Teach Your Disciples to Obey the 7 Basic Commands of Christ - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

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

How wonderful it is to call out to God for the salvation of others. How wonderful to draw near to Him and know God is with us as we pray. For five weeks now you have been praying and fasting in new and different ways. You’ve been asking God for every church planted by the VCP ministry to start another church between now and October 29.  I have seen pictures of some of your prayer meetings.  I have heard some of your prayers shared by voice message on What’s App. And I have rejoiced when you have told stories of church members going out and finding persons of peace. All this brings me great satisfaction. And I know it blesses you as well. Hallelujah!

But what should a new church planter do when he or she finds a person of peace and leads that receptive person to Christ? Of course, the church planter needs to teach the man or woman of peace to share his or her 15 second testimony with other members of the family. But there is something else: Every new believer needs to learn to obey the 7 Basic Command so of Christ.

Jesus’ earthly ministry was filled with love. He showed his merciful love to men with leprosy and sick children, to a woman caught in adultery and to a demon possessed man from another country.  He showed the full extent of his love when he went to the cross and died in your place and my place so we could be reconciled to God. He was crucified, dead, and buried. But the third day he rose from the dead. And just after his resurrection, he gave his followers a new commandment. Jesus told them (and us) to teach the nations to obey everything He had commanded them.

Why does Jesus want every person to obey his teachings?  Because he loves us. When we repent and believe the Good News, we experience his love.  When we express our love to God in worship and love to our neighbor through deeds of service, we experience the peace of God. When we feed on God’s word and draw near to Him in prayer, we experience, in an amazing way, the goodness of God.  When we are baptized our hearts are filled with joy at the kindness of God who save us. The same is true when we eat the bread and drink the wine in remembrance of Jesus sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. When we give we are blessed and so are those who benefit from our gifts. And when we make disciples, we help other experience the full extent of God’s love.  See?  The 7 basic commands of Christ are not burdensome! But when we obey them we experience the love of God in powerful ways.

So, my brother and sister, immediately teach persons of peace to obey the 7 Basic Commands of Christ.  Don’t delay! When you teach these seven basic commands, you will be spreading the love of God to the person of peace and to their whole family!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray

#7Basic CommandsOfChrist

 

The 3 Circles - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Welcome to Multiply a podcast to encourage Village Church Planters, pastors, and Christian leaders and I am your host today, Daneille Snowden.

During VCP’s 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting podcasts, we have been focusing on our church planting mission. Today, we want to revisit the technique we use to share the hope of salvation; The Three Circles.

This is an opportunity where we share about brokenness, and how Jesus came to heal and to save those who are so deeply broken.

Before we share the Three Circles with others, let’s spend much time in prayer, asking the Lord to lead our thoughts and words. Remember, this is all a work of the Holy Spirit in individual’s hearts, and we are an instrument as we share this hope and truth.

Take a moment today, to pray about this method of ministry as we are all praying and fasting these 90 Days of Prayer. Let’s focus on the brokenness of this world and ask the Lord to anoint every church planter (including ourselves) to be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit, especially when we stop and ask those who we are sharing this with, vital questions that could change their lives.

Remember when Jesus was challenging His own disciples in Matthew 17?  In verse one we see Jesus in deep-powerful prayer and later delivering a man from bondage. He told them in verse 21; “…but this never comes except by prayer and fasting.” In this chapter we see evangelism, yet the author stresses the importance of prayer.

When you share the Three Circles, may God’s rich presence be upon you and His Holy Spirit flow through you.

This has been Multiply, remember to find us at www.vcpencouragement.org, we are also on Facebook and YouTube.

Thank you, and God bless!

Pray for the Sick and the Demon Oppressed - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello this is Multiply a podcast to encourage village church planters and leaders too. I am Brad Snowden.

When Jesus called his disciples he said, “Come follow me”. They were to learn about the heart. The power of the gospel is about heart change. Jesus wanted to encourage them that whatever path he went it was all about heart change. We can know that God uses many ways to encourage us to simply trust him. When Jesus walked upon this earth lives were changed because he healed their physical bodies. Matthew 14:14 When he went ashore,  He saw a large crowd and felt profound compassion for them and healed their sick. Jesus desires hearts to be touched to be able recognize His love and the power of His word.

