PRAY!

5 WAYS TO PRAY FOR NT PARTICIPANTS

1. FOCUS ON GOD. Pray that the summer missionaries will remain focused on his/her relationship with God. That the NT participants’ relationship with Jesus Christ be their first priority and their motivation for sharing the saving gospel message.

2. TEAM UNITY. The testimony of the team as a whole is an illustration of the how the Body of Christ works and cooperates together- please ask God for team unity in the NT. Pray that as the team works together that the glorify their Father in Heaven.

3. HUMILITY. Please pray that as they minister to the lost that they follow the example of Jesus Christ. In humility and love that they are able to demonstrate the gospel to the communities they are serving in.

4. BOLDNESS. Please pray for the NT participants that they will boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel.

5. LISTEN TO GOD. Please ask God that the participants have ears to hear God, and that they remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s moving.

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

How do we live a life that Glorifies God?

Gate 6 Fountain Gate – Holy Spirit

     Living the Highest Life. . . . .

            

What does it mean when we say “Living the Highest life.”?

Does it mean living in luxury? Or living in fame?  How can we consider one who is living the highest life?

In order to answer this question, let us back track and learn about life. Let us learn about man. Let us learn and understand who Christ is, his plan for us to live, really live for him.

Let us begin by taking a look at the Bio-Zoe-logical chart

Biology- the science and the study of life

Zoe- Greek word for life

·         God- the highest life form in the universe

He is Non- dimensional. (There’s no height, length, depth, height or size. He is IMMESUARABLE.)

He created the spiritual realm. This realm came to existence before space-time and is outside the measurements and concepts of time.

GOD STANDS OUTSIDE OF TIME.     

This, for us, is hard to understand because we are creatures of time, space, and dimension. We are FINITE  or LIMITED.

·         Angels- the highest created life form

    Doesn’t have souls

·         Man- the only creature who is hybrid

God created man with:

1.        Body

2.      Soul- human life

Set up relationships with all things in the visible realm

Helps relate to the physical or visible realm

3.      Spirit- God breathed into man and gave him a spirit

Man’s spirit was supposed to be the CONTAINER OF GOD’S SPIRIT (LIFE)

This is the secret to our Christian walk

·         Animals- have souls but doesn’t have a spirit

SOUL- the life form that belongs to the physical realm. Helps relate to the physical world

SPIRIT- the life form that belongs to the spiritual realm

·         Plants-

Let us take a look at Adam

·         Unfallen Adam- (Perfect body, soul  and spirit)

  The soul before was submissive to the spirit

·         Fallen Adam- (Fallen body, Mutated soul and dead spirit)

The soul mutated and the spirit died and so our soul dominated us.

The Effect of sinning was that:

·         Man’s spirit died to the spiritual realm (it was cut off)

·         Adam could no longer see the unseen or hear the unseen

·         Man became a creature of the physical realm.( he began to relate more to his soul  than to his spirit)

·         He moved closer to becoming an animal

·         His soul began trying to do the things that normally the spirit would do. Man began to reach out to God through his soul. (Mind, will and emotions)

·          He began to think that doing good is what would please God

·         Man now had the knowledge of good and evil

·         Both evil and the desire to do good lived in man driving him mad

·         He has now the element of a fallen angel. Life form living in him that is greater than he is and holds him prisoner

·         There is now the cycle of life to try to please, do, be legalistic in order to get in favor with God.

 But….

Because of God’s love, He sent His one and only son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

                When we believed Jesus Christ as our personal savoir, we have been re-generated (made alive, made new); our spirit has been resurrected. Our soul has been cleaned. Our soul is in the presence of a resurrected spirit and is being changed by this new life and by the word of God. Our spirit has been made one with His spirit. And as I received Christ “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me the life I live in the body I live by faith in the son who loved me and gave himself for me.”(Galatians 2:20) Not “I” but “Christ.” dying to self and self-attitudes. His Will NOT our will.

