By Gobel Brockman
“Mewɔ gyedie wɔ Yesu Kristo mu.” (Twi for “I have faith in Jesus Christ.”)
My brother-in-law and I recently returned from a ministry trip to London, England and to the Accra region of Ghana, west Africa. In all honesty I am still processing everything that happened in our time in both places. In some ways the trip went much differently than I had anticipated; in some ways it was much more than I ever imagined. What I will say is that I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to go.
Our times in London and Ghana were vastly different in many ways:
*The weather was different (we went from 40s and cloudy in England to upper 80s with high humidity in Ghana.)
*The music was different (but the musician in me thoroughly enjoyed both.)
*The accents were different (but both were understandable and interesting for this Midwestern guy to hear!)
*The church services were different (but the presence of God was undeniably felt in both places.)
But for all of the differences, one thing was undoubtedly the same: THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. During our trip I was privileged to catch just a glimpse of what we read in Revelation 7:9-10:
“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
My message this week is simple - the power of God is moving throughout the world! The Spirit of God is drawing men, women, and children to the salvation that is only found in Jesus Christ. People from every nation and tribe are warming up now for the time when the redeemed stand before God and proclaim with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God!” The Bible tells us in Joel 2 that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and we are seeing that take place right before our eyes! These are exciting times indeed!
As I mentioned earlier, I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to be part of this trip. I pray that God will give me more opportunities to see what He’s doing in the world, but if not, I still know He’s doing things, and it’s amazing to see! The name of Jesus is being proclaimed, and the Holy Ghost is dealing with hearts to draw people to the saving knowledge of Jesus. In the midst of it all, may He minister in your life as well.
“Wowɔ gyedie wɔ Yesu Kristo mu?” (Twi for “Do you have faith in Jesus Christ?”)
Sunday, November 25, 2018
Sunday, November 18, 2018
Picking Our Heroes (We're Doing it Wrong)
By Gobel Brockman
A few years ago a long-time player in the National Basketball Association played his final game before retirement. Sports talk shows and evening newscasts were filled with highlights of his career. His stats and accomplishments were reviewed and reverenced. Tickets for his last game were sold for literally thousands of dollars apiece. At the same time, another team in the NBA broke the record for the most wins in a regular season - a record that many thought would never be broken. Talk of this team's accomplishment, while not as widespread, has also dominated the airwaves.
Our society seems to be enamored with celebrities. Athletes, actors and actresses, and singers and musicians seem to be almost idolized in our society. They are lauded with praise and admiration for their accomplishments while seemingly getting a pass for any failures or indiscretions they may be guilty of committing. I don't want what I have to say this week to be seen as a "slam" against these folks; I know that they work hard to hone their talents and be the best they can be at what they do. I simply question who we as a society choose to revere.
Let me explain why I'm saying this.
Our church once hosted a pastor and his wife who minister in the Philippines. During the week they both spoke with a power and anointing that only comes from a life that has been fully surrendered to Christ. During their last service with us, the pastor shared stories of persecution he had both witnessed and experienced first-hand. The following morning I drove the couple to their next destination in Terre Haute, Indiana. During our trip the pastor shared the story with me about how the people in his community once made the long trek to church during a flood, and then stood in waist-deep water while singing and praising God and listening to the preaching of His word. He then went into greater detail about some of the persecution he had seen in some of the areas he had ministered in - stories of beatings, physical dismemberment, families being separated, and horrible, unimaginable deaths. Persecution that would have been avoided if only the people at risk would renounce their faith in Christ. This couple has both seen and endured things that we here in America can't imagine - as much as we may try. And yet their faith in Jesus is not only strong, but the things that they have went through have only made their faith stronger. He also told me of times that his family had absolutely nothing to eat. He would tell his family, "Prepare the table. God will provide." and then he would go into prayer. Time and time again, just as mealtime would come, food would arrive. Their life and their ministry is a continuous, undeniable proof of the power of God and the reward of faithfulness in the face of opposition.
THAT, my friends, is the definition of "hero" to me.
Their names will never be in lights. I dare say that if I even mentioned their names that very few reading this would have even heard of them. Yet these people, and countless, nameless others just like them, are simply living their lives in obedience and sacrifice to Jesus Christ - and changing the world around them in the process. It reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 23:11-12:
"The greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
These "servants" are touching their world for Jesus, and I definitely felt "humbled" to be in their presence. (I also learned that in the future, I need to be prepared with something to wipe the tears from my eyes while driving with them. Driving while having tears run down your face is not a good combination.) It simply occurred to me that standing behind a pulpit, putting out a couple of books on Kindle or typing a Facebook devotional just doesn't measure up to what these faithful servants have experienced. May I learn from their example what it truly means to be a servant of Jesus Christ.
To this couple who I shall leave nameless, and to the countless others just like them, I will simply say this - thanks for being heroes. May God bless you in your work. Well done, good and faithful servants.
And may I learn from your example.
