written down. Jesus did not speak without using parables because only 5-10% of the people were literate in his day. Oral learners learn and remember through stories, proverbs, drama, song and chants. They are just as smart as literates but have not learned the skills of literacy. Their memories are better and they can easily reproduce what they hear. They are the key to beginning church planting movements and reaching the lost of the world. Stories from the Bible can be used to make disciples, train leaders and even equip missionaries who do not read.

I. How your church can start a storying project.

1. In the U.S.—visit www.RealLifeMinistries.com/leaders

2. In an unreached people group—visit www.FinishingTheTask.com

3. In a Bibleless people group—visit www.OneStory.org or www.StoryRunners.com

II. How to do Bible storying.

1. Storying Workshops - offered by various groups. See EVENTS at www.oralbible.org

2. CBS Chronological Bible Storying - www.ChronologicalBibleStorying.com

3. Oral Strategies website - www.Oralstrategies.com

4. Avery Willis website - www.averywillis.org

III. Orality Ministries.

1. International Orality Network - www.InternationalOralityNetwork.com or www.oralbible.org

2. OneStory - www.OneStory.org

3. Go 2 South Asia – curriculum for UUPG’s of South Asia - www.Go2SouthAsia.org

4. Simply the Story – Inductive Story Training workshops - http://www.gods-story.org/sts/

5. God Story Project www.gods-story.org/bibleatlast.htm or www.God-Story.org

6. Scriptures in Use - www.siutraining.org

7. StoryRunners – Campus Crusade Ministry – oral bible story teams - www.StoryRunners.org

8. Wycliffe – OneStory – oral bible story teams - www.WycliffeOneStory.info

9. Youth With A Mission – oral bible story teams - YWAM OneStory - www.ywamonestory.org

10. Orality Strategies – comprehensive oral approach website - www.OralStrategies.com

11. Global recordings - www.globalrecordings.net

12. Audio dramatized bible – Faith Comes By Hearing – Proclaimer & Bible Sticks - www.fcbh.org

Resources available for orality from www.imb.org for $5.00 each

Telling God’s Story Video

Making Disciples of Oral Learners (available in Korean, Indonesian and Spanish)

Orality Around the World DVD

Telling the Story” workbook—a primer on Chronological Bible Storying

Following Jesus: Making Disciples of Oral Learners—Seven audio modules of 400 stories

Order “Making Disciples of Oral Learners” AUDIO book for $5.00 at: www.Storyrunners.com/Resources/MDOL.aspx

“Basic Bible Storying” by Dr. J.O. Terry: http://www.churchstarting.net/books.htm

Orality

by John McGee posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 5:54pm

[A blog about Orality, one of the significant themes and highlights from Cape Town 2010. This particular blog though encompsses my own study of this movement over the past seven years and is a synopsis of my understandings, observations, conclusions and challenges.]

There is a significant movement in missions today focused on oral cultures. Some indications are that nearly 70 percent of the world’s population, either, cannot, prefer not or will not read to engage in learning and exposure to that which they did not previously know.

70 percent, that is a staggering number – more than 4 billion people around the globe. Read this again, we are not talking about cannot only, rather, 70 percent of the world’s population can not, will not or prefers not to learn through literate methods.

What does this tell us about the modern missions movement which historically has had as one of its main pillars to teach people how to read so they can read the Scriptures for themselves. This assumes that the scriptures will be translated and available in a language that can be understood.

Let’s start here. Of the 6,800 languages that are spoken around the world. About 3,100 have a portion of the Scriptures, a translation in progress, or a completed translation. The remaining 3,700 languages, whether spoken by millions or only a few hundred, have no part of the Word of God in that tongue. Only 450 languages have complete translations of the word of God.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Connect The Dots

I was very blessed to have an enjoyable drive to work. Most of it was back country road, no interstate highway or four lane road. Not much traffic unless I was running late and encountered school buses. As I was driving to work one morning, I looked to my left and saw two deer grazing in an open field. They heard the car and watched as I drove by. A half mile further, I looked up in time to see a flock of geese flying in formation overhead. The sun was just coming up and the sky was a brilliant shade of red and orange.

I had to just keep thanking God and praising him for the wonders he had placed in my pathway. As I was thanking him, it occurred to me that he orchestrated this beauty just for me. I never saw another car as I drove down the country road and that increased my awe in my creator.

Why would he plan such an event for me? He must really love me and want to bless me. That really got me to wondering how I fit into the scheme of things in the world.

I am a praying person, maybe more than some, but probably not as much as others. I am led by God’s Holy Spirit and when the Spirit asks me to pray for someone, I do.

Each morning I have my devotional time before starting my day. I need that time to get prepared for the day. It seems to help me be ready for any and every situation I may face.

I have been praying around the world with the help of a world prayer map. It directs my prayers to different countries on specific days. This is a tool that I use to pray for those who have never heard the gospel message. It amazes me that someone on the other side of the world may be blessed because I prayed for them.

