Posts tagged 'mission'

  • 2 Thessalonians: Chapter 3 (Part 1)

    This third chapter of 2 Thessalonians is the final chapter of Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonian believers.

    Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • 2 Thessalonians: Chapter 2 (Part 2)

    Previously, in chapter 2:1–8, Paul wrote that the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. He then continued to describe the lawless one: ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • 1 Thessalonians: Chapter 2 (Part 2)

    In the first part of chapter 2 of 1 Thessalonians, Paul had reminded the Thessalonian Christians that he and his companions did not seek glory and they didn’t make any demands of these new Christians. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • 1 Thessalonians: Chapter 2 (Part 1)

    After the apostle Paul, Silvanus (also called Silas), and Timothy departed Thessalonica due to persecution, they went to Achaia, a Roman province in the south of Macedonia.1 After spending some time in Achaia, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Ascension (Luke 24:50–53)

    In this article we’ll look at the last few verses of the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus appeared to His disciples. They were frightened, and thought they were seeing a spirit. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The End of the …

    Previously, the Gospel of John told of some of the disciples going fishing in the Sea of Tiberias, also known as the Sea of Galilee. After a night’s fishing, they caught nothing. Jesus, who was on the shore, instructed them to cast their net ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Appearances of Jesus …

    The Long Ending of Mark

    In the last chapter of the book of Mark (Mark 16), we read that Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to Jesus’ tomb in order to anoint Him.1 ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Appearances of Jesus …

    Each Synoptic Gospel1 ends by describing Jesus’ final interactions with His disciples, followed by His ascension into heaven. Those accounts will be covered, Gospel by Gospel, in this and the next few upcoming articles. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Resurrection (Part 4)

    In the previous article we read about two disciples, Cleopas and an unnamed companion, who were walking to Emmaus with Jesus (whom they didn’t recognize). They expressed their disappointment ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Encouraging Others

    Encouragement is the leaven of the soul. It lifts the heavy heart, strengthens the drooping hope, stirs the potential of the mind in positive ways. For the giver, it opens their eyes to see that spark of the Divine in others.1 ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 8

    —Make Each Day Count

    We all want our lives to count, to make a difference. You, like me, have probably read articles or books on goal setting, building good habits, teamworking, being purpose-driven, etc., ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Better Days Ahead—Part 2

    —Finding Comfort in Times of Loneliness

    When we find ourselves in one of the difficult seasons of life, this can often be accompanied by loneliness or a sense of being alone in our struggles. Feeling alone and isolated ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: John 17: Jesus’ Prayer …

    Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, which we started going over in the previous article, continues on to the end of John 17. In verse 12, Jesus’ prayer referred to His disciples—saying that He had kept them, had guarded them, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: John 15: Abide in …

    At the end of John chapter 14, Jesus informed His disciples that He was going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.1...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Signs of the Times and Current Events

    The past year has certainly been a “time of trouble” for many people around the world—an unprecedented one in some ways, due to modern technology that enables us to see events unfold in real time all around the globe, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Way He Sees You

    A friend who I’ve known for many years wrote me and asked for my help in answering a prison inmate named Jay who she was ministering to. He had written, saying:

    I struggle with anxious worries about my purpose. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Final Judgment by the …

    The previous two articles in this series, The Coming of the Son of Man (Parts 1 and 2), covered Matthew chapter 24, part of which addressed endtime events and Jesus’ return. The latter part of Matthew 24, verses 45–51, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Coming of the …

    In the previous article, we read Jesus’ statement that heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.1 He went on to say,

    Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.2 ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Prediction About the Temple …

    In the previous article, we saw that Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Jesus about events which He had predicted, and what sign there would be that these things were about to happen.

    Jesus began by warning them ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Living Christianity: The Ten Commandments (You Shall Not …

    Work

    The eighth commandment, you shall not steal, addresses the protection of property by commanding that what belongs to one person must not be stolen by another. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Charge to the …

    All three Synoptic Gospels1 include the account of Jesus sending out His disciples on a mission trip.2 He gave them instructions regarding what to preach, what not to take with them, and where to stay. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Thoughts on the King

    One question that could be asked regarding God’s gift of salvation is why God, who is all-powerful, had to send His beloved Son to earth to die for us in the greatest sacrifice of all time. Couldn’t He have just forgiven us ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Jesus and the Tax …

