A life changed by God. What does it look like?

Read on for some real life examples.

Listen to Alain’s reflection. He trains believers to make disciples through the Global Disciples partner program he directs in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Alain said, “We had two medical doctors participate in the discipleship training. One told me that in all of his studies, he had never tried to evangelize another person. Now, he feels a burning flame to share the Gospel with everyone he meets! Walking to work one day he passed a tailor’s workshop. He felt the Spirit telling him to go in and share the Gospel. So he did—and the women who worked there gave their lives to Jesus!”

For this doctor, change came as he found he could share the Gospel.

And he discovered the thrill of listening to the Spirit’s prompting and seeing people find new spiritual life. He now “works relentlessly for the Lord,” Alain said.

Another example of lives changed came when Alain and his disciples went to a community for outreach.

They met two young single mothers. They both had some church background, but they carried lots of guilt and shame in their lives. The women felt like outsiders, rejected by others.

But as the disciple-makers talked with them about Jesus, about His forgiveness and compassion, they opened their hearts to the Gospel. And both women found hope and healing. They were restored to the Lord, and to fellowship in the Body of Christ.

Radical change or simply a renewed sense of mission, the loss of shame, the joy of restoration—all these are ways the Holy Spirit transforms people inside and out.

And He gives us the privilege of being part of what He’s doing as we help to train people like Alain to share the Good News of Jesus with people waiting to hear it.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Do you have a heart for mission as a small business owner?

Are you looking for funding opportunities and examples of sustainable ministry?

Discover how small businesses can be key to sustainable ministry and reaching people with the Gospel with the help of Global Disciples Canada.

Sempala is from Uganda. He leads a Global Disciples partner program that equips disciple-makers and church planters in small business training.

“God has not called us just to sit and wait,” Sempala said. “As God’s servants, we’re called to move out and get involved in business, while sharing the Good News and building relationships.”

In missional context, a small business can be a key to a sustainable ministry. In fact, we’ve seen this time and again with Global Disciples. A business gives a church planter a means of support. And the effects are transformative.

A person with a business can be viewed with less suspicion and connect more easily in the community.

A small thriving business provides an identity and a social hub in a community too.

Consequently, this is crucial in places with religious or social restriction or where there’s opposition to an evangelist or someone hoping to plant a church.

In Sempala’s training program, he trained 15 people to consider what God has placed in their hands that could be used for a business. And then he helped them create a business plan, develop a budget, understand the marketplace, and work through other key issues.

More importantly, they looked at how they can use their business to reach people with the Gospel by building relationships and opening up conversations about Jesus.

However, Sempala took a more direct approach with those he trained. He spent time developing their businesses, but he also engaged in focused outreach.

Consequently, he reported, “We went to two different locations—15 people gave their lives to Christ in one place. And 10 at second place, and a new fellowship was started. Our men and women are now sharing the Good News through their businesses. God is being glorified through the work of their hands.”

This combination of outreach with business is having a broader impact too, Sempala said. “The community sees that God can use what you have in your hands. We’re not called to just sit and wait! We have the desire to see Uganda come to Jesus Christ, and this is what we can do.”

May God raise up more people like Sempala to equip others and share the Gospel in the isolated and least-reached areas of Uganda…and around the world.

Could you get partner with Global Disciples Canada and help people like Sempala in their ministry?

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Ayomi is a young woman in her early twenties.

As a Christian, she attended her church in Sri Lanka. But like many believers, she never really developed her relationship with Jesus. And she wasn’t interested in serving in ministry or outreach.

However, her church connected with a discipleship-mission training program, launched with the help of Global Disciples. And Pamu, a program director, decided Ayomi needs this training.

When he invited her to participate, Ayomi half-heartedly agreed.

Then the Holy Spirit went to work.

Ayomi began to experience the love of God in a fresh way. She started to understand what it meant to have the right relationship with God and develop intimacy with Him.

And it changed her life!

Her prayer life deepened and she committed her life to serve the Lord. As she learned about evangelism, it moved her to work in new ways.

Ayomi started to serve in the Sunday school in her church, eagerly teaching the children and helping them to meet Jesus. Along with Pamu, and others she went to a remote village to help out with outreach.

This once shy and uninvolved girl became a bold witness. Ayomi started sharing the Gospel and telling others about the love of Jesus and the salvation that He offers.

