• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

A Joyous Celebration of the Resurrection!

Posted on April 3, 2021 by wtdavid

May this hymn of Isaac Watts refresh our hearts in the truth of Christ’s death and resurrection. He is risen!

Alas!  And did my Saviour bleed,

And did my Sovereign die!

Would he devote that sacred head

For such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done

He groaned upon the tree!

Amazing pity!  Grace unknown!

And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,

And shut his glories in,

When Christ, the mighty Maker, died

For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face

While his dear cross appears;

Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,

And melt mine eyes in tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay

The debt of love I owe;

Here, Lord, I give myself away,

‘Tis all that I can do.

Filed under: Cross of Christ, Gospel, Grace, Resurrection | Leave a comment »

We live in community

Posted on March 16, 2021 by wtdavid

In Philippians 2, we read these words: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” 

It’s a description of what transformed relationships within the community of Christ should look like, and what they should not look like.  It’s a picture of how the Gospel works itself out in practical ways in our community with one another.

Grumbling, murmuring or disputing are not to be characteristics of our relationships with one another. It’s what got the people of Israel in numerous difficulties, undermining their witness to the surrounding peoples and nations. 

We might contextualize grumbling, murmuring and disputing today as disagreeing constantly, seeking to be right in any discussion, or just plain ornery with others.

What strikes one in this text is that the apostle Paul tells only us the negative elements to put off.  Paul implies that by putting off, we would recognize, in Christ, what needs to be put on.

That pushes us a bit deeper to consider what is really at the root of grumbling, murmuring and disputing.  The biblical writers put their fingers on one of two possibilities: pride or unbelief.  It’s either our desire to be the master of our destiny as well as that of others or it’s our inability, our lack of assurance in God’s love for us, despite what often drives us.

One writer put it this way: “We cannot present a reason for Christ to finally close off his heart to his own sheep.  No such reason exists.  Every human friend has a limit.  If we offend enough, if the relationship gets damaged enough, if we betray enough times, we are cast out. The walls go up. With Christ, our sins and weaknesses are the very resumé items that qualify us to approach him.  Nothing but coming to him is required – first at conversion and a thousand times thereafter until we are with him upon death.”

As Christ works in our hearts through the Gospel, we should become more and more sensitive to the impact of our words on others.  He will open our eyes for us to see more clearly the needs of others and how we, by our words and actions, can minister to other members of the community.

Filed under: Community, Gospel | 4 Comments »

The one guiding principle to rule them all

Posted on March 3, 2021 by wtdavid

Our World Team Ministry Framework outlines six (6) guiding principles which define how we go about our work; what is it that motivates us to multiply disciples and communities of believers.  The six (6) guiding principles are: the Gospel, prayer, facilitation, teams, holistic and incarnational.

Often I find myself thinking about and speaking of these guiding principles as if they are all of equal value.  In one sense, they need to be as they tell us what drives us in the work God has called us to do.  However, as I continue to daily reflect on the Gospel, I become more convinced that there is one guiding principle from which all the others flow out or are subsets of the one guiding principle.  I am more and more persuaded that there is one guiding principle to rule them all.

All of who we are and what we do arises from one central truth: we are accepted in Christ.  We are not our own, we belong to Him, and find ourselves now cherished members of His family.

This one guiding principle stands apart from all the others.  It is the foundation to which we hold and to which we must return each and every day.

Richard Lovelace put it best when he wrote: “Few know enough to start each day with a thoroughgoing stand upon Luther’s platform: you are accepted, looking outward in faith and claiming the wholly alien righteousness of Christ as the only ground for acceptance, relaxing in the quality of trust which will produce increasing sanctification as faith is active in love and gratitude.  In order for a pure and lasting work of spiritual renewal to take place with the church, multitudes within it must be led to build their lives on this foundation.”

In order to give ourselves to prayer, facilitation, working in teams, serving in holistic ways and living incarnationally, we must soak our hearts in the words of the Gospel: “this is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.”

I know that the analogy with the Lord of the Rings does not work well (the final ring of Mordor needing to be cast into the river of fire of Mordor), but Jesus Christ experienced the wrath and judgment of God in our place, so that we might be able to cry out: Abba Father; so that we might be able live and serve as an expression of our gratitude and thankfulness for His grace-full gift.

A question for each of us to consider: what aspect of the Gospel are you most needing to hear today, and that would strengthen your heart to live for Jesus?

Filed under: Gospel, Guiding Principles | 4 Comments »

Why challenges don’t always work

Posted on January 25, 2021 by wtdavid

Giving oneself (or a group) a challenge can be exciting.  The idea of ‘rising above’ one’s (or a team’s) current capacity creates a certain thirst or motivation to take on the challenge.  Cycling 150 kilometers for a humanitarian aid project, or learning a new language in order to communicate the Gospel with a neighbor or colleague from another culture, or praying for a daily or weekly spiritual conversation would all qualify as possible ways to push ourselves to ‘exercise’ and work beyond where we currently find ourselves.  