Back to my story, I’m not sure what I was praying as I drove down the road that morning. I know that I was marveling at God’s work in the heavenlies. The sunrise was breathtaking. God spoke to my heart that morning and assured me that I was part of something much bigger than my own little corner of the earth.

In Psalm 139:7 - 8, David says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.”

As Christians, we are never separated from God and his love. His word tells us so. (See Romans 8:35-39.) That being said, we know that we are to pray. We are instructed to pray for other Christians, for our enemies, for those who persecute us. We are told to pray without ceasing and we are told by Jesus to pray: “Our Father, in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:9-13.

Did you hear what Jesus asked us to pray for? He said “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Wow, we are asking God to do his will on earth as it is in heaven. That is pretty awesome. I can’t really imagine what God does in heaven, but it is something fantastic. We know that Jesus is preparing a place for us in heaven. We know that the true temple of God is in heaven. We know that there is a throne in heaven.

When we ask for God’s will to be done, we are impacting our planet in a mighty way. When I pray for the gospel message to be preached in other countries, when I ask for God’s purpose and plan to be fulfilled in the leaders of other nations, when I ask that Christians would have the mind of Christ, my prayers are being heard in heaven and affecting the heavenlies.

Remember when God created the heavens and the earth? What did he do to create things? He spoke them into existence. Although I am not God, when I speak the things that his Holy Spirit instructs me to speak, I too am causing things to happen in the spirit realm.

What an awesome responsibility and how powerful are our words. I don’t really know the impact I have on other countries when I pray. I usually ask according to Jesus words in Matthew 9:36-38, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, (that is you and I) “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We are asking according to God’s will when we ask him to send workers into the harvest field.

How does my life affect what happens in the universe? I can’t really say, but I do know that God hears my prayers. When someone is sent into the harvest field to become a missionary and preach the good news of salvation, I am there with them in Spirit. The impact they have on others may be a result of my prayers and the prayers of other saints around the world.

When someone hears and accepts the gift of salvation, the angels in heaven rejoice. “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7 Now that is far reaching. A little prayer from me and others like me can open the doors of heaven, send workers into the harvest field, the message of salvation through Christ can be preached and people can have eternal life.

Eternal life, now that is universal. It is so far reaching that we may never know just how far that one little prayer went.

Multiply our prayers by thousands or hundreds of thousands and you may be able to understand how you can affect what happens in the universe.

Now I have never really read anything in the Bible to prove what will happen when we live for eternity, but I have heard it said that what we are experiencing here on earth is like pre-school compared to what we will experience in eternity. And yet, we cannot experience eternal life unless we give our hearts to Jesus here on earth.

Our prayers for the lost people of the world are so important. If they are lost they don’t know to look for Jesus. We have to share the message with them. Not everyone who hears the message will accept it, not everyone who hears the message will understand it, but Jesus died for everyone on earth. That means that everyone on earth should at least have the opportunity to hear what he did for them. God wants to give everyone the chance to accept his gift of eternal life.

Do your prayers make a difference in the universe? Yes they do. Even if you don’t see visible proof, you have to pray and keep on praying. God knows your heart and he knows that you are sincere in wanting to reach the lost.

Father,

We know that no matter where we are, you are there, your Holy Spirit is with us, as Christians, wherever we are. We thank you for the way you reveal yourself to us and we want you to reveal yourself to those who don’t know you.

We know that you are the Lord of the harvest and that you can send workers into the harvest field to share the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We know that you have a purpose and a plan for leaders of nations around the world, you are the one who has put them positions of leadership. We pray that your plans for the leaders of the world would be fulfilled and that they would become the men and women you created them to be.

We want to advance the gospel around the world and we pray that those who hear the gospel would accept your gift of eternal life. We know that heaven is poised and waiting to rejoice as people accept your gift and we rejoice with the angels.

Thank you for hearing our prayers offered in Jesus name. Amen

There are so many people in the workplace that is suffering. Not that we don't know this. When fellow co-workers come to you and release their fears and their fustrations, what do you do with this information. I challenge all of God's children to not only listen but to be so concern that we bow upon our knees before the throne of grace on their behalf. So often we listen but don't realize the power we have in prayer to change or even to help them to find peace in these uncertain times.

People are so burden. They are looking for answers. Tell them about Jesus Christ. Tell them about the one that has lifted your bowed down head. Tell them about Jesus your Great Intercessor.

If this touches your heart, join with me in becoming a Prayer Warrior in Your Workplace.

Prayerfully,

GMC

Witness for Jesus Christ

Walking In Truth Newness Edifying, Speaking, Serving for Jesus Christ

Have you ever been in a place and felt God was speaking everywhere you turned? A place where revelation was so tangible, it was like dew saturating the air? It was during a recent trip to Philadelphia, the birthplace of our nation, that God gave me a greater revelation regarding the benefits of Kingdom citizenship.

“We the people in order to form a more perfect union…” is how the preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins. The constitution was formed to bring 13 individual city-states together and create 1 governmental structure wherein the power resides with the people. This document was created to give a voice to the people; a document that outlined the benefits of being a citizen in this newly formed United States.
Benefits guarantee the citizenry certain freedoms and privileges.

