God's Invitation

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21

I admit, I am cheating with this title. "God's Invitation" is a workbook/Bible study by Henry Blackaby. Kelsey and I are currently going through this book with some fairly new believers who have been saved within the past year. In addition, we are facilitating another Bible study with some older believers, also by Blackaby, entitled "Experiencing God." These are both excellent materials for small groups. If you have not gone through either I would encourage you to look into them. "God's Invitation" is specifically geared towards college age students while "Experiencing God" covers anyone who desires to follow Christ and know Him more fully.

Experiencing God

God's Invitation

Q: So what is God's invitation to us?

A: To know Him! To have a love relationship with Him through His son, Jesus Christ, and to be involved and completely immersed in His kingdom's work!

God didn't just create the world and leave it alone. He is constantly at work in the lives of people in order to fulfill His purposes. He isn't just "the man upstairs." He is a personal & relational God who uses people for His will and His glory. Abraham, Moses, Job, John the Baptist, John, Peter and Paul - just to name a few - all knew God. He was at work in them. They heard Him when He spoke. Like the opening scripture I used today, they obeyed God's commands and He revealed himself to them. God wants to involve people in His work. There are so many amazing stories in these workbooks about people who truly wanted to accomplish God's will more than anything else: George Muller, The Cambridge Seven, D.L Moody, Faith Baptist Church in Canada, and plenty of others. If you haven't heard of these people and their stories, they are definitely worth a Google search. God is still working through those who faithfully follow Him no matter the cost. God is always at work around us. Sadly, our hearts are often so hardened by our own desires that we fail to make the connection and join Him in his work.

One of the titles of a lesson from "God's Invitation" is "A Heart Seeks What It Values." I think looking at what the apostle Paul valued is a good example to follow:

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3:7‭-‬11

Paul counted everything as garbage. He just wanted to be found in Christ. He wanted to be used by Christ. He was following the example Jesus set for Him. Even the son of man came to serve!

How do we respond to this? Sometimes we respond by putting everything off on God. We put God in a box. We say we are willing to do whatever God asks of us. A lot of times that means whatever He asks of us as long as it fits into our schedules, is in the city where we live, within our budget, and doesn't interfere with our personal time/rest or 5 year plan we have created for our lives. In our studies we have been noticing how most decisions in our lives are our own. Sure, maybe God placed me to work at a bank for a reason, but was there some divine intervention calling me to work in that line of business? No! Similarly, Christian students, young professionals and adults are fine pursuing careers or lives that they think they are best suited for, will enjoy, or can provide a stable financial life without feeling "called" into that particular field. Strangely, when it comes to serving in the Church, participating in foreign missions, or being involved in God's work beyond a Sunday service, the same individual may state the reason for not participating because he or she does not feel "called" into that line of ministry - although the word of God has clearly already made the calling for believers clear.

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 2 Timothy 1:8

Again, the one that loves God will keep His commands. If you hear this and your immediate thought is "don't do this, don't do that," then your whole view of Christianity is skewed! Of course this is part of following Jesus, but God calls us to so much more than that. The gospel message displayed in our lives should be a proactive one. Go, He says; make disciples. This is a command for us to do something. This is proactive. We don't need to wait for a new specific calling. If we are believers, we are called! We love others because Jesus first loved us. We serve others because He humbled himself as a servant to show us the way. All proactive.

Be willing to let God use you regardless of what your preconceived notions and terms might have been, and see what He can do. Be a willing body and soul for His kingdom.

These ideas rest at the heart of Christianity, yet they seem so hard for us. I like plans. I like to have control of situations. Fully submitting myself to God requires me to deny myself - my own sinful nature. It is a challenge. I like to know outcomes and possibilities. Living by faith and not by sight is easier said than done. However, God's word tells us it will be worth it in the end.

Find where God is working. Make the connection, and join God in His work.

Taal volcano to the right

Frisbee in the park.

Here in Batangas City, God is working in the hearts of young people. The work is evident in the lives that have changed. Tomorrow Kelsey and I will have the privilege of baptizing 6 students. All 6 started coming to Connect a month or 2 before Kelsey and I arrived here. Seeds were planted. They heard the word, believed, and have been faithfully attending Bible studies ever since. This will be an exciting but nervous day for these young people (all 17 years old). Please keep them in your prayers. Also be praying for the students who are being discipled that will be in attendance at the baptisms but have not yet fully place their faith in Jesus.

Finally, if you come for the pictures, I am sorry! I think I have 3 new photos and Kelsey has 2! The cover photo was from today (Monday is our off day). We went to a beautiful overlook of Taal volcano and had a pretty relaxing time. Also, below I have made some bullet points just to update you on some other things going on here. Please remember them in your prayers as well:

• Thursday's Kelsey and I have started teaching a Bible class at a local school.

• Friday's we teach 3 hours of English at a different school. Some of these students have started to come by Connect.

• Friday afternoon from 3 to 7 p.m. we do ministry at a local park. I am conducting regular Bible studies with some students who meet me there to play sports.

• Sunday at 9 a.m. - don't worry our church is at 2 ;) - I play basketball at a local school. Yesterday we started doing some Bible study with those guys.

• Connect student center is opened 6 days a week, and students from all around the city show up to hangout, do school projects, and play games. There were probably 60 kids there Saturday practicing a dance they have to do for a P.E. class. Please pray for opportunities to disciple these students.

God is at work here in Batangas City. He is always at work. We just have to be willing to be a part of it.

Clark