HACKED BY NESAS_0DAY

Tag: discipleship

Disciples are witnesses to the world

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]Every follower of Jesus is appointed and equipped to be His witness in the world. We’re witnesses even if we haven’t seen Christ’s miracles with our own eyes, heard his voice, touched His resurrected body or watched him ascend into heaven as King. If we call ourselves Christians, we are His witnesses, whether we like it or not. It’s just a matter of what kind of witness. Witnessing is not just for those original eye-witnesses in the first century or the few super-spiritual, extrovert Christians who lead our local church. Every believer whose mind has been opened by the Holy Spirit is a witness to the greatest true story of all time. No matter what our personality or style, the Holy Spirit will empower us to testify of what God has done through Christ. The great anomaly is that God’s Kingdom will advance in power to the ends of the earth through weak witnesses like ourselves. Let’s allow the Lord to show us a panorama of his global mission, so that we can take our place in it as faithful, Spirit-empowered witnesses. Today’s texts are from the end of Luke and beginning of Acts. They are Luke’s account of the Great Commission, Jesus’ last words to his disciples:

(Luke 24:45-49): Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

(Acts 1:3-8): After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

A reasonable question

The original eye-witnesses of the resurrection asked Jesus a reasonable question given their context: “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:5)

It was a legitimate question given the fact that their minds had just been opened to see that Jesus was the long-awaited suffering Servant promised through Isaiah. What’s more, Christ had risen from the dead and said that they were on the verge of a great outpouring of the Spirit, just as the prophets had promised (Micah 4:6-8; Joel 2:28-32). Jesus’s Jewish disciples were waiting for David’s King to free them from oppressive Roman rule, to gather God’s exiled people and restore Israel’s greatness. Surely the Spirit’s power would now be used to restore David’s fallen tent and plant Israel in their own land? (Amos 9:11-15) Perhaps Jesus was following the script after all!

But Jesus lifted their blinkers one inch at a time during the forty days between his resurrection and ascension. It must have been six weeks of stunning revelation as Jesus appeared to his disciples, ate with them and connected the Old Testament promises to Himself. He was opening the curtain to show them how the Kingdom of God would advance when He was no longer physically with them.

A cosmic answer

Jesus’ surprising answer to their question is in Acts 1:7-8. It’s as though he takes them up a mountain and breaks open their narrow nationalistic perspective. He shows them a panorama of God’s vast Kingdom and its global mission which extends far beyond the borders of Jerusalem and the state of Israel. He won’t allow his disciples to speculate about the future unknowns, but rather tells them to get on with the certainty of building God’s Kingdom in the meantime. Jesus lays out the ‘known’ before them:

The Holy Spirit will empower them for Christ’s worldwide mission of proclaiming the gospel. It’s a simple but invincible plan.

This is exactly what those early Jewish witnesses did throughout the book of Acts. They were the true, restored Israel and a light for the Gentiles, so that God’s salvation might reach all nations to the ends of the earth, as the Old Testament prophets had foreseen (Isa 49:6). We see thousands of Jews believing in David’s promised King, then Samaritans, the household of a Roman centurion called Cornelius and a Jewish synagogue leader called Crispus, as well as complete outsiders like the Ethiopian eunuch, many Greeks and Gentiles. Just as Isaiah foretold, the name of Jesus became the banner for the nations and the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth… (Isa 56:4-5; Isa 11:12; Acts 4:4; Acts 8:5; 10:34-35; 13:47; 15:1; Acts 18:8).

Seek first the Kingdom of God

If we are Christ’s disciples, we too must hear Jesus’ answer! Like the disciples, we are prone to place ourselves at the centre of history and get caught up in pointless speculations of when and how Christ will return and restore all things. We are exposed to many preachers and writers today who seem more obsessed about predicting the signs of the times than proclaiming the gospel clearly. They seldom speak about sin or our desperate need of a Saviour and don’t have a heart for mission. Then there are the self-styled ‘anointed men of God’ who mimic the power of the Holy Spirit to extend their own petty kingdoms rather than Christ’s.