Today, Ayomi is eager to serve whenever and wherever she can. Pamu, the director, says she is engaged in equipping other people to make disciples too. Her experience with the Lord, through the training of Global Disciples, has changed her life and been a glowing witness to those around her.

Ayomi is just one person—but she’s one of the thousands who have discovered that she can be part of Jesus’ Commission to make disciples of all nations. For her, it’s working in her homeland in Sri Lanka where millions still do not know the message of the Gospel.

As Global Disciples, we want to make it possible for people like Ayomi to become disciples of Jesus Christ, equipped and empowered to make disciples, especially among the least-reached!

How are you helping those who have never heard the Good News, to receive and accept it?

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

We may have dreams of doing great things for the Lord, but it is important to remember that our most significant contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something we do but someone we raise.

Even if we have grand visions of sharing the Gospel with the world, it is essential to start with those closest to us. Certainly, our initial ministry field is our own family, leading our children to faith in Christ.

For those parents wondering how you can lead your children to Christ. Here are a few things you must know:

Children are often willing to accept the Gospel message with eagerness and joy. They have an openness to the Lord that many adults can miss (Luke 18:17). God desires to have a special relationship with these young ones, and as a parent, it is our job to encourage that connection. We need to be open to the Holy Spirit’s influence in our words and actions so that our children will be able to receive God’s grace and love.

Remember, Jesus tells us that children are very important to God and that we should not stop them from coming to Him (Matthew 19:14). We should be living our faith out loud and being an example for our children. We should be praying for guidance to be able to teach our children about the truths and values of God.

There are a couple of things you must consider when bringing your child to Jesus:

He deeply wants all people to come to repentance so that they can have everlasting joy and peace.

These terms can be confusing and unclear for young minds and may not accurately portray the message you wish to convey. Speak plainly, as the Bible does, meeting them where they are at in their own language development. Remember, God also met you on your level!

Have a conversation with them, and ensure that the message is clear. Don’t rush things. The quality time you give them will help them understand how special they are to God.

1. Since the beginning of humanity, God has given us choice (Genesis 2:15-17) He wanted children to be given a chance to choose for themselves. In other words, don’t force your children. Let them choose.

2. Without the Holy Spirit’s involvement, there will be no real spiritual transformation of the heart. Even the most amazing parents cannot know for sure what direction their children will choose. Even if we fill their surroundings with biblical teachings, which greatly increases the chances they will follow Christ, at the end of the day it is the Holy Spirit who does the work in their hearts (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)

Remember, God is loving and kind, filled with mercy and compassion. He is not holding your child’s fate over their head like a guillotine. Trust that things will work out in God’s timing, and don’t rush Him. Pray with confidence, trusting in God’s plan. Be concerned, but don’t force your child to make a decision.

Here are a few tips to help you begin bringing your child closer to God:

Make sure to show your children that living a life in faith with Jesus is not something that is only done on Sundays. Model to them the importance of honoring Christ every single day and make it a part of your family life. Talk openly with your children about God, and show them how to talk to God through prayer. Doing this will help them understand that following Jesus is a daily lifestyle (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

Encourage your children to build a strong connection with God by talking to them about your own relationship with Him. Share stories from your life that demonstrate how God has provided for you and been there for you. Explain the importance of prayer and how it helps you to stay connected with God. Remind them that they can always turn to God when they need help and that they should trust in Him to always be there for them.

Help your children explore and discover their own connection with the Lord. Make sure they have many chances to build an intimate relationship with Him, not just learn about Him in a classroom setting. Create an atmosphere of worship and spiritual growth in your home, incorporating activities like journaling and art to open up their hearts to the presence of God. This will enable them to directly experience His power and guidance in their lives.

It is important to teach your children about the Bible and the Gospel. Explain to them the basics of sin and repentance in a way that is easy for them to understand. Encourage them to read and learn from the Bible so that they can develop a deep love for God’s Word.

Encourage your family to incorporate prayer into their daily routine. Help them understand that seeking out God’s guidance is an important part of life and that it’s something to be pursued often.

Entreat the Lord to provide wisdom and direction for discovering places of worship and fellowship for your little one. Take the lead in modeling a life of faith, and let them observe your example. When they come into contact with other young people who are devoted to the Lord, they have an opportunity to enjoy fellowshipping with others who are on their peer level.

