It´s Thursday - reflections om Genesis (50)

'Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of Canaan, and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.' Genesis 45:18. 

When Joseph took his brothers aside privately to tell them who he really was, we read in 45:2 that he broke down and wept as he spoke to them and the noise of his weeping was so loud that everyone in the house heard it. You can imagine the conversations among the servants following that; real Downton Abbey stuff! News soon got back to Pharaoh's household. Fortunately, both Pharaoh and his officials were pleased for Joseph. Joseph had saved both Egypt and Pharaoh. He was so grateful to Joseph, for his and his nation's salvation, that all he wanted was to please him in return for what he had done, (and was still doing). The evidence of his enormous gratitude can be seen in the verse quoted above. 

That is how it is when a man or woman is truly saved. Such is the sense of indebtedness and gratitude we have to God for what he has done and continues to do for us, that all we ever want to do for the rest of our days, is please him in return.

And now, hallelujah! The rest of my days

Shall gladly be spent in promoting his praise

                                                      SASB 298

Perverse, stubborn once was my will,

My feet ran in self-chosen ways;

Thy pleasure henceforth to fulfil,

I'll spend all the rest of my days.  SASB 422

All my days and all my hours,

All my will and all my powers,

All the passion of my soul,

Not a fragment but the whole

Shall be thine, dear Lord.

Shall be thine, dear Lord. SASB Chor 32

God bless you all.

Maintaining the Joy of the Lord

by David Wilkerson - July 24, 2000

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). At the time these words were proclaimed, the Israelites had just returned from captivity in Babylon. Under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah, the people had rebuilt Jerusalem's ruined walls. And now they set their sights on reestablishing the temple and restoring the nation.

At this point, Nehemiah called a special meeting at the city's water gate, within Jerusalem's rebuilt walls. "And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate" (Nehemiah 8:1). Some 42,360 Israelite men were on hand for this meeting. Standing alongside them were 7,300 servants, including 245 singers. Altogether, about 50,000 people were gathered.

First came the preaching of God's word. Scripture says the people were hungry to hear it: "They spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses...Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding" (8:1-2).
These people didn't need to have God's word pushed on them. A consensus of hunger had developed among them. And they were fully prepared to submit to the authority of God's word. They wanted to be governed by it, to make their lives conform to its truth.

Read more HERE.

Discipleship in The Salvation Army

This is the third article of the three-part series on discipleship, written by Colonel Janet Munn
 
Salvation Army Programmatic Structure in Relationships
The Salvation Army has a tradition of discipleship built right into the structure. Have you been a part of the following, consider:

• Cradle Roll
• YP Company
• Junior Soldiers
• Corps Cadets
• Senior Soldiers
• Soldiers’ meetings
• Local officership
• Candidateship
• Officer Training

From birth through adulthood, including every age group and vocation, The Salvation Army has already in place a context for discipleship. Add to this list, Women’s Ministries, social service recipients, children’s and youth programmes galore, as well as musical sections, and the potential for highly effective discipleship of the multitudes that come within our influence, is profound – were there intentional effort applied systematically and in authentic relational ways.

Read more HERE.

FOUR ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF DISCIPLESHIP

- Discipleship 2/3 - Janet Munn -

Four Essential Components Evident in Jesus’ Life and Leadership
Relationship! Relationship! Relationship! Relationship!

Mentoring and Role Models
People grow through relationships. Therefore, leadership must be relational for maximum influence.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.  While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples.
(Matthew 9:9-10)

Consider this:
Jesus chose to be available, accessible and vulnerable to a wide variety of individuals; in one-on-one conversations and interactions. In fact, He was the ultimate mentor.
He taught thousands on hillsides but was superb in one-on-one situations.  He invested in the individual – regardless of age, status, gender – from the rich young ruler to the Samaritan woman to Nicodemus the Pharisee to the haemorrhaging woman to the thief on the cross.

Jesus also deeply invested in the three among the twelve disciples – Peter, James and John – with whom there are more recorded mentoring dialogues in the gospels than any other individuals.

Read more HERE.

Introduction to Discipleship

Discipleship 1/3 - Janet Munn

What is discipleship? How did Jesus make disciples?  How can I become a disciple? How can I be a disciple-maker?  Why should I prioritise discipleship? How can I be discipled in The Salvation Army?

If you are asking these questions, you are not the only one. In fact, I think you would find many, who are asking the exact same questions. This three-part series of articles contains some insights into discipleship.

“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Read HERE.

We all have decisions, choices, to make in life.

From FSAOF blogg:

We all have decisions, choices, to make in life. Every day we make choices from the very time we wake until we close our eyes and venture into the world of sleep. How we sleep also depends on a choice. How many forget to pray for protection while in this state? I seem to remember a prayer I prayed as a child, the words went something like this. "Lord, if I die before I wake, I pray you Lord my soul to take". It is only now, the significance of this prayer is being understood by me....

Read more HERE.

It´s Thusday - Reflections on Genesis (49)

'Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Make everyone leave my presence!” So there was no-one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.' Genesis 45:1

 

As Judah finished pleading for Benjamin to be set free, expressing his willingness to take his place, explaining that to return home without him would kill their father, Joseph could not contain his emotions any longer. All previous conversations had been through an interpreter. The brothers had no idea that Joseph, all dressed up in his Egyptian regalia, was their long-lost brother. It was time to disclose to them who he was. He needed privacy and so he ordered all his officials and servants to leave the room.

Joseph's words were accompanied by floods of tears. So loud was his wailing that everyone outside the room heard it and news got back to Pharaoh's household,(v 2). You can imagine the gossip that travelled along the Egyptian grapevine! It must have been a terrible shock for the brothers to suddenly hear this 'Egyptian' speaking fluently in their mother tongue, never mind what he had to say. Having previously kept them at a distance, Joseph drew his brothers close to him (v 4), repeating himself in an effort to convince them that he was indeed their long lost brother. They were terrified, not without good reason, but he reassured them of his goodwill and his desire that they didn't condemn themselves for what they have done. Joseph saw all that had happened as being part of God's plan to save many lives. Despite all the injustice he had experienced, Joseph bore no ill will or animosity towards his brothers. What a lovely spirit, something of the Spirit of Jesus, surely?

When we are totally surrendered to God, desiring that he fulfil his purposes through us, whilst we might not understand the difficulties and sorrows we experience, we can rest assured that God knows what he is doing. As with Joseph, troubles can be there to test us and build our character and prepare us for some particular service,and our consistent faith and trust in times of trouble so often is God's means of touching others and revealing that the Lord is with us. God bless you all.