Arrived Saturday evening (Nov 4).
Sunday and Monday were spent with 147 men and women who are only 12-24 months into walking along their Christian faith journey in the midst of a culture that is heavily religious, following other gods. Yet, these people have embraced the teachings of Jesus and biblical Scripture despite years of family culture and community pressure. These brothers and sisters are faithfully sharing the teachings of the Gospel and Jesus with others and have come alongside those who've chosen to follow Jesus too.
On Sunday, a guest speaker was in to teach these faith leaders. He was born in India and raised in a home that was BOTH Christian and Hindu. His parents were Christian, but all extended family was Hindu and they all lived together. This is just one of the ways God uniquely prepared him to intelligently compel many who are influential in the Brahman (upper) class to consider and follow Jesus. In a country where the government is demonstrating even less tolerance of Christianity, God has granted him favor with influential politicians and even some in the Bollywood scene. He is able to speak in venues that fill their multi-thousand seats, and preach Christ.
When he spoke with this small group of Christians in Kolkata, he encouraged them from the Word to keep sharing the Gospel message. It's not fully clear to me all the ways our brothers and sisters were built up and encouraged - though I know they were, having one of their own so committed to Jesus and obeying His commands - but I do know what has stuck with me.
First, he challenged the brethren to not just be a believer in Jesus, but be a disciple. Do not seek to share the Gospel message to simply leave a trail of believers in Jesus in their wake, but seek to make/invest-in disciples who are walking in the steps of Jesus and in tune with His Spirit. A believer attends church, prays, and perhaps has some culturally "Christian" values incorporated into their lives. A disciple, per Jesus' own words, obeys everything God has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), then invites & teaches others to do the same. I was likewise challenged to examine my own life and allow God to shine the light of His own words into it. AM I living as a faithful disciple, hanging on God's every word, and earnestly living to please Him in the way I live His words out in my life?!? Clearly, our Indian brothers and sisters were already living this out more faithfully than I do, so the guest's message was perhaps just a friendly reminder and encouragement to keep steadfast.
Secondly I felt encouraged about where God has placed our family. Our guest brother lives and preaches Jesus among the privileged in India....not focusing on the poor. Yet, the power of the Spirit in his life is obvious, and by impacting the influence of those who make decisions in government and Bollywood and higher classes in society, he demonstrates that God's heart is for everyone to know Him and be His child through Jesus. And this also will ripple effect into the poor communities as well, authenticating what God is doing among his beloved there. There is no level of society that God is not interested in breaking through to. And the impact of the example of those more publically seen cannot be underestimated when indeed some make very visible shifts in their lives to follow Jesus. God is so wise. Admittedly, this brother has a little bit of a "rock star" aura about him. Yet his consistent humility, his great love for following Jesus and surrendering his own personality, education and even keen knowledge of Scripture to God to be used as God pleases is inspiring. So, as I go home to a community that is wealthy, I am still aware of my need to love the poor, yet I am also refreshed in my understanding that I have a place in the community I live in, and God intends to employ how He has made me in the place where I live. I must seek His heart, slow down enough to hear His voice and follow His lead to boldly love and invite people to follow Jesus and to know His forgiveness of sin that frees our souls. And then walk alongside them to help them learn the joy of obeying all He has commanded. I feel both inspired and intimidated by this, honestly. In my own strength, I am not up to living out this calling. If it were up to what I "felt", living as a believer is way more comfortable than living as a disciple. And I like to be comfortable. I like to nestle into a lifestyle of foodie-ness (new word?☺), my own bed and pillow, plenty of introverted time alone, serving when it is most convenient, praying based on circumstance rather than practiced discipline, etc etc. Alas, even these tendencies of my personality can be surrendered to Jesus and transformed into leverage for expanding His eternal family. I must continue to dig deep in persevering in the faith He has granted me, be tenacious to make time for His Word and His Spirit, listening intently with determination to trust and obey.
Lastly, our brother reminded me that memorizing Scripture is not just a good, Christian thing to check off of our list of faith obligations. Instead it is like a DNA altering infusion, where who God actually is becomes His DNA within me. DNA identifies not only who we are, but whose we are. May His DNA in me identify me as His.
