DECEMBER 19-20

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" - Matthew 28:19

Yesterday we looked at people in the Bible who, over the centuries, were called by God, and, despite their fears, stepped forward and in faith, accepted the direction He had for their lives. Today we move forward into the 20^th century and take a brief look at one disciple who is making a difference.

“Everything in life belongs to God. Our purpose has already been mapped out.” So says David Luiz, Brazilian international soccer star. Brazil is a country filled with people who demonstrate joy and grit – people who smile despite life's difficulties. David was born and raised in in a modest home in Diadema, a simple city with a population of some 390,000 people. Diadema had no shopping centres, nor any of the modern facilities we take so much for granted. Set in the beauty of the natural wonders of the Amazon rainforest and the Iguacu falls – a country where people know the value of hard work. What David's parents lacked financially, they more than made up with joy and a secure home environment.

David made his debut in professional soccer aged just 19 years old. Wearing his number 4 jersey he's prominent on the pitch as he “defends the line.” But whether on or off the field, David shines, inspiring athletes around the world with his incredible skills and his unwavering faith. I won't go into his impressive list of achievements and awards during his career to date, but just say that time and again he tells other players that his life belongs to God, and demonstrates that, not in where he plays, but on how he plays. Like yesterday's disciples, he works hard, perseveres, and has an indomitable faith.

The Lord undoubtedly had more than soccer in mind when he called David to follow that avenue. Did He have in mind the charity, Acao Social David Luiz (David Luiz Social Action), an organisation that provides special events to people in his nation? This is funded by David from his earnings, and sponsors. David supports his family, and any neighbours in need, as well as distributing clothing, shoes and food to individuals and communities. Undoubtedly his worldwide fame enabled him to open many doors that would otherwise have remained closed, bringing relief and comfort to hundreds of needy people. In typical humility he gives all the glory and credit to God.

Yes, still today, one Christian can make a difference

For today's music “He's Got It All In Control” sung by B.J. Thomas. Click on the picture of David Luiz during a match, thanking God for the goal he has just scored.

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here