Author: a4cadmin1

Monthly, Resources

september

Our world is changing fast and on the move. People are urbanizing and economies are globalizing. Governments are changing. We have 24/7 “breaking news” and communication. People work, study and vacation abroad. Interracial and cross-cultural marriages are common. World views, cultures and religions mix together like a steeping stew of many ingredients. Rarely people live in isolation. However there are some things that never change. God never changes, His Word never changes and the meaning of His Word never changes. Another constant is the tug on our hearts as we think about the world’s needs and the lostness of the people around us.

 

As we study and are anchored to God’s Word we need to be aware of how our changing world affects how we deliver the Word, the type of building we meet in, the language we speak, the type of music we use for worship and the literacy level of those we minister to. Ministers of the Word need to adjust to countless new trends, technologies, crises and epidemics. New strategies and methods will have to be created to meet the challenges we face. In other words, our way of doing ministry may change from context to context. There are many applications of God’s Word and they vary due to thousands of specific situations but there is only one meaning. Studying God’s Word is essential to remain true to our unchanging mission and message.

 

What is our unchanging mission? The mission of the church is to worship God, glorify Christ, make disciples of all nations (people groups panta ta ethne), baptize believers and teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20) It is too numerous to mention the different methods used to engage the world in this but Jesus’ last command needs to be our first priority. God wants all people to worship and obey Him. Pastor John Piper rightly said “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”

 

What is our unchanging message? It is the Gospel or Good News. It is laid-out by the “Romans Road”.

1. Romans 3:23: All have sinned and no one is innocent before God.
2. Romans 6:23a: The consequence of our sin is physical and eternal death.
3. Romans 6:23b and 5:8: Jesus Christ died for us! His death paid the price for our sin. His resurrection proves that God accepted Jesus’ death as the full payment for our sin.
4. Romans 10:9 and 13: Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sin and rescue us from eternal death. Salvation, the forgiveness of sin, is available to anyone who will trust fully in Jesus Christ only as their Lord and Savior.
5. Romans 5:1, 8:1, 8:38-39: The result of our salvation is we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

 

As modern day disciples of Christ we must be willing and able to change the methods we use to proclaim the Gospel to those around us and teach them to obey Jesus Christ. Let’s be students of God’s unchanging Word and of our changing world so that our ministries meet people’s temporal and eternal needs.

Monthly, Resources

The Ministry Breaks Forth

The Bible says “From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of heavens suffers violence, and violent men take it by force.” Matthew 11:12 RSV

Interestingly, many are baffled by this verse as to what it really means. What does violence have something to do with God’s Kingdom? 
Violence does not sound positive in connection with God’s activities let alone a characteristic of His Kingdom. Violence hurts people, tears communities apart, bring wounds and scars that would heal a lifetime. So what is this particular verse tell about the Kingdom of God.
We might conclude that Jesus talks about the persecution he and John the Baptist had faced. Or the Kingdom of God is using violence to achieve its purpose, which is really hard to fathom. But upon a closer understanding of the text , it has something to do with the nature of the Kingdom, how powerful ( violent ) grace works in our lives  and ministries today. The word “violence” can mean “forceful” in Greek and can mean “explosive” in Hebrew. So nothing negative is really meant here yet on the other hand God’s Kingdom of grace is both a promise and a threat for all mankind. A promise when we allow the rule or reign of God in our lives and ministries and a threat when we go against His will and do our selfish desires. What a reminder for all of us in the ministry. Once again a driving motivation and challenge of A4C ministries is ” The Life of the Minister is the Life of the Ministry.”
We are also reminded that God’s Kingdom is powerful that it will surely bear fruits according to His power and providence. It will surely bring forth when we faithfully serve Him, love His people and share the gospel to the rest of the world. Ministry anchored on the Word and empowered by the Holy Spirit will surely make a difference. The power of the gospel changes everything!
The ministry done in God’s way is breaking forth new vistas and horizons. The more we grow in the knowledge of God, the more we bear fruits for His glory. The more we bear fruit, the more we see our dependence on Him, and the more we depend on Him, the more our lives become intentional and deliberate. We implore His grace, we explode in humility, power and grace.
One of the Puritans said” Grace is glory in the bud and glory is grace at the full.” May this be a challenge for all of us this month! 

