This week has been full of interesting
happenings. The Church Council (Board)
meeting had a lengthy discussion about outreach and evangelism. It was agreed to organize a special rally to
refocus the church family on Evangelism April 12-13. Last week I invited you to consider mentoring
as a method for disciple-making process.
The Great Commission of Christ is very explicit about “going to make
disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20). It is our
main purpose and goal. Are we doing
it? Believers mentoring other believers,
and walking together in accountability is vital not only for the Kingdom of God
but for our personal growth and development.
Last Sabbath I shared in the sermon that the
difference between a Christian and a secular person is their attitude. Christ follower has the spirit of
“GIVE-GIVE.” Satan’s spirit is all about
“GET-GET” (quoted from E.G.White, 1886).
When we invest in others, when we share blessings to bless we grow in
the process!
While the world is looking for “signs” of the end in
pope’s election, or political situations, the Bible invites us to consider the
sign of character development, filling with the Holy Spirit, having Character
of Christ produced in us, as the sign of soon Coming of Christ. The only way we may hasten the Coming of our
Lord Jesus is by submitting to the Holy Spirit.
When our lives are transformed by the Holy Spirit, when we are filled up
to completion, then we show how sincere our faith is.
Recently I read an old book (1979 J) by Herb Douglass, entitled “The End: Unique Voice of
Adventists about the Return of Jesus.”
One paragraph at p.107made me stop and pull a highlighter. Talking about being filled with the Holy
Spirit the author sets a high challenge:
“The nurse or physician who does not to his homework well, who
memorizes only to pass the next test, who doesn’t reach out for the latest
research – will rarely be the cool, adept human solution to desperate medical
emergencies. Self-development is the
route to genuine service.
Self-development is the only habit pattern that truly loves.” Then
he gives a few examples, one of them is on parenting: “no parent learns how
to be a caring parent overnight...Self-development for the parent means that he
or she learns everything possible about child development and about basic
problems...a prepared parent is the truly loving parent, a parent that young
people can trust and respect.”
Some people learn by reacting to things that happen,
after the fact. The best learning is being
prepared for whatever may come. When
Jesus mentored the twelve he taught them for all possible situations, so that
when things happened their faith was strengthened (John 14:29). They were taught in advance! They were developed! Believers of all ages are promised that the
Holy Spirit will instruct us. Are you
growing in Christ? Are you being
developed by the Holy Spirit for the task that may come in the future?
I am inviting you to reflect that evangelism is not an
event we do once in a while, but a life of growing in Christ, developing self
and people around us in the process, and letting God to demonstrate his power
in our lives.
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