Who Are We Reflecting?

We can be a reflection of different things in life. There are many experiences we walk through in our journey that can have an affect on who we reflect. The truth is our Heavenly Father desires us to be a reflection of His Son Jesus. Yet how can we reflect someone if we do not know Him intimately? How do we come to know Him intimately? To the degree He has revealed light and truth, we can reflect Him. We are told in 1 John that we know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says “I know him, but does not do what he commands is a liar and does not have the truth in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him. Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Whose children are we?
Are we a reflection of our Father or the father of lies? In 1 John 3 we read, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” In verse 5 of the same chapter is says, “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. No lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is the man that denies that Jesus is the Christ. We are sons of God and not slaves to sin. He is righteous and everyone that does what is right has been born of Him. What a powerful truth of the love of the Father that brings about an intimate relationship and Sonship by purifying our hearts.

Intimacy with the Father Brings Purification
When we grasp this revelation and truth, we begin to see Him as He is and see areas of our hearts that do not reflect Him, but are a reflection of the father of lies. The kindness of the Father draws us to repentance and releases an anointing that leads us to deny ourselves and follow Christ. By denying ourselves, we begin to pick up our Cross and follow Him. What we reap in intimacy with Him is our love and devotion to please Him. Our choices make a statement to ourselves and others that Jesus is Lord. His promise is that we will know the Truth and the Truth will set us free. Jesus has not changed and He is still the Truth, the Way, and The Life. Let us begin to love Him with our actions that reflect our Father. This is where the rubber meets the road. Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. We can know we are in Him when we walk as Jesus did.

In John 8, Jesus said if we live by what He says we are truly His disciples. The disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them and their response was that they were Abraham’s descendants and were not slaves. They wondered how they could be set free if they were not slaves. It was like they could not see the forest for the trees. Whoever lives a sinful life is a slave to sin. Jesus also told them they were doing the things their own father did (the father of lies). They protested that they were not illegitimate children and the only Father they had was God himself.

Jesus said to the disciples if God were their Father, they would love Him, because He came from God. One statement that stands out in His response about the Jews was that they belonged to their father the devil, and they wanted to carry out their father’s desire. “He that belongs to God hears what God says. The reason we do not hear is that we do not belong to God.” (Jn 8:44; 47) Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Are we slaves, or are we sons of God? Do we reflect our Heavenly Father or the father of lies?

Children of God
We have a choice. We can choose obedience or rebellion against God. The true test of Christian character is obedience. We can choose to obey God and listen to His voice or, we can choose to listen to the father of lies, the devil. In 1 Samuel 12:14-14 it reads, “If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God - good! But if you do not obey the Lord, and if you rebel against His commands, His hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.” Obedience is better than sacrifice. By walking as children of God we receive the Father’s blessing and the inheritance promised to us as His children.

In Psalm 24:3-6 it says, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior. Such is the generation of those that seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.” As we come to Him we have confidence that we can go to Him as His children. Our going to Him brings about intimacy and purification, because He reveals His heart, nature, and character. We begin to know the height, width, and depth of the love of the Father for us His children. As we walk in obedience, it is not because we know it is the right thing to do, we begin to make these choices of obedience out of our love devotion for Him. When we do that it brings a deeper revelation of who He is, who our Heavenly Father is and the power of His glory. In verse 7 of Psalm 24 it reads, “Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Open the door to your heart and choose to walk in obedience. Obedience to God will bring purification and intimacy. Know Him and make Him known!

Heart to Heart Connections

This month we had the blessing of hosting a pastor and his wife and family from Budapest Hungary. We worked with them last May in Budapest and God continues to knit our hearts in a deeper way. He also began building relationships here in the region of Northern Indiana for them. We had unique times of worship, prayer, and fellowship with different families, people of different nationalities, churches, and denominations. It was like God gave them a cool drink of water here in Indiana. Their children enjoyed seeing the wildlife and going fishing. Their oldest son caught a large mouth bass, which was quite an experience for this 9 year old. Their youngest son enjoyed roasting marshmallows over an open fire.

We also witnessed the beauty of the Lord demonstrated through a group of ladies that had a fellowship tea for the pastor’s wife. Each one shared nuggets of wisdom that God has deposited over the years with one another. We also had a time of prayer for this pastor’s wife. It was like an oasis in the midst of a desert.

Mission to Hungary

We have another exciting opportunity to build the Kingdom of God in Budapest Hungary this September 7 to 28, 2004. We will be serving once again with Ray and Barbara Miller of Indiana. Our efforts will be concentrated with three of the churches we served last May 2003. In this mission initiative, we will strengthen and deepen the relationships with these key churches, and minister to the pastors, their wives and families, and their leadership teams, in the regional district of Budapest.

Last year, we worked with seven churches of different denominations in this same region, as well as, served a group of pastors and their congregations in a region about 50 kilometers from Budapest. We are excited to return to encourage these congregations. It is our heart to continue to nurture these relationships He has connected us to at a deeper level.

The team will have times of teaching and preaching at all of these churches. A retreat has been scheduled with the host church. We will be teaching on Hearing the Voice of God and Ministering Spiritual Gifts.

The cost per team member is approximately $1,700 and the total budget for this mission initiative is approximately $5,100. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with this mission team and initiative in prayer and finances? We would like to have the funds available before August 15, 2004. You may make your checks payable to Master’s Touch Ministries and note in the memo section Hungary Mission.

If you would like to be a part of our prayer team, you may send an e-mail to: prayer@masterstouchministries.org and note in the subject line add me to Hungary Mission Prayer Team. Together we will impact these people, as they impact their district, city, and the nation of Hungary. You will receive updates from the team on the mission field.

Together we are joining our resources and forces to expand His Kingdom!

Master’s Touch Prayer Focus

PRAY FOR:
• The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ to continue to be revealed for Master’s Touch Ministries. (Eph. 1:17-19)

• To see and hear the council of the Lord and to speak His word faithfully. (Jer. 23:18, 28)

• Prophetic Insight for the people and nations Master’s Touch Ministries serves. (Phil. 1:9-11)

• Integrity in all aspects of ministry and for Godly character to be reflected in all Master’s Touch Ministries is involved with. (1 Thes. 2:4-8)

• Attributes of Jesus Christ to be manifested personally and in all ministry service.

• The Father of glory to continue to root and establish us in His love through His Spirit in our inner being that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:14-19)

• Hungary team: Ray & Barb Miller and Charlene Lopez—May His Kingdom come in their lives.

MISSION PRAYER NEEDS:
• For the leadership teams in the different churches that Master’s Touch Ministries serves, such as pastors, their wives, and their respective leadership teams. May they continue to be encouraged by the Lord and strengthened in the work that has been entrusted to them.

• For God to release revelation, insight, and strategies for our continued work in the nation of India and for the host pastors and the tribal pastors and their families that we served that God will continue to give them faith, strength, peace, boldness, and perseverance in the tribal regions and villages they serve.

• For 2 Peter 1:5-11 to be demonstrated and also manifested in the lives of those that Master’s Touch serves.

• For the three churches we will serve in Budapest this September: Tabernacle of David, House of Prayer, and Church of Christ that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation will be released in the hearts of the people. (Eph. 1:17-19)

Thank you for your continued partnership, prayers and support!




Paul and Kati Henderson of Hungary

District Pastoral Group of Budapest

Fisherman’s Bastion
In Budapest