The ministry of Mission One Million has resolved to operate under the following God-given values and to trust in the Lord for all accomplishments under these principles.
WE EXIST TO GLORIFY GOD
“Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” (Isaiah 43:7) By definition, the glory of God is the abounding weight and richness of God’s splendor, honor, glorious nobility, sovereignty, beauty, abundance and the great physical weight or “quantity” of God and His limitless worth. The glory of God is the revelation and manifestation of all that God has and is.
This ministry lives to voice, praise, worship and act for the glory of God. We desire and live for God to be recognized for His importance, worth and significance and we do this by upholding the attributes of God by our words and actions. Thus, this ministry exists to glorify God by celebrating the sovereignty of God over all things with every expression and to magnify and ascribe honor to Him who is the “I AM THAT I AM” by every deed. George Whitefield said, “Let the name of Whitefield perish, but Christ be glorified.” Our goal is not for a great name or ministry, but for our Father to receive all glory and honor. We believe that the avenue in which God the Father receives glory and honor is through our fruitfulness in Christ. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8) This fruit is Christ’s and must not come from the resources of corrupt man or it will not glorify God. It is Christ’s fruit that comes by abiding in Him alone.
We agree with John Piper when he said, “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied (abiding) in Him.” This ministry strives to abide in Christ so that we might bear the pure fruit of God and therefore, accomplish the ultimate goal of proclaiming God’s glorious reputation. “God’s Glory” must always be our chief end because He is worthy of this effort! “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:11)
Knowing God
“Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him who does not know God.” (Job 18:21) The greatest need in the kingdom of God today is men that know their God. So often, we profess to know God, but our works deny Him. “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” (Titus 1:15-16) If we do not know God we will be disqualified from every good work.
The definition of “Knowing God” is one who has a growing relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ; one who acknowledges the Lord Jesus Christ for who He is – both Savior and Lord – and through the drawing of the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit accepts Jesus as Savior and submits to His Lordship. All sincere believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, at the time of salvation, begin a relationship with Christ and an ever growing knowledge of Him. This knowledge is called “ginosko” in the New Testament Greek and is described as: be aware (of), feel, (have) know (-ledge), perceived, be resolved, be sure, understand; to have personal acquaintance or experience with. In Philippians 3:7-15, Paul’s major passion is to get more knowledge of Christ by experience. “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Himand the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:7-15) Andrew Murray said, “Our one need is to study and know and trust the life that has been revealed in Christ and the life that is now ours.”
In addition, ginosko means: to “know” (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications; frequently suggests inception or progress in “knowledge”; a constant and progressive experience of “knowing”; an active relationship between the one who “knows” and the person or thing “known”. We, therefore, do not believe that you can measure “knowing God” simply through praying a prayer of salvation or through going to church but by the fruit that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ produces and an ever growing relationship with Christ. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)
LOVING GOD
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”(Deuteronomy 6:7) Loving God is the first and greatest commandment. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.”(John 14:15) Love then is the greatest motivator for obedience to Christ and accomplishing His purposes. The ministry believes we must love Christ with all our being first and then the expression of our love for God, which is obedience to the commandments will follow. If love doesn’t come first, legalism (leading to death), will soon follow. If love does come first, we will keep the greatest commandments without a mark or scent of legalism. Love leads and compels but legalism drives and gives no life to its followers. Love beckons us to greater holiness and purity because we desire more intimacy with the One who has given His only begotten Son, so that we might have eternal life with Him.
THE WORD OF GOD
The Bible is true all together and God-breathed, thus, we must do all that it says! “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Compromising the word of God should not be an option to the true believer. In addition, you can only interpret the scriptures properly if you are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and seek to know and meditate upon His word. “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10)
The word of God is also hidden from the unregenerate in the world and they cannot comprehend nor do they care about the things of God. Therefore, we will not follow the dictates of this lost world. Only what is approved by the word of God will move this ministry. The ministry seeks to do only what the Spirit of God says, which will always be confirmed by the Word of God. We will not look for another avenue or way of guidance for the ministry or our lives. Only the Word and Spirit of God alone will direct us!