Sunday and Monday were spent with 147 men and women who are only 12-24 months into walking along their Christian faith journey in the midst of a culture that is heavily religious, following other gods. Yet, these people have embraced the teachings of Jesus and biblical Scripture despite years of family culture and community pressure. These brothers and sisters are faithfully sharing the teachings of the Gospel and Jesus with others and have come alongside those who've chosen to follow Jesus too.
On Sunday, a guest speaker was in to teach these faith leaders. He was born in India and raised in a home that was BOTH Christian and Hindu. His parents were Christian, but all extended family was Hindu and they all lived together. This is just one of the ways God uniquely prepared him to intelligently compel many who are influential in the Brahman (upper) class to consider and follow Jesus. In a country where the government is demonstrating even less tolerance of Christianity, God has granted him favor with influential politicians and even some in the Bollywood scene. He is able to speak in venues that fill their multi-thousand seats, and preach Christ.
When he spoke with this small group of Christians in Kolkata, he encouraged them from the Word to keep sharing the Gospel message. It's not fully clear to me all the ways our brothers and sisters were built up and encouraged - though I know they were, having one of their own so committed to Jesus and obeying His commands - but I do know what has stuck with me.
First, he challenged the brethren to not just be a believer in Jesus, but be a disciple. Do not seek to share the Gospel message to simply leave a trail of believers in Jesus in their wake, but seek to make/invest-in disciples who are walking in the steps of Jesus and in tune with His Spirit. A believer attends church, prays, and perhaps has some culturally "Christian" values incorporated into their lives. A disciple, per Jesus' own words, obeys everything God has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20), then invites & teaches others to do the same. I was likewise challenged to examine my own life and allow God to shine the light of His own words into it. AM I living as a faithful disciple, hanging on God's every word, and earnestly living to please Him in the way I live His words out in my life?!? Clearly, our Indian brothers and sisters were already living this out more faithfully than I do, so the guest's message was perhaps just a friendly reminder and encouragement to keep steadfast.
Secondly I felt encouraged about where God has placed our family. Our guest brother lives and preaches Jesus among the privileged in India....not focusing on the poor. Yet, the power of the Spirit in his life is obvious, and by impacting the influence of those who make decisions in government and Bollywood and higher classes in society, he demonstrates that God's heart is for everyone to know Him and be His child through Jesus. And this also will ripple effect into the poor communities as well, authenticating what God is doing among his beloved there. There is no level of society that God is not interested in breaking through to. And the impact of the example of those more publically seen cannot be underestimated when indeed some make very visible shifts in their lives to follow Jesus. God is so wise. Admittedly, this brother has a little bit of a "rock star" aura about him. Yet his consistent humility, his great love for following Jesus and surrendering his own personality, education and even keen knowledge of Scripture to God to be used as God pleases is inspiring. So, as I go home to a community that is wealthy, I am still aware of my need to love the poor, yet I am also refreshed in my understanding that I have a place in the community I live in, and God intends to employ how He has made me in the place where I live. I must seek His heart, slow down enough to hear His voice and follow His lead to boldly love and invite people to follow Jesus and to know His forgiveness of sin that frees our souls. And then walk alongside them to help them learn the joy of obeying all He has commanded. I feel both inspired and intimidated by this, honestly. In my own strength, I am not up to living out this calling. If it were up to what I "felt", living as a believer is way more comfortable than living as a disciple. And I like to be comfortable. I like to nestle into a lifestyle of foodie-ness (new word?☺), my own bed and pillow, plenty of introverted time alone, serving when it is most convenient, praying based on circumstance rather than practiced discipline, etc etc. Alas, even these tendencies of my personality can be surrendered to Jesus and transformed into leverage for expanding His eternal family. I must continue to dig deep in persevering in the faith He has granted me, be tenacious to make time for His Word and His Spirit, listening intently with determination to trust and obey.
Lastly, our brother reminded me that memorizing Scripture is not just a good, Christian thing to check off of our list of faith obligations. Instead it is like a DNA altering infusion, where who God actually is becomes His DNA within me. DNA identifies not only who we are, but whose we are. May His DNA in me identify me as His.
"DNA identifies not only who we are, but whose we are. May His DNA in me identify me as His." AMazing and so convicting!!! thanks for sharing sister!!lifting up these brothers and sisters!
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