We too need to take off our personal blinkers and ask what it really means to be an emissary of Christ, the ascended King, before whom every knee will bow. Jesus reminds us that no one knows the day or hour when He will return as Judge and King of the whole world (Matt 24:36; Mark 13:32). But His return and rule are certain, and in the meantime we’re to let down our nets, sow the seed of the word, keep the oil burning in our lamps and work in his harvest fields— At home and across the world. Let’s take care not to get so caught up with our personal dreams; our own church programmes and national interests, or our hobbyhorses about the future, that we are oblivious to the many unreached people in our own cities and around the world. If Christ is Lord of all (as He claimed to be), we are first and foremost citizens of His eternal Kingdom and His witnesses to the world (Matt 28:18). We should be careful which kingdom we seek.

“Clothed with power”

Jesus’ last words on earth tell us that it’s not education, affluence or military strength that advances God’s Kingdom to the ends of the earth, but power from on high. The disciples needed to wait for the Holy Spirit in the city of Jerusalem before they launched out into the nations (Acts 1:4). But when the Spirit’s power was poured out on them, those terrified, uneducated disciples became bold witnesses of the gospel. Steven died a brave, Christ-exulting death and Saul the murderer became Paul the greatest missionary who ever lived. Over and over again, the apostles testified about Jesus to ordinary and important people (Acts 24:22; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39; 10:41; 13:31). The Holy Spirit convinced and convicted hearts, leading thousands to bow before the King of kings.

In context, “power from on high” is the Holy Spirit’s power to help us bear witness to our Lord and to open spiritually blind eyes to see the truth of our message and respond to Christ (1 Cor 2:4). It is not a magic wand to give us what we want.

Even today, the Holy Spirit prepares ears to listen. He cuts and burns hearts to respond to the truth (Luke 24:32; Acts 2:37). He equips and leads Jesus’s witnesses. He gives us deep confidence about who Christ is and the courage to speak and suffer on His behalf. The Spirit still gives us grace, faith and irresistible words of wisdom, like He gave Steven when he witnessed to those who stoned him. He still teaches us what to say when we are opposed and fumbling for words (Luke 12:11-12). Without the Spirit’s power, our best efforts to witness will fail.

“You will be my witnesses”

Even though we live 2000 years later, we can still be truthful, Spirit-empowered witnesses if we speak plainly about what we know about Jesus and what He means to us. One of the most credible witnesses in the Bible is the demon-possessed man called Legion, who was once naked, tormented by demons and living among the tombs. After Jesus freed him, he sat at Christ’s feet, clothed and in his right mind. He begged to stay with His Saviour, but Jesus sent him out saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39). That’s a lovely picture of an authentic witness! We too have a wealth of blessings in Christ to share with the whole city. Like Legion, we have experienced the mercy and grace of Jesus’s forgiveness. We now know peace and love instead of alienation. The invisible God has revealed himself to us through His Son. We have a bridge to the Father through the cross of Christ. Jesus has sent us out with a wonderful testimony! If Jesus appointed Legion as his witness, surely we can be his witnesses too?

Prayer

Lord, help us to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and take the gospel to our neighbours, our city, our nation and the world. Clothe us with power from on high and teach us what to say when we’re given an opportunity. Show us where we can build a gospel oasis in our family, workplace, school, university and city. Root us deeply in serving our local church and make us holy, so that our lives reflect the witness of our words. Lord, may your kingdom come on earth! Give us a heart for your mission to the ends of the earth. Fill us with the wonder of your salvation and then lead us to become witnesses to the unreached people of our world. In the name of Jesus, our Saviour and King, Amen.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

February 21, 2020
Making disciples one seed at a time

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]My dad became a follower of Jesus in 1964. His unlikely conversion followed many months of weekly one-on-one meetings with an Anglican minister called Warwick Seymour in a little mining town called Carletonville. But the seed was first sown by a visiting preacher from London by the name of Dick Lucas. My dad says he can’t remember the sermon at all, but afterwards Lucas said something that troubled my dad greatly. Here’s the interchange as recorded in my dad’s biography, Branded by Grace:

“I stood there feeling out of place. All these holy Joes—not my types. The visitor walked up to me in the foyer after his address and introduced himself. He asked me who I was and what I did.

“I’m an engineer,” I replied.

“Are you a Christian?”

Gulping, I paused before responding, “Ja, well I try to be!”