               

 Let us make it clear, that WE CAN’T LIVE THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. It is God’s life poured in us that lives the Christian life. For without CHRIST, we are NOTHING. That’s the Fact.

                Only one thing prevents Jesus from filling our hearts with His spirit with overflowing, and that is sin in one of its thousand forms. The Lord Jesus doesn’t fill dirty cups. Anything that springs from self, however small it may be is sin. It is not an accident that Dung Gate(Confession) comes first before Fountain Gate( Holy Spirit) because we can’t live the highest life if we haven’t yet confessed to God our sin- the only thing that prevents Jesus from filling our hearts with his spirit.

                Living full of God’s spirit is to live the highest life. It is to live with and by the indwelling of the Lord. Christ in Us.

-          Vijoren , 16 (Mangagoy, Surigao)

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

How do we live a life that Glorifies God?

Gate 5: Dung Gate – Confession

1 john 1.9          2 Chronicles 7:14

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. – James 5: 16

The word confess means to agree with God about our sin. There are 3 kinds of confession that the Lord wants us to do. First, is a personal confession like what David did in Psalm 51. David recognized his rebellion, agreed how he had sinned against god and asked God to forgive him and wash and cleanse him and his guilt. (1 john 1:9) Second, is done with a small accountability group. God is not only teaching us and reminding us to confess our sins to him, but also to confess it to one another, specifically to our trusted brothers in faith so they may pray with us and journey with us towards victory over that sin. This though is often hard to do. none of us would like to be “exposed”. We do not want others to know our weakness for we may lose face. We are afraid that we might be judged or condemned. We think that we are the only ones struggling, but the Bible says that, “no temptation has seized men except for what is common to men.” and  there is healing that comes from confessing our sin and being prayed for by a righteous brother. (james 5:16) the third is corporate confession or also called an intercessory confession done with and or for  the family or church or nation. Nehemiah in Nehemiah chapter 1 prayed , wept and confessed not only his sins but the sins of the people of Jerusalem. In 2 Chronicles 7: 14 God calls out to his people to humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways then He will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land.

THE WAY OF REVIVAL

Through this gate, God told me that I am not the only one who struggles with sin. He said that no sin has held one captive except for what is common to man. This reminded me that I am not alone, there is no condemnation for me in Christ and I can and should have somebody hold me accountable. But this is not only a one sided thing or for my benefit but so that my relationship with people will be restored. 

God always takes the initiative and I have to also do my part to maintain an intimate relationship with Him. The way of revival is the way of the cross.  

Reading the book The Way of The Cross (a required reading for Gate 5), even just on the very first chapter, God already was speaking strongly to m

y heart. I thought of not moving on to the next chapter at all because I wonder what else could God speak to me about. But I did. and His double-edged sword pierced even deeper judging every thought and attitude of my heart (Hebrews 4:12). God kept telling me that I should always be in a right relationship with Him. God wants to fill me with Him victorious life but to do that, my will must be broken. Though easier said than done, I must do it and I can do it for He now lives in me – Colossians 1:27.

As water flows to low places, so the Holy Spirit rests in humble hearts.  I must die to myself. I must really be able to say from my heart, “Not I but Christ. Not mine but Christ’s.” for indeed it is no longer I who lives but Christ in me. – Galatians 2: 20

I thank God for the opportunity he gave for me to be involved in this training; for equipping and teaching me how to live a life that glorifies God; for using this training to mold me and change my life.

This has really been a life changing training for me as a young leader. This has helped me to become more spiritually matured, being more like Christ.

I also am very thankful to the Lord also for my family who have been very supportive of me, and to my loving and caring girlfriend Arlin T. Epis who never fails to pray and encourage me. Thank you so much!

May the Lord bless us all!

Prayer requests:

-          -Salvation for my entire family

-         - Moving forward with having a Nehemiah Teams franchise in C.D.O

-         - Living a life that glorifies God

-          -An intimate relationship with God

-         - To be a FAT Christian – that is Faithful, Available and Teachable Christian

-        -  Plans for marriage

      - Algie, 25 (Cagayan de Oro)

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

How do we live a life that Glorifies God?