Oh, that God would have the opportunity to change lives spiritually and physically. The Lord’s heart is touch and heals the sick and James 5:13-16 encourages that he will use us in this gift. If we ask him for those opportunities he will do the work. Powerful testimonies will be shared because compassion in the hearts of Jesus’s followers prayed for them, and they were healed. There are so many who are hindered by the physical and Luke 4:18 Jesus said he came to set the captive free from physical bondage. He also came to set free those who were oppressed by the enemy. The devil wants to keep hearts so beaten down that all hope is lost. I ask you today are we not given hope in Jesus? This hope must be seen and experienced. God’s word is filled with hope and we have such a great opportunity to share this hope for those who need Jesus to heal their bodies. There are lives that can be changed , households and villages that can be transformed by a simple prayer for those in need of healing. Oh let us be that voice and action of hope.

This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. Who will you share this with today? Lord bless you!

Tell Bible Stories - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello, good morning, dear church planters; brothers and sisters!

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is your servant, Pastor Douti Claude VCP director. This morning, I would like to speak to you on the topic "Telling Bible Stories". As You know, the Bible is a collection of stories. Many God’s stories concern God and men. For a better understanding of what I am going to say and to be effective in telling God’s stories, you can read  "train and Multiply" term 1, on page 65-02 to page 65-38.

 

 You will have all the information on how to tell God’s stories But briefly, I would like to tell you that Jesus Christ, who came as the Son of God, himself told God’s stories and he encouraged us to do so, to tell the stories of God. In Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20, Mark 16, verse 15, Jesus encourages us to go and preach the good news to all creation. He talks about going and making disciples of all nations in Matthew. And clearly, it is Bible stories we must tell people. So who should tell God's story? It is we, as disciples of Jesus Christ. And to whom should we tell it to? It is to the creation, to everybody that God has created: to every human being who is on this earth, everybody should hear the word of God that Jesus Christ called the Good News, the gospel. So, dear brothers and sisters, I would like to encourage you to read more of this book and see the instructions on how to tell a story and why to tell God's stories, the Bible stories.

 

As You know, in our societies, people love to listen to stories. And you know that God's stories seem to be harmless stories, they don't attack anyone, they don't criticize others. And sometimes God's stories are funny, but they are also cautious. And they are sweet to listen to. We have to know how to present them to others. We have to know how to present them to others very briefly, very precisely, very truthfully. So, to keep your promise, you have to prepare the story, often by using little drawings, things called storyboard, creating a storyboard, where when you're telling the story, you can remember the key points, the important parts of the story, so that the story should be lively, it's true, and it's moving. I encourage you to be very prepared when you're choosing a story from the Bible. There are many stories in the Bible, and when you choose that story that you want to tell, be very well prepared, be specific, and be able to hold your audience so that that story bears fruit. And to those that you're speaking to, that you may have people who will listen to you and receive the word of God into their hearts. Dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of God be upon you, and be multiplied to you. Learn and practice telling God's stories.

God bless you.

Share Your 15 Second Testimony - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello brother and sister village church planters!

I Greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus-Christ. I want to speak to you this morning on 15 second testimony. We can find this topic in VCP train and Multiply manual term 1 from page 66-18 to 66-27.

Dear brothers and sisters many Christians don’t know how to evangelize. How to approach people. Some Christians say that people will not believe in them, some say that they don’t know what to say, some Christians are even ashamed, and these kinds of behaviors slow down the work of God.

Allow me to remind you dear planters that your 15 second testimonies can shake up many ideas, can shake up many barriers of unbelieve.

What is 15 second testimony?

When you want to use 15 second testimony, you first meet somebody, you meet your interlocuter and you Greet him, and you say to him: Please can I share a little story with you? Everybody likes stories, they will surely listen to you carefully and then you will say ‘there was a time in my life’. Every 15 second testimony begins with this sentence there was a time in my life, then you speak about your life before Jesus, then you say how a friend or a brother spoke to you about Jesus and you received him as your Lord and personal savior, then you tell him how Jesus changed your life. Please don’t forget to ask him this question ‘‘do you have a similar story to share with me?’’

He will surely give an answer, if he says « Yes », you will know that he is a brother then you will celebrate and Praise God together.