"The greatest among you shall be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
These "servants" are touching their world for Jesus, and I definitely felt "humbled" to be in their presence. (I also learned that in the future, I need to be prepared with something to wipe the tears from my eyes while driving with them. Driving while having tears run down your face is not a good combination.) It simply occurred to me that standing behind a pulpit, putting out a couple of books on Kindle or typing a Facebook devotional just doesn't measure up to what these faithful servants have experienced. May I learn from their example what it truly means to be a servant of Jesus Christ.
To this couple who I shall leave nameless, and to the countless others just like them, I will simply say this - thanks for being heroes. May God bless you in your work. Well done, good and faithful servants.
And may I learn from your example.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
“God is Not a One Cedi God!”
By Gobel Brockman
I am typing this as I prepare for my last night of being part of a ministry team in Ghana, west Africa. To say that this trip has been life-changing would be a massive understatement. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Ghanaian people, and there is no way I can ever be the same again.
Many things have happened on this trip – far too many to mention in one devotional, so I will just focus on one for now. We were in one service in particular where the power of God was moving even as we arrived. People were worshiping the Lord, and the service continually grew more intense as we went. During the altar time, we had prayer for 13 people who said they were having back issues, and after prayer all 13 said that they were totally healed! It was such a powerful, amazing time.
The service concluded with the offering. One of the pastors of the church came forward to announce the offering, and he announced this to his church: “God has moved mightily tonight, and it is time to thank him with our offering. And I will tell you tonight that God is not a one Cedi God!” (Cedi is Ghanaian currency.) When he said that, this thought came to mind: How many times has God blessed us beyond measure, and our offering to him in response has been meager at best? I’m not just talking about money, I am talking about our praise, our thanksgiving, our worship, and our obedience.
In the book of Leviticus God told the nation of Israel not to bring him a blemished sacrifice. The sacrifice was supposed to be pure and spotless, representing the very best that we had to offer to God. And yet how many times do we do just that? We give everything and everyone else the best of our time and resources, and then we try to give God the leftovers. The nation of Israel could not get by with it – and neither will we. God both demands and deserves our utmost praise, worship, and obedience. He deserves the first fruits of our time, our talents, and our energy. Simply put, God has been good to us, and he deserves our best in return. Not out of a sense of obligation, but out of a sense of sonship and worship. The name of Jesus Christ should be honored in our daily lives.
My prayer is that for the rest of my life I never forget what I have experienced this week. The power that is in the name of Jesus has been on full display, and I desire to give him in return my best response for the rest of my life.
Why? Because “God is not a one Cedi God!”
I am typing this as I prepare for my last night of being part of a ministry team in Ghana, west Africa. To say that this trip has been life-changing would be a massive understatement. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Ghanaian people, and there is no way I can ever be the same again.
Many things have happened on this trip – far too many to mention in one devotional, so I will just focus on one for now. We were in one service in particular where the power of God was moving even as we arrived. People were worshiping the Lord, and the service continually grew more intense as we went. During the altar time, we had prayer for 13 people who said they were having back issues, and after prayer all 13 said that they were totally healed! It was such a powerful, amazing time.
The service concluded with the offering. One of the pastors of the church came forward to announce the offering, and he announced this to his church: “God has moved mightily tonight, and it is time to thank him with our offering. And I will tell you tonight that God is not a one Cedi God!” (Cedi is Ghanaian currency.) When he said that, this thought came to mind: How many times has God blessed us beyond measure, and our offering to him in response has been meager at best? I’m not just talking about money, I am talking about our praise, our thanksgiving, our worship, and our obedience.
In the book of Leviticus God told the nation of Israel not to bring him a blemished sacrifice. The sacrifice was supposed to be pure and spotless, representing the very best that we had to offer to God. And yet how many times do we do just that? We give everything and everyone else the best of our time and resources, and then we try to give God the leftovers. The nation of Israel could not get by with it – and neither will we. God both demands and deserves our utmost praise, worship, and obedience. He deserves the first fruits of our time, our talents, and our energy. Simply put, God has been good to us, and he deserves our best in return. Not out of a sense of obligation, but out of a sense of sonship and worship. The name of Jesus Christ should be honored in our daily lives.
My prayer is that for the rest of my life I never forget what I have experienced this week. The power that is in the name of Jesus has been on full display, and I desire to give him in return my best response for the rest of my life.
Why? Because “God is not a one Cedi God!”
Sunday, November 4, 2018
The “Acts 29” Generation
By Gobel Brockman
I once heard of a Pastor who was about to deliver his Sunday morning sermon. He invited the congregation to turn to Acts chapter 29 for his text. The sound of flapping pages started. It continued. People searched in vain for Acts 29. Finally someone spoke loud enough for the Pastor to hear, hoping to help him correct his mistake. "There is no Acts 29!", they said. "Yes, there is!" he insisted. People looked at him, wondering why it had been so long since their Pastor had picked up a Bible. He then pointed his finger and waived it over the congregation and said, "YOU are Acts 29. It's being written right now. What's YOUR section going to say?" He then proceeded to deliver a message about the importance of living out our faith in a way that affects the world around us.