Gate 4: Valley Gate – Trials, Growth and Humility

A pastor jokingly said, “I hope you all don’t stumble because of us. If we had not been saved, can you imagine how worse we could be?”

These pastors and leaders are being goofy, joking around while they were introducing themselves the team one time. 

I replied, “Neither can I, Pastor. We are all the same.”

INDEED!

we are a band of wretched lives. If not for His grace where could we be? If not for his grace where would I be?  And his grace is not only sufficient to save me from who I was but more than enough to make me who He has always wanted me to be. In the daily battles of obedience, I get knocked down, losing almost. Many times come out of a battle wounded, but victorious. For in each wounding is the death not of His life in me but death of the ME that still lives. The pain leads to humbling, humbling leads to growth. 

Jesus was fully human and fully God when He came on earth. He lived the humblest life taking the very nature of a servant and being crucified on a cross like a criminal. 

The bible tells us that He was tempted in all ways but never sinned. 

He went through all the pains of life, losing a father at a young age, having to be the bread winner, doubted by his brothers, doubted and even denied by the people he served and loved, betrayed by a friend and so on.

He is acquainted with all our pain. He has been persecuted and judged. And all this He went through not because He was disobedient but because He was fulfilling the will of His Father. 

I look at my pain. I can’t compare it with His.

 I can never accuse Him of not caring, of not understanding. He knows my pains really well. 

Knowing and understanding this a little more comforts me and helps me persevere. Who I was is part of who I am and God is using that to make me who I ought to be. And though he found me in rubbles, I pray that each stone would sing of what He can redeem.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is unseen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  

2 Corinthians 4:17-18

                Let all afflictions be eclipsed by His glory. 

-        -   Cecil

  

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

 FRIENDS OF ISHMAEL

 The book Friends of Ishmael has challenged me to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to our Muslim brothers. This book is about the lives of people who gave their lives to the Lord going anywhere to bring the Gospel to the Muslims and how God has used their lives to reach to their hearts. Indeed, only the Lord can do amazing things through a life that truly loves Him – willing to go anywhere to preach the Good News.

Henry Martin – Father of Protestant mission among the Muslims – gave up everything, left, and was used by the Lord to translate the New Testament portion of the Bible into Urdu, Persian and Arabic.

Ion Keith Falconer – Missionary to the Arabs – he left his great wealth to follow Christ. 

Samuel Zwemer – he is an apostle to the Islam. Despite the great difficulty brought by extreme heat – even up to 44 degree Celsius – living by the Persian Gulf; or even after the death of their 2 children just within a whole week peroid, Samuel and his wife learned to be content in whatever situation.

Franklin Graham – the modern day Good Samaritan – has such a great burden in his heart to bring the Gospel where it most needed, never ashamed to share the good news of Jesus Christ to them.

Heather Mercer and Dyna Curry were willing to go to the hardest and neediest places for the Gospel. They have become the friends of Muslim women.

David Mcdonall, Larry Elliot, Jean Elliot and Karen Watson – 21^st century martyrs – they went to the darkest places to bring the Light of Jesus Christ. they went to Iraq – for and because of the call, they left everything for no other reason. These five lives united for one purpose – that is to be friends and show love to the sons and daughters of Ishmael.

Rev. Florentino De Jesus – he indeed loved and befriended the Muslims. When almost no one would dare befriend them, Rev. de Jesus kept pleading for opportunity to serve among them and in 1994, this Pastor left his church only to spend his life among the sons of Ishmael.

These are the heroes who obeyed the Great Commission of God to preach the Gospel to Ishmaels. They were ordinary men and women but God used them.

