2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.
The other day I was searching the web and came across this amazing map of the Global Status of Evangelical Christianity by Send International. It's a really insightful tool because you can see the areas of the world where evangelicals live, and also areas that are closed to the gospel. Perhaps the most surprising thing I learned was that 65% of the world's population lives in countries that do not allow religious workers. It reminds me how important it is to pray for workers that are out there, and to pray to the Lord to send more workers into the harvest (Matthew 9:38). I invite you to explore this map and share it with others.
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I'm always looking to add new content to this site, and one section I really have been meaning to add is a section on Missions. This is a centerpiece to any believer - we're called to live missionally and to love like Jesus wherever we go. And when we step out in faith, the Lord responds in ways we can't even begin to imagine.
For me, I've lived as a missionary abroad since November 2019, and have seen so many amazing things - healings, miracles, open doors, and more. One thing that I've experienced is that when I make myself available to the Lord by shifting my attention to Him and what He wants to do in any situation, He will use me. I personally believe that the Lord wants to move in every situation and circumstance, and we owe it to Him to continually be aware of the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I think it's a lot like the classic American football saying - the best ability is availability. I think often times believers think that they need to be in a certain circumstance, at a certain time, and with the right environment in order for God to move. But, that's now how it works. Living missionally is a partnership, whereby we show our open hands to the Lord and He guides us into the good works He's prepared for us. While at first that might sound too simple, it's honestly how it it works. Jesus Himself said He didn't do anything unless He saw the Father doing it (John 5:19) - meaning that He abided and was connected to the will of the Father at all times. In other words, Jesus made Himself available in the service of the Father, and as He did, extraordinary things happened. The amazing thing is that this same experience is available to you through a relationship with Jesus, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that we would do "greater works than these" (John 14:12-14), meaning that the things that He did, believers will do greater things. And this is true whether you travel to a new country or go into work everyday. God wants to use you wherever you are to showcase His love, power, grace, and mercy. I hope you'll reflect on these things, and check out the new Missions section. While this new section isn't too robust yet, I have a couple excellent resources you should check out. I'll continue to add other resources over the next few weeks. In the meantime, I challenge you to turn your attention towards the Lord, and ask Him what He wants you to do in any given situation. You may just be surprised. I've been meaning to write a short post on this amazing resource that you should know about if you don't already. Enduring Word Bible Commentary is an incredible website that has an in-depth commentary on every verse in the Bible. The website describes the commentary like this:
"For over twenty years Pastor David Guzik has been researching each Bible Passage and creating what Thousands of people have come to know as The Enduring Word Bible Commentary." In my personal study, I frequently go to this resource to glean new insights and understanding. Along with the ESV Study Bible, this is an excellent supplemental resource to better help you comprehend the context and meaning behind scripture. If you haven't looked at this, I encourage you to do so. It will add to your understanding of different Bible chapters, and the commentary that Pastor Guzik integrates from other leading Biblical scholars is pure gold. Earlier this week, the Lord told me to revise my website this weekend, so I spent some time today revising, reformatting, editing, adding, subtracting, and all the other things that go along with managing a website.
One of the biggest changes is in the Resources section, which is a major focus of this website. There you will find a ton of great materials to help you grow in your walk with the Lord. Below are some of the major sections that I have now, and will certainly be adding to it as well. Take some time to explore these great resources and share them with others. ![]() Based on my last post, I decided to create a short overview of the different areas of personal renewal that the Lord shared with me a few days ago. These areas touch different mindsets that we might have, and may help you catalyze growth and change in your life. Feel free to explore this publication as well as check out the other publications I have on this website. God bless you. Today I was adding some great resources to New Christians - a section on resources, some great free tools for prayer, Bible reading, and devotionals. When I looked for something online that provided a simple overview of the TACOS prayer process, I couldn't find one. So, I created one. Talk about a great way to use your time while being quarantined in Paris! I hope you will find it useful. Please download and share.
We've been given so much. When you actually take some time to think about all the gifts that God has given us, it's overwhelming. However, it's really important that we think about these gifts, and say thank you to Him for every one. This 31-day devotional looks at some of the amazing gifts that God has given us as believers.
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AuthorDerrick Rhayn is a new Christian and seeks the will and Word of the Lord. Archives
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17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. |
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