“That’s impossible!” said Dick Lucas with a penetrating, piercing gaze…” (Branded by Grace, p70).

That short conversation with Dick Lucas left my dad feeling so exposed and uneasy that he was prompted to make an appointment with the resident minister to express his offence. It was this local pastor, Warwick Seymour, who watered and weeded my dad’s seedling faith. He removed the rocks of his objections and misconceptions. He walked him through the pages of Scripture and showed him why his best efforts to be a Christian would never be good enough. Then he led dad to the Saviour who changed his life irrevocably. This joint effort by two of Christ’s disciples generated a harvest that reaches down the generations. But ultimately we must look beyond the human sowers to the Farmer himself: It was God who enabled my dad to understand and receive his Word as truth; to personally confess that only Jesus has the authority to forgive sins; to ask His forgiveness in return for life and hope; to surrender his life to Christ as Lord. It was God who prepared the soil and germinated the seed in my dad’s heart. He alone is Lord of the harvest.

Five years after this great miracle, I was born, the last of four children. Warwick Seymour became my godfather and every year he gave me Bible stories and Christian books with a personal note scrawled on the front page. The message of those books had a powerful impact on my life because they spoke the truth of who Jesus is and how I could respond to Him, even as a small child. Once again, the powerful word produced a crop.

When I discovered the internet many years later, I decided to google the British man who had first scattered those seeds of truth in a backwater town in 1964. I discovered that Dick Lucas was a famous preacher with a huge church in London and many hundreds of sermons recorded online. I was curious about the man who had accepted an invitation to preach to a handful of people in a tiny parish on the West Rand, so began my own journey of listening to his sermons. I never forget the first message I heard from a series to businessmen in central London. It was on Jesus’ parable of the Sower, aptly titled “The Powerful Seed”. This parable has profoundly shaped the way I understand how disciples are made.

This is the parable of the Sower recorded by Luke. You will also find it in Mark 4 and Matthew 13:

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, ⁵“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. ⁶And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. ⁷And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. ⁸And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

⁹And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, ¹⁰he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ ¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. ¹²The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. ¹⁴And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:4-15).

Led by the sower

“A sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5). This statement at the beginning of the parable tells us the simple but supernatural means by which God’s kingdom comes to earth. Disciples are made when the word of God is proclaimed and received in the power of the Holy Spirit. We may get involved in all sorts of useful ministries, but the word is the centre pivot in God’s redemption plan. The word is the sprinkler system of Christ’s witness in the world.

In the context of this parable, Jesus is the proverbial sower who shows us what it looks like to sow seed. He spent three years of his life sharing the message of the kingdom with varied results. He modelled how to be generous and open-hearted while scattering the seeds of the kingdom of God from one town to another, being rejected by some hearers and accepted gladly by others (Luke 6:11; 7:9). We might think it’s reckless to throw away seed on soil that’s unproductive, rocky and arid, but Jesus did it anyway. He didn’t avoid undeserving people, but preached and taught the good news of the kingdom in all manner of ways, and with great hope and power (Luke 8:1; 4). He trained his disciples to do likewise when He left them (Acts 1:8; Matt 28:18-20).

Ultimately, the church is called to sow the seed of the gospel in the hardest, most weed-ridden, sin-soaked soils of the human heart. After all, that was the state of our own hearts before the Holy Spirit turned them from stone to flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). It is not our right to guess which soils look soft and fertile, or to select the seed we think most suitable to grow. We are called to speak only the truth God has given us in the Bible, to do so liberally, and then to trust the Lord who owns the lands and the harvest.

“If God’s word gets into the soil of your heart and mine, there’s no telling what God will do” (Dick Lucas).

The priority and power of the seed

The hundred-fold harvest of Jesus’ parable began on the day of Pentecost. It was not the spectacular signs that convinced people, but Peter’s long, Spirit-led sermon that cut 3000 Jews to the heart and brought them to their knees in repentance and faith (Acts 2:37). Luke tells us that it was “with many words” that Peter bore witness and exhorted his hearers to save themselves from their crooked generation (Acts 2:40). “Those who received his word” were the good soil that heard the word and “held it fast” that day (Acts 2:41; Luke 8:15). In turn, these converts returned to scatter the gospel in their homelands all over the world.

