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The Norths’ ministry focus is to accelerate the spread of the Gospel through local churches. John is the ministry team leader in Australia. They work with a movement called EvangelismSHIFT, with a mission to cultivate churches across Australia whose congregations have committed to a culture of living as witnesses in their daily lives. EvangelismSHIFT works with a church for a two-year period to develop this witnessing culture. Afterwards, that church then commits to taking several other churches through the same two-year process, thereby creating a multiplying movement which is spreading through Australian church networks.
Enjoy these four New Year's Resolutions by John North in his “Today’s Time with God” - a daily devotional app designed to help you grow in your relationship with God each day. To get these and other encouraging and helpful AFCI tools, click on the link VISIT OUR SITE
Today's Time with God
“I
love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he
inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.”
Psalm 116:1-2
New Year's Resolution #1: I will grow my prayer-life! The psalmist doesn't say, "Because I know I should pray, I shall call upon him." He says three things before saying he will call upon God as long as he lives. All of them lead to his desire to pray. First, he says, “I love the Lord.” His prayer life is driven by love. Then he says, “He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy”. He prays because he knows that he is not just hoping out loud. Nor is his prayer simply a religious activity. No, God is reminding you that when you pray, he is there and he's listening. Third, he says, "He inclined his ear to me." God is paying attention. He cares about the issues you bring to him. As you begin this New Year, try to speak to God from your heart. Let your prayers be the expression of your love for him. Get a little notebook from the newsagents and start noting what you are praying about. Every couple of weeks go back and look at what you prayed about and see what God has done. You will soon have the conviction that God responds to your prayers! John North
Today's Time with God
And
he said to him, " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and the first
commandment."
Matthew 22:37-38
New Year's Resolution #2: I will focus on my relationship with God! The most important command in Scripture? "Love God!" It seems a bit ironic that something so relational as love would be placed in something so performance oriented as a command. But Jesus wants to communicate the huge priority of love in his economy. The way God sees things, commands aren't about performance, but about love. When you love someone, you want to know what will make them happy, what their tastes are, how to please them, so that you can do special little things for them to express your love. When you see your Christian life as revolving around a true love for God, then you want to study the Bible to understand him, to know him, to see how to make him happy and do special things for him to show him your love. That approach to your life would transform it from a guilt trip about your performance to an adventure with someone you love. As you head into the New Year, God wants you to focus on your loving relationship with him. Take time now to talk with him about that. John North
Today's Time with
God "For David, after he had served the purpose of
God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw
corruption."
Acts 13:36
New Year's Resolution #3: I will look for God's purpose through me in every encounter! God has a purpose for you. He's at work in this world and he wants to work through you. We like to talk about how God blesses us, answers our prayers, enables us, and loves us. As long as "us" is the key word, we love that. But at the heart of all life in this universe is the God who created it. Life, even your life, is not about you. It's about God. When you encounter someone, don't think of how they make you feel or what they can do for you. Rather, ask yourself and God why God put you in that conversation and what his purpose might be through you in that person's life. If you're a bit freaked out about having significant life-conversations with people, then tell God that if he'll change the conversation to something significant, you'll speak into that person's life for him. Sometimes we think that the only way God wants to speak through us is when we share the gospel. But both before and after a person turns to Christ, there are other ways God wants to use us in their lives. Make yourself available to God and see what he does with you! John North
Today's Time with God s Time with God
"But
exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, that
none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."
Hebrews 3:13
New Year's Resolution #4: I will do more pulling and less pushing! You care deeply about your children and want them to be more Christlike in the way they relate to each other. You want your spouse to be more loving or to help more or to listen better. You want your co-workers to shape up. You want your small group to actually do the study before the group meets. The natural thing for us in each of these cases is usually to push, rather than to pull. We try to pressure people into acting the way they should. Our motives are right, but our methods are wrong. Your children are far more likely to develop a love for Jesus and a desire to love those around them if they are drawn to that lifestyle, rather than forced to it. Your spouse will be much more likely to alter their behavior through stirring up their love than by being berated. Those around you are more likely to try harder if you offer praise and encouragement whenever possible rather than guilt. Everyone in your life (including you) will be much happier if you learn to pull, rather than push! John North
PRAYER & PRAISE ~ January 12-18, 2022
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Make a New Year's Resolution that makes a difference! Adopt a Missionary
FBA helps support 84 Faith Promise
Missionaries . . .
You can make a huge impact in the life of a missionary family by becoming a part of the Missionary Adoption Program. All our missionaries need encouragement. Most have left relatively comfortable lives to face many difficulties, without family and friends there to support them. You can be an encourager to a missionary, as Aaron and Hur were to Moses when they lifted Moses’ arms as strength failed him. That kind of support increases our faith and gives us hope!
“Just being asked to be a missionary adopter was a huge blessing for me,” said one FBA member involved in the Missionary Adoption Program. “I have had the opportunity to meet my missionary and support him in many, different ways. We stay connected via Facebook, and I feel like I am a part of his calling 8,000 miles away! I recommend that all FBA members become involved in the Missionary Adoption Program!”
When you adopt a missionary, you are not
accepting any financial responsibility. Whether you’re an FBA member, family or Sunday school class, you are simply
agreeing to pray at least weekly, correspond at least monthly with emails,
letters, or cards, and to send them special occasion cards, such as birthday cards.
If
you feel that God is leading you to this important ministry, please contact
Dianne Hall by phone at 770-234-8236 or email at dhall@fba.org . You will be
blessed as you minister to our missionaries! www.fba.org/Global Missions/Adopting an FBA
Missionary
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Mark your calendars now to join us January 23 . . .
Sunday, January 23 | 5-6 PM EST
RICK & MARY LYNN ATHERTON
FBA Faith Promise Missionaries
The Athertons minister in South Africa with the local Campus Crusade for Christ ministry. Visit with them.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87656012865?pwd=K2NFOEdRVVhPbmlyYS9USDdsMzlCdz09
Meeting ID: 876 5601 2865
Passcode: 300658
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