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But now that you know God--or rather are known by God--

(Galatians 4:9a)

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This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who works Covenant faithfulness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

(Jeremiah 9: 23-24)

 

As ministers of the Gospel our vision is to help others to know and understand God. Christians believe God accomplishes this great goal in us as we remind one another of our union with Jesus Christ by grace through faith.  We proclaim Paul's Gospel, "we know Him, because He has first known us."

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"Knowing God," or rather "being known by Him," is especially important for leaders in the Church. The shepherds of God's people, especially, must be shepherded in this Truth! We must remind one another that we are "in Christ," and because of that great union, we are accepted, cherished and treasured. We are known and loved by our heavenly Father, the one who always acts rightly on our behalf!

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But who will "shepherd the shepherds in this truth?" Who will remind pastors and church leaders of their union with Jesus and encourage them to live out that mysterious and wonderful union so they will bless their communities with the Promise of Life, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

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After over twenty years of pastoral ministry, God helped me to discover that pastors need to be coached and cared for just like the rest of His sheep. For that reason, I accepted a call with World Reach to remind my brothers who lead the church about their union with Jesus so they will know Him better. I try to help them in three specific ways.

 

First, I point leaders to God's pattern for knowing Him through His Covenants, namely: A) God loves and invites us to Himself. B) He makes promises and pledges to us. C) He gives us leaders who teach us the process by which we learn to know Him and live His life with Him... and others ("the life that is truly life"). He also (D) indwells us and transforms us more and more into the likeness of Christ. 

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Second, when teaching in the World Reach Bible Institutes I strive to show others the unity of the Scriptures.  The Bible is mainly about God's grace to His people in Jesus Christ. Jesus is at the center of God's Story of Redemption.

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The third way I help fellow leaders is by Gospel Coaching.  Over the past couple of years I have developed friendships with men in Colombia and Kenya and now have the opportunity to "walk with them" in their lives through Zoom or Google conference calls. Together, we want to "know and understand" our God. We study Scripture, along with books and articles which point us again and again to God's great love for us in Christ. We pray for one another, especially for our families. Most of all, we encourage one another to cherish our union with Jesus. What a great privilege to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of these men!

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Thank you for reading this. I hope you have a better idea of "Knowing God Together" and my calling with World Reach.  May God help us all to better understand His love for us in Christ and our wonderful and mysterious union with Him.