LIVING IN THE SPIRIT
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25) This form of living is totally dependant on the Holy Spirit guiding every decision and empowering every action. It never contradicts the Holy Scriptures and is always thinking of God’s eternal will, purposes and kingdom plan for all of mankind. Living in the Spirit is being heavenly minded in every decision, trusting God in all things, building as God directs, and expecting God’s full provision for every activity.
LIVING BY THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT
This is the law of grace that divinely influences our hearts to keep the commandments of God out of a deep and abiding love and gratitude for Christ. “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-16) When we live by the law of the Spirit we pray, “Make me like Jesus.” This far exceeds the Mosaic Law of living under a set of rules because the first is out of a relationship with the infinite God-Man, Jesus, and the second out of obligation and fear of judgment.
To live by grace is a greater rule than the law because we now serve the intent of the law by God’s grace. His laws are no longer written on tablets but on our hearts. If we don’t follow the commandments of God as Christians by the grace of God, Christ calls us lawless and He will declare “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”(Matthew 7:23) We understand that we were called into liberty through Christ (from sin and death) but cannot use it “as an opportunity for the flesh” but as an opportunity to, “through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Galatians 5:13-14) Therefore, we as a ministry glory as bondservants of Christ and proclaim in all our efforts, “let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24) and “not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians10:33)
LIVING BY FAITH
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) According to scripture, it is impossible to please God without faith. Therefore, all the activities of the ministry must be driven by faith and belief in God. The Bible says that the earth will burn up and all that we see will be lost. What is truly important is the part we cannot see. Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” If this is the case, the kingdom of God (which is unseen) far outweighs the circumstances and direction the world is going. This ministry exists to please God, thus we will serve God through faith in Him, His authority and purposes alone.
TRUSTING THE LORD
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) The Lord says that our job is to trust and His is to direct! Trust is a command that God gives to His disciples but the Lord also obligates Himself to be trustworthy. All who turn to God in trust will not be disappointed. Therefore, we entrust our confidence and reliance on the integrity, veracity, justice, and faithfulness of almighty God. If it be commanded of us to trust, we shall make this our goal and press in to conform all our conscience and heart to that end. God will be our ground of assurance, our pillar of strength and our deliverer from all our troubles. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.” (Psalms 46:1-3) The Lord will not turn His back on His sons but will love, correct and nurture them. We are always safe with God and thus we can trust Him always. We can hope in God to the last second and He will not disappoint!
DOING WHAT THE FATHER TELLS US
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” (John 5:30) “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
We believe that the will of God starkly contrasts and is completely different than the will of the world, the devil and the carnal flesh. “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19) With this being the case, we must fight against the enemies of God and do only what the Father tells us to do. Man’s will (the carnal mindset) cannot be a component in ministry activity no matter how lofty the idea or plan may sound, lest the Father’s will be corrupted by the presence of sin. This means there will be many times of waiting, seeking, listening, crying out in prayer and adhering strictly to the Word of God and listening to the Holy Spirit alone for direction with every activity and plan.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) It is the Father’s will that we trust only in Him and that He receive all the glory because He is the only One worthy of all glory and all trust.
