In the world of business the acronym R&D is widely used to describe a company’s research and development area. The R&D department’s goal is to do research that generates an appropriate outcome which in turn results in the development of new products, new services, new inventions, new lines, etc. R&D attempts to provide for the future success of the business. Companies devote and expend significant resources, effort and time to this component if they wish to remain viable entities.
I think that the body of Christ (the church) should have and focus upon R&D as well. I also believe that this is a component of the body of Christ that has deep foundations in biblical truth that we have strayed away from with our ‘modern’ forms of Christianity.
The difference between the world’s R&D and the body of Christ’s R&D is that instead of ‘Research and Development’ the body of Christ must have a ‘Reach and Discipleship’ component. And the body of Christ should focus upon and expend significant resources, effort and time on both the R and the D – not just one or the other!
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Matthew 28:19)
REACH: Go; preach the gospel to all creation, spread God’s Word, make known the wonders of the One who saved us and give Him all of the glory, testify to His loving-kindness, His grace and His mercy - for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
DISCIPLESHIP: make disciples, know, understand and live in His Truth, build up, encourage, exhort, rebuke in His Word, equip the saints for the work of ministry - for His Word is Truth and in it you will find Knowledge and Wisdom and Righteousness and Power and Life
And we are all called to participate in the Lord’s R&D department...
If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)
The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem… (Acts 6:7)
After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples…
(Acts 14:21)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Faith, Hope and Love
Faith is the assurance, Hope is the promise, Love is the foundation
May we rest securely in our faith,
Rejoice boldly in our hope,
While fearlessly abounding in His love
May we rest securely in our faith,
Rejoice boldly in our hope,
While fearlessly abounding in His love
Friday, September 10, 2010
Life is short
Life is short - pray hard, abound in grace, rejoice in truth, love exceedingly
His mercy exhorts us, His glory compels us, His grace upholds us, His love enjoins us
For it is today that we live, yesterday has passed and tomorrow is yet to come
For unspent passion today is a vanishing and unused vapor of yesterday
Opportunities missed, lives untouched, hearts unchanged
Life is short - live in the moment that is today with boldness and zeal and passion well spent
For the harvest is ready, the workers are being called, the Lord of the harvest awaits
And few are those who hear His call, a call to follow, to respond to His passion and grace
Life is short - eternity awaits and time marches on
His mercy exhorts us, His glory compels us, His grace upholds us, His love enjoins us
For it is today that we live, yesterday has passed and tomorrow is yet to come
For unspent passion today is a vanishing and unused vapor of yesterday
Opportunities missed, lives untouched, hearts unchanged
Life is short - live in the moment that is today with boldness and zeal and passion well spent
For the harvest is ready, the workers are being called, the Lord of the harvest awaits
And few are those who hear His call, a call to follow, to respond to His passion and grace
Life is short - eternity awaits and time marches on
Friday, September 3, 2010
after these things...
'Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham…' (Gen 22:1)
After these things - the fulfillment of the promise, the blessings of provision, protection and abundance…these were the things that Abraham had experienced and now 'after these things' God tested Abraham. And the test was Abraham's obedience to offer up the 'promise' as a sacrifice - to trust God in what He was doing in Abraham's life even though it appeared, at least in the flesh, to be defeating and destroying the fulfillment of the promise.
I think about what is going on in my life and how I have been so abundantly blessed, how we have had provision beyond our needs, how my career path had prospered, how the hand of God had directed my steps. So, is it now time, as it was with Abraham, that ‘after these things God tested’? And what is my specific promise from God that I must lay down before Him in obedience? Is it how He has prospered me? Might it be the promise of wisdom and knowledge that I must offer as a sacrifice? Must I lay down all of my plans and thoughts of where I want to be and wait for Him to show me the path that He has for me at this time in my life?
Being faithful, trusting completely and waiting patiently are difficult places to be when you don't know what the path ahead looks like – and yet Abraham believed!
With all of my planning and seeking to pave the path of my future with a smooth 'finish' I find that I am now way off of the path that I had charted in my mind – and it looks like that path has come to a complete end.
Lord, must I completely die to my plan, my path?
Where to now Lord?
After these things - the fulfillment of the promise, the blessings of provision, protection and abundance…these were the things that Abraham had experienced and now 'after these things' God tested Abraham. And the test was Abraham's obedience to offer up the 'promise' as a sacrifice - to trust God in what He was doing in Abraham's life even though it appeared, at least in the flesh, to be defeating and destroying the fulfillment of the promise.
I think about what is going on in my life and how I have been so abundantly blessed, how we have had provision beyond our needs, how my career path had prospered, how the hand of God had directed my steps. So, is it now time, as it was with Abraham, that ‘after these things God tested’? And what is my specific promise from God that I must lay down before Him in obedience? Is it how He has prospered me? Might it be the promise of wisdom and knowledge that I must offer as a sacrifice? Must I lay down all of my plans and thoughts of where I want to be and wait for Him to show me the path that He has for me at this time in my life?
Being faithful, trusting completely and waiting patiently are difficult places to be when you don't know what the path ahead looks like – and yet Abraham believed!
With all of my planning and seeking to pave the path of my future with a smooth 'finish' I find that I am now way off of the path that I had charted in my mind – and it looks like that path has come to a complete end.
Lord, must I completely die to my plan, my path?
Where to now Lord?
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