However, any challenge can quickly lose steam and interest as other important priorities (or simply daily life concerns) come along to sap the effort needed to daily take on a given challenge.

You may remember that two years ago, we launched the 1+1 Challenge.  It was an encouragement for each of us to pray towards leading one person into a relationship with Jesus, and journey with one person towards cross cultural missions.  If you were like me, you started well, but the motivation slowly dissipated as time went by and other things got in the way.

Now there is nothing wrong with the many other objectives of our lives and ministries taking priority over current challenges. What intrigues me though is why I (and perhaps you) can be quick to accept a challenge, launch out, but then slowly lose the motivation to continue.

There it is.  It’s ultimately a question of ‘motivation’.  In other words, is this challenge something God is calling me and us to participate in?  And if so, where am I (we) going to find the drive to pursue any given challenge?   

For us, this is where grace and the Gospel comes in.  Chalmers called it: ‘the expulsive power of a new affection’.  Only when we are deeply aware, overwhelmed you might say, by the deep, constant, and eternal love of God for each one of us could we find the intrinsic motivation needed to pursue His challenges for us. Only when His compassion and mercy demonstrated to us is able to displace what currently holds sway in our hearts, can we find the strength and courage to do what He calls us, what He challenges us to do.

Probably the greatest being that in whatever do, we do all to the glory of God.

Filed under: 1plus1, Challenge, Gospel, Grace | 2 Comments »

It’s hard to think of others … first

Posted on November 20, 2020 by wtdavid

We often cite the verse from Philippians 2: “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  It’s a biblical reminder to not be selfish in our approach to life (and ministry). The reality, though, is that it’s just plain hard to do.  It’s hard to think of others … first.

As cross cultural workers for the Gospel, we have learned how to do.  We were trained and given opportunity to do the ministry.  It’s what we were called to do by God.

Now there is nothing wrong with doing.  God created us, brought us to Himself, redeemed us, and made us part of His family to carry out the good works He has planned for us.  That’s another way of saying that being and doing are inter-related.  Knowing who you are in Christ pushes you to want to serve Him.  And in serving Him, we find ourselves driven back regularly to Christ and the cross for the assurance of His love and grace.

We take delight in doing God’s work, in giving our energy to see the Gospel shared and applied.  The problem arises when we consider that relationship and work as only individual and not collective.  In other words, a large part of our doing should be to equip and empower others to do the ministry as well (Ephesians 4:12-17).  And yet, it’s just hard to think of others first.

Let me share a few ideas for us to consider:

First, sit down with a disciple or another worker/leader that you are helping to grow and develop.  Ask them to describe for you, in five minutes, a life changing event that they experienced.  Listen carefully. Ask clarifying questions.  When they are finished, re-tell the story to them.  This will provide a gauge of your capacity to listen well to another.

Second, think about a disciple or another worker/leader that you are helping to grow and develop.  Ask yourself: what could this person become if they gave energy to this one area of their life and ministry?  Then determine one way you could help this person identify that growth need and begin working on it. This will help us begin to think of others’ growth as well as our own.

Finally, pray.  Pray that you would grow in your capacity to listen well, ask questions, and graciously push another towards growth.  And focus specific prayer on that disciple or other worker/leader that you are helping to grow and develop.  Ask God to use you to empower them in ministry.

Filed under: Discipleship, Gospel, Other centeredness | 6 Comments »

The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification

Posted on August 26, 2020 by wtdavid

Walter Marshall, in his book: The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, writes:

“We are all, by nature, void of all strength and ability to perform acceptably that holiness and righteousness which the law requireth … [The] doctrine of original sin, which Protestants generally profess, is a firm basis and ground-work to the assertion now to be proved, and to many other assertions in this whole discourse.  If we believe it to be true, we cannot rationally encourage ourselves to attempt an holy practice, until we are acquainted with some powerful and effectual means to enable us to do it … Men show themselves strangely forgetful, or hypocritical, in professing original sin in their prayers, catechisms, and confessions of faith; and yet urging upon themselves and others the practice of the law, without the consideration of any strengthening, enlivening means; as if there were no want of ability, but only of activity.” 

Maybe it might be best to ‘translate’ Marshall’s thoughts into language we could more easily grasp or understand.

All of us know that we are brought from the shame of sin to the honor of a beloved child of God by the work of Christ on our behalf.  God opens our hearts that we might put our faith and trust in the Gospel of Christ (Ephesians 2)

However, though we know that is by grace and the Gospel that we become members of God’s family, we tend to see the Christian life that follows as our own effort and work to please the Father.

Marshall states that the doctrine of original sin would tell us otherwise.  Just as we came into this relationship with the God of the universe by faith, so we live out that relationship by faith.  He enables us to believe in Him, and He enables us to live for Him.

If that is true, then it impacts how we live and what we share with other disciples.  For example, when we call a disciple to obey God’s Word, we must call them as well to plead with God for the grace to obey.

Would love to hear other examples that might come to your mind

Filed under: Discipleship, Gospel, Grace, Holiness | 8 Comments »

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