PRAYER
We believe that prayer is the main channel in which all the needs of the ministry will be met. When we go before the throne of grace, in the name of Christ, our Father hears us and then determines the best means in which to answer our prayers. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
According to John 15:7, our efforts should be spent on abiding in the Spirit of Christ and His words and all that we ask will be given and done for us. Therefore, our main passion in this ministry is abiding and praying. Though, at times, we may present the needs of the ministry to the body of Christ, we will trust only in the Lord to provide for those needs. “If this ministry is of the Lord, then He will be our Patron. If He is with us, He will direct His people to give and we will prosper. If He is not with us, we will not and should not succeed.” (Paul Washer)
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
We believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Scriptures, and that they are valid for today and are extremely valuable to the body of Christ if they are exercised within scriptural guidelines. We believe there is a great need to use these gifts in the body for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. Too often the church has resorted to the arm of the flesh instead of the hand of the Spirit which flows, oftentimes, through the gifts of the Spirit. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11) We, as believers, are to covet the best gifts, seeking to exercise them in love so that the whole body of Christ might be edified. We believe that love is more important than the most spectacular gifts, and without this love all exercise of spiritual gifts is worthless. (1 Corinthians 14)
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
We believe the Bible when it says, “we do not war according to the flesh.” (2 Corinthians 10:3) This means that our fight is “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12-13) This being the case, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) We believe the weapons of God are the Word of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We war then, as Christians, with virtue and love in the authority of Christ.
We believe there is a great need for deliverance inside the body of Christ. The need for deliverance is manifested by an inability to be free from bondage: e.g., mental (emotional), physical or spiritual normally associated with demon activity. It is God’s desire to bring deliverance to His people. (Job 5:19, Psalms 91:3, II Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 2:15; II Peter 2:9) We have been granted the authority in the name of Jesus to bring deliverance to others. (Mark 16:17; John 14:12; I Corinthians 12:8-11) We must understand that our warfare is with the forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), our weapon is the Word of God, our authority and power is from Jesus Himself (Mark 16:17, Acts 1:8) and the battlefield is, first of all, in the spiritual realm. (Ephesians 6:10-18; II Corinthians 10:3-5; Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:22-23)
BEING AS HOLY AS MINISTRY CAN BE
We choose not to look to the world’s methods of developing an organization, but to the Holy Scriptures and God’s Holy Spirit. We have been mandated to “be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16) Holy means to cut off and be separate, distinct and unique in moral and ethical wholeness or perfection; freedom from evil of any kind. The otherness of God denotes that which is “sanctified”, “sacred”, “clean”, “consecrated” or “set apart” for divine service; not common, nor vulgar, profane, unjust or impure. The holiness of God is of infinite worth, purity, perfection and cannot be calculated or compared with anything.
In the scriptures, holiness is one of the essential elements of God’s nature required of His people. When you become a believer, the bible says you receive the “Holy Spirit.” God’s high expectations of His people flow out of His own holy nature:”You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6); “Sanctify yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 20:7)
Jesus was the very personification of holiness. He reinforced God’s demands for holiness by insisting that His disciples have a higher quality of righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees who upheld the law to the highest degree. (Matthew 5:20) This holy righteousness Jesus spoke of was an inward work which only lovers of God, full of the Holy Spirit and God’s grace, can acquire. When the Word says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice” (Matthew 12:7), this can only come from an inward work of God and not an outward work of religious holiness. Therefore, this ministry’s desire is that all our conduct be ever growing in holiness, from the outward action to the inward thought; that all our motives be for the glory of God (not self-interest) and where we lack in holiness, we commit to renewing our minds to be like Christ. We will ask the hard questions like, “Is this the perfect, pure will of God?” and “Does this fulfill God’s good pleasure?” If we hesitate or believe it to be one degree outside of God’s will or holiness, we will look at it as God looks at it, “a detestable thing” and discard that thought or action immediately. We must be very careful to maintain holiness out of our growing love for God and His worth. “And may the Lord make you increase in love and abound in love…so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)
The motive for desiring holiness must come out of a growing recognition of God’s worth and then responding to that worth. We do not separate ourselves to self, but to God, and this will always guard us from legalism and self-righteousness. Lastly, we remain totally dependant on God for the least amount of holiness that can be acquired, thus, it is not our effort that achieves the goal but our humility and dying that ushers in the holiness of God in this ministry.
