Salvation.pkg

Dig into your salvation, there is more there than you think! We have been given many items along with the salvation that became ours when we chose Jesus' gift. I say, dig in!

Paul said it too: Php 2:12* Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

If I may rephrase this verse...Paul says, 'You have always listened to my guidance, even in my absence. So now, even though I am not there, make note of this: Cultivate your salvation, using the inclusive things that God has given you, with a goal to bring yourself to completion in your experience, in Him. Do this knowing that it is all God, and none of yourselves, and humbly walk in Him and with the new possessions you find each day. Salvation is great...greater than you think! (The New VL Version)

I look at salvation as if it were a package. A package so big and so full that I could never get to everything in it. Each item is exciting and new. Surprise and joy come with each 'dive' into the package! We may find deliverance in an area that we thought we were doomed to fail in. We may find compassion for a person that we had once written off as the enemy. We will find grace for every turn in life.

Then there are talents. There are giftings. Areas that we find ourselves mysteriously proficient in for the Glory of God. Things that we could never accomplish before, now become lifestyle for us.

We find people in there too. Well, not the actual persons, but encounters with people. New brothers and sisters that come on the scene, each of them digging into their own package! Great fun and happiness!

We also find opportunities in the package. Places to minister. A new call to a new area of ministry. We find ourselves in situations that include people that need what God has taught us. And we find the Grace to share with them in the Love of God!

There is so much more, more than we can ask or think, in our package!

Imagine having such a package, but not opening it. Imagine choosing the status quo instead. After all, we know what is normal in life, with no risks and no adventure.

That would be silly, wouldn't it?

Don't be silly, then!

Dive in, and see what God has for you today!

New Diggs

We are setting up shop for the new home of Verticalink International in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The Caribbean climate will lend itself to training and retreats year round, and the Universities on the island are populated with open and honest young adults in various pursuits of higher education.

In our first week here we have seen one young man come back to Christ after a long time of turning away, and, in the midst of our own settling in, have met many people that welcome the Gospel into their lives.

Watch for updates regarding Verticalink on campus in Puerto Rico, as well as opportunities to visit and share with us in the campus ministry experience!

The 5th element - Dynamic Discipleship

In concluding our recap of the Five Elements of Verticalink Campus Ministries, we come to the one which we have titled Dynamic Discipleship.

Curiously, one dictionary defines discipleship as 'The state of attempting to follow the example of Jesus'. I look at it a little differently, in that I take issue with the suggestion that discipleship is 'trying to follow' Jesus. We don't try, we just follow, by faith. Thus, it becomes dynamic. It is a walk that is adventurous, exciting, and challenging. It is always changing, because we are constantly changing through this walk of Discipleship.

For many people today, life is unchanging. When asked how they have been, a common answer would be, ' Same as always', or 'Same stuff, different day'. This is because life without the Holy Spirit is static. It doesn't change, and the simple reason is that people do not change people. We can cause another person's behavior to change. We can alter someone's thinking. We can even force people into submission. But this does not change the one overwhelming truth that mankind lives under. All of us are under the inherent results of sin. This is a permanent state of being for man. There will always be guilt and the hundreds of ways in which it demonstrates itself. There will always be death. There will continue to be sin and evil in man's heart. These things are perpetual.

Unless....

Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. (Romans 5:18-19 in The Message Bible)

We needed God to get us out of the mess we were in. He did it. We now need Jesus to bring us into a new life with Him. He did it, and is performing it daily in our lives, as we walk with Him.

Join us in this Dynamic Discipleship lifestyle! It is the only thing that can truly be called 'life changing'.

VL Element #4: Joyful Worship

Next in our list of VL Elements is Joyful Worship.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I like to think of worship as 'ultimate focus' upon God. I focus upon Him and His leading in my life. I concentrate on His greatness. I allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in my thinking toward The Savior. I am drawn into prayer. The gift of salvation and the power of the resurrection are displayed clearly in my thoughts. This is worship!

The power of worship is revealed by its affects upon the worshipper. Peace is defined. Strength is renewed. Joy is abundant!

So, how do we 'perform' worship? I like to think of the 3 factors of worship.

1. Concentration. I give myself over to concentration on that which God is saying to me. He speaks to me through His Word. He also speaks to me in a still small voice. When there is preaching or teaching, He speaks to me in specifics. So, it is very important to listen.

2. Praise. Worship is not defined as praise, but praise is part of worship. When I praise God, I give thanks to Him and honor Him with my voice. I sing, making a joyful noise unto Him. I bless Him and magnify Him in the midst of my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Praise energizes man and blesses God.

