God With Us

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders.

In just a few days, the world over will be celebrating Christmas.  Like many of you, my family and I will read together the Luke chapter 2 account of Jesus’ birth.  

Today, I want to focus our attention on another Gospel account of Jesus’s arrival here on earth.  In chapter 1, verse 14, the apostle John wrote “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”  I love the way that the Message paraphrase puts it.  “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”  “… he moved into our neighborhood” … not to some faraway place; Jesus came and dwelt among us!

The fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy more than 700 years prior came to pass.  He wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  God with us.  God among us!  Prophesy fulfilled!  

There are many compound names of God in the Old Testament.  One of my favorites is “Jehovah Shammah,” meaning “the God Who is there.” This is found in Ezekiel 48:35 referring to the heavenly city in the millennial Kingdom.

Jesus came and lived on earth more than 2000 years ago. We celebrate this historic event this week. This was in the past.

Jehovah Shammah, the God Who is there, will be present in the heavenly city in the future.  We anticipate His presence as we look toward His earthly reign.

But, in the present … right now (!), God is with us as well.  Today.  This very day and every day.  

John 14:17, in the Amplified Version says, “the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.” [emphasis added]

This was Jesus’ promise in the preceding verse (16).  “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”  Two chapters later, in John 16:7, Jesus reiterated this message to his followers. “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Jesus, Messiah, Savior … came to earth and dwelt among us.  We celebrate His Advent.   

Holy Spirit, Advocate, Counselor … is the present “God with us” as He dwells within us.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Proverbs to Live By Part 2

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Recently, Brad, Daneille, and I produced a series of Multiply episodes on

marriage that resulted in many listeners giving us positive feedback. We love

to hear from you, so this was quite gratifying!

Proverbs 15:23 says,

A person finds joy in giving an apt reply —

  and how good is a timely word!

It seems the words we shared in the series on marriage were timely. So many

men and women associated with village churches struggle with their marriages.

Marriage is not easy. Anyone who says it is has either never been married or is

lying. But wisdom goes a long way toward making marriage easier and more

rewarding. The Book of Proverbs collected by King Solomon is designed to

transform simple people into wise people. So let me share some proverbs that,

when heeded, will produce wisdom for marriage.

A lying tongue hates those it hurts,

    and a flattering mouth works ruin. (Proverbs 26:28).

Truthfulness is the foundation of a sound marriage. If you want your marriage

to be strong and lasting, give up lying and speak the truth in love. So,

Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

(Proverbs 4:24).

When you speak with your husband or wife, reject gossip, deceit, and slander.

By doing so you will build trust and set yourselves up to make wise decisions

together.

Proverbs 5:2-4 says, "For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,

    and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end, she is bitter as gall,

    sharp as a double-edged sword."

Every man or woman who is tempted to commit adultery should take the long

view. In the short term, adultery can appear to be full of pleasure, but in the

end, it brings great suffering and heartache.

From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, and the work of

their hands brings them reward. (Proverbs 12:14).

Words that build people up, that is, the truth spoken in love, bring good to

those who speak them just as careful, diligent work brings a reward to the

workers. Healthy marriages are filled with both, edifying speech and

productive work.

Dear church planter, this is a very small sample of the proverbs that have

fruitful application to marriage. My brother, my sister, please strengthen you

church by strengthening the marriages of church members. Strengthen

marriages by infusing them with the wisdom of these and many other proverbs

from Solomon’s collection. By so doing, the simple will be transformed into

the wise.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Proverbs #StrongMarriages

Prayer Walking for Daughter Church Planting

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The Four Fields Model is a great description of the church multiplication cycle.

You may remember that it is a diagram with four “fields” or rectangles drawn

on a piece of paper. In the upper left hand corner of the page is a field called

“Field 1: New Field.” To the right is Field 2: the Seeded Field.” Under Field 2

is Field 3, The Growing Field.” To the left of Field 3 and right under field 1 is

the Field called “The Harvest Field, Field 4. These four fields represent the

process of starting, growing, and multiplying a church.

 We study this diagram from time to time, but every church planter would 

be helped if he or she looked at the diagram and meditated on it at least once 

per month. You can find the Four Fields Model printed on the back cover of 

every New VCP Reader.