What got me thinking of this was a conversation I recently had with someone about Simon Peter. That guy was a mess. Every time he turned around he was putting his foot in his mouth. He once rebuked Jesus because he was saying something Peter didn't like. He boldly asked Jesus to allow him to walk on water, then promptly lost faith and had to be rescued. As Jesus spoke of his upcoming crucifixion, Peter loudly proclaimed that he would never forsake Jesus. A few hours later, the accusation of a servant girl caused him to deny that he even knew Jesus. Time and time again Jesus had to either correct him or rescue him.
Then, after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, we get to the book of Acts.
In the second chapter, we see the disciples being filled with the promised Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God went from being with them to dwelling in them. They were filled with a boldness they had heretofore not experienced. This same Peter, who had been such a wreck, was now boldly proclaiming to all of Jerusalem, "You killed Jesus, but God has made this same Jesus Lord and Christ. It is His name that brings salvation!" - and 3,000 responded to the message. In the rest of the book of Acts, we see the disciples 'turning the world upside down' for Jesus.
That's where you and I come in. It's our turn now. The book of Acts has 28 chapters. WE are living and writing the 29th chapter. It's our opportunity RIGHT NOW to allow God to accomplish the impossible through us. Maybe your CDs won't end up being prominently displayed in a Bible bookstore. Maybe your mailbox won't be filled with orders for your latest DVD teaching series for $29.99 (plus shipping and handling). But if we will allow God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, be willing to say as Jesus did, "Not my will, but Yours be done", and then be willing to step out in faith, then maybe - just maybe - we would see OUR world 'turned upside down'. It doesn't take much looking around to see that this nation is in trouble. People are hurting. People are searching. There are a few who are looking to Washington to fix the mess, not realizing that Washington helped create some of the mess. We do not need political change; we need a revival. We need God's Spirit to move among us and in us again so that all will see that Jesus is exactly who He proclaimed to be. We need the church to follow the example of the disciples and become of 'one mind and one accord' again so that the Holy Spirit will touch us again. It can begin with you and me.
Acts 29 is being written right now. What's your section going to say?
I once heard of a Pastor who was about to deliver his Sunday morning sermon. He invited the congregation to turn to Acts chapter 29 for his text. The sound of flapping pages started. It continued. People searched in vain for Acts 29. Finally someone spoke loud enough for the Pastor to hear, hoping to help him correct his mistake. "There is no Acts 29!", they said. "Yes, there is!" he insisted. People looked at him, wondering why it had been so long since their Pastor had picked up a Bible. He then pointed his finger and waived it over the congregation and said, "YOU are Acts 29. It's being written right now. What's YOUR section going to say?" He then proceeded to deliver a message about the importance of living out our faith in a way that affects the world around us.
What got me thinking of this was a conversation I recently had with someone about Simon Peter. That guy was a mess. Every time he turned around he was putting his foot in his mouth. He once rebuked Jesus because he was saying something Peter didn't like. He boldly asked Jesus to allow him to walk on water, then promptly lost faith and had to be rescued. As Jesus spoke of his upcoming crucifixion, Peter loudly proclaimed that he would never forsake Jesus. A few hours later, the accusation of a servant girl caused him to deny that he even knew Jesus. Time and time again Jesus had to either correct him or rescue him.
Then, after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, we get to the book of Acts.
In the second chapter, we see the disciples being filled with the promised Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God went from being with them to dwelling in them. They were filled with a boldness they had heretofore not experienced. This same Peter, who had been such a wreck, was now boldly proclaiming to all of Jerusalem, "You killed Jesus, but God has made this same Jesus Lord and Christ. It is His name that brings salvation!" - and 3,000 responded to the message. In the rest of the book of Acts, we see the disciples 'turning the world upside down' for Jesus.
That's where you and I come in. It's our turn now. The book of Acts has 28 chapters. WE are living and writing the 29th chapter. It's our opportunity RIGHT NOW to allow God to accomplish the impossible through us. Maybe your CDs won't end up being prominently displayed in a Bible bookstore. Maybe your mailbox won't be filled with orders for your latest DVD teaching series for $29.99 (plus shipping and handling). But if we will allow God to fill us with the Holy Spirit, be willing to say as Jesus did, "Not my will, but Yours be done", and then be willing to step out in faith, then maybe - just maybe - we would see OUR world 'turned upside down'. It doesn't take much looking around to see that this nation is in trouble. People are hurting. People are searching. There are a few who are looking to Washington to fix the mess, not realizing that Washington helped create some of the mess. We do not need political change; we need a revival. We need God's Spirit to move among us and in us again so that all will see that Jesus is exactly who He proclaimed to be. We need the church to follow the example of the disciples and become of 'one mind and one accord' again so that the Holy Spirit will touch us again. It can begin with you and me.
Acts 29 is being written right now. What's your section going to say?
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