TRUE HUMILITY
Humility is the soil in which all of the attributes and gifts of God sit and take strong root. Humility says, “I am nothing, God is all. Lord be all in me!” Andrew Murray said, “He (man) must consent to be, with his will, his mind, and his affections, the form and the vessel in which the life and glory of God are to work and manifest themselves.” As men, to be truly noble and vessels of honor, we must yield to God His rightful place in our lives. Andrew Murray also said that, “the first and chief mark of the relationship of man with God, the secret of his blessedness, is the humility and nothingness which leaves God free to be all.” Nothing is so terrible, dangerous, destructive and all pervasive to the believer than pride. It thinks and considers only self which blinds the eyes, stops the ears from hearing and clouds the mind from thinking clearly. It is an enemy to God and His purposes. “…be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)
As a ministry, we believe pride is so ingrained and threaded through all men that only by crying out to God, studying the life of Christ and fully leaning on the grace of God will we, as men, be able to embrace and value true humility. Therefore, we strive to fight pride and seek Christ-like humility so that God can be all and all in this Christian organization. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men …He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-9)
The beginning step that Christ insists His followers take is denial and death to self. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matt 16:24) As a Christian ministry we believe that we are not worthy to call ourselves Disciples of Christ if we are not willing to deny ourselves and die daily to all pride and those things which displease our God. This humility must be what we strive for moment by moment, by the spirit of grace, if we are to please God and be a vessel that Christ is happy to fill with Himself. Christ had no sin and yet He humbled Himself, hence, sin is not the key ingredient to godly humility. The book of Philippians speaks of choosing servant hood, emptying ourselves, submitting to the will of God and being lowly and meek. This must be the root of godly humility and the mind of Christ. As sinful creatures we must surely humble ourselves and die to all pride which had its inception in wanting to be like God during the fall of man.
INTEGRITY
This ministry is committed to the utmost integrity in all its dealings because we are commissioned and serve a righteous and holy God. (The definition of integrity is – wholeness; purity; genuine, unadulterated, unimpaired state of any thing, particularly of the mind; moral soundness; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. Integrity comprehends the whole moral character, but has a special reference to uprightness in mutual dealings, transfers of property, and money.)
We will strive in the power of Christ to be like Noah in a world full of perverseness and corruptibility. “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9) We understand that this ministry is run by mere human beings (dust and ash) and that we will make mistakes and miss the Lord’s purposes at times, but we are committed to humility and repentance for our failures and will seek God for His great mercies in these matters. However, we are devoted to integrity even to our own hurt and losses, for we believe this pleases God. “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.’” (Job 2:3)
SELF DENIAL
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26) Self denial is a key component in the disciplines of the Christian walk and ministry. It is so important that Christ declares that we cannot be His disciples unless we hate our own lives. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”(Luke 14:26) Thus, even being a part of the family of God requires dying to our own lives. This being the case, our ministry chooses to disavow, refuse, disown and terminate our lives (the old man) so that the life of Christ can have full expression in our members. “We voluntarily refuse the legitimate pleasures of this world” (Numbers 6) “for the extreme pleasure of knowing God.” (Psalm 16) “This passion for Jesus is born not of legalism, but out of love.” (Eddy Brown) We do not wish to subject ourselves to worldly passions, thinking or those things in which Christ died for. We desire to view ourselves as bondservants of Christ (voluntary love slaves) and to do only what pleases our master. Self denial should be in every part of the working of the ministry so that in all things Christ is honored and glorified.
