When we look back at the history of church movements and Christian organizations, we often find they began with great dreams and ambitions. The leadership was strong and on fire for God—and then somehow, something went wrong. The life went out of them. They became “just another organization.” I have seen this trend too often in Christian ministry, where things go well for so long, tremendous progress is made, the Lord’s kingdom is going forward—but then, over time, things start... Read more
The Holy Spirit touches the hearts of people who commit their lives to Him wholly; who follow Jesus simply because He said, “Follow Me”; and who do whatever He asks them to do. It is as simple as that. We see the same response from the disciples Jesus called . . . . These men dropped everything they were doing and followed Jesus. I imagine that Zebedee, James and John’s father, watched in consternation as his sons got up from... Read more
I plopped down in an empty chair in the terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and heaved a big sigh. I had 16 days of nonstop traveling and speaking behind me and now had two hours between plane connections to catch my breath. Usually I do not mind waiting awhile in the terminal—I enjoy watching people—but on this day I was tired of it. Why am I doing this? I asked myself. What’s it all about, anyway? I was exhausted... Read more
Take a moment and imagine you’re a farmer in Asia. You work hard all day, day in and day out. But you’re working in a place where there is so much dust. Often, you get dust in your eyes. Over time, your vision is damaged. Even though you’ve worked hard all your life, you still can’t afford treatment to take care of your eyes. It is a frustrating situation. This was the predicament of a man named Bakhtawar. Many people... Read more
Jesus is our perfect example of how to do the Lord’s work in the Lord’s way. In his book Living As Jesus Lived, Zac Poonen spoke of this, saying, Jesus has not only redeemed us through His death, but also shown us through His life on earth, how God intended man to live. He is not only our Saviour but also our Forerunner (Heb. 6:20). He has given us an example of how to live at all times and in... Read more
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “familiarity breeds contempt.” Have you ever seen someone who has just bought a new car? The first few days and weeks and months they can be possessive and extra careful with it. In the middle of the night, while their wife and children are sleeping, they may even go out to the garage and see if the car is still there or if it walked away! Probably all of us have experienced this with... Read more
Below is an excerpt from “The Lord’s Work Done in the Lord’s Way,” which was originally a message spoken by Dr. KP Yohannan at Gospel for Asia. When our ministry to the people around us is done as a ministry unto the Lord—doing His work in His way—there will be no striving. There will be no human sweat. Why? Because sweat signifies man’s effort. The first time sweat is mentioned in the Bible is in Genesis 3:19. Because Adam had... Read more
Being aware of who we are in God’s kingdom is important for our stability on our journey with Christ. Has it ever sunk into your heart that we as followers belong to the same family as Jesus? We are even named after Him. And “Christian” is not just our new family name; it’s our whole identity. God desires for us to understand our identity in Him because it will anchor our Christian walk and give us inner strength, freedom, confidence... Read more
Just a few weeks ago, I was visiting with a GFA-supported worker in Mumbai, India whose work is bringing hope to the hopeless in the slums there. The first time I visited these slums was around 50 years ago. (Can I really be that old?) I must tell you that the slums in Asia are as far from beautiful as anyone could imagine. You won’t see many travel magazines offering tours to any of them. No one would go. Well,... Read more
Why is doing the Lord’s work the Lord’s way so important? If the job is getting done, doesn’t that justify the means? The answer is no. Why is it so critical for us to continually take the time to wait upon Him and hear from Him, drawing close and living in His presence? Because when we do not, we are walking in sin. You see, there are two types of sin that we need to be mindful of. One is... Read more
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