• The freedom to practice religion
• The freedom of speech
• The freedom of life, liberty and to pursue happiness

So how does relate to being a citizen of the Kingdom of God? What privileges come with being a citizen of this eternal Kingdom?

• We have been adopted into a family, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
• We are accepted for who we are, “To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:6-7
• We have an inheritance, “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17
• We are overcomers, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:37
• We are always on the mind of God, “Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on
  the backs of my hands.” Isaiah 49:15-16a

How to become a Kingdom Citizen

• Admit we are sinners and need to be redeemed from sin, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 “For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is
  eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23
• Believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, “But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.”Romans 5:8; “Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.”2 Corinthians 5:21
• Confess that because we are born into sin we need a savior, “Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth)
  that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Welcome package, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Being Oaks of Righteousness

When Jesus began his earthly ministry he read this scripture. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting for the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1-3

God is looking for people who want to become oaks for him. Oak trees are one of the most important trees in the world and are symbols of strength. They are used for lumber and fuel. There may be as many as 75 species of oaks in the United States. The fruit from the oak tree, is the acorn and these acorns serve as food for deer, squirrels and racoon.

Why would God want people to be like oak trees? What sort of symbolism is there for us to want to model our lives after?

When we think of how an oak tree begins, it is amazing. The oak starts as an acorn. An acorn looks nothing like the tree it will become. Our faith is like that acorn. When we first accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are like that acorn. Everything that we need to become mighty oaks of righteousness is within us. Within an acorn is all that it needs to become a tree. When we are born, God has created us for a purpose. He has a plan for each person in the world. The potential to become what he envisoned us to be is there. Just like the ability to become an oak tree is within each acorn.

There is a conscious effort needed to plant that acorn. If it doesn’t get planted, it will never become a tree. There are many acorns that are never planted, many that are scattered across the earth and never get the opportunity to become the trees that they could be because they either never heard the word of God or they refused to believe it. It is up to each one of us whether we will accept Christ into our hearts. Believing in Christ is the first step toward becoming an Oak tree.

Once we accept the gift God has given us, the gift of eternal life, the gift of forgivness, the potential within us takes on a new life. The seed, the acorn has been planted. Planting for Christians comes in the form of joining a body of believers. Once Jesus has come into your heart, you need to nurture that faith and increase it.

An acorn that is planted soon becomes a little twig. This little twig needs some protection and care to grow straight and tall. It will need some pruning also to form it into the great oak it has the potential to become.

New believers need support and guidance to become the display of God’s splendor that he intended. God will provide the pruning necessary to produce more branches. We have to yield ourselves to God daily and learn to trust him as he teaches us and guides us.

This is where being in a good Bible based church and surrounding yourself with true disciples of Christ makes a big difference. Believers will not grow if they are not nourished and fed the word of God on a regular basis.

As the tree grows, and this process takes years, there will be many storms of life that will threaten it. There may even be lightening strikes, but if that tree is rooted firmly in the ground, secure in God’s presence, no matter what assails it, the tree will stand firm. That is the place all believers want to reach. A place of complete peace and trust.

This is a process. I can imagine that some of the trials I have been going through lately would have totally destroyed me 20 years ago. But today I know that God will help me through any storm that may come my way. When a loved one dies, when there are financial problems, when we go through sickness or pain, these are the times that we grow. These are also the times when we learn to rely on God.

As an Oak tree grows, it sends out branches in three different directions. The lower limbs of mature trees bend toward the ground. These branches can be likened to mature believers who reach out to those people who don’t know the Lord yet. These are people who are living lives for this world. They haven’t heard the good news and accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and master yet.

The branches half way up the oak reach out laterally. These branches connect with other trees around them. These branches could represent the fellowship of believers. We need to help and encourage others in the faith. As mature oaks, we have much to share with newer believers and our life experiences can make a difference in the lives of others.

The top branches reach toward heaven and as mature oaks, we are in the world but not of the world. We need to continuously seek God and realize that our true home is in heaven. We are only ambassadors here on this earth. Picture believers with their hands raised in praise to God.

As true believers we have a long way to go to become mighty Oak trees. But remember that it is a process. It won’t happen overnight and God will not give up on us. It is up to us to want to grow, we do have a choice. I’m not sure just how long Oak trees can live. I know that they are some of the most stately trees in the world. I also know that when they are cut down they make some of the most long lasting furniture. Oak trees are still useful even when they are dead. I guess that is what we can hope for.

Heavenly Father,

We are so grateful that you are patient with us and that you grow us up into the mature Christians that you created us to be. Thank you for letting us grow at a pace that is suitable for each one of us. Help us to remember that all those around us are also works in progress. That not everyone is growing at the same rate or in the same manner. That you are the one who is in control and that we are to encourage one another and reach out to the lost. May all the things that we say and do bring glory to your name. Because of Christ Jesus. Amen