LOVING THE BODY OF CHRIST
“LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells.” (Ps 26:8) The ministry believes the body of Christ is “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) We must cherish the work that the Lord is doing in His body and love the sheep of His pasture with an undying passion. The church is the greatest instrument God has chosen to advance His purposes and kingdom. The body is then promised to be, “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:23)
In Ephesians, Paul compares the church to wives and shares the love and desire Christ has for the body: “…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-28) We desire to uphold God’s passion and love for His body by guarding everything we do with partnering churches and in all things having a partiality towards the body being holy and without blemish. Our hearts truly beat for those called to lead His church and we want to support God’s shepherds in a biblical way so that the entire body benefits and is strengthened for the Lord’s work in this generation. We commit to preach and teach the Word of God with the utmost care and concern for God’s bride as well as understanding that there is a greater judgment upon those who teach and preach the Word. His will is our want, that the Bride of Christ be presented as a glorious church, “…that in all things He may have the preeminence.” (Col 1:18)
FUNDRAISING
We believe that the Church is so important to God that we must never manipulate, coerce, use heavy handed tactics or trick the Body into giving for any cause in the ministry regardless of how desperate the situation may seem to us. We will trust the Lord to fund all our projects and monthly expenses. We will express our needs by crying out to God in prayer, trusting in the Holy Spirit to move and simply sharing the needs with Christians in an edifying way without sales and marketing techniques (which we believe undermines the working of the Holy Spirit and leads people into making merely an emotional decision). We will never seek or ask non-believers (who are dead toward God) to give to the Lord’s work because we believe this mocks God’s power to fund His will through His people. However, if the non-believer is compelled to give because they are touched by the ministry’s work, we will not refuse their gift unless for some reason it might corrupt the holy purposes of God.
WE WILL NOT CONTRACT DEBTS
If the Lord is directing the ministry in any way, He will bestow the means in which to accomplish His will. Indebtedness is contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the New Testament. “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) This will also ensure that the Lord, and not the hand of man, is doing the work. We do not wish to strive to make something happen in the ministry or to enlarge the work by our might but desire to see the Lord move in His sovereign timing. When we wait, we pay the price of patience and longsuffering, but when we take on debt, we pay the price of bondage and face the chance of the name of Christ being shamed if we miss payments or can’t pay the debt. Christ intends for us to be free from all bondage and owe nothing but love.
MAKING DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matt 28:18-20) The Bible mandates us to make disciples, not to save people; this being the case, in all our endeavors, discipleship must be the chief aim and desire when expanding God’s purposes and plan. When we look at discipleship with this view, salvation is the initial step in entering the Kingdom of God, not the end of our efforts. The process of discipleship should looks like this: salvation first (which awakens us from death to life) then becoming a learner and imitator of Christ which is a process that starts in this world and continues into eternity. Discipleship is so important that if one does not bear the marks of a disciple it should be assumed that they never truly received salvation. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6)
A disciple (meaning: enrolled to become a scholar) of Christ is a student and learner as well as an adherent (meaning: believer, devotee and advocate) and imitator of Christ. A disciple is called to abide in the Word and Spirit of our Lord as a branch abides in the vine. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (John 15:4) This abiding leads to action that confesses submission and the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. There are many expressions of discipleship in Christianity today; however, this ministry feels that we must follow Christ’s example and the Bible’s direction in how to make disciples. Scripture clearly indicates some of the following necessities to discipling people: the teacher spends much time in small groups and one on one with the students; teaching the Word of God, the Word’s application and proper theology (the science which teaches the existence, character and attributes of God, His laws and government, the doctrines we are to believe, and the duties we are to practice.); the teacher believes and walks in what is taught; the teacher applies his instruction and lessons with the students observing, then sends out the students to do likewise; quality and depth of a disciple’s heartfelt understanding is most valued, not the quantity of people being discipled; teaching the disciples to love each other, “as I [Jesus] have loved you”(John 13:34); commitment being declared constantly and to the highest degree portraying a “forsaking all” attitude. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple… So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27 & 33) This list is not all encompassing and can be expanded, but the concepts behind each point, we believe, are derived from scripture and best express the heart of God in training up disciples for His glory and name’s sake.
In conclusion, whatever method the ministry chooses to use in implementing the discipleship process and our values (which are listed above), must be scrutinized and evaluated regularly to ensure that the true fruit of the Holy Spirit is evident in every disciple. “…every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matt 7:17-20) We live to see the fruit of the Spirit thriving in those the Lord makes us responsible to disciple and desire to make every effort toward the deep wells of God and to drink in His living water.
COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS
Covenant Relationship is a coming together of two or more persons/churches/organizations with a mutual consent or agreement to do or to withhold some act or thing with like minds and hearts. To make a covenant means to make a formal and binding agreement. It involves promises on the part of each, to the other, and for Christians it is a solemn agreement between certain members of the body of Christ, which they will walk in together according to the precepts of the gospel and the word of God, in brotherly affection. In the world a contract generally involves only one part of a person, such as a skill or talent, while a covenant covers a person’s total being. The Old Testament contains examples of covenants between people who related to each other as equals. For example, David and Jonathan entered into a covenant because of their love for one another. This agreement bound each of them to certain responsibilities toward one another. (1 Sam 18:3) In addition, a covenant relationship is extremely serious in its obligation and promise as well as impossible to keep without the overwhelming abundant grace of God. For example and to explain the severity: We use the phrase, “blood is thicker than water.” It usually refers to the strength of family relationships, but its original intent was different. It meant that the blood of the covenant surpassed the birth waters. Covenant relationships exceeded family ties in strength and durability. It is the strongest bond known to man and has both business and personal applications that extend past the human realm into the eternal. This being the case, we must be very careful who we enter into covenant relationship with and there should be no doubt in our minds as to each party’s reliability and character. However, no matter how difficult and demanding this partnership is, the Bible denotes that success in many areas of life and ministry and even our own survival at times depends on covenant relationships. Thus, we look forward to God being glorified and the great blessings and love that flow through covenant relationships.
Therefore, this ministry desires to develop relationships that are built on covenant to ensure accountability and a Christ-like nature in all that we do. Mission One Million is committed to binding ourselves with covenant agreements (in writing) with those ministries and leaders we work with overseas as well as living a covenant lifestyle (not necessarily in writing but in accountability) with those ministries and individuals that support Mission One Million. These covenants are intended to convey the heart and commitment that two people, churches, or organizations have towards one another. Through written agreement (or by spoken word for donors only) and by pledge, each party will keep their heart and dedication in the state and posture of the agreement for as long as the covenant stands. These agreements will be designed in such a way as to make the covenant the priority over self and family interests, and are also conditional upon each party keeping its terms and commitments. There is a penalty for breaking covenant and it is usually very severe and can lead to the breaking of the relationship. When two parties enter into covenant together there should be a mark of commitment and assurance clearly seen in both parties.
With this said, all Mission One Million Ministry Partners that have signed a covenant agreement are considered to be on the same level of commitment as any other covenant relationship in the bible such as David and Jonathan. The leadership of Mission One Million pledges their complete exchange of all that they are or will be to those who join themselves with M1M as covenant partners in advancing the Kingdom of God. This includes spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial help to the ministry partners as need arises under the direction of the board and president.
In exchange for covenant relationship with Mission One Million, the M1M leadership requires ministry partners to enter into covenant with Mission One Million only after acceptance of the following provisions: To agree with and accept the Tenets of Faith delineated in the By-Laws and Values of Mission One Million; To agree to accept and support the vision, ministry, and leadership of Mission One Million; To agree to support the ministry by serving in or leading various ministry projects, attending and participating in scheduled meetings, and regularly praying for the various ministries and leadership; To covenant together in refusing to entertain any worldliness according to the holy scriptures; If coming from another ministry or fellowship (and being approved to join M1M), agreeing to spend a reasonable period of time seeking the Lord to see if partnership with Mission One Million is truly God’s will, and then returning to their former ministry/fellowship and informing the leadership of their decision. We must always remember the covenant relationship is built on relationship and commitment and both must take place before any decision can be made to sign a Covenant Agreement.
In conclusion to this section we have added some encouraging scriptural references that we believe exalt the blessings, convey the heart and behavior, and identify what covenant relationship looks like among believes. (Rom 12:9-21, Gal 5:22-26, Eph 4:1-3, Eph 5:19-21, Phil 2:2-4, Col 3:12-17)