Multiply!

 Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

God promised through the prophet Isaiah that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. That promise, found in Isaiah 11:9, was given more than 2,700 years ago. Sadly, it has yet to be fulfilled.  There are so many places on earth that have no knowledge of the Lord.  But the good news is that people who until recently had never heard of Jesus are hearing about him. People who had never known the unconditional love of God are hearing about Jesus and his amazing story. They are learning of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. His story demonstrates the love of God to all of us who rebelled against him. The knowledge of the Lord is spreading on our earth! Dear church planter, as you have prayed, made disciples, and started new churches, you have had a vital role to play in making Christ known across the earth. I am so thankful for your devotion to Christ and your hard work. Praise the Lord!

But, in spite of our best efforts, there are still men and women, boys and girls who have never heard of Jesus.  There are still villages with no knowledge of his goodness.  There is still so much to do to make Christ known. How will we Christians ever fulfill the Great Commission? How will we share the Good News with every person?  How will we ever finish the task of making disciples of all nations?

The only way is through multiplication! The only way to cover the earth with the knowledge of the Lord is if we multiply disciples, leaders, and churches just as God’s word teaches us to do. As much as we celebrate the expansion of churches into thousands of new villages over the past few years, we know there are still hundreds of thousands of villages with no witness for Christ.  We must therefore keep our eyes on horizon. We must not be content to stay where we are to make our existing churches strong and prosperous and comfortable. No! We must make disciples and prepare them to go. Go find villages without churches. Go find persons of peace. Go make disciples. Go teach them to obey the commands of Christ. Go! And teach others to go as well. Multiply!

Church planter, have you made a map showing the villages near your place that do not have churches? Have you mobilized your people to pray for those villages? Have you identified disciples of Jesus you can equip and send to start churches where there are no churches? Have you told the Lord that you will not be satisfied until you and your disciples multiply many new, healthy churches in many new places?

My prayer for you is that you will not be satisfied with just one or two churches but that you will devote yourself over the next decade to multiply dozens of churches.  You may feel weak. You may not think you have the strength or wisdom or resources necessary.  But your God is able.  He will give you the grace you need to do his will. Will you trust him for a multiplied harvest far bigger than you have ever asked or imagined?

Oh my brothers and sisters, go out and be fruitful in Jesus’ name!

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #GoMakeDisciples

The Trademarks of God's Leaders - Daniel Consistent in Prayer

 

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

Today we continue to explore some of the leadership characteristics of the Old Testament prophet Daniel.  Today we look at chapter 6, the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.  

At the time this occurred, Daniel was serving under his third Babylonian king.  There were Nebuchadnezzar, followed by his son, Belshazzar, and now Darius. Bible historians estimate that by this time Daniel was in his 70s or 80s.   

Government officials who were jealous of Daniel because the king planned to set him over the entire kingdom (verse 3) persuaded Darius to make a decree that anyone who prayed to any god or man during the next 30 days, except to Darius, would be thrown into a den of lions.  

I appreciate and admire Daniel’s response.  We read about it in verse 10.  “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” 

I have several observations about this situation.

• Those who were jealous of Daniel must have known about his practice of prayer.  That is why they conspired to persuade Darius to make the decree. 

• The king’s edict had no effect upon Daniel’s prayer life.  He continued to pray three times per day … with the windows open! 

• The prayer habit that got Daniel into difficulty is also what rescued him from his difficulty.  

My pastor recently preached a sermon on Jesus’ School of Prayer from the Luke 11 account.  His main points were these: 

1. The Content of Prayer – (verse 2) He said to them, “When you pray, say, Father …”  We can pray because God is our loving Father, because Christ is our mediator giving us access to the throne of the universe, and because the Holy Spirit himself indwells us.  We worship and pray to a God who is approachable.  

2. The Attitude of Prayer – (verse 8) “yet because of the man’s persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.”  We must not give up when our prayers aren’t answered when, or how, we expect.

3. The Heart of God for Us in Prayer – (verse 13) “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” 

4. The Power Encounter of Prayer – (verse 20) “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”   

Let us be like Daniel and commit ourselves to a consistent discipline of prayer.  

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

Passing On Encouragement To Our Daughter Church Planters

 

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

In Luke 19:4-6 it says, “So he (Zacchaeus) ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.”

My church planters, the power of encouragement is surmounting! Surmounting means to prevail and overcome! When we encourage others, we place courage into others! I have been studying about Jesus passing by lately and noted here, as Jesus passes by Zacchaeus, we notice that just by speaking to this man and spending time with him; Jesus encouraged Zacchaeus to become even more for God than he ever had hoped or thought before. 

As we work hard in our work as church planters, we too need to be encouraged! God does this too, and one way is in the Body of Christ! We exhibit this to our disciples as well, and how rewarding it is when we walk into our new churches and see the power of encouragement among the entire new church! 

Through out our years of ministry, God would send humble servants our way and encourage us in the work we were doing. Many times, Brad and I would become a bit weary and quite bewildered; then a woman or a man of God would lift our hearts with the sweetest, yet most powerful words of encouragement to keep going, look up to Jesus, and so much more. 

Dear church planters, trainers, coordinators, pastors, and evangelists: May I encourage you as well? You are doing great! Move forward, as you are working towards God’s Will and work He has for you! 

And remember as Paul wrote in 

1 Timothy 4:10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”

This has been Multiply, please share this podcast with others. Remember we have a website: www.vcpencouragement.org, we are also on Facebook and Youtube. God bless!

The Trademark of God's Leaders - Daniel Received Favor

 

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

Today we continue to explore some of the leadership characteristics of the Old Testament prophet Daniel.  In Chapter 1, verse 9, we read, “Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel…”

I find it interesting that Daniel’s experience in Babylon resembles that of Joseph in Egypt. Genesis 39:21 records that “the Lord was with him [Joseph]; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” Both these Hebrew leaders were exiled from their home country, and yet the Lord gave them favor in the eyes of those watching over them.  

One definition of favor is “an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual.”

I’ve learned in my life that there have been seasons when I, or a ministry in which I served, have experienced God’s favor, that is, His goodness beyond what might be considered usual. I believe that Village Church Planting is currently enjoying such a season.  

As I study the life of Daniel, I see four results, or outcomes, of God’s favor in his life.

• Provision – Daniel and his three friends spent three years preparing for the king’s service.  During this time, all their meals were provided, and their education in the ways of the Babylonians was entirely free of charge.

• Promotion – at the end of the story about Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, we read in 2:48 that “… the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men.”  Later, in Chapter 5, verse 29, Daniel received further promotion.  “Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel … was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

• Protection – Chapter 6 is the story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Verse 22 gives evidence of Divine protection.  “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight...”

• Power and wisdom – Chapter 2, verses 19-20 tell us that Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. And three verses later he adds, “You have given me wisdom and power...”  [emphasis added]

 

While Daniel was blessed to receive God’s favor in all four of these areas, any of these may be an indication of His favor in our lives. The important thing that I want to leave you with today is to be keen to recognize God’s favor, and like Daniel, give Him praise for His unusual kindness.  

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