If he says « No », continue your discussion by asking him ‘‘could you allow me to share with you some positive experience of my life that I had with Jesus?’’ If he says « Yes » then you have the opportunity once again to talk to him about Jesus as Lord and savior. If he says « No », please don’t force him.  Accept his position, accept his decision. Then you can exchange contacts, and you continue praying for him.

This is what a 15 second testimony is about. This tool is very effective, it’s so powerful, don’t get tired.

 You have 4 steps to apply when you want to talk about 15 second testimony. Step 1: There was a time in my life I was suffering before knowing Jesus Christ. Step 2: A friend or a brother of mine talk to me about Jesus. Step 3: I have accepted him as my Lord and my personal savior. This is the transformation that took place in me in life. Today I have peace in my heart.  step 4: The very important question, do you have a similar story to tell?

           May the Lord Bless you dear Church Planters

-          I’m so glad of your hard work on the field as you find persons of peace and share your 15 second testimony.

May the peace of God be with you. I’m your servant Pastor Douti Claude VCP Director.

This is Multiply

Shalom

Encourage Your Intercessors - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

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

We all need intercessors.  We all need people who will stand between us and God and pray for us. To intercede is to intervene on behalf of another. Intercessory prayer is prayer that calls out to God for the benefit of other people. As a church planter, you need prayer during these 90 Days perhaps more than any time since you began planting churches.  You need prayer for power and wisdom. You need prayer for open heavens. You need intercessors to ask for God to pour out his Spirit to draw men and women to himself as you and your disciples share the Good News. You need prayers for open doors as you look for men and women of peace in villages that currently do not have churches. And you need prayer for both physical and spiritual protection as you and your disciples reach out with the Good News.

As you know from m your own prayer and fasting, intercession is hard work. First of all, it takes time. And of course it takes faith. Intercessors must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6). But there is another aspect of intercession that makes us tired. Intercession is hard work because we wrestle in prayer. We struggle against the Enemy who seems to be winning the battle in so many places. And we wrestle with our own doubts. This is tiresome. So, even experienced intercessors are tempted to pray less.  All intercessors need encouragement.

So how do we encourage intercessors? First of all, we remind them of the goodness of God. We share testimonies of answered prayer. Hearing how our good and loving God has answered their prayers and ours stirs up faith for more intercession.

Secondly we remind them of the promises of God to hear and answer our prayers.  There are dozens of promises in the Old and New Testaments. But one that inspire me as I pray is found in 1 John 5:14,15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

  As we pray for the lost and as we pray for new churches we know we are asking according to the will of God.  What an encouragement!

The third way to encourage intercessors is to share specific new prayer requests with them. And the fourth way is to simply thank them for the hard work of prayer they are engaged in.

My fellow church planters, you need intercessors and your intercessors need encouragement, especially during these 90 days of prayer, fasting, and church planting.  Will you build up their faith with a word of encouragement today?

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis thanking you for your faithful intercession for me and for more than 13,000 Village Church Planters across Africa.

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FastAndPray #Intercede

 

Find Persons of Peace - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Jesus said to Peter and his co-workers, “Follow me and I will make you fishers

or men.” Perhaps, you, like me, heard that story and responded, “I want to be

a fisher of men. Make me a fisher of men too.” Fishing for men is not easy.

Calling men and women, boys and girls to repent and believe the Good News is

often hard work. I know there have been times when I have worked hard to

prepare to go to a place to proclaim the Gospel. I have prepared my message

very well. I have prayed much. And then, when I got to that place I preached

and saw zero impact. Have you ever had experiences like that? How

discouraging.

But about 30 years after I started preaching the Gospel, I learned about

persons of peace. Luke 10:1-12 teaches us that God helps us find men and

women who are hungry to know him. When we share the Good News they

listen. When we offer to pray, they are very glad for us to pray. When they

have questions about the Bible they ask them… and then they listen to every

word we say in response. When we teach them to obey Jesus, they do. These

people are called “persons of peace.”

When I go fishing for men and find persons of peace, it’s as if I don’t have to

cast my net and pull it in. These “fish” seem to jump into my boat! That’s

because God in his grace has prepared persons of peace to respond to the Good

News.

During August, September, and October you will be working to start daughter

churches. But God did not wait until August to start this project. Long before

August he was working in the hearts of men and women who are hungry to

know God. Its’s your job to find them.