As children develop, they are rapidly learning and engaging with the environment around them. Their parents are typically the focal point of their lives, and other family and friends are other areas of importance. What they observe and experience with their five senses captures their interest. Help your child see Jesus and implement Him as part of their life. Start now, and start while they’re young.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet, Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18-20NLT).  ” Ephesians 5:18-20

One of the best parts of my job is welcoming students from out of the country into school in Canada. 

Moving into a different place, learning a different language, and navigating a new culture is a massive challenge. Sometimes there are so many changes that students become stressed and homesick. 

A few years ago, I met a new student from Columbia who had just entered Canada.  Right from the beginning, I noticed something different about her that I could not put my finger on.  As she entered classes and began the new chapter in Canada.  I noticed that there was such a consistent joy in her life that she shared with everyone she met.  Later that year, she confirmed my suspicion that she was a follower of Jesus.  The joy, that was so obvious in her life, came from the Spirit of God living inside her.

In his letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul tells them to “be filled” with the Holy Spirit. 

When people are discouraged, depressed or just having a bad day when they seek filling from different sources.

Drinking alcohol can make us feel carefree and lead to a great night of singing at the pub. In reality, it really doesn’t give lasting satisfaction. Others may attempt to use sex, food, shopping, fame, fitness, or fashion to numb the pain and difficulty of life. 

The apostle commands followers of Jesus to be filled with the Spirit of God. He want us to that deep, long-lasting satisfaction in Him. The logical question then is, “How can we be filled by God’s Spirit?”

The answer that scripture gives us is incredibly simple and difficult–a deep reliance on the Spirit’s power.  

One alternative to a deep reliance on the Spirit’s power is a deep reliance on self.

There is a popular myth in our culture that, believing in yourself is all you need to navigate lifes difficulties. This can easily slip into the matrix of our beliefs causing us to malfunction concerning God’s purpose for our lives. We can miss out on the true source of joy and power.

Samson’s life, described in Judges, illustrates the need for a deep reliance on the Spirit of God. 

The period of the Judges is one of the lowest points in Israel’s history.  Everyone was living in a way that seemed right to them (Judges 17:6) but very few of them were following God’s path. 

By the time we pick up Samson’s story in chapter 16, God has allowed the Philistines to conquer God’s people in hope that they will again follow Him…but they don’t.  God, in His mercy and patience, supplies judges (who were like warlords) that beat back their enemies for a time but they soon return to their old way of doing things.  Samson is one of the judges raised up by God to give relief to His people.  

Unlike some of the other judges, he is not a conventional military leader.  In fact, he does not lead an army at all. He is not even a team player. His life consists of several solo battles revolving around personal conflicts that have resulted from broken relationships with Philistine women. 

Samson’s dysfunctional relationships with Philistine women go badly in different ways but in each case, the end result is similar–violent, hand-to-hand combat with city guards and sometimes entire armies.   

Although Samson constantly disobeys his parents and lives by his own moral code, God graciously uses him for the good of His people. God’s gifting to Samson is super-human strength in battle. 

At one point, the Holy Spirit comes upon him and he kills 1000 soldiers with the jawbone of a donkey.  After this particular battle, Samson is so exhausted that he is near death.  He cries out to God for water and God miraculously provides him with water from a rock.  In this scene of the story, Samson is found relying on God as his provider but he soon grows proud, and that reliance changes into arrogance. 

Fast forwarding the story closer to the end (Judges 16:4), Samson falls in love with yet another Philistine woman named Delilah.  Seeking an opportunity to gain an advantage over Samson, the city leaders offer Delilah a huge sum of money to learn the secret of Samson’s strength.  Delilah uses her beauty and seductive powers to draw the secret out of Samson. 

After lying to her several times, Samson finally tells her the truth.  

 So he [Samson] told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him (Judges 16:17-19).

What’s interesting at this point in this story is that, even though Samson says that his strength is connected to his Nazarite vow, his response shows that he doesn’t believe this.

“Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ He awoke from his sleep and thought, ‘I’ll go out as before and shake myself free’” (Judges 16:20).

Samson’s thoughts at this moment show us an attitude that grieves the heart and Spirit of God. Samson has become so self-reliant that he begins to take credit for God’s gifting and power in his life. The results are immediate and devastating.    

Samson’s super-human powers were tied to God’s purpose and plan for Samson but when he became overconfident in his own abilities, God withdraws.

The retreat of the Spirit leads to Samson’s defeat and humiliation.

“Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes, and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison” (Judges 16:21). 

This low point of Samson’s life illustrates a massive roadblock to being filled by God’s spirit, and self-reliance. Self-reliance is an attitude that says, “I can be who God has called me to be and do what God has purposed me to do without the help and power of the Holy Spirit”  If we are honest with ourselves, I think all of us can identify with this mindset, we have all bought into the lie of self-sufficiency to one degree or another.    

Notice that God makes a temporary departure in Samson’s life here and this is a serious consequence of taking credit for God’s work in our lives.

God sometimes presses the pause button on His work in our lives at times to draw us back to Himself. It is not that God gives up on us or stops pursuing us. However, His loving discipline is sometimes required to bring us back to a life of faith and dependence on the Spirit. 

Are you feeling distant from God because you once orbited your life around God but now find yourself adrift?  

Thankfully Samson’s story doesn’t leave us there, it also gives us hope for renewed fullness of the Spirit.

Blinded and weak, Samson waited in his prison cell.  As he waits, a new humility and reliance on God emerge.  In the last chapter of his life, we find Samson making a desperate plea to God to renew his power one last time. This prayer signals a re-acknowledgment of the true source of power in His life.  God is merciful to Samson and gives him one last victory over the Philistines. 

In this last chapter, Samson gives us a glimpse of Jesus, who relied perfectly on the Father and fulfilled God’s purpose for his life. Jesus perfectly kept in step with the Spirit of God throughout his life.  His life was full of the Spirit’s joy and power.  Knowing that God would require a sacrifice for our sins, Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross. He took the punishment for our sins upon himself so that we could enjoy–new life, everlasting life, and the fullness of God’s spirit.   

God desires that you and I be filled with His Spirit, but in order to receive this filling, we must see Him as the only One who can generate true joy and power in our lives. Walk in step with God’s Spirit today so that you can fulfill His purpose for your life. 

Ask God to take your emptiness and replace it with his fullness.

Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so that you experience His joy and power like never before.

Jordan Mayer – Global Disciples Canada Advocate & Prayer Supporter

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective training and coaching strategy, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Manish was struggling to figure out how to serve God and make a living.

But in his setting in India, you work a job or you do ministry. You don’t do both. So what would he do?

Manish came from a Hindu family but his parents died when he was a child and his sister raised him. When she came to faith in Jesus, she learned about a Christian orphanage where Manish could get an education. He learned about Jesus and the Bible, came to faith, was baptized, and went on to Bible school.

Manish said, “I had all this Christian experience, yet I did not have a good personal relationship with God. And I wasn’t convinced about God’s call on my life.”

He finished Bible school, struggling and uncertain, and returned home. He heard about a local discipleship-mission training, launched with the help of Global Disciples. His pastor insisted he attends.

“It really opened my spiritual eyes,” Manish said. “I deepened my relationship with God.” Manish finished his training and outreach but then returned to his regular job.

“I was frustrated at what I should do. I thought nobody was interested in my future,” he said.

When he volunteered to help with Global Disciples training the next year, he said, “It really took me into God’s presence. I fasted and prayed. God spoke to me and His calling was clear. I left the job and joined in His work.”

Then God opened the door for Manish to take a Global Disciples small business training. He learned how ministry and business can work together to reach people with the Gospel.

This answered many questions and gave him new joy and satisfaction in fulfilling his calling.

He started a business that gives him opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus with five or six unreached areas.

Manish said, “By the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, there are small groups of people starting to worship the Lord and study the Word, where there before were no believers or churches.”

Praise God, for answering Manish in his struggles and opening a way to fulfill his calling to work a job and to reach the least reached.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

God is a missionary God who created human beings in His image and for a relationship with Him.

Scripture explains how humanity chose to rebel against God. And He has been pursuing the restoration of His relationship with us. God has chosen a people to join with Him in seeking restoration of relationship with all of humanity. 

Consequently, Jesus Christ came as the Word of God in human form to model God’s heart for humanity. Through His death and resurrection, He paid the debt for our sins. In fact, He makes it possible for all who will believe to be transformed into ambassadors of God. In turn, they become a part of initiating reconciliation with peoples of every tribe, nation, and language.

So, we can better understand World Mission and how it relates to the Church and our lives by exploring the following;

In reality, we live in a postmodern world that believes there is no absolute truth and that truth is relative. So, how in this postmodern pluralistic culture, can we present the uniqueness of Jesus Christ?

