Andrew Wommack's Blog, page 18

Undeniable

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.

Jeremiah 1:5, New King James Version

Single and twenty-three, I was devastated by news that I was pregnant. Though a “good Christian girl” for most of my life, I became sexually active after finishing college. Then one week my long-term boyfriend, who was away in the military, surprised me with a visit. I was unprepared. With future hopes and dreams shattered by an unwanted pregnancy, my life as I knew it was over. But that wasn’t all I was facing.

In the church I was raised, getting pregnant before marriage was not something a good Christian girl did. The shame and fear that flooded my being threatened to overwhelm me. How would I tell my parents?

Fully aware of the sanctity of life, I knew that abortion was wrong. But as I faced the crippling shame of people discovering what I had done, it seemed like the lesser of two evils. Deliberately turning my back on everything I knew, I made the decision to abort.

Young and naïve, I had no idea how to go about getting an abortion. I turned to the yellow pages of the phone book for answers and saw an entry for a crisis pregnancy clinic. “Crisis” fit my mindset perfectly, so I made the call and scheduled an appointment.

The day arrived, and a friend dropped me off. Bracing myself, I entered the clinic door, unsure of what I would face. A counselor greeted me warmly. After a brief session where I shared that I was looking for abortion information, she escorted me to a small, comfortable room to watch a short film.

The film began, and image after image of a tiny developing baby flashed before my eyes. Face to face with the very truth I had tried to escape, I could no longer deny that there was indeed a tiny life inside me. As I watched, I grew more and more convinced that I couldn’t go through with my decision.

Afterward, my counselor sat with me. The tears flowed freely as I poured out my heart to her, sharing my secret disgrace and fears about the future. She listened quietly, making a comment here or there. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but I do remember one thing: her compassion.

I believe the Lord ordered my steps that day in 1986. When I think back on it, it’s ironic that of all the places I could have gone for abortion information, I ended up in one of the few places that affirms the sanctity of life. The truth and godly compassion I received empowered me to choose life in the face of an uncertain future. And today I have a son who is walking with the Lord and pursuing his God-ordained destiny. I am so thankful.

Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, the number of abortions in the United States alone has reached sixty million—that’s 60,000,000 people—nearly one-fifth of the current U.S. population.

But there is something we can do to help stem the abortion tide. We can pray and vote pro-life. We can also support nationwide Christ-centered organizations like Care Net and Heartbeat International, who are fighting the battle against abortion one child at a time by arming women with truth and life-affirming choices.

For more on the sanctity of life, you can check out Andrew’s teaching Christian Philosophy, or order the Choose Life! Resource Kit.

Written by Sylvia F. Wells

For events in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net/events; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net/events.

It’s Festival Day!

In the Old Testament, a feast or a festival was a religious celebration designed for God’s people to remember His great acts of salvation. Throughout the year, God had called His people to gather in His presence and give their time and undivided attention to Him. These were special times of ministry when God ministered to His people and His people ministered to Him.

A hymn in the Psalms celebrates these feasts:

“A song to our strong God! a shout to the God of Jacob! Anthems from the choir, music from the band, sweet sounds from lute and harp, Trumpets and trombones and horns: it’s festival day, a feast to God! A day decreed by God, . . . so we’d never forget what he did in Egypt.”

Psalm 81:1-5, The Message

For believers today, the keeping of feasts and festivals is not a commandment. However, God continues to invite His people to gather for special times of worship and ministry. Investing in our relationship with God should be one of our top priorities for the new year. It blesses the Lord when we sing His praise in the assembly of godly people (Ps. 149:1), and He promises to fill us with joy in His presence (Acts 2:28).

Something Andrew has taught is that regularly meeting together with other believers protects and promotes our spiritual health (see the book The New You & The Holy Spirit). With that in mind, Andrew Wommack Ministries invests numerous resources into providing a variety of events throughout the year. Each event is different, but the goal is the same: to edify the body of Christ through anointed worship and teaching.

The message of the Gospel hasn’t changed, but Andrew’s personal revelation of it continues to grow. And his message is making history within the body of Christ—all over the world. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to hear him teach live at any one of his Gospel Truth Conferences throughout the year. View his full schedule, find a Gospel Truth Conference near you, and then make plans to attend one in 2018.