All through the book of Acts, we see the same pattern of the spirit-filled word of truth spawning disciples everywhere (Acts 4:4;13; Acts 8:4-5; Acts 12:24). After the disciples made the preaching of the word a priority, even hostile priests heard the word and believed (Acts 6:2;7).

He who has ears

Words in themselves are not powerful or magical. Even the Bible itself has no power to redeem a person who doesn’t see the face of Jesus in its pages (John 5:39-40). But when the Spirit of God shines in our hearts to show us who Jesus is, there’s no limit to what Spirit-led words can do. As disciples, it may seem like our seeds are small and our words are weak, but we must remember that it is God who makes a plant grow (1 Cor 3:6-7). The thriving harvest in Jesus’ parable is not produced by our intelligence, rhetoric or wit, but by speaking the truth of the gospel simply and clearly, in formal and informal ways. It may be through preaching and teaching, but it may also be through writing, praying, an everyday conversation or message on a phone, even through a song. It is this conviction that should keep us scattering the message week after week, over a lifetime, no matter how few or many respond. Let’s also admit that our own rocky and thorn-infested hearts are often hard of hearing and not always receptive and ready to apply the gospel to our lives. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to help us to truly listen and love the truth of God’s Word, so that it will grow a deep root and produce abundant fruit in our lives. Then we will sow back the seed into the hearts of others.

Pray

Father, you know that my heart is far from the good soil described in your parable. I am often dull to your Word and slow to respond to even what I do understand. You know that I’m often defensive and unwilling to change, too disengaged and preoccupied with the cares of life to listen and absorb your truth. Holy Spirit, open my heart to see the beauty of the gospel of grace and the empty, dead souls all around me. Stir me to speak your truth in unredeemed places and please prepare the soils. Give me conviction to keep scattering the seeds you’ve given me until the final harvest or the day you take me home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

February 14, 2020
Being a disciple: No hidden costs
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple… In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples” (Luke 14:27; 33).

Have you ever started renovating a house, armed with zeal, grand plans and an impressive bank balance, only to realize months later that you’ve got neither a roof over your head nor funds to complete it? Unlike commercial contracts, there are no provisos or hidden costs in becoming a disciple of Jesus. Nor are there amendments, fine print and addendums attached. Unlike the White Witch of Narnia with her box of turkish delight, Jesus doesn’t entice or manipulate us to follow Him with fake promises of power, prestige or pleasure. Instead, he presents us with the whole deal up front and the preamble states that discipleship involves suffering and dying. He assures us that it won’t be easy.

Discipleship is a way of life, not a program or stage in the Christian life. No matter what our age or generation, the goal of being a Christian is always to follow Jesus as our greatest Treasure. It is to be with Him, to trust and learn from Him as Deliverer, Teacher and Friend to the end. But if Jesus himself is our great reward, He is also the suffering Servant-King who demands surrender of our whole heart in undiluted, unswerving devotion. All other allegiances are secondary. Jesus’s terms remain the same for disciples today, even if we don’t literally risk our lives to proclaim the gospel or attend church on Sunday. Today we will look at two ways we must accept Christ’s call to die and to live with him, a call that will bring suffering but much more joy. Our text is Luke 14:25-33:

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. ²⁷And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
1. Dying to my comfort
It’s always been costly and uncomfortable to pursue the person and mission of Jesus, who carried his own cross and paid everything to purchase us as His own. We walk in Christ’s steps, and his path led to suffering in Jerusalem before rising in triumph from the tomb. The earliest disciples literally gave everything they had to follow Jesus– their possessions, community and lives. It’s still the same for many of our Christian brothers and sisters across the world today. (Click for sermon on the cost of discipleship)

But the danger for us living in a country where freedom of worship and association are protected is that we may be lulled into thinking that there is no cost to discipleship. Our modern individualist culture makes us believe that Church is somewhere we go to feel good about ourselves. At times we may feel guilty about our comfortable middle-class life and wonder whether we’re giving up anything for the sake of Christ. We may be asking ourselves, “What cross is Jesus calling me to bear?” The Bible narrative shows us that not every disciple follows Jesus in exactly the same way, but every disciple must die to whatever competes for our devotion to Christ and his gospel. We must crucify our idols, so that we are freed to become Christ’s disciples who make disciples. My greatest idol is comfort.