For us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, the Word of God is our guide in our journey and ministry.

In fact, in the Word of God, the uniqueness of Jesus Christ is evident.

The God of the Bible is the only God who manifested Himself through His own son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

He is different from all false gods (Jeremiah 10:6; Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). 

 Jesus is not one of the many ways to God—He is the only way.

No one can come to God except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

He is the only One who has been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38).

Jesus is the only One who is eternal (Colossians 1:17; John 1:1-3; John 8:57).

He is the only One who is God incarnate, God in human flesh (John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 2:14-18; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).

Jesus is the only One who is the visible image of the invisible God, who is fully God and fully man (Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9).

He is the only One who lived a sinless life that qualified Him to become the Savior (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:23-28).

Jesus is the only One who forgives sin—something that God alone can do (Mark 2:5-7).

He is the only One who has conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Jesus is the only One who will come back to judge the world (2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 19:11).

“The Lausanne Movement” describes the uniqueness of Jesus Christ in this way: “We affirm that there is only one Savior and only one gospel . . . Jesus Christ, being Himself the only God-man, who gave Himself as the only ransom for sinners, is the only mediator between God and people.”

“We are called to proclaim Christ in an increasingly pluralistic world . . . In the first century too there were ‘many gods and many lords.’ Yet the apostles boldly affirmed the uniqueness, indispensability and centrality of Christ. We must do the same.”

“The Lausanne Movement is determined to bear a positive and uncompromising witness to the uniqueness of our Lord, in His life, death, and resurrection, in all aspects of our evangelistic work including inter-faith dialogue.”

In fact, the only true God is our living, triune God. He has revealed Himself in the Bible to all of humanity.

The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments tell us clearly that God is eternally one and, as the living and sovereign One, He differs fundamentally from all false gods (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 115:3-7; Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 10:6; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

In His tri-personal nature as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God is one perfect and complete community of love in Himself who has fulfilled His redemptive plan in the person of His only begotten Son, Jesus (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1; John 15:26; I John 4:9; 2 Corinthians 13:13).

God created humankind in His own image (Genesis 1:27).

He is the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Renewer, the origin and ultimate purpose and goal of every human being. For this reason, God calls all humanity to acknowledge Him and believe in Him, to worship, and to share His life (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Psalm 46:11).

God the Father has spoken to us through Jesus Christ the Son as His special revelation of salvation (Hebrews 1:2). By the initiation of the Father (John 1:1-2; John 3:16), through His incarnation by the Holy Spirit, and by His atoning death, Christ reconciled the humanity to God and redeemed us from the destructive powers of sin, death, and the Devil (2 Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 2:14).

The uniqueness of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, demands a response.

In reality, the necessity of personal belief, is at the heart of the Christian Gospel. So, Christ fulfills and completes all the aspirations of humanity. He comes as the Second Adam to restore sinful humanity and a broken world. When people come to know Christ, they discover meaning and purpose, and their full identity is regained. While a decision to accept the free offer of salvation is crucial to evangelism, it must also affirm that this unique Savior offers not merely salvation as a work, but He also offers Himself in a transformational way. In fact, the whole purpose of the Christian life is to become like Jesus.

By Christ’s bodily resurrection and ascension to heaven, God the Father has confirmed Him as the only Mediator between Himself and humanity, and He has appointed Him the universal Lord over all powers and authorities as well as Judge of the world (Matthew 28:18; Acts 10:36-42; I Timothy 2:5). Therefore, eternal salvation or eternal damnation is determined by either turning to Him in faith or by rejecting Him (John 3:16; Mark 16:16).

In reality, Jesus is the only answer to our sinful human condition. Since the Fall in Genesis 3, humanity has been sentenced to eternal death, life without God (Luke 19:10, Ephesians 2:12). But Jesus has died for us to reconcile us to God (2 Corinthians 5:19, Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 2:14).

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Here, at Global Disciples, we are passionate about helping Christians everywhere fulfill Jesus last command. Before Jesus returned to heaven, He gave His disciples a commission:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” – Matthew 28:19

This “Great Commission” is for you and for me. In fact, its for every disciple of Jesus Christ in every part of the world.