In February, a team of executive directors from Andrew Wommack Ministries will travel to Walsall, England, to teach at the Charis Business Summit. Businesspeople and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to learn how to integrate biblical principles with the business world. The Charis Business Summit will also be held in Colorado USA in June. If you are looking to learn godly principles to prosper in business, you don’t want to miss these events. You will be blessed.

In March, The Sanctuary in Woodland Park, Colorado, will open its doors for a men’s only event. Men’s Advance 2018 will include amazing guests, such as former NFL coach and current sportscaster Tony Dungy, and James Brown, host of CBS’s The NFL Today. Their testimonies and examples of faith will encourage and prepare men to run the spiritual race that lies ahead of them.

Later that month, the stage lights will be turned on to present God with Us. This biblical musical recounts various stories of the Bible through the eyes of the Apostle Peter, following the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s a great way to celebrate Easter with family and friends.

The summer conferences continue to grow in popularity, and they present a great opportunity to visit the new Charis Bible College campus. For many families, the Summer Family Bible Conference has become a tradition because it offers the best of both worlds: ministry time and summer fun! And the Healing Is Here Conference presents a great opportunity to help you be proactive about your health. Don’t wait to be sick! The Word of God will promote your physical health and give you peace (Jer. 33:6).

And as the leaves start changing colors, Charis prepares for the Ministers’ Conference and the Women Arise Conference. The Ministers’ Conference is a great place for renewal and refreshing for those who are in full-time or part-time ministry. The Women Arise Conference presents great speakers that will minister God’s wisdom and encouragement to help women succeed at home, in the church, and in the workplace.

This is just a small list of the various events Andrew Wommack Ministries is hosting this year. I encourage you to bookmark our events page and keep an eye on those you’re interested in. A great time of ministry awaits you at every one. Make plans to attend, and bless us with your presence as we celebrate a feast to our God!

For events in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net/events; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net/events.

Written by Citlalli Macy

Who’s Writing Your Story?

What if I told you that your whole life is written down in a book? Not only that, it was written before you were born. It’s true!

Psalm 139:16 says, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (New American Standard Bible, emphasis mine).

Days are ordained for us! But not everyone lives out the book God writes specifically for them. Instead, they write their own story, or worse, they let others write it for them.

The life ordained for you is the same as the perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (NASB). This shows a progression in the will of God from good to acceptable to perfect. The question is this: How do we know the perfect will of God? Well, it’s not that mysterious.

It takes renewing your mind in the Word of God to know His perfect will. But it requires wisdom to build His will into your life. The following proverb refers to wives and mothers building their homes, but the principle applies
to everyone:

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her
own hands.

Proverbs 14:1, NASB

A wise person builds their life, but a foolish one tears it down with their own hands. Wow! The operative word here is “wise.” Proverbs 4:7 says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting
get understanding.”

Today is the first day of 2018! Today is a great day to decide to live the life God wrote specifically for you. Not only can you renew your mind in the Word to find out what that is, but you can also ask Him for the wisdom to carry it out. Be teachable to the spirit of wisdom if you need to make
course corrections.

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Proverbs 1:23, King James Version

Of course, we have the freedom to choose our own way, and God will still love us. God’s love for us does not depend on what we do. But God wants to make His plans known. If we want to fulfill the days ordained for us, we need to seek wisdom as the principal thing and build our lives after the book He wrote for us. What better place to start that journey than through studying the book of Proverbs!

Start this new year out right with Andrew’s newest book Proverbs: Timeless Wisdom for a Life of Blessing. This commentary will help you dig deeper into the book of Proverbs and take you on the path of wisdom to live the life especially tailored for you. Get the book and study on your own or follow along with Andrew on the Gospel Truth broadcast.

Happy New Year!

Written by Aria Fischer

For resources and products or to partner in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

Peace: Spread the Word

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. . . . And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

Luke 2:11 and 13-14, emphasis mine

The angels conveyed such a simple idea to mankind on the day that became the first Christmas: peace. The birth of the newborn child, Jesus, signaled the end of the conflict between God and man. This Savior of the world would one day put away sin, once and for all, by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb. 9:26). God and man would be forever reconciled. Joy to the world!