    There are several descriptions in the Gospels of Jesus’ interactions with Jewish tax collectors, considered to be some of the most despised amongst the people. All three of the Synoptic Gospels1 contain the story ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Feast of Tabernacles …

    As we saw in the previous two articles, halfway through the Feast of Tabernacles Jesus went from Galilee to Jerusalem to attend the festival. While there, He taught in the temple, and some of those who heard His teaching opposed Him. ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Persecution

    In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus spoke to His disciples about the opposition and persecution they would receive as they went out to preach the gospel. In chapter 10, Jesus sent out His disciples with instructions ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Mission of the …

    In the previous article, we saw how Jesus spoke about the judgment that the towns which didn’t receive His seventy-two messengers would face, which would be greater than that of the Old Testament city of Sodom, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: The Mission of the …

    As mentioned in the previous article (Fire from Heaven), the Gospel of Luke contains descriptions of Jesus’ life not included in the other Gospels, including a section that commentators refer to as the “travel narrative,” ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Jesus—His Life and Message: Fire from Heaven (Luke …

    The Gospel of Luke describes several events in Jesus’ life which aren’t recorded in the other Gospels, some of which will be covered in this and the next few articles. The first of these is found toward the end of Luke chapter 9, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Celebrating Life!

    Easter is a time when we look back to the most powerful event in the history of mankind. We see God’s supernatural, undeserved love for us being expressed through Christ’s death on the cross and His glorious resurrection. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • “Jesus Really Loves You, Shirley!”

    It was my birthday and I was returning a phone call from one of my relatives. I was surprised when an unknown voice answered the phone. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • You Just Never Know

    One Christmas, Peter and I were traveling and needed to be in a hotel for a couple of days. Arriving early, we were told that our room wasn’t ready yet. Disappointed and very tired, we thought we would have to wait a couple of hours. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Cry in the Dark

    It’s easy to group people into categories—race, personality types, belief systems, and many others. I think we all do that at times. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • More Like Jesus: Holiness (Part 1)

    (This article is based on key points from the book The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges.1)

    One of the key Bible passages quoted in this series is Ephesians 4:22–24: Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Stories Jesus Told: The Sower and the …

    In the first part of the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus told the parable itself to the crowds who had come to hear Him teach. ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • The Reality of Greatness

    Someone I was communicating with mentioned the “greats” of Christianity. Although I’ve used this term—I think we all have—and I greatly admire those who the Lord has placed in the public eye to be examples, I felt the Lord wanted to give me some further understanding of how He looks at greatness. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Stories Jesus Told: The Sower and the …

    The parable of the sower is one of four parables told in all three Synoptic Gospels.1 It can be found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8. ... (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Storying The Gospel—Part 1

    I want to talk about an evangelism and discipling method that has been an effective approach to preaching the gospel since Jesus first used it. It’s Bible storying. Through the centuries it has been implemented in one form or another. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Practice Runs

    We know why prayer is important and how God uses it in our lives. We don’t understand everything about it and we don’t often know why some prayers are answered and others don’t appear to be, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Proof That It Works—Part 1

    A while back I heard about an excellent academic study that I think can be very useful to each of us in strengthening our convictions to be God’s messenger, no matter where Jesus asks us to be. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Easter Wonders

    At this time of year we celebrate the very heart of our faith—the resurrection of Jesus. It is the central theme of the gospel, the key component which proves the validity of everything Jesus taught. The resurrection ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Who's a Fool?

    April 1st is commonly known as April Fool’s Day in a variety of countries around the world.1 My outlook on April Fool’s Day and who was the real fool changed when I was quite young. One year, my older brother played an April Fool’s joke ..

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Listening Dividends

    A while back I posted an article about one of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone—the gift of listening—and why this gift is so valuable to the one being listened to. In this article I want to present another aspect ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • In It for the Long Term

    “The salvation of a soul is the miracle of a moment, but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime.”—Alan Redpath1

    It’s wonderful at Christmas to think about the manger, the angels, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Through a Glass Darkly

    “There are some of us … who think [to] ourselves, ‘If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed His linens. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Unvarnished Christmas Story

    With the Christmas season beginning, we will likely be presented with numerous opportunities to talk to people about how the babe in the manger is a gift that can have great significance for them, right now, today. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Dynamic Duo

