Is He Really My Lord?

“… so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus…”
(Acts 20:24)

Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing. The joy our Lord experienced came from doing what the Father sent Him to do. And he says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). Have you received a ministry from the Lord? If so, you must be faithful to it—to consider your life valuable only for the purpose of fulfilling that ministry. Knowing that you have done what Jesus sent you to do, think how satisfying it will be to hear Him say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We each have to find a niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive a ministry from the Lord. To do this we must have close fellowship with Jesus and must know Him as more than our personal Savior. And we must be willing to experience the full impact of Acts 9:16—” I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake.”
“Do you love Me?” Then, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:17). He is not offering us a choice of how we can serve Him; He is asking for absolute loyalty to His commission, a faithfulness to what we discern when we are in the closest possible fellowship with God. If you have received a ministry from the Lord Jesus, you will know that the need is not the same as the call—the need is the opportunity to exercise the call. The call is to be faithful to the ministry you received when you were in true fellowship with Him. This does not imply that there is a whole series of differing ministries marked out for you. It does mean that you must be sensitive to what God has called you to do, and this may sometimes require ignoring demands for service in other areas.
[Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest—In Today’s Language]

Breathing Space

Respite (n) - a delay or cessation for a time, especially of anything distressing or trying; an interval of relief.

Sometimes, we all need to stop and take inventory of our lives. We need to pause and assess our spiritual, emotional, and physical condition. Over the past decade, we have been dedicated to pursuing lost students for Christ with but a few moments to step away from the mission and reflect on our journey and personal well-being. Needless to say, we’ve realized we are overdue for a such a time.
In the midst of this transition in our ministry assignments, we are using the next several months to seek some rest amidst the major changes and challenges we’ve encountered over the past few years. Before we report to our next assignment, we plan to spend some valuable time listening closely to the Lord, resting in Him, and seeking His direction for the days ahead.
We also find ourselves in a season where it has become important and necessary for us to reconnect with our ministry partners (so you might be hearing from us soon) and to build our team of financial partners.
Before God enables us to begin working in the new areas of our calling, please pray for us. Pray that we would experience a sweet time of refreshment, connection, transformation, adjustment, and fine-tuning in our walks with the Lord.