After forty years I’m still learning that my greatest joy comes when my heart is undivided and Jesus is in first place, before and above every other attachment, purpose or comfort. Before and above my home, my security, my money, my family, my holiday, my schedule and my convenience. Ironically, the greater the apparent cost to my comfort, the more intense the joy of following in Jesus’s steps, even when the path is hard or tiring. Conversely, I’m most dissatisfied and restless when I’m living like salt that’s lost its saltiness, insipid and wavering in my loyalty to Jesus (Luke 14:34).

Jesus knows that we’re a lot like Gollum, the swamp dweller who holds onto his Precious and will not let it go! There’s no sadder person than a disciple who is desperately clasping and grasping onto the treasures that detain us. The Lord knows the idols of our hearts and insists that we shatter them into a million tiny pieces. The irony is that the moment we die to our comforts and cling to Him, we are at last free to enjoy the friendship, wisdom, joy and peace that only Jesus can give. Christ told the rich young ruler that eternal treasures in heaven would cost him all his possessions: “Sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matt 19:21)”. Jesus insists that we die to our comforts too, to make Him our ultimate Treasure.
1. Dying to my ego
The deadliest enemy of every disciple is selfish pride, which must be crucified daily if we want to pursue the person and mission of Jesus. Following Jesus always happens in the context of each other rather than me, myself and I.

Independence must die to make way for inter-dependence and love.

John Piper, now 74 years old, is one of the most godly and respected Christian pastors of our time. Yet, he is honest enough to admit to four effects of selfishness which he is taking steps to slay in his own life. These emotional responses resonated with me:

“Anger: the strong emotional opposition to the obstacle in my way. I tighten up and want to strike out verbally.

Self pity: a desire that others feel my woundedness and admire me for my being mistreated, and move to show me some sympathy.

Quickness to blame: a reflex to attribute to others the cause of my frustrating situation. Others can feel it in a tone of voice, a look on the face, a sideways query, or an outright accusation.

Sullenness: a sinking discouragement, moodiness, hopelessness, unresponsiveness and withdrawn emotional deadness.

Of course, the effect on marriage is that my wife feels blamed and disapproved of rather than cherished and cared for. Tender emotions shrivel. Hope is depleted. Strength to carry on in the hardships of ministry wanes.” (Why I love the Apostle Paul, John Piper).

Through months of frank self-assessment, Piper realized that if Christ’s death had cancelled his greatest sins, the Spirit of Christ would also empower him to break the grip of selfishness in his life. He repented of his passive attitude to his selfishness and actively set about killing, not coddling these cancelled sins. Piper’s confession is an encouragement to us all to crucify the subtle effects of ego and selfish pride in our lives. Only then will we be freed to live with such integrity and joy that we will help others take one step closer to Jesus.

Bearing our cross

Jesus never hid the costs and benefits of discipleship. He warned his original disciples that even though they would be reviled, persecuted and falsely accused on account of Him, they would still be blessed (Matt 5:10-11). The cost of being Christ’s disciple has always meant death to everything we once held dear and life in the person and mission of Jesus. It could mean a complete upheaval from our job, family and comfort. Or it could entail subtle forms of hostility, exclusion and ridicule. Even in a constitutional democracy like ours, there is always a cost to following Jesus and becoming a disciple who makes disciples. Taking up our cross is not just for the martyr or dedicated Christian in ‘full time’ ministry, but for every Christian who has accepted the invitation to God’s wonderful kingdom banquet (Luke 14:15-24).

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for inviting me to participate in your death, resurrection and gospel mission. I know that I did not seek you, but you pursued me and bought my salvation and adoption into your family. Thank you for giving me a new heart and spirit to transform me into your disciple, so that I in turn may disciple others. Lord, help me to follow you so closely that I am always ignited by your Spirit, truth, love, power and mission. Show me where my heart is divided and bring me to the place where I count my comforts, possessions and even my life as nothing compared to the joy of knowing you and helping others take one step closer to you. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
February 1, 2020
Disciples who make disciples

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]

Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him (Matt 4:19-20).