    Our lives are filled with events that provide examples and illustrations of spiritual principles which we can often apply to our life or situation. Here’s one that a friend of mine experienced just the other day. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Joe at My Door—Part 2

    Visit three

    Joe came by for a third visit one afternoon. As we began to chat, it became obvious that he had been thinking deeply about what we’d talked about in our last ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Joe at My Door—Part 1

    When we take up the challenge to intentionally be Jesus’ ambassadors and to fulfill the mission that He has given to each of us, we can expect we won’t be left sitting around idle and unemployed. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Spiritual Disciplines: Evangelism

    During the days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, He gave instructions to His disciples. Luke tells us that He appeared to them during a 40-day period and spoke to them about ...

    (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • How a Hitchhiker Changed a Nation

    Because of the scope of events that God included in the Bible, it wouldn’t have been possible to present many details of such things as the thoughts and personal musings of those whose lives are described in its pages. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Free the Prisoners

    I know that a number of you in the past have participated in prison ministries, and some of you are at present volunteering to help in prisons. I would be very thankful if you could send me any testimonies you have of your visitation, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Customizing God

    Jesus interacts with each of us in a tailor-made way. I believe that He tunes in to what we find interesting or what means a lot to us. He loves to minister to us in ways that show His care for us as the unique creations that we are. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Those Dirty Shepherds

    One of my favorite pictures as a child was of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, as He carried a little lamb in one arm and His staff in the other.

    Perhaps our image of shepherds and their sheep has been formed from some ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Christmas Pep Rally!

    I was thinking about Christmas and what God had in mind when He allowed this one event to become so prominent, even though the example Jesus set was to make our faith something that permeates every day of our lives. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • TFI’s Core Values: The Power of One

    For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in ...

    (Video and audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Tragedies and Transformations, Part 4

    Destitute to Disciple

    During my visit to the mission work in Tijuana that I’ve described in recent posts, I had an opportunity to visit their drug recovery/discipleship center. Seeing these ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Tragedies and Transformations, Part 3

    Treasures Among the Trash

    One of the world’s most visible examples of desperate poverty lies on the edges of most metropolitan cities around the globe: ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Tragedies and Transformations, Part 2

    Wherever, Whenever, However…

    One of the first experiences I had on my trip to Tijuana, Mexico, was to visit a men’s shelter that houses up to 150 homeless men each night, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Tragedies and Transformations, Part 1

    Experiences to Grow By

    Dear Family,

    I’d like to give you some personal news about what I’ve been experiencing and involved in recently. A few months ago I ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Let's Spread the News!

    God’s Word declares that this world, and our lives within it, are not all that there is; that this life is only a portion of our existence, and that our spirits continue to live after the death of our bodies. It also teaches that ...

    (Audio Included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Unlikely Hero

    We often find ourselves in situations where we don’t feel like we’re on some great spiritual mission. We want to do something meaningful for the Lord, but the circumstances just don’t seem to facilitate that in the ways we might have hoped ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Manger and the Inn

    There are some aspects of the story of Jesus’ birth that have entered traditional thinking but that don’t sync up with what is stated in the Gospel accounts. These include Mary and Joseph being turned away from ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Divine Demonstrations

    In the Bible Jesus said to His Father, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”[1] And to His disciples He said: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."[2] And John wrote, “Those who say they live in God should live their ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Just One Life

    This is a different article than those that I usually place on the DC site. In most cases, the materials that are posted here are directed toward our members. But in the spirit of the Christmas season and the fact that it is a wonderful opportunity ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Christmas Quotes

    It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you ... yes, it is Christmas every time you smile at your brother and offer him your hand.—Mother Teresa

    Be an angel to someone else whenever you can, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Drive

    Maria recently wrote about Len, the taxi driver who we gave a tract to while we were traveling. In her account, she mentioned that we were delayed on our journey that day. That day also proved to be a day of personal testing for me, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Meeting Len

    While taking a much-needed break, Peter and I drove to another city where we planned to spend a few days to rest and enjoy the local sights. Arriving later than planned and finding that navigating the complicated streets of the ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Good Food and Friendship

    One of Peter’s hobbies is cooking, although he’s never had a lot of time to devote to it. Now it’s turning out to be a wonderful tool in our ministering to others. The Lord recently reminded me how often He had dinner with people ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • A Papier-Mâché Prison

