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- 'I got an urge to search for God'
- 'Being a mentor has taught me self-control'
| | | Dear reader,
The new year has begun and lies before us like a blank slate. What will 2022 bring us? What are we bringing with us this new year?
Grace
A wonderful theme to consider in this first month is grace. Grace means to receive something you have not earned. God constantly gives us things that we have not earned and He gives them out of His limitless, unconditional love.
Looking for God
The story of Tasha from Zambia bears witness to this. Tasha knew nothing about God and the Bible. For about three years she had the urge to look for God. Where did that come from? It can’t be anything else than it was the work of the Holy Spirit!
Off the track
Nahiri is a mentor from Ivory Coast and says wonderful things about God's love and tolerance. Students often pour out their hearts to him and confess all kinds of things. God desires that all people come to repentance, especially those who are clearly off the path. What grace!
We have such a God: "He is patient with us, and does not want that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Out of the patience and grace of God, we may be busy inviting people all over the world to seek their salvation in Jesus! | | | | 'I got an urge to search for God' | | |  Tasha from Zambia grew up in the world, without faith or a church. She wasn’t familiar with the Bible. She had heard of God, but she thought that He didn’t really exist. Everything changed three years ago, 'I got the urge to search for God’.
'During my search, I tried lots of different churches. The more I searched, the more problems I faced. Until one of my friends said she knew a man of God. Maybe she could arrange for him to come pray for me. Maybe it could help. He prayed for me and two days later I had a supernatural encounter with God. That day changed my whole life.' | | | Course
'Since then, I have been trying to read His word more and draw closer to Him. When an advertisement for your Bible courses appeared on my news feed, I clicked on it to see what it was about. That's how I signed up, and I'm currently doing your Bible Basics course.'
Daily Devotionals
Tasha also received an invitation to sign up for the Daily Devotionals from GlobalRize. 'I just had to sign up', she tells. 'It is an opportunity to learn more about our Lord and Saviour. And I'm glad I did! I'm really enjoying it!
- Pray for Tasha and her family to move closer to God
| | | | 'Being a mentor has taught me self-control' | | |  At GlobalRize we are blessed with people who show a deep understanding of the Gospel. Nahiri Jean Charles Nahiri from our French language team is one of them. He has been one of our mentors since 2016.
It is easy to see that Nahiri is a literature and linguistic specialist with his sensitive use of language. He writes, 'The Bible teaches us to “bear with one another” (Col. 3:13) and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). To interpret these two verses intertwiningly, I would argue that “love” is a way (if not the way) to “bear” or support others from a biblical perspective. God’s gift for human salvation was a product of His love. His acceptance of us and forgiveness of our disobedience, in Christ, is triggered by His love for us.' Thus, God’s bearing with us can only be understood in light of His selfless, unconditional love. We can reflect that tolerance in our loving attitude to our neighbor – also, or especially, if our neighbor has gone off the path. | | | All sorts of struggles
Nahiri continues,'GlobalRize is a platform where I can exercise that “love”. As a mentor, I come across students who trust the Lord enough to open up to me. They share about a variety of challenges that they face: sexual sins such as adultery or pornography, family problems, social issues and other sorts of struggles. For my responses, I draw from experiences recorded in the Bible, personal experience and lessons from others. My advice is often “meditate on God’s Word”', “pray without ceasing”, and “always walk in obedience to God”. I firmly believe the Lord still strongly loves them in spite of their stumbling.'
Self-control
Nahiri adds, 'Being a mentor has taught me self-control. Sometimes, due to fatigue, I am tempted to think of some of the questions as “stupid”, but I am cautious. A bad answer can be destructive. Best of all, being a mentor gives me the chance to see people coming to Christ, or rededicating their lives and growing up to maturity in their faith.
To sum up, volunteering with GlobalRize, helps me demonstrate the love of God, helps me develop my personality and gives me the chance to see the mighty power of God at work in the lives of His people. Shalom!'
- Thank God for mentors like Nahiri, who point so many people to the gospel
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