I believe God will also use me to bring the Good News to my Muslim friends. Even when I was just little, I have always desired to be a missionary.  I dreamed not to become a nurse, nor a teacher or whatever. I wanted to be a missionary. And through some mission exposure to a Muslim community, God gave me a love for the Muslims. This desire to serve among them has never left my heart and once again through this book I was reminded of the need to be a friend of Ishmael.

The sad reality today is that the church stays asleep in the light while countless and countless people have very little or no friends bringing the Truth to them so they may have life. 

God has always desired to bring them to light. If I will not tell these Muslim brothers and sisters that God loves them, who will? How else will I live? Will I stay or go? Will I serve man, or will I serve God? 

God called me not to just be comfortable or successful in human terms, but so there would be people who truly love and obeyed Him like he has always planned and desired. I should be willing and ready to leave everything just to bring the Muslims to the One True God. God does not want me to desire anything for myself. Missions is not a joke or a game to not take seriously. There are pains, persecutions and difficulties but God’s word perpetually encourages us to continue serving God. What God has done for me on the cross, He also did for others.

God calls his people to share the Gospel to bring the peoples to Him. Satan has blinded the eyes and ears of the Christians with fear to hinder them from advancing with the Gospel. While Satan actively destroys lives, God’s people sit in apathy. Let’s not forget that Satan Is the enemy, not men. The Bible says, “Love your neighbor as you loved yourself.” God made all men equal. 

The Muslims seek the truth, forgiveness, hope and purpose because they could not find these things in Islam. The need today is that the people of God, especially the young people to allow the Gospel to interrupt their lives – their plans, their dreams, their ambition – and be courageous in bringing the Gospel to the Muslims.

These are just among the many things that I learned joining the NT Advance Operations Training (AOT). I should not forget that only the Lord could draw them and I am only among those that the Lord will use to bring the Gospel to them. Like what Samuel Zwemer said, “All should go and go to all.”

              God’s hands are not short that he could not save nor are his ears dull that could not hear.                                                                                                             Isaiah 59.1 

I am very thankful to the Lord for showing me His great purpose – the plan of the ages to reach all nations – this has given me a greater desire and burden to take the Good News to our Muslim brothers. I thank Him for speaking to me daily, teaching me, disciplining me, molding me, providing for all my needs (physical and spiritual strength), and for the many people that God has used to pray, encourage and support me to come to this training. May the Lord continue to bless you all.

To God be all the glory!

Prayer request:

                That God would pierce the hearts of His people to and live among our Muslim brothers and sisters to share the Good News to them.

- Lalay, 19 

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

Finishing Well

Leaders nowadays find it easy to start both strong and well, but not finish in the same manner. They easily jump to conclusion saying, “Maybe this kind of ministry is not effective at all, I’ll just start a new one.” They seem to question the effectiveness of a ministry without trying to recognize the barriers in their leadership that keeps them from finishing well.

Let me share with you some things that we have discussed here at AOT that we need to finish well.

1.        Maintain a personal vibrant  relationship with God right up to the end.

        In the book Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards, he pointed out David winning his solitary battles. It is these times that brought David to success. He spent time singing praises to God, practicing sling shot and tending the sheep. It is important that we cultivate out time with God. The KEY TO SUCCESS lies in our intimate love relationship with God. As what Henry Blackaby said, “EVERYTHING in our Christian life depends on our love relationship with God.”

2.       Maintains a learning posture and learns from various kind of resources – but especially from life. Just like JESUS did when He chose Hid disciples, He chose F.A.T. (Faithful, Available, and Teachable) people. it is important we are FAITHFUL. Being faithful in small things leads to be ing faithful in big things. Being AVAILABLE is also vital. Leading is not about ABILITY but AVAILABILITY. And last but not the least we should have a TEACHABLE/ HUMBLE heart. Sometimes we don’t have this. We become proud when we are being taught.

3.       Gives evidence of Christ-likeness in character through the fruit of the Spirit in his life.

we call ourselves “CHRISTIANS” which means “little Christ”. we should give evidence of Christ-likeness in our life. Through our lives, we can be a living testimony and a channel to others of Christ’s life.