Finding persons of peace is the key to planting new churches in villages without

churches. But have you taught your disciples to find persons of peace? Have you

told them the story of the women at the well. She lived in adultery, but when

she met Jesus, her heart was changed and through her, so was her village (John

4). Have you told your disciples about Cornelius, the Roman soldier that called

for Peter to come to his house? Because of Cornelius, his whole family heard

the Good News and the Holy Spirit came upon them all. (Acts 10). Have you

taught your disciples to look for persons of peace by sharing their 15 second

testimony? Have you shown them how to offer to pray for the sick and for other

needs of people who are far from God? Have you taken disciples with you when

you asked someone, “May I tell you a story from the Bible that means a lot to

me?” Have you shown them how to simply tell a Bible story and then discuss its

meaning by asking six simple questions? Do your disciples know how to find

persons of peace? Now is the time to train them. Now is the time to help them

experience the work of God as they look for and find persons of peace!

We are in the first month of 90 Days of Prayer, Fasting, and Church Planting.

Now is the time to train your disciples to find persons of peace. Now is the

time to go with them to villages without churches so that, along with you, they

too can fish for men. Now is the time to rejoice together when you and your

disciples find person of peace.

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #FishersOfMen #PersonsOfPeace

Pray With Faith - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello, good morning everybody

Dear village church planters

I Greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is your servant Pastor Douti Claude VCP Director.

This is Multiply our Word of encouragement for church planters. Since sometimes now we have been talking about the 90 days of fasting, prayers and church planting.

Many messages are given to you in this period. For this end, this morning I want to you talk about ‘‘faith’s prayer’’. Praying with faith. Allow me to read first of all the passage of Hebrews 11:1-6 that says : Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died he still speaks. By faith Enock was taken up so that he should not see death and he was not found, because God had taken him.

Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Behold dear brothers this Word, let me start from the last verse. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists. Let him know that the prayer he making to God, God will answer him. I’m encouraging you with this verse to pray with faith. Have faith in you. Assurance. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. What do we hope for ?

We hope to have many planted churches, many saved souls in Africa during these 3 dedicated months to God as we go before him.

Dear brothers faith is important, Apostle James says that it’s useless to pray if we have doute.

I have faith in you also church planters, we have gone through many things, we have testimonies that give strength to our faith.

I know that after this 3 months of prayers we will have good result for the glory of God. You must have faith, pray with faith. Pray with commitment.

Believe that your prayers will have great effect and the name of God will be glorified.

This is Multiply, our encouragement’s podcast of everyday. Be blessed.

 

Review the Basics of Church Planting - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

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

On several occasions when I have gone to worship at church with my daughter, she will remark on the sermon, “What a great message. It was so full of the Gospel. Just the Gospel.” Both she and I love to hear a pure Gospel message telling of the saving power of Jesus Christ. It is the basic story for all Christians.

In the same way, I love to participate in basic training for church planters. I love to review the essential steps that help form an embryonic church which will grow and multiply. I am so thankful that during the month of August, church planters from all over Africa will gather in their respective VCP training centers with their trainers to review the basics of church planting.

What are the basics of church planting? They are skills described in Terms 1 and 2 of the New VCP program.

* Identify, research and map villages without churches

* Pray for the villages including prayer walking in the villages

* Look for and find persons of peace

* Share the Good News of Jesus with persons of peace and with their family and friends

* Make disciples by teaching new believers to obey the Seven Basic Commands of Christ.

These are the essential activities for church planters. When we walk by faith and practice these 5 activities of basic church planting, God meets us. He empowers us. He helps us make good connections. When we do these activities trusting in God and his great love for lost people, he fills us with love and with power.

These are the basic skills that all village church planters must learn, practice and perfect. But for many of us, these activities are very challenging. So we find other, easier activities to be involved in.

Our 90 days of prayer, fasting, and church planting are meant to change all that. First we pray. We pray to be filled with love. We pray for power to go. We pray for God to show us persons of peace and draw them to Himself. We pray for God to draw lost people to himself. As we continue in prayer, we sharpen our basic church planting skills. Then we go.

