You're probably wondering what I've been up to lately so I'm about to tell you. I've been very active in my local church harvest Bible Chapel York region, and I am still dealing with other health issues not related to my physical body, but more related to my mind. It's hard to tell these days with my body being in good health, my sleeping has been restless so my mind is not getting its proper rest at night. I felt really good around election time and I even voted my conscience when, public opinion may have been saying not to vote my conscience. I was please with the election results However with a broad liberal agenda in the province of Ontario I'm kind of scared now as to what might be the outcome of this election. The other day I wrote on Facebook that I feel as though God is closing the door here in Markham is what I meant. I'm not sure if it's my imagination or not but I get the feeling especially in my own family that things are not as open as they used to be.
We just went through a biblical series at our church called battleground for the family. And as a Christian I could sense that there was spiritual warfare going on throughout this whole series. It was almost like everyone in our church was fighting to take back their families to win lost souls and to rescue the dying. I've never felt so excited about a church series in my life. But now that it's over I'm wondering what God has for us next. Does he have plans to keep us where we are or to move us in another direction so that more people can hear the good news of Jesus Christ? What is the Gospel ground look like in other countries and should we be considering spreading out from our little town here in Markham? This question has been plaguing me for the past two days. I'm sort of feeling that there's no more that I could do here in my own family and that quite possibly God may be opening the door up somewhere else for me to move and to preach the gospel. But the question is where and possibly the means I know God will supply.
It's kind of sad because I really do sense that the door of the gospel in my own family is being closed right now. I've been listening to a sermon by James McDonald called the pattern. In it he talks about the ways that the gospel is opposed when it is proclaimed but then he goes on to say that we should persevere in order to bear fruit and ultimately give glory to God. It's the typical ministry pattern for anyone who's in Biblical Ministry. It's funny because I've seen this pattern in my own life prior to even listening to his sermon. First you tell someone about the gospel or someone gets saved in the next thing you know there's incredible spiritual opposition from someone most of the times of someone that I know. They will tell you things like you shouldn't be preaching this Bible anymore, and I've even gotten threats to the point where they warned me not to speak not just to them but too other people. And it was at this time that I had to persevere through this opposition but I couldn't believe what God did in my church as a result of me bearing fruit in the midst of an incredible opportunity for the Lord. I see this ministry pattern happening in different intensities at different times in my life. For instance right now again I'm going through spiritual opposition from someone that I know. I am being told to keep my mouth shut and not talk about the gospel to someone whom I dearly love, this is why I say it is a very dangerous thing to be in Biblical Ministry. If you can't take the opposition in whatever form it comes whether it's through strangers or through friends or events or people that you love, then you should think twice about being in biblical ministry.
However I do think it reaches a point that the people that you were trying to reach if they reject the gospel then you are no longer held accountable to preach to them. This is the sad part and this is why I'm wondering what comes next after the gospel is opposed or rejected what does perseverance look like for some of us who need to stay in this particular place or who may think we need to stay here? Obviously wherever we go were going to face biblical opposition, it's not just relegated to a few people who will oppose you the entire world is against the Gospel right now. That's why we as Christians need to pray for an open door, open minds and open mouth to speak the gospel to people who are really wanting to hear it. I really don't think God will keep us in a place where no one wants to hear the gospel basically we would be wasting our time are talents and our energies. As Paul says they have thought themselves unworthy of eternal life so he moves to those who are willing to accept the Gospel not remain with those who rejected the message that he was preaching. It would've been a scandal for the apostle Paul to stay working where he was after God had close the door to those Gentiles and Jews who rejected him and his message he had to move onto those who wanted to hear the gospel in order to spread the gospel throughout the world not remain in a place where the gospel was being rejected all the time. I think you might want to stay where you're comfortable but if there's no possibility of bearing fruit where you are that I think it's time for you to ask God to move you somewhere else. I could write a book on the number of times that I've been opposed by my own family about teaching the gospel and i've chosen not to force the gospel down their throats but I also have enjoyed staying here because at the same time I was still bearing fruit in other places however I think I'm going to end my blog here thanks for reading. This is Mike.
We just went through a biblical series at our church called battleground for the family. And as a Christian I could sense that there was spiritual warfare going on throughout this whole series. It was almost like everyone in our church was fighting to take back their families to win lost souls and to rescue the dying. I've never felt so excited about a church series in my life. But now that it's over I'm wondering what God has for us next. Does he have plans to keep us where we are or to move us in another direction so that more people can hear the good news of Jesus Christ? What is the Gospel ground look like in other countries and should we be considering spreading out from our little town here in Markham? This question has been plaguing me for the past two days. I'm sort of feeling that there's no more that I could do here in my own family and that quite possibly God may be opening the door up somewhere else for me to move and to preach the gospel. But the question is where and possibly the means I know God will supply.
It's kind of sad because I really do sense that the door of the gospel in my own family is being closed right now. I've been listening to a sermon by James McDonald called the pattern. In it he talks about the ways that the gospel is opposed when it is proclaimed but then he goes on to say that we should persevere in order to bear fruit and ultimately give glory to God. It's the typical ministry pattern for anyone who's in Biblical Ministry. It's funny because I've seen this pattern in my own life prior to even listening to his sermon. First you tell someone about the gospel or someone gets saved in the next thing you know there's incredible spiritual opposition from someone most of the times of someone that I know. They will tell you things like you shouldn't be preaching this Bible anymore, and I've even gotten threats to the point where they warned me not to speak not just to them but too other people. And it was at this time that I had to persevere through this opposition but I couldn't believe what God did in my church as a result of me bearing fruit in the midst of an incredible opportunity for the Lord. I see this ministry pattern happening in different intensities at different times in my life. For instance right now again I'm going through spiritual opposition from someone that I know. I am being told to keep my mouth shut and not talk about the gospel to someone whom I dearly love, this is why I say it is a very dangerous thing to be in Biblical Ministry. If you can't take the opposition in whatever form it comes whether it's through strangers or through friends or events or people that you love, then you should think twice about being in biblical ministry.
However I do think it reaches a point that the people that you were trying to reach if they reject the gospel then you are no longer held accountable to preach to them. This is the sad part and this is why I'm wondering what comes next after the gospel is opposed or rejected what does perseverance look like for some of us who need to stay in this particular place or who may think we need to stay here? Obviously wherever we go were going to face biblical opposition, it's not just relegated to a few people who will oppose you the entire world is against the Gospel right now. That's why we as Christians need to pray for an open door, open minds and open mouth to speak the gospel to people who are really wanting to hear it. I really don't think God will keep us in a place where no one wants to hear the gospel basically we would be wasting our time are talents and our energies. As Paul says they have thought themselves unworthy of eternal life so he moves to those who are willing to accept the Gospel not remain with those who rejected the message that he was preaching. It would've been a scandal for the apostle Paul to stay working where he was after God had close the door to those Gentiles and Jews who rejected him and his message he had to move onto those who wanted to hear the gospel in order to spread the gospel throughout the world not remain in a place where the gospel was being rejected all the time. I think you might want to stay where you're comfortable but if there's no possibility of bearing fruit where you are that I think it's time for you to ask God to move you somewhere else. I could write a book on the number of times that I've been opposed by my own family about teaching the gospel and i've chosen not to force the gospel down their throats but I also have enjoyed staying here because at the same time I was still bearing fruit in other places however I think I'm going to end my blog here thanks for reading. This is Mike.
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