www.joshandjenny.
org
I think that when
Paul refers to himself as a
bond slave of Jesus (Romans
1:1) this is one of the most
accurate, beautiful illustra-
tions that could be given
pertaining to the identifica-
tion of a Christian.
Jesus has freed us
from bondage under the law,
eliminating our struggle to
please God without the aid
of Holy Spirit (Romans 7:6)
Jesus also freed us
from the bondage of sin
(Romans 8:2). People have
this idea that if they are
unrestrained and can do
whatever they want, then
this will equal happiness. The
problem is that since our
human nature is inclined to
sin, this is inevitably what
we’ll choose. Sin does not
equal joy, peace or satisfac-
tion. We only need to look at
the very people in our own
lives and even celebrities to
see the sad results of people
‘doing what they want’, which
is: drug abuse, suicide, di-
vorce, depression, addiction,
to name a few and ultimately
death. What people antici-
pate will make them free
actually chains them up and
makes them slaves.
But we are no
longer stuck on a one-way
street of sin which leads
to death. When Jesus
comes into our sin-
corrupted heart, he
sweeps it clean and re-
places all of that garbage
with the fruit of the
Spirit which is His own
nature. Although our flesh
still has a tendency to-
ward sin, we have power
from Holy Spirit to resist
the devil and his tempta-
tions.
It may sound
odd, but the Bible teaches
that Jesus gave us free-
dom to become slaves. I’m
not speaking of human
slavery, but that we have
been liberated to become
a slave of Jesus (1 Peter
2:16). Just as Paul proudly
declared himself to be, so
can we also be a bond
slave to Jesus.
Deuteronomy
15:16-17 gives us a clear
definition of what it
meant to be a bond slave.
After six years the mas-
ter was to let his slave
free. However, if the slave
January 2010 
“A servant gives service to
someone, but a slave belongs to
someone. We commit ourselves
to do something, but when we
surrender ourselves to some-
one, we give ourselves up.”-
Murray J, Harris
loved his master, then the slave
could willingly choose to remain
with him and serve him for all
his life. The bond slave identi-
fies himself as belonging to his
master by piercing his ear.
The miracle of the
Christian life is that we don’t
serve God because we have to,
but we serve God because we
want to. When we meet God,
everything changes. Our priori-
ties, goals, plans, and entire
lifestyle is suddenly not geared
toward advancing ourselves.
We want nothing else but God
and to do nothing else but
serve Him, and so we become
His slaves.
To be a bond slave means that
we willingly give our life up to
Prayer Requests
God because we love Him. He has
set our hearts free from sin so -recovery from our
that we may be able to choose colds
Him and choose a life devoted to -a deeper intimacy
Holiness.
with God and a
greater prayer life
-that God would con-
vict the students of
their sin, and their
need for Jesus
-to continue strong in
our willingness to
serve
 "Your intimacy with God is the key source of your intimidation towards the
enemy" -Graham Cooke

My Favourite English Class

Just recently I asked one of my students
young adults, if he was a Christian. He in my English class for
had been coming to my English
class for a while and I saw that he brou
ght his grandmother with him to the
Sunday service. He told me that he indee
d became a Christian just a few
weeks ago. When I asked him if he had
a Bible he told me that he’s gone
through two because he gave them away
, but now he has the Book of Mor-
mon. His grandmother had passed it along
to him thinking it was just an-
other Bible.
I explained to him that the Book of Morm
told him the story of Joseph Smith and on isn’t the Bible and I
how Mormonism isn’t the same as
Christianity.
The next day was a rainy day and so not
the streets to attend school. Just he and many students ventured
another girl student showed up. I
was able to give him a new Bible and told
him to throw away the book of
Mormon. At the beginning of the class,
the Christian student turned to the
girl and asked if she believes in Jesus,
and she said she hadn’t made up
her mind yet.
I taught maybe 5 minutes of English that
and we spent the hour talking about the day. I sat down with them
formation of the Bible, the differ-
ence between Buddha and Jesus and
the transformed life of a Christian.
It was funny. When I stood up and turne
board, I heard the Christian student whisp d my back to write on the
er to the girl, “So now do you be-
lieve in Jesus?” He was maybe a little too
eager for her liking and she still
wasn’t sure, but I don’t doubt that God
is working in her heart.

(Josh)

  Prayer is something we just don’t  are always looking at things that we  + When prayer doesn't change our circum‐

do enough of. However, by disciplining our  can pray about, we just don't realize it.  stances, it changes our character. 
body (1Cor9:27), we can form a habit of 
prayer that will benefit us more than any  • Don't pray out of religious duty, but  + In trials, don't pray "Get me outta this" but 
worship Jesus, and as He loves on you  "Get me through this". The former is a 
other act imaginable. The only reason Chris‐ prayer of abandonment, while the latter is a 
tians don't prayer more is that we are not in  respond to Him in prayer. 
prayer of development. 
the habit of doing so. Because we are natu‐ • Bother God with the little things, be‐
rally lazy, we need to form an opposite  cause in time, these little things be‐  
habit. Here are some practical things we can  come the big things.    It is said that it takes 21 days to 
do to make prayer an active part of our  form a habit. Lets begin today, and reap the 
lives:  • Read and pray the Bible, take your 
fruit of this inestimable gift. 
time, meditate on it. (If you need to 
• Pray that God will give you a spirit of  choose between someone who has 
prayer.  read 10 chapters of the Bible this 
• Start small, no one starts out as a  morning, and one who has read half of 
'prayer warrior'.  one (in the same amount of time), 
choose the one who read half of one. 
• Set an alarm on your phone, or what‐ Chances are they got more out of it.) 
ever, to remind you at certain times of  Getting through the Bible is not a race. 
the day, to pray. 
• Don't give up. If we stop praying, we 
• Let the newspaper, or internet, or  stop hoping. Perseverance is more 
whatever, be a living prayer list. We  beneficial to us than convenience.