Do you remember that chorus- “I will make you fishers of men if you follow me?” As a child, those repeated lyrics perplexed me, as I mistook fishers (with an r) for fishes! As I sang, I imagined everyone in the congregation as half-fish, half-human, and wondered why Jesus would want to turn his disciples into mermaids! I’m pleased to see that Luke’s account clears up this confusion about fishers of men: “From now on you’ll be catching men” makes much more sense!

Today we’re reading the amazing story about how Jesus invited Peter, James and John to be his disciples by Lake Galilee. These fisherman didn’t appoint themselves leaders or apply to be disciples with an impressive CV. The Lord himself called them and set them apart by his irresistible grace. Those first disciples paid a high price for following Jesus. Peter was hung upside down on a cross, James was beheaded and John was exiled. Peter’s brother, Andrew, who was also on the lake that day, was crucified in Greece. These fishermen gave up their lives to know, follow and proclaim Jesus as Lord. Instead of safety, security and material blessings, they pursued God himself and found their joy in Him. After Jesus ascended and poured out His Spirit on them, these ordinary men became irrepressible witnesses who could not stop speaking of what they’d seen and heard (Acts 4:1-4). Their spirt-empowered message was never obscure or diluted and their devotion to the risen Jesus was unquenchable. Just think for a moment of these four fishermen by Lake Galilee in 30AD, and then fast forward to the 6000 followers of Christ in 60AD! And to the 100 000 believers in 180AD. And to the 31 million in 350AD. All because these fishermen followed Jesus and became fishers of men.

Fishers of men

“On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, ²and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. ³Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. ⁴And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” ⁵And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” ⁶And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. ⁷They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. ⁸But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” ⁹For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, ¹⁰and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” ¹¹And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him” (Luke 5:1-11).

Lord of the Fish

Alone, Peter caught no fish all night. Yet, against all logic as an experienced fisherman, Peter tentatively obeys Jesus by letting down his nets at midday and is stunned by what happens next. Peter learns that Jesus is Lord of the fish.

Jesus was no stranger to Simon. They’d been introduced through his brother Andrew, and Jesus had already given him his new name (John 1:40-42). Peter had hosted Jesus in his home, watched Jesus heal his mother-in-law and cast out an evil spirit (Luke 4:38-41). Peter had heard Jesus in the synagogues announcing the good news that God’s kingdom had arrived on earth. This day he’d listened to Jesus teach on the floating pulpit– his very own boat (Luke 5:3). But somehow this miraculous catch of fish was more personal. It was an epiphany that went far beyond intellectual knowledge or amazement. A picture of Jesus as Ruler of the fish, graciously jamming up Peter’s nets to bursting point, was what knocked the burly fisherman right off his feet. His eyes were opened to the Lord of heaven and earth standing before him… and his own unworthiness. Fear followed amazement at this display of abundant generosity. Just as Moses did not dare approach the burning bush for fear of being consumed, Peter was overcome by godly fear (Ex 3:5).

Godly fear

There is no such thing as a worthy disciple of Jesus. Peter knew it the moment he hauled in those bulging and breaking nets. His reaction may seem strange in our culture that worships self esteem, but Peter was accurate when He recognized who he was before Jesus and recoiled in horror, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Peter’s reverent fear is appropriate in the presence of a holy and awesome God. The Psalmist says, “Worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” Isaiah’s response to the presence of God was “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips (Ps 96:9; Isa 6:5) and Solomon reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7). Jesus can only use people who know that they are utterly bankrupt before God—like Peter.

If we call ourselves Christians, godly fear should mark our lives, because the Holy Spirit has shown us who God is and who we are. Let’s allow the Bible to hold up a mirror to our soul:

At our core we’re God’s enemies and can only run from the Father (Col 1:21). Because we love darkness and hate the light, we harden our hearts and say no to God’s ways that lead to life (John 3:20; Eph 4:18-19). We are impure in our thoughts, words and deeds (Rom 6:19). Our minds are so warped and blinded to the truth that even our emotions and desires are out of order, our hearts lie to us and our bodies are ruled by ungodly passions (Rom 1:26-28; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 Peter 2:11). We are spiritually dead with no escape from God’s rightful anger. If we look in the mirror honestly, this is who we are without Christ, and Peter knew it. Nevertheless, he trusted Jesus enough to let down his nets and fall contritely at His feet. Like all of us, Peter didn’t deserve to step into the Lord’s presence or be called his friend, but Jesus invited the fisherman to follow him anyway: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”

Followers become fishers

Let’s not miss that following Jesus preceded being fishers of men. So, gripped by the grace they’d seen in their bulging, broken nets, and assured by Jesus’s invitation, the two sets of brothers left behind all they’d ever known to follow the one person who could give them all they truly needed. They surrendered their careers and ambitions, possessions and security, comforts and plans to give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord himself. They’d seen enough to know that Jesus was worth more than anything they could lose.