Even in an increasingly secular culture, many songs and symbols of the Christmas season still share the story of this Savior who was born in Bethlehem. At Christmastime, people in our lives are open to hearing about Jesus, probably more than any other time of the year.

Because of this, I use this season for a Christmas tradition with an evangelistic twist.

I love baking Christmas treats—pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, date-filled cookies, pretzel turtles, peanut butter balls—to give to family, neighbors, and friends.

On my list of people to give to, I always make sure to include some who don’t know the Lord. When I prepare their bags of tasty, homemade goodies, I include a note or card that shares the Gospel message with them.

Such a simple gesture could be thought of as unimportant, but the Lord revealed to me one year just how much He notices even the simplest things we do for Him.

This particular year, I was delivering a bag of goodies to a real estate client I had worked with. I knew she was not a believer, so I had included her on my list. I went to her home and rang her doorbell and was greeted by a man holding his two- or three-year-old daughter. He smiled at me warmly when I wished him a Merry Christmas and handed him the bag of sweets.

As I turned to leave, I glanced at the young girl nestled so confidently in her daddy’s arms. I smiled at her, and with a twinkle in her eyes, she
smiled back.

I returned to my car, struck by those shining eyes. Clear, unguarded, and inviting, they looked at me as though I were the most fascinating person in the universe. It wasn’t just the little girl who smiled back at me that day; it was the Lord.

Consider starting a Christmas tradition of your own! During this special time of year, take a moment to reach out to those who need to know the Savior. Share the good tidings of great joy, that God sent His Son to bring peace on earth to all of us. God’s not mad, and the world needs to know!

(For teaching about God bringing peace to mankind, download Andrew’s The War Is Over teaching for free.)

Written by Sylvia Wells

For resources and products or to partner in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

The Heart of a Steward

Knowing the difference between stewardship and ownership is paramount, and applying it in your life is key. If you can manage your finances as a steward, you’ll find that other areas in your life will fall into place.

Most people see themselves as owners. After all, they are the ones who earn the money, right? In the natural, that seems to make sense, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. God is the one who gives the power to create wealth (Deut. 8:18). Some of the most successful unsaved people don’t realize that God gave them their gifts, talents, and success. Unfortunately, unbelievers are more often wiser with money than believers: “The lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). But that does not have to be you!

On this week’s Gospel Truth broadcast, Andrew Wommack and Paul Milligan, CEO of Andrew Wommack Ministries, discuss Paul’s teaching Basic Cents. Andrew explains why most Americans have problems handling
money correctly:

“Let me just go to some of these stats that Paul gave me. Seventy-one percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, up from 69 percent last year. And out of these people who are living paycheck to paycheck, 20 percent of them make more than $100,000 a year. Three out of five— which is what, 60 percent—make over $60,000 a year, and yet they’re still living from paycheck to paycheck. So the problem isn’t money. The problem is the way
they steward.”

Having the true heart of a steward requires faithfulness. When you view everything in your hands as ultimately on loan to you from God, it changes how you take care of those things. That same attitude spills over into how you steward any other area of life. Paul says, “Faithfulness has everything to do with this. You can’t decide to be a good steward today and work really hard on it for two weeks and then go back to doing what you were doing. It’s not going to be successful.”

There are tell-tale signs of those who have the heart of a steward and those who have the heart of an owner. An object lent to a steward is returned to the lender in the same condition it was given. Why? A steward is used to taking care of things that don’t belong to them. In the same way, you can tell a steward’s heart by how that person takes care of their own things. A steward aims for excellence in all areas of life because they know they will answer to God for their life.

Paul says, “When you get your finances in line with God’s Word and you make the commitment . . . to be a good steward and do what God told you to do, God gets involved with that. It gets accelerated.” He continues, “I firmly believe that if you’re doing what God told you to do with your finances, your net worth will increase every year. I’ve watched this happen over a thirtyyear period. Your net worth should be increasing every year because you’re doing the stewardship principles that God teaches us in his Word.”

Gain the practical skills and understanding in stewarding finances with the Basic Cents teaching and money-management web-based software developed by Paul Milligan. Paul is a minister of the Gospel and has revelation of stewardship in the kingdom of God. He is also an entrepreneur who has founded multiple successful corporations.

