If our mission is “Equipping the saints for the work of the ministry,” this requires three primary foundations: Education, Experience, and Enablement.
Throughout the entire history of the Church since Pentecost, small groups of Biblical believers have been struggling to remain faithful to the Word of God but have been oppressed and persecuted by the local religious establishments. Even if all the established religious institutions become prostituted to serve the siren calls of social injustices (and there will be plenty to deal with!), there remains a powerful alternative…a unique, yet Biblically based concept for the support of the independent missionary pursuing an unbridled mission for the Coming King.
An Example: The Apostle Paul
The role and contributions of the independent entrepreneur are legendary, and the factors that contribute to his success have been well studied in the management literature. Being driven by a vision, his persistence and commitment to his self-appointed goals have embroidered the tapestry of both technological and economic progress throughout the centuries. However, the degree to which these characteristics characterized the Apostle Paul in the spiritual realm has rarely been adequately recognized in our contemporary missionary perspectives.
If our Mission is “equipping the saints for the work of the ministry,” this requires three primary foundations: Education, Experience, and Enablement (financial support). It is this last one that requires a creative focus: it is supporting the missionary “in the field,” which typically involves one of three approaches.
It seems as if our current world monetary system is on the verge of collapse. What is the next step for money?
We have written before on the concept of money and its history. The last time this topic was addressed in Personal UPDATE was when the U.S. Stimulus Package was passed by Congress when they no longer feared the concept of trillions of dollars in the yearly deficit.
In response, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the ECB stood ready to act if inflation went lower than forecast and reaffirmed that interest rates would remain low or go lower for an extended period of time.
The group also expressed their concern that the U.S. Federal Reserve, “The Fed,” may institute a “tapering” (or slowing down) on monetizing U.S. debt by not printing as much money.
Why do we care about privacy anyway? If we have “nothing to hide,” why worry?
We live in a world where almost everything is recorded in one way or another. Computers, cameras, and relentless recordkeeping turn our lives into a living novel that can be read by anyone—without even a search warrant in many cases.
Why Worry?
Why do we care about privacy anyway? If we have “nothing to hide,” why worry? If you believe the government, private businesses, and criminals all have your best interests in mind, you are correct, you have nothing to hide. But, if you hold the belief that I do, which is that government, private businesses, and criminals are only looking out for themselves, I have everything to hide—my information is mine, not theirs, and I plan to do everything in my power to keep what is mine private.
Privacy is not a new issue; people have struggled against authorities in many different ways over the centuries:
The Puritans had a “spy on your neighbor” policy and often would not allow people to live alone. These policies were instituted to rid their communities of sin.
The Census Bureau started in this country in 1790, which required every household be visited and the number of people be accounted for.
Privacy concerns brought about the Bill of Rights enacted in 1791, ensuring that people could be secure in their person, houses, papers and effects.
What are these “doctrines of demons” Paul warns us about? What can we do in this age of deception?
What does the Bible have to say about the End Times? Matthew’s Gospel gives us the response of Jesus to this question. “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’ And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you.’”[1]
The Apostle Paul expands on this by stating, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.”[2]
A doctrine is defined as “the codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system.”[3] Simply put, a doctrine is the formalized expression of a foundational belief.
What are these “doctrines of demons” Paul warns us about? Satan often relies on deception through disinformation. Misinformation is defined as accidental untruth, where disinformation is the intentional misrepresentation of the truth. Therefore, doctrines of demons are creeds that offer counterfeit truths.
…Through the eyes of a Believer. Zechariah informs us that, as we approach the end of days, we should not be surprised that Jerusalem will be front and center in the eyes of the entire world.
JERUSALEM
The City of the Great King
The Golden City
The City of David
The City of God
The City of Truth
The Holy City
The Place Where God Sees and Grants Peace
Did you know that the Midrash (a commentary on the Hebrew Bible; a body of Rabbinic literature consisting of commentary on and clarification of Biblical texts, first compiled before 500 a.d.) lists over 70 names given to the city of Jerusalem? Listed above are my “Top 7,” inspired by the events that transpired in the Holy City:
One day soon Yeshua will return and reign from here throughout the Millennium.
Zechariah informs us that, as we approach the end of days, we should not be surprised that Jerusalem will be front and center in the eyes of the entire world. This city will capture the headlines of news stations worldwide. Have you ever wondered why?
In March of 2013, Nancy received the news that a very rare “subcutaneous cancer” (not a skin cancer) inside the mucous lining of the sinus area of her nose was found. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster of “life” revolving around doctors and hospitals.
Last week as I was having my phone time with Nan regarding the ministry, life, and her health, she said something to me that I wanted to share with everyone. She told me, “Debbie, I can honestly say that I am counting it all joy in the midst of this trial.” You see, she just received news that there were two lesions on her brain and they looked suspicious. WOW! What a walking testimony of God’s overpowering love and peace in the midst of this continuing trial.
The chronology of Nan’s spiritual walk with God has been poured out in the books that she has written over the last 25 years. This month’s article, which she wrote in 2001, is a living example of her faith and trust in the Lord over the years—and even more so, this last year.
We pray that it will encourage your faith and give you a new understanding of God’s peace and contentment.
…count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
The Israel School of Discipleship is a month-long sojourn throughout the land of Israel. We will seek to impart a comprehensive understanding as to what it means to be His disciples in the day in which we live.
The Israel School of Discipleship will enhance one’s understanding of Jesus’ ministry in Nazareth, the Galilee, Jerusalem, and the desert not only through in-depth biblical studies but also through service projects. It is the difference between reading about a journey and taking the journey. It’s time to get out of the classroom, out of our offices, our homes, our comfort zone and walk the Word of God!
The book of Revelation … mysterious? Some stay away from it because of all the “types” and “images” but most are fascinated. Jesus made it clear that we need to be awake; we need to watch and we need to not be deceived! Because of that command this book is a MUST!
Months ago Nancy was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and she has had surgery to remove the cancer. Following tests had shown that the malignant melanoma had returned, but recent tests and scans show that the cancer is gone!
The Book of Ruth is venerated in college literature classes as one of the most elegant love stories of all time. What most people don’t realize, is that it is one of the most significant “New Testament” books located in the Old Testament—and it stands as a pivotal study in Bible Prophecy! It is an essential prerequisite to understanding the Book of Revelation!
It is ironic that Jesus' opening imperative in His "Olivet Discourse" is "Take heed that no man deceive you". This is His command, but it begs a question of means: "How do we avoid that?"
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