Jesus kept his promise to make them ‘fishers of men.’ The miracle catch of fish was a vivid picture of what Jesus would do through Peter and this unimpressive band of fishermen from northern Israel. Three years later, Peter’s Spirit-empowered message of the gospel would take the world by storm. Three thousand people were cut to the heart on the day of Pentecost and baptized in the name of Jesus, gathered into Peter’s net in a single day (Acts 2:40-41). Then 2000 more believers squeezed their way in (Acts 4:4), and on and on until the nets were splitting open with those who repented, believed and surrendered all to follow Jesus and make more disciples. Two thousand years later, we still read the life-giving message written by Peter and John in the Bible and Jesus is still adding to his kingdom those who are being saved.

But that day the four fishermen could not have foreseen the cost of following Jesus. Or the horrific path their Master would walk three years later to bridge the chasm between sinners and God the Father.

A divine appointment—then and now.

It’s impossible to read this story and conclude that being a Christian is about following a set of moral values or inspiring stories. The essence of being a Christian is not going to church, making a decision, or believing from an armchair, as helpful as these things are. It is about following Jesus Christ as Lord of the lake, the fish and all of life, every day of the week, wherever we are. Being a Christian is a divine appointment, as Jesus tells his followers in every age,

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last”(John 15:16-17).

You and I stand on the other side of the cross from Peter. We know that we can only call ourselves Christians because we have been made forever holy and perfect through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ once for all (Heb 10:10; 14). The empty tomb in 33AD is our assurance that Jesus has accomplished everything needed for us to draw near to God, so we don’t need to say, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” What a joy to know that we are safely in Jesus’s net—captured, forgiven and freely given all that those bursting nets represent! Grace and abundant life, peace and human flourishing flow like a river into every Jesus follower, since we are in Christ and He is in us forever. The believer’s joy has begun in this life and will be perfected in glory as we follow in the slipstream of Jesus. It is only this joy that can propel us from the inside to follow Jesus and become disciples that make disciples.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I give all of me to you in 2020. Give me eyes to see the lavish grace of your sacrifice to save a sinful wretch like me. Show me who you are and show me who I am in you. Lord, help me to follow and imitate you by reading your Word, praying and helping others take one step closer to you this year. Help me to see you more clearly, love you more dearly and follow you more nearly. Soften my heart to respond to your grace, so that I will love and learn from you, rather than serve you out of duty. Let me not be like a stubborn animal that needs to be prodded and pressured to obey you. Jesus, you are not just the Lord of the lake and the fish, but the Lord of heaven and earth and my life too. Help me to trust you to do impossible things and to follow you beyond my comfort zone. Show me where to let down my nets and remind me that only you can gather the fish and fill them to overflowing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_3″ last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”center center” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/fusion_imageframe][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”2_3″ last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding=”2%” margin_top=”2%” margin_bottom=”2%” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Receive our latest devotion in your Inbox[/fusion_title][fusion_code]Q2xpY2sgZWRpdCBidXR0b24gdG8gY2hhbmdlIHRoaXMgY29kZS4=[/fusion_code][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container][fusion_builder_container background_color=”#ffffff” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”5%” padding_right=”5%” hundred_percent=”yes” equal_height_columns=”yes” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Other devotions from the God Walk…[/fusion_title][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_recent_posts layout=”default” hover_type=”none” columns=”3″ number_posts=”6″ offset=”” cat_slug=”devotion” exclude_cats=”” thumbnail=”yes” title=”yes” meta=”no” excerpt=”yes” excerpt_length=”0″ strip_html=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/fusion_recent_posts][fusion_text]– more devotions –[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

January 24, 2020