Determine today to be a faithful steward, and leave the ownership to God.

Written by Aria Fischer

For resources and products or to partner in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

Are You a Steward or an Owner

I wrote a blog article earlier this year called Token of My Trust. It’s about being a steward of the finances God gives us. I read through the article again to remind myself that my money isn’t really my money. That might sound crazy. But forgetting that I’m a steward and not an owner of my money might be the reason I don’t prosper as I’d like. It’s common for me to slip into the wrong mindset.

Being a steward over something means that God is always in my thoughts over that thing. It means I’m considering what He would do with it. No, it’s actually more than just considering. It means I’m going to do what He would do with it!

The only way to know what God would do in any given moment is, yes, through His Word, but it’s also through relationship with Him. There really isn’t a shortcut.

Over the next two weeks on the Gospel Truth broadcast, Andrew hosts Paul Milligan, the CEO of Andrew Wommack Ministries. They discuss Paul’s teaching Basic Cents. During the conversation, after discussing the practical side of managing money, Paul tells Andrew something that I find remarkable:

“The difficult thing for me sometimes with finances is that you get focused on the financial numbers and money, and there’s so much more to it. There is relationship with God. There is obedience to God, pursuing the will of God, pursuing the kingdom of God. All these things we’ve talked about, and those spiritual things are much more important to me than [the practical] things we’re talking about.”

This is the very thing I’m talking about. It’s these spiritual things that we as Christians overlook sometimes. Or, let me make it personal: these are things that I tend to overlook.

Stewardship would mean nothing without relationship. But, you know, relationship without stewardship would mean nothing too. Think about that.

On the broadcast, Paul says, “Once you start taking steps toward stewardship, then God gets involved and things get accelerated. And your income increases when God sees you’re going to be a good steward.”

That’s interesting. Paul didn’t say that I will get a raise if I’m a good steward, though I’m sure that this could apply. But Paul said my income would increase. During their conversation, Andrew mentions that God wants people to have multiple streams of income. That means me. And that means you too! God wants you to have multiple streams of income in your
life! Hallelujah!

It all starts with being a good steward—just approaching God with your money and saying, “God, what do You want me to do with this?”

God wants to be involved. But He won’t force Himself into our finances. We have to invite Him in. And I think He’d say with a smile on His face, “I’ve been waiting all day for you to give that to Me!”

Let’s approach God today and determine to be better stewards of the finances He has given us.

Andrew and Paul cover so much more on this subject. I’m sure it will help you, so check out the Gospel Truth this month. Also consider ordering the Basic Cents Package, which includes this teaching plus six months of free access to Paul’s web-based software. These tools will help you become a better steward of your money and to prosper in the way God intended. You will be blessed.

Written by David Moore II

For resources and products or to partner in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

Discipleship: It’s A Choice

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12, New King James Version

Last summer, some friends and I went on a hike in the dark morning hours before dawn. We wanted to watch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. While we were walking, my friend and I shared a flashlight. When he held the light, I had to choose to follow him—keep his pace, walk in his same path. If I didn’t, I would be left to find my own way in the dark.

In the verse above, Jesus gives us an invitation to follow Him. He gives us the choice of discipleship. We can see Jesus give the same choice to the rich young ruler in Mark chapter ten:

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” [18] A nd Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. [19] You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” [20] And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” [21] And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [22] Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Mark 10:17-22, English Standard Version

Jesus recognized this young man’s heart. He loved him and had compassion for him. Jesus presented this man with the same choice he presents each of us with: the choice to follow Him. The problem is, this choice doesn’t come without sacrifice. Luke 14:33 says, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (ESV). Notice that when the young ruler saw that he had to give something up to follow Jesus, he left sorrowful. Andrew describes the situation perfectly: “This guy was willing to make Jesus good. But he wasn’t willing to go as far as to make Jesus God.” Following Jesus means choosing the Gospel above everything else.

Andrew explains, “God has given us the choice. He said you choose life or death, blessing or cursing. . . . You can become a disciple, and you can begin to start living in victory right now. But you have to make that commitment.” And that commitment is laid out clearly by Jesus when He says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, [32] and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32, ESV).