One of the activities in Field 1, The New Field, is, “Begin by prayer walking.”

We begin church planting in a new village by prayer walking. Yes, we plan,

pray, and research. But prayer walking is a unique and important ministry

activity for starting every new church.

So what is prayer walking? Prayer walking is walking in the place where God is

leading you to plant a new church. Of course, to prayer walk, you must pray as

you walk. But prayer walking is much more than praying while walking. It is

praying on site with insight. You go to the village where you are trusting God

for a church and you begin to walk around. Ideally, you walk with a brother or

sister in Christ. Before you go, the two of you agree in prayer for the

establishment of a church in the new village.

 As you go, you pray in faith. Quietly or silently, you praise God for his great

 love. You thank him for Jesus who came to seek and save the lost. You 

remember that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should 

come to repentance. And together you intercede for the village you are walking 

through. You pray for families you see and intercede for men, women and

 children of the village.

Now, you may be asking, Dean, “I can pray like that at home. Why should I

prayer walk in the village?” I know God is not limited by our location when we

pray. He can answer prayers we make from anywhere. But God gives us

insight and compassion when we walk, with our eyes open, and pray for the

people we see. He gives us a vision of what the village can be like when he

transforms men and women by his grace. Our compassion grows. Our very

presence walking and praying silently in Jesus’ name is an act of spiritual

warfare. We rebuke the devil by our godly presence and like Jesus, we declare

that he Kingdom of God has come.

If you have identified a church member who will plant daughter churches, go

with him or her to the village where that person will plant a daughter church.

Then prayer walk together. As you do, God will work. He will help you identify

persons of peace and take the next steps in evangelism and disciple making.

God will be with you. He will hear. He will answer your prayer for a new

church.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #ChurchMultiplication #PrayerWalk

Finding Persons of Peace Part 1

 

This is Multiply, a podcast to encourage village church planters, pastors, and Christian leaders. And I am your host today, Daneille Snowden. 

“Oh Lord, lead me where You want me to go. Soften the hearts and open the minds of those of whom You have chosen to be Your ‘persons of peace.’”

The first and most important STEP as we walk into our villages is prayer. In that time of prayer first, we take time for a moment of worship, secondly, a time of  stillness, and then ask God to even lead our prayer to Him. Amen? This is a time that should not be rushed, but truly a time where you and God are in deep communion with one another. This is where visions can be birthed, power infused and love for others grow. 

May I also encourage all of us, as we go to places still not reached by the Gospel that we also include a trusted team of prayer warriors to agree in prayer with you. There is great power in agreement, as you are knitted with like-minded believers for this task. 

As we pray, we ask God to work on the hearts of those we are going to meet, as I stated earlier. In addition, we ask Him to give us eyes to see who we should talk to. Plus, the words to start the conversation and for the leading of the Holy Spirit on each step after. God works mightily, and also creatively, thus, He may lead you differently in each village. When we pray this way, we shall see the fruit as we go forward entering our villages (especially during our prayer walks). 

Note, we are looking for someone who will be receptive to the Gospel and you, who is known in the community and then has a willingness to connect others with this message. This is a vital objective that should be included in our prayer before we leave. 

Thank you for listening, will you quickly share this podcast with others? Also, you can find all our podcasts on many podcast channels, as well as on our website vcpencouragement.org.   Thank you and God bless!

One Another Series - Care For One Another

 This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters and leaders. 

This year, in these podcasts, I am focusing upon the “One Another” scriptures found in the New Testament as viewed through the lens of leadership.  

Today’s verse is 1 Corinthians 12:25 which reads in the New International Version, “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”  The English Standard Version (ESV) puts it this way.  “[T]hat there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

Other translations mention “equal care” or “same concern” for different members of the Body.  

The broader context of this text is unity and diversity in the Body.  The Corinthian church certainly had its issues, and factions and leader favorites possibly topped the list.  [It was in chapter 3 that Paul noted that some in Corinth followed him while others preferred Apollos.]   

As leaders and spiritual overseers, we set the example for unity within the Body of Christ.  I’ve heard it said that before one is qualified to be a leader, he or she must first be a good follower, and I believe that this is true. 