Today, followers of Christ around the world are seeking to fulfill this mission. They are eager to do whatever they can to reach those who are still waiting for the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Consequently, we focus on making it possible for clusters of churches to carry out this mission. We offer an approach that enables them to equip their people to plant churches. To multiply the Body of Christ in all nations among all people.

Jember is an Ethiopian leader equipped by Global Disciples to train disciple-makers.

He said, “Global opened our eyes about how to do missions. Our main task is to send disciple-makers into this region and plant churches where there were none.

This region is more than eighty-five percent Muslim; in some places, it’s one hundred percent. Consequently, there are five hundred villages with no church! In the first year, we trained twenty-five workers. God helped us and we have seen fruit.”

The fruit Jember mentioned includes local Muslim leaders coming to faith in Jesus, and ten church planters who are former Muslims. In fact, they’ve seen over five hundred people come to Christ—several of the men who used to call out the morning prayers from the local mosques have now come to Christ. And he said, “God is using them to bring many other Muslims to the Lord.”

Jember is just one of many.

Today, Global Disciples is working with over sixteen hundred clusters of churches in over sixty-seven countries. We are helping them to launch over two thousand eight hundred programs that are training their own people in discipleship-mission, leadership, and small business development.

The Great Commission is being fulfilled today! As we each carry out the calling of Jesus to make disciples of every nation. Thank you for doing your part!

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

In this blog we’ll learn to understand the world religions of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. Understand the beliefs, practices, and teachings of each religion and popular cults too.

Jesus Christ came as the Word of God in human form to model God’s heart and His way of living. Through His death and resurrection, He paid the debt for our sins. He makes it possible for all who will believe to be transformed into ambassadors of God. We can be part in reconciling God with peoples of every tribe, nation, and language.

We can better understand World Mission and how it relates to the Church and our lives by exploring the following;

Religion is an institution or a set of beliefs constituted by human beings in order to approach a god or gods. It is an organized set of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules in which one believes and which one follows devotedly. There are many different religions in the world.

Below we briefly address three of the world’s religions—Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Islam means submission to the will of God. The founder of Islam, Mohammed, was born in 570.

According to his revelation, there are six doctrines of the faith that Muslims hold to:   

There are five pillars in the Islamic religion. These obligations that every Muslim must keep are as follows:

Hinduism is tremendously diverse. It encompasses those who believe in one reality, Brahman (the ultimate reality underlying every phenomenon), as well as those who believe in many gods, up to 330 million. It is common in one house for the husband to worship one god, the wife another god, and the children others. Regardless of the diversity within Hinduism, there are some core beliefs.

Buddhism does not believe in a personal God. It does not have worship, prayer, or praise of divine beings. It offers no redemption, no forgiveness, no hope of heaven, and no final judgment. In Buddhism, there are “The Four Noble Truths”:

The Eightfold path is:

The Eightfold Path is a set of steps that describes not only a good life but one which will move the follower toward Nirvana—extinction wherein lies one’s essence. The individual doesn’t actually exist in Buddhism; you can turn off existence like a candle flame marking the end of desire and the end of suffering. 

How do you feel when you hear the belief of these religions compared to what we as Christians believe?

As messengers of the Gospel of Jesus, we need to pray and find ways to engage the Gospel in the context of other religious beliefs.  

Cults are religious groups that claim to be in harmony with Christianity but deny foundational Christian teachings such as the Trinity or the unique deity of Jesus Christ.

The word “cult” is generally used to denote a group or organization which deviates from Christian teaching. 

In Matthew 7:15-17, Jesus gives us warning about the coming of cults, and much of the New Testament is written to correct their distractive influence (2 Corinthians 11:1-11; Galatians 1:8-9). 

Jesus stated, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” What Jesus was warning us of was that followers of cults will look and act like Christians. However, that is only in external appearance. They might argue as true believers for the time, but eventually, their words, actions, and especially their fruits will reveal their true identity.

The failure of the Church in making disciples contributed a lot to the emersion of many cultic movements. The increase of cults is also a fulfillment of the warning given by Jesus and the apostles (Matthew 24:23-26; 2 Peter 2:1-3). As the day of the return of our Lord is approaching, there will be an increase in false prophets and teachings.

All cults have a distorted view of the triune God; they promote false teaching based on the nature of God.

But the Bible teaches us there is one God who has revealed Himself in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).  