You see, if our life is a hike through the dark, the Word is like our flashlight, a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). The Word leads us to a place where we can follow Him to greater heights, but we have to choose to stay close. Andrew says, “A disciple is a person who has put their commitment to God above everything else.” We must choose the Gospel above everything—above what we see, what we feel, and above what it costs us.

We must make the choice for discipleship, and when we do, we will know more fully the light of life. Choose discipleship through Andrew’s course Discipleship Evangelism! It is available in CD, DVD, book, and study guide format. To go even further, we are also offering the Destiny Package. Use these teachings to begin your discipleship journey today!

Written by Katie Scruggs

For resources and products or to partner in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

Andrew’s Answers to Today’s News

Recently the nation has been shocked and disgusted by all the allegations of sexual harassment against movie moguls and politicians. We should be disgusted with such behavior, especially among people who are leaders in our culture. But I am shocked that any Christian would be surprised by
these revelations.

For years, many of our politicians and people in Hollywood have been systematically dismantling any traditional sense of morality in our nation. The passing of laws against traditional marriage and the total immorality portrayed in our TV shows and movies have come out of these
people’s hearts.

The Bible says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). These people’s actions, evident in their political stands and immorality, should tell anyone who’s paying attention what was in the hearts of these people. For this reason, I’m not shocked when those who promote immorality
act immorally.

One owner of a large television network has openly said that one of his goals is to change the Judeo-Christian ethics of America. This has effectively been accomplished with the US Supreme Court’s approval of same-sex marriage and society’s “tolerance” towards every type of behavior that the Bible
calls sin.

John Witherspoon, a direct descendent of John Knox, also a former president of Princeton University and a signer of our Declaration of Independence said:

“That he is the best friend to American liberty, who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion, and who sets himself with the greatest firmness to bear down profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy of his country.”

I agree wholeheartedly. Those in the media and those politicians who have attacked everything godly in this nation should be considered enemies of this country. They should never have been given these positions of leadership. We as a nation—including Christians—put these people in power. It’s easy to understand how politicians need our support to gain power; we vote them into office. But the same thing happens in Hollywood. Every time we pay to see an ungodly movie or pay for a subscription to their television channels, we are essentially “voting” for them. We keep them in power. What we need to do is to stop! If we stopped supporting them, they would not be able
to continue.

Too many Christians have been “fiddling while Rome burned.” We have focused “on our four and no more” and have not been players on a larger scale. It’s past time for us to stand up and be the salt and light the Lord called us to be (Matt. 5:13-14).

I urge you to think about what I’m saying. We must get involved. Christians are still the single largest group in this nation, and we can make a difference if we take a stand against this present culture. In the next few months, you will be hearing more specific ways that you can let your voice be heard. If you want to stay updated on these developments, please subscribe to our list, so you can be the first to be contacted as things progress.

I’m taking a stand. I ask you to join me.

Andrew Wommack

Let’s Talk about Thankfulness

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: [2] For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.

2 Timothy 3:1-2, New King James Version

What’s the reason people are so unthankful in the last days? If we’ll stop and look around, it’s not like there isn’t enough to be thankful for. Notwithstanding recessions, most people—especially in America—live in relative prosperity. But as is common in times of prosperity, it’s easy to forget the Lord. We can see a clear example of this in the Old Testament.

Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

Judges 8:34, NKJV

[They] forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. [12] Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Psalm 78:11-12, NKJV, brackets mine

It’s hard to be thankful for something you don’t remember. It takes effort to remember. That’s why Scripture says to “forget not all His benefits” (Ps. 103:2, NKJV, emphasis mine). Even if we have a lot to be thankful for, and even if we’re getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving—one of America’s biggest holidays—it’s easy to lose sight that all good things come from God.

Here is a verse that goes along with that idea:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17, NKJV

This is awesome! God never changes. That means He will always give us
good things!

But if we are not ones who forget what God has done, something else we should watch out for is pride. If we’re focused on self, that will get in the way of acknowledging and thanking God. Check this verse out:

What do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

1 Corinthians 4:7b, NKJV

Thankfulness takes humbling oneself. Second Timothy 3 says that humility in the last days will be in short supply. In times past, I never would have said it was a pride issue when I didn’t feel like thanking God. My position was one where I thought God hadn’t been good enough to me. I’d offer up half-hearted praise. But for me, holding back my thankfulness was pride. I’m learning to “give unto the Lord the glory due to His name” (Ps. 29:2, NKJV). That means doing it when I feel like it and when I don’t.