Uncategorized

Helping People Grow in Christ

We come to have a personal saving relationship with God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And I’ll add, for God’s glory alone from beginning to end. God uses His people, though, like you and me, to help others enter into this personal relationship and mature in it. I was saved in 1973 while in my first year of college when a staff man named Mark of Campus Crusade for Christ (today Cru) shared the Four Law booklet with me. I remember clearly when I turned from my sin to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, was forgiven the penalty of my sin and began to take baby steps in my new life in Christ. God’s Spirit convicted me of my sin and showed me that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no can come to the Father except through believing faith in Him (John 14:6). I was one-hundred percent convinced of this truth and knew I was now a real Christian. As a baby in Christ, however, I needed to be taught the Scriptures and helped to develop a new identify. For four years, while in college, I was discipled by staff men and fellow students involved with Cru. I discipled those I led to faith in Christ as well. For two of those years several of us guys lived together in what became known as the “Crusade men’s house”. I thank God for those formative years of one-on-one and small group Bible studies and prayer meetings while living life together because a firm foundation was laid in my life. By God’s grace, it is still solid today. 
 
What is my point? It is simply this. When we lead someone to faith in Christ we need to be prepared to disciple that person in the Scriptures and in their new life in Jesus. It would not be responsible to give birth to a baby Christian and then leave him/her just as a married couple should not abandon their newborn child. If we are not able to personally disciple someone we are then responsible to look for someone who can. It is my opinion that if someone who is a baby in Christ and left to fend for him/herself, then he/she is vulnerable to join a pseudo Christian group. That would be a tragic disservice to them because as spiritual parents we are responsible for those we lead to Christ which includes connecting them with a Christ-exulting Bible-teaching church. Growing in Christ and the Bible is a life-time process. God uses prepared people in this process so here are a couple questions: Who are we discipling? and Are we being discipled? Let us prayerfully think about this before we next share our faith with someone or our church has an evangelistic event. This is all about becoming mature in Christ.   

Jeff Anderson
Monthly, Resources

A Heads-up from One who Knows

 Matthew 9:35-38 are among my life-verses. After Jesus and His disciples walked among the harassed and helpless crowds and compassionately ministered to many people, He said to his twelve men “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest.” (verses 37-38 ESV) He saw people as lost sheep needing a shepherd and as a harvest ready to be brought in (John 4:35), however, there were not enough workers. In chapter ten the disciples were sent out with instructions, a warning of persecution and a promise of reward to those who would receive them. Does what happened in Matthew chapter nine and ten only apply to them?

Here is my heads-up. I will say it straight. The key to the shortage of laborers is prayer which is in God’s hand. If you are praying for laborers to be sent to the ripe fields of the world, as Jesus instructed the Twelve, then be prepared to be sent yourself as He did them. Often we are God’s answer to our own prayers. If we are sure in good conscience before the Lord of the harvest that we are not to go with the Gospel then be a sender of those who are. The great commission, as Christ gave His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20, is not a great *suggestion* or only for select churches or special followers of Jesus. His commission applies to all His disciples, therefore, we have only three options, They are: go, send or disobey.

My wife and I have served in the Philippines for almost thirty-three years with ACTION among the poorest of the poor such as street children. We remember clearly when we were called to leave our home, family, friends and church as we prayed earnestly Matthew 9:38. It was not easy with two little children but were determined to follow Jesus. There was no turning back. Then and now we are not super-stars. We are joyfully obedient. Today we have no regrets about following the Lord of the harvest. He has been totally faithful to us and His promises. He will be to you too if you resolve, by the grace of God, to obey. I know.

Resources

K.I.S.

Keep it simple. Notice I eliminated the second S which is for stupid. Following Jesus is *costly*. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (NIV) The disciples knew exactly what Jesus meant. Jesus also said to believing Jews in John 8:31 “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciple.” (NIV) Following Jesus requires *steadfastness* as one pays the required price. How does a follower of Jesus prove to be a disciple? Again Jesus said to His early disciples in John 15:8 “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (NIV) This is not complicated. It is simple. The basics are knowing the cost of following Jesus and gladly paying it. Steadfastness is not perfection. It is joyfully following Jesus. The result is producing God glorifying fruit which proves we are truly a disciple of Jesus.
 
This is what All4Christ is about. We come alongside fellow disciples of Jesus, not as experts, but as brothers and sisters in Christ desiring to learn from God’s Word with them. We also want to learn from one another. We are keeping it simple but we are not stupid. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (NIV)