    Can I tell you about a long-term witnessing experience Peter and I have been having? It’s nothing that “wow” or something for which we can claim major victories; it’s just the day-by-day planting of seeds and praying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • When Unorthodox Meets God’s Plan

    Breaking with the norm of what is expected can be seen as unconventional and eccentric, and yet those unorthodox people and methods can have a powerful, life-changing impact for ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • The Story

    In the previous post I wrote about the you factor, your importance as the one who brings the message of the Gospel to others. In this article I want to talk about the story behind the message. It’s a story that you are already familiar with, ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Love. Live. Preach. Teach.—Conclusion

    In speaking about the four elements of being a disciple—Love Him, Live Him, Preach Him, Teach Him—my focus has been on the principles of being an active Christian, a disciple of Christ. ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Love. Live. Preach. Teach.—Teach Him

    We’ve covered the first three elements of discipleship: Love Him, Live Him, and Preach Him. Now we’ll discuss the last element: Teach Him. Teaching Him has to do with the continuance ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Love. Live. Preach. Teach.—Preach Him

    We have finished covering the second element of discipleship, Live Him, and nine principles connected to it: Abiding in Jesus, Love, Unity, Humility, Non-Anxiety, Forgiveness, Fellowship, ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Follow God at Christmas

    Hi, everyone,

    Peter and I want to wish you a very happy Christmas. As you’re so well aware, Christmas can be one of the most fruitful times of the year for ministering to others, because people ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Six Things I Love About Christmas

    Most people have a few things that they love about Christmas, that make the Christmas season special to them. Here are a few of my top picks! 1. I love the spirit of giving that permeates Christmas. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Perseverance by Smiley

    For many of us, the hardest part of witnessing is breaking the ice. And the next hardest part is persevering for as long as the Lord shows us to, even when someone doesn’t appear to be receptive. Don’t you find that as you witness to someone, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Love. Live. Preach. Teach.—Love Him

    In the first article of this series I explained that I’m approaching discipleship through four basic elements to being a disciple—Love Him, Live Him, Preach Him, Teach Him—and I ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Two Parties

    I want to share with you two stories about two unusual parties. In attendance at both was a most powerful Personage, who, through the hand of one of His representatives, Tony Campolo, bestowed on the partygoers ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Love. Live. Preach. Teach.—Introduction

    This series of articles grew out of talks that I gave throughout 2011. Throughout the articles I will be quoting a number of Bible verses.[1] These are the words that ... (Audio included.)

     

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Living With Meaning: A Waiting Room Chat

    I was sitting in a waiting area and was dictating an idea for a written prayer when a young man sat down nearby and started a conversation with me. Perhaps he overheard parts of what I was saying ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Appearances and the Big Picture

    Do you sometimes feel like a failure? Things haven’t turned out the way you thought they should have or the way you wanted. Your expectations have been disappointed, ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Hardly Anything or Everything?

    Mother Teresa once said, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” How true! A few simple words, spoken by unassuming people, yet filled with the Lord’s Spirit and love, can reverberate ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Piercing the Bubble

    In my last post I talked about how powerful our words of encouragement can be to people, and how we usually have to speak them by faith, believing that our “words fitly spoken” will have the desired result. ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: Be a Giver of Kindness

    Everyone craves encouragement. I believe that God wants to encourage people, but a lot of times He needs us to do it. And, believe it or not, we do have what others need. We have God’s love—that is powerful! ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Living With Meaning: The Five-Cent Life Changer

    I was thinking about tracts the other day. To me, tracts are one of the most valuable things I can have with me when I go out. Without tracts in my purse or pocket, I feel that something vital is missing ...

    by Maria Fontaine

  • He's Alive!

    It had been about three years since they had answered the call to follow Him. Each one had their own story of how it happened. Nathanael was told he was an Israelite in whom there was no deceit. Peter and his brother Andrew ...

    by Peter Amsterdam

  • Wealthy and Responsible

    A sad part of my day is when I listen to the news. Almost everything is about people in the world who are faced with some very terrible situations. Not only non-Christians, but many Christians ... (Audio included.)

    by Maria Fontaine

  • Are You Santa Claus?

    It’s Christmastime—such a wonderful time of the year! I love it when it comes around every year, because as Christmas approaches, people tend to appreciate others more. They’re more aware of the importance ... (Audio included.)

    by Peter Amsterdam