One website mentions some characteristics of good followers. Here are some of my favorites from that list.  These are traits that I seek to model personally and what I desire to see in VCP leaders and followers.  

• Have their egos under control

• Are team players

• Willing and able to think for themselves and not simply give assent to everything they are told (we use an idiom for this in my country; we are not looking for “yes” men or women)

• They carry out assignments with energy and assertiveness

• Are self-motivated and take initiative

• Passionate about their work and the people they serve

Paul instructs us that one way that leaders protect unity within the Body is by demonstrating “equal concern” or the “same care” for one another.  There is no place for preferential treatment or favoritism.  

Elsewhere, James has something similar to say.  “My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.  Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves… ” (2:1-4a)  

May we as leaders set the example by sharing equal concern for one another.    

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters and leaders.

Proverbs To Live By Part 1

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

The book of Proverbs is like no other in the Old Testament and similar only to

the Book of James in the New Testament. The book of Proverbs is a collection

of sayings gathered by King Solomon. And it has a very clear purpose. The

Proverbs were published by Solomon so that those who read and hear them

could gain wisdom and receive instruction in prudent behavior.

Solomon wanted to give “prudence to the simple.” But who are the simple,

and what is prudence? I used to think that the simple were the uneducated or

those who lacked intelligence. But that is not who Solomon is talking about

when he mentions the simple. Simple people are those who are undecided.

They do good sometimes and they do evil sometimes. They don’t know what

they should do. Another name for the simple is double-minded. They are not

sure about what they believe so they are easily led astray. In contrast, wise

people, prudent people, know what is right and do what is right.

Solomon did not want the people of his kingdom to be simple and we as church

planters do not want the people of our churches to be simple. But we have to

admit, being simple and double-minded is the normal human condition. Just

look at the very beginning of human history. Eve was simple. She didn’t hate

God. She did not love evil. But she was easily led astray by the serpent and his

lies. Adam too was simple. When his wife offered him the fruit that God had

said he must not eat, Adam simply took it and ate it. Our simple-minded

ancestors lacked wisdom when they disobeyed God and the negative

consequences of their poor decisions affect us to this day.

So, how can the Proverbs of Solomon help villagers who are simple? How can

proverbs help those who are undecided about doing what is right come to

choose the right path?

Proverbs are best appreciated by slow reflection. Proverbs are designed to

shape our character. One of the best ways to allow proverbs to convert us

from being simple to being wise is to memorize them. Proverbs that are

memorized are available for our meditation when we are traveling, and when

we are resting. Such meditation on a memorized proverb prepares us for those

times when we face hard decisions. But pity men and women who face hard

decisions, but do not have wisdom stored up in their heart. They may get lucky

and do the right thing, but in all likelihood, their simple ways will lead to

foolish decisions and consequently loss, suffering, and shame.

So fill your heart and mind with proverbs. Teach them to your church members.

Quote them often. Let their wisdom transform your people from simple to

wise.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Proverbs

Psalms 23

 

Hello this is Multiply a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders I am Brad Snowden. We are looking at a very powerful Psalm today and one probably every one of us have read many times. Psalms 23 says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3  he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

We all have times in our lives where the challenges are too great for us and we need hope and this Psalm is just what we need. There is another Psalm I would like to look at Psalm 100:3 says, "Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God;  It is He who has made us, not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

 I believe that Psalms 23 shows that the sheep are dependent upon the shepherd for provision, guidance, and rest, for calm places to nourish and strengthen our hearts. His words and actions restores us for a witness of who the shepherd truly is. Jesus is our shepherd written in John 10:11. We can trust in Him even in the hard times because He will not leave us. He is our comfort and strength. He anoints us with His word and it flows out of our lives and can touch others around us for we are not alone for there are many. We can be encouraged that if we are following the shepherd He will cause us to desire to be with him and be in His presence. We cannot be guided by our own desires or even wisdom because that will soon fail when the challenges of this life push back against us. Church planter and leaders we must recognize our need for the shepherd of our souls to be in full control. It will only be at that place we find our hope and strength to follow His word completely. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today?