4.      Lives out truth in life such that his convictions and the promises of God are seen to be real.

Living a life with integrity is vital -- Life with no cover ups, no sham and completely genuine. “What they see in you with people is what you are when you are alone.” We should have convictions (firm belief) in our life. Integrity is the Heart of Character and the Foundation for effective leadership. God is more concerned on what we need to be rather than what we need to do for Him.

5.       Leaves behind one or more ultimate contributions – that is, a lasting legacy.

Leaving a lasting legacy shows that God’s work is continuing and not ceasing. It shows us that God never leaves us nor forsake us  (Hebrews 13:5) through our life. It shows the result of what God can do through one person totally surrendered to Him.

6.      Walks with a growing awareness of a sense of destiny and sees some or all of it fulfilled.         

It is important that we have a LONG VISION in what we are doing. By believing in a vision, we can see where God will take us. By believing in a vision, we are putting ALL-EVERYTHING to God. God is at work, not me.  (Philippians 2:13)

This is just a tiny bit of what I have learned so far in training. This I really likes though because it showed me what I need to be able to finish well.

 God spoke to me many times here. Every day he gives me new insights and learning. God’s power is indescribable and immeasurable. I’m learning so much from God that I can’t write them all! J

God wants me to adjust my life to His will and cultivate my time and effort in my love relationship with Him. He wants me to become broken and empty before Him so that He can fill me with His Spirit into overflowing. I pray that God will continue to mold me and build me a character to match the assignment He will give me. That my life will only be for His purpose. Not “I” but Christ. (Galatians 2:20)

THANKS!

First of all I thank God for his sustaining grace in my life. I also thank the people who continue to pray for me. I thank the people who supported me to this training. I thank my Church – Mangagoy Baptist church for their support. I thank God for speaking and showing me new learnings every day.

HELP ME PRAY:

 -For my family (all will be settled)

  -For Nehemiah Teams this summer

  -For my life to be used more for God’s honor and                            glory

  -Provision for my schooling and for joining Nehemiah Teams

  -More courage, spiritual strength and growth

  -To obey and experience God more. 

-          --- Vijoren, 16 (Mangagoy, Surigao) 

AOT 3: Advancing with the Gospel

 How do we live a life that Glorifies God?

Gate 3 Old Gate – learning from the past  

Jeremiah 6:16, Hebrews 13:7 

TALE OF 3 KINGS

This tale by Gene Edwards is based on the Biblical figures of David, Saul and Absalom. This book is about forgiveness, brokenness, submission and humility. I liked this book because this gives comfort, healing and hope especially to Christians who have been hurt by other believers.

Many Christians today have experienced pain and suffering in the hands of other believers. Though hard to understand, God may really have purposed that so that we may become the perfect vessel – broken – of His Spirit and glory. God will sometimes allow us to experience pain and suffering to break us and build our character. God will crush us – kill the Saul and Absalom in us – so our hearts may be made pure.

Illustrations for Prisoner in in the Third Cell
and The Tale of Three Kings 

But when pain is caused by other believers, how should I react? How will I respond to them? Do I fight back?

When Jesus was accused and beaten, he did not fight back. He remained silent and humbled Himself. God also wants me to be humble and submit to those who are over me and even to those under me. How I treat those over me will be how I treat those under me. When under authority, I must serve the leader and when over others I must be their servant.

I thank God for teaching me to be submissive, to humble myself and be a good leader. I also thank God for see my pains and suffering in the light of His suffering.

Thank you also to those who continually pray for me. Please continue to pray

1.        That my with God will grow deeper each day

2.       That though AOT , God will continue to mold me and shape me into an instrument of His choosing

3.       That He may take my life and put it where He wills and work through it to accomplish His purposes for God has only one mission – that is all nations, and He only has one method – all believers.

To God be all the glory and honor!

 - Bryan, 21 (Bislig, Surigao)