Cults also teach a false view of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:4). For example, Christian Science teaches that Jesus Christ is a historical figure but not the God-man, and Jehovah’s Witnesses also teach that Jesus is not God. But the Bible tells us that Jesus is fully God and fully human (John 17:3; 1 Timothy 2:5; Philippians 2:6-7).

Cultic understanding of salvation is also distorted. Most cults have a works-oriented Gospel by undermining the finished work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

In the early Church, there were a number of schisms and heretical movements such as Arianism. These heresies were essentially doctrinal ones. As the church councils met in response to them, the creeds of the Church formed, and the canon of the New Testament was finally agreed upon.

Throughout history, there have been heretical teachings of many kinds, but in recent years, there has been an explosion in the number of these groups. In the end, most cults fail, but they still can cause enormous personal damage and create confusion amongst Christians and non-Christians alike. The good thing is that, as the cults continue to increase, we know that the day of the Lord is near.

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you want a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!

Our God is a missionary God who created human beings in His image and for a relationship with Him.

God has chosen a people to join with Him in seeking restoration of relationship with all of humanity. 

Jesus Christ came as the Word of God in human form to model God’s heart and His way of living. Through His death and resurrection, He paid the debt for our sins. God invites us to into His work of reconciliation with peoples of every tribe, nation, and language.

We can better understand World Mission and how it relates to the Church and our lives by exploring the following;

The vision of our missionary God is to enfold people of every nation, tribe, and language into His Kingdom.

God has chosen to work through a particular people of His calling. That is, the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament. This calling was always with the intent that His people would become agents of His mission to all peoples.

Many Old Testament passages point to the day when God will gather peoples from all nations. They will be included in His purposes and become agents of His Kingdom. Some verses that explain this journey can be found here(Isaiah 56:3, Isaiah 56:6-8; Isaiah 66:18-21; Zechariah 8:20-23).

Jesus said that the Gospel of the Kingdom would be preached among all peoples (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10).

After His resurrection, he commissioned His disciples to go and preach the Gospel. And by the power of the Spirit, to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-47).

They were sent on a mission into the world as Jesus Himself was sent by the Father (John 20:21).

After Jesus ascended into heaven and after the Holy Spirit was sent at Pentecost, Jesus mission transferred the Church.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus indicates that the Spirit will empower His people to become His witnesses. The spread of the disciples’ witness involved moving outward from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, Antioch, and every remote region.

In fact, this mission required crossing ethnic and religious barriers. The Gospel moved from the people of Israel to the Samaritans who had a form of Old Testament faith. The message then moved onto the Gentiles. They consisted of diverse ethnic groups and were followers of a variety of religious beliefs.

How can we reach the entire world by crossing different cultural and religious backgrounds?

Reaching the least reached is not an easy task for the church.

We need creative methods and entry points. God has empowered the Church to be HIs witness in the world.

Key areas of innovation include the following:

Ralph Winter, in his essay “Cross-Cultural Evangelism: The Task of Highest Priority,” highlights the need for awareness of the “cultural distance” between the messenger and the recipient.

The nearer the messenger is in cultural adaptation to the recipient culture, the more effective is the sharing of the Gospel. This “nearness” may be due to one’s culture of origin or even the result of careful adaptation to the recipient culture.

The messenger must work hard to understand the other culture by learning the language, traditions, historical problems, religious allegiance, and patterns of behavior.

At Global Disciples, we believe and encourage indigenous clusters of churches to train and send their own workers.

These are people who know the culture well in order to reap the plentiful harvest. 

In Global Disciples, we believe that churches in close proximity to the least-reached areas are instrumental. If these clusters of churches are willing to identify and train church planters to cross to the next village/town, we will provide a Small Business Development (SBD) training tool for them.

This will allow them to train their church planters. Then they can develop their own legitimate businesses to give them the resources to access least-reached people and to sustain their families and ministries.

How did Paul present the Gospel to the people of Athens (Acts 17:16-34)?

We must begin on common ground by understanding the culture of the people we are trying to reach. Without understanding the culture, we can’t begin on common ground in order to engage the Gospel in this people’s context.

Understanding another culture is not as easy as we think. Everything that a culture is and will ever be is driven by its worldview. This is the deepest part of the culture.

Understanding the culture of our audience allows us to properly present the Gospel message in their context. The Apostle Paul was an expert at understanding cultures.  