3. Walk. Walking with God in obedience to His leading and guidance is worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth. As I work out my salvation, in learning and response, I bring Glory to Him, and thus I worship.

Joyful worship sets us apart from daily grind. It renews a right spirit in us. It takes the focus off of us and places it where it belongs, upon Him.

Come and worship with us!

VL Element #3 Is Engaging Fellowship

Fellowship could be defined as conversation among people that are associated with one another through a common union. Engaging fellowship takes it a step farther, into the realm of conversation with an attraction, or with the characteristics that draw another person into the fellowship.

Koinonia is the greek word that is translated as fellowship in the Bible. The meaning conveys fellowship that is intimate in that its participants have likeness of understanding and unity in purpose.

Element number 3 in our list is Engaging Fellowship. Like each of our elements, this one is vital to a healthy Christian walk. We, at Verticlink, understand and promote such fellowship often. Many of us have learned first hand the perils of being outside of fellowship, and the joy of joining in.

I love Psalm 119:63, which says:

I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

A companion is one that united with, or closely associated with another.

Our relationships with one another are vital to our Spiritual growth. We need each, not in a familiar, carnal way, but in a caring, involved way. I have always said that there are no happy Lone Rangers in Christianity.

It takes some getting used to for some people to have a close, pure relationship with others. The type of relationship where there are no expectations, except for God to work. The type of relationships where the other person is the most important.

Join with us for engaging conversations that can change your life!

The 2nd Element - Scripture Discovery

They said to one another, "Didn't our hearts burn within us when He talked with us along the road, and He opened the scriptures to us?" Luke 24:32

There are not many things more astonishing than discovering the marvels of the Scriptures. There are 31173 verses in the Bible, and they make up the most wonderful garden of Grace, Mercy, and Love known to mankind. At any time, any paragraph in the Bible could come alive to us with rich and full meaning. There is no end to its impact. It continues to be fresh and new each day.

I can imagine the disciples talking about it, as they compared the passion that was stirred in their hearts from just one Bible Study with Jesus. There was probably very little sleep that evening for them. The Word's came alive to them, and energized them in the faith. They saw things they had never seen before about themselves and about God. Things correlated for them. Confusion was gone. Realization was thrilling. It was a remarkable thing.

I cannot begin to recall all the times that I have had similar experiences. I do know that the most recent time was today, however. Before that, it was last night. It all works together for a truly exceptional life.

Don't you agree? I think you do, if you have had a discovery in the Scriptures.

We can help others explore the Bible for discoveries. It is, in fact, what we do. It is what is done for us, as well, as we fellowship together with those that know the Word.

Our desire for others is that they come to know the calling that God has for them, and the riches that they have inherited. So we guide each other into the Word. Ephesians 1:17-18

Discover new things in the Scriptures today!

The Five Elements of Verticalink Revisited

Relevant outreach, Scripture discovery, engaging fellowship, joyful worship, and dynamic discipleship are the key elements to which Verticalink Campus Ministries adheres.

Each of these represent a topic that worthy of discussion on its own, and I think each should be revisited from time to time.

The elements of an organization are those points that have been identified as the rudiments, or the foundational points of the workings of it. This is important to help keep a steady course as circumstances and people change.

In the Bible, we have many key elements of our faith. These are truths that are not subject to change, but are solid and dependable. We must have these foundational structures upon which to build solid, stable lives. Additionally, once we have identified them, we must rest upon them, and not waver away from them into destruction. See Matthew 7:24-27

Thus, we begin to, once again, take a close look at these five elements. From this, we hope to find hidden treasures that will refresh our thinking and increase our faith.

The first is relevant outreach. When we speak of relevancy, we are pointing toward God and Truth, and not toward the world system of philosophy and secularism. In other words, outreach is related to the absolutes of Biblical Truth, and not to the ever changing winds of modern thought. See Ephesians 4:14-15

Reaching out in evangelism is simply offering an opportunity to a person. It is an opportunity to receive the life that God has designed for the individual, and to link up with the God of the Universe. Knowing God is the greatest of all knowledge, and without it, the lesser practicums are seriously deficient. How can I know anything clearly if I do not yet know the One Who created all things?

In outreach we may debate on issues. We might reason over philosophies. We could even enter into long conversations about issues in society or history. Through all of this, however, we will strive to keep the relevance where it belongs, that being God and HIs care for desire for the person.

Whether we use a few words or long discourses, the end of the matter is the same. Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which is lost. If a person will transfer their trust to Him, and receive Him as their Saviour, meaningful life will begin for them, and that life will be everlasting!