Finally, fear can keep us from being thankful. Have you ever thought you would look silly to others if you really expressed thanks to God? If so, that’s the fear of man. Ask yourself: “What’s so funny about being thankful for all the wonderful things God has done in my life?” Think about the
following verse: 

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.

Psalm 33:1, NKJV

I like that. Praise is beautiful! I also like this verse:

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.

Psalm 92:1a, King James Version

Praise is good! There’s an old hymn called “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow.” Here are the lyrics:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

It’s a simple song, really. But today, perhaps more than ever, these are words that ought to be on our lips and spring from our hearts.

This Thanksgiving, remember what God has done in your life. Humble yourself and thank Him. It’s a beautiful thing!

How do you plan to be thankful this holiday season? We’d love to hear about your holiday traditions.

Written by David Moore II

For resources and products in the U.S., visit www.awmi.net; outside the U.S., visit www.awme.net.

The Importance of One

“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? . . . [14] Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”

Matthew 18:12 and 14, New King James Version, emphasis mine

When Jesus walked the earth, He often preached the Gospel of the kingdom to crowds, and most of us probably know of present-day evangelists and disciples of Christ who do the same. But crowds are only important because they are made up of many “ones.” In the Father’s eyes, the value of each individual is beyond calculation.

You can see this truth on more than one occasion in the Scriptures. Jesus took time to go after the “one” as He was directed by the Father: the woman at the well, the Gadarene demoniac, the man at the pool of Bethesda.

Imagine the ripple effect created by His reaching out to one. What was the fruit of His obedience?

Most of us know what happened with the woman at the well. Because Jesus took the time to speak with her one-on-one and meet her need for living water, she spread the news about Him throughout her entire town. Many who heard her testimony believed on Jesus, and many more came to believe He was the Christ after hearing Him for themselves (John 4:39-42).

What about the Gadarene demoniac? After Jesus delivered him, he wanted to remain with Him, but Jesus told him to go home and tell about everything God had done for him. So, he went his way and “proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:39, NKJV). It’s interesting to note that when Jesus returned to the Gadarene area, the people“ran throughout that whole surrounding region” (Mark 6:55, NKJV) to bring the sick to be healed. They were eager to hear and be healed by Jesus, and this former demoniac’s witness “throughout the whole city” probably played a big part in that.

And then there’s the lame man at the pool of Bethesda who was healed. Scripture doesn’t share much about the fruit from that encounter. Maybe the former lame man went back to the pool regularly to encourage everyone there to seek out Jesus. Based on these previous examples, we can guess that others ended up getting healed. Maybe entire families and towns were impacted by Jesus’s obedience during that encounter. We can only imagine the impact created by Jesus going after this “one.”

Now through December 1, on the Gospel Truth broadcasts, Andrew will be focusing on the fruit of discipleship. Be sure to tune in and hear about how present-day disciples in Kenya and the Congo are “seeking the one” and bringing forth fruit.

On November 15, Andrew shares how Charis graduate Dottie Haymond, a West Virginia country girl now living in Kenya, went after one newborn and rescued the child from certain death. This disciple is taking in “throwaways” and impacting the next generation in Kenya with the love and Word of God.

On November 30, Andrew interviews Mike and Pat Heiser, Charis Bible College graduates also living in Kenya, who have rescued eighteen little “ones” off the street, many trapped in prostitution. These disciples have also graduated nearly 1,000 students from their twenty-six Bible colleges, with more than 200 churches being pastored by their alumni.

On December 1, listen in as Julie Mapatano shares how the Lord led her to start Redeeming Love Ministries in her home country of Congo. She is transforming her nation with God’s love by providing orphaned children with healthy food, proper medical care, sound schooling, and the Word of God.

What difference does “one” make? Tune in to Andrew’s broadcasts on the fruit of discipleship and find out. Never underestimate the impact of reaching out and investing in one!

Written by Sylvia F. Wells

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