He was provoked by all of the idols that he saw in the city of Athens (Acts 17:16). But He began his talk by observing that they were very religious in all respects. Then he mentioned that he found an altar that was dedicated, “To an unknown God.”  He used this “unknown God” to tell them about the true God who created heaven and earth. He showed them the supremacy of God by saying,

“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:24-25).

Paul even used their writing, “‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” He used their poet’s sayings to support his argument that all human beings came from one man and that we are all children of God. Finally, he called them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30-31). “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.  For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (emphasis added).

Here, Paul made it clear there is no salvation without repentance and submission to the saving power of the One who defeated death. Contextualization means beginning with some common ground and presenting the saving Gospel in that context. 

Every ethnic group has its own culture and some kind of religious background. Therefore, for the Gospel to be understood and received by any people group, it has to be communicated in the context of that culture to make it meaningful. But most of the time, we do not go with a “pure” or naked Gospel to adapt it into the new culture. In taking the Gospel across cultures, one of the mistakes we often make is that of going with a Gospel wrapped in our own cultural context. So we need to be careful to distinguish between the two—culture and Gospel.

The Gospel message we received originally came in the historical context of the Hebrew and Greek cultures. But these practices had to cross many different cultures as the Church expanded. For example, in the early Church, the Hebrew practices of circumcision and dietary laws were set aside in the Gentiles’ culture (Acts 15:1-35; Romans 14). The churches did not always agree as to how to relate to surrounding cultures which resulted in controversies and division.

Our Gospel is the universal message of salvation for all people irrespective of race, language, culture, or circumstances. It does not presuppose the superiority of any culture to another but evaluates all cultures according to its own criteria of truth and righteousness based on the Word of God. To communicate the Gospel effectively, we have to separate it from our culture and present it in terms of the culture of the people we are reaching. It is good to remember that Jesus Christ is the captive of no culture and is the master of all cultures. The central task of our mission is to present the message in the context of our audience so that they can respond positively (1 Timothy 2:5-6). 

We have the authority to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people within their context. Just as Jesus Christ became flesh and dwelt among people, we, the messengers of the Gospel, must have a cultural incarnation in order to be meaningful (John 1:14-18). We cannot communicate the Gospel withot concerning ourselves with culture because our Gospel is super-cultural in its origin, truth, and application.  

Did you know that sharing the Gospel effectively requires thoughtful, biblical contextualization? This means the removal of non-scriptural cultural elements from the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Contextualization requires choosing appropriate words, analogies, worship styles, etc. In the early Church, the decision about the necessity of circumcision was a critical issue requiring contextualization. Some saw it as a prerequisite to becoming a follower of Christ. The Jerusalem council realized that the deeper intent of the Old Testament passages was that circumcision (the form) was only a sign of actual spiritual submission to God (the meaning [Romans 2:25-29]).

Paul contextualized the Gospel message in the context of his audiences (1 Corinthians 9:19-22). He chose to live like the people he was reaching. The Gospel message must be contextualized in the language and custom of the local people as God speaks to them in their real situations as Paul did. Even if we believe in contextualization, we do not compromise on salvation that is only through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).  It is through Jesus Christ that God is reconciling the lost and dying world. Anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is eternally lost. 

We are on a mission of reaching and discipling the entire world with our Commissioner, Jesus. He invites us to participate in the greatest, most diverse, and most significant historical gathering of the harvest in the last days. This mission, which He has entrusted into our hands, needs to go to the ends of the earth by crossing cultures as it is prophesized in Isaiah 49:6: “I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (NLT). These words anticipate not only the work of Christ (Luke 2:32) but also the future witness of His disciples, including us (Acts 13:47).

One day, God’s mission to include people from every nation, tribe, and language in His kingdom will be fulfilled (Revelation 5:9-10; Revelation 7:9). The Church today, as God’s missionary people, can confidently bear witness to Christ to advance His kingdom, near and far, crossing every cultural barrier. We will not rest until the Gospel has reached every people, has been shared in every locality, and until churches have been planted at every corner among the least-reached peoples around the world.

We will look forward to the day when this global mission is accomplished, when great multitudes from every race, tribe, nation, people, and language will stand before the throne of our true God and sing the song, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). Getting involved now will allow us to experience in advance a little of what heaven will be like.

Are we willing to cross-cultural and religious barriers so that we will fulfill the mission Jesus has given us?

Global Disciples Canada is a Christian mission organization that trains local leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples for Christ. One-third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet. Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that. If you are looking for a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, connect with us today!