During the month of August, you, along with VCP church planters across Africa will prepare yourself for action. By prayer you will build up your faith and access the power of God to be his witnesses. By training you will strengthen your abilities in the basics of church planting. Then you will go out with church members you have identified as daughter church planters. As you go with them to villages without churches, God will meet you. He will be with you and He will make you fruitful. Remember Jesus’ promise. He said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last." (John 15:16).

 

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

Prayer Walk - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

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

 

Deuteronomy 11:24 says, “Every place where on the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours…”

 

Some Anglican churches still today do prayer walks around their churches they call “beating the bonds” an act which claims the ground for God in prayer.

 

This is what we are doing, claiming this promise as God’s own child to go and pray over an area, and a people group. As He in turn, is stirring His Spirit into lives to receive the Word of the Gospel you as a church planter shall bring to them.

 

Praying first and foremost, gives us a clear heart and mind to listen closely to God’s leading and sensing His power to perform His great plan in that village and its people. It shall be for God’s high purpose to bring His Hope and Salvation to all who do not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

 

During this 90 Days of Prayer and Fasting we are applying this as we gather together focused on prayer for this one objective! To bring the Gospel to every village in Africa.

 

This has been Multiply; will you share this with others? You can find us on our website www.vcpencouragement.org. as well as on Facebook and YouTube.

God bless!

Mobilize Church Planters to Plant Daughter Churches - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello, this is Multiply a podcast to encourage Village Church Planters and leaders. 

I am Brad Snowden and on this podcast, I want to look at one heartbeat of this 90 days of burn fasting the name of this podcast is multiply, foundation of VCP to be able to reach our 2050 goal of a church in every village in Africa. This can only happen by multiplication. So in our prayer time part of this is to mobilize Church planters for Jesus. He gave each one of us that opportunity to get up and go. When we follow his leading it's all about mobilization and as church planter plants a church according to the four fields model he or she disciples with the passion of seeing disciples grow and then the power of multiplication comes in the passionate message of mobilizing ones to go plant daughter churches. 

If we will walk in the passionate heart that caused us to plant our church. Then others will understand and follow. In the passion of fulfill God's word through their own lives and daughter churches will be started. We pray this is the heart that will ignite many to fulfill God's plan to reach every village on this great continent. 

The scripture says With God all things are possible and he wants to use each Church planter to pass along this great gift. God has given us to see his kingdom multiply into every village. What a wonderful feeling to know that. You have been given a great privilege and responsibility to multiply his kingdom. God wants us to go and teach others to start daughter churches and experience this great blessing. This has been a word of encouragement for village church planters. 

Who will you share this with today ?

Pray In Large Groups, Small Groups, and Alone - 90 Days of Prayer & Fasting

 

Hello dear brothers and sisters, church planters.

I Greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is Multiply the podcast of encouragement. I’m Pastor Douti Claude, as you can recognize my big Voice, I am VCP Director.

I want to encourage you in this moment, while some people, with prayers are still teaching on how to find persons of peace, the seven basic command of Christ, also the four seed sewer tools.

I want to encourage you to be diligent in your prayers, group prayers. We need to pray in large group. Large group prayers include churches and training centers.

We have also Small group prayers which include prayers in houses, work places, prayers between you, your wife and your children and also personal prayers.

Prayer is very important.

The Bible says that ‘‘the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much’’ and I want to let you understand this truth in Acts 2 :42. The Bible says here that : ‘‘they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and in prayers’’.

Behold verse 47 says : praising God and having favor with all people and the Lord added to the church Daily those who were being saved. Dear brothers and sisters this is here the proof of what prayer can do.

God added Daily members to the church. We are talking about prayers fasting and church planting especially daughters churches in our region.

And so groups prayers, both in large and small group are very important.

To finish my podcast, you will see that in Acts 12:12 when Apostle Peter was arrested and put in prison. The Bible says that prayers was made to him by the church. Prayers was made by the church for Peter for him to be released and also after the Angel intervened and Peter miraculously got out of the prison. He went directly to the house of Mary, once in that house he saw a small group of people praying for him. So the Angel of God didn’t intervened just like that. It was prayers made in houses, in churches that brought the Angel down.

I’m encouraging you to pray fervently for church planting, for what all workers are doing for their good Heath for the success of this 90 days of prayers fasting and church planting.

May God Bless You!

This is Multiply,

Shalom