I have read this passage of Scripture quite a few times, but I am each time startled by the sternness of the tone used by Paul here. “Do not walk as unwise…” (v.15), “do not be foolish…” (v.17), “do not behave like a drunkard” (v.18). 

I don’t know about you, but I know I do lack wisdom at times…okay, often… okay, always. However, I wouldn’t instinctively call myself a fool. Yet, Scripture does. In 3 ways specifically. I am a fool when:

• I don’t use my time wisely (v.16)
• I don’t use my brains wisely (v.17)
• I don’t allow my heart to be led by Wisdom (v.18)

So, in 2024, I would like to resolve to grow in wisdom in these three areas. 

I would like to examine again how I use my time and see if my agenda reflects godly wisdom. Do I truly invest the hours of my day (and night) for things that are profitable, things that glorify God and seek the greater good of others? Can I truly stand before the Lord and say that I am making the best use of my time? The Lord is still teaching me to balance my time better between ministry and family. I need His wisdom desperately in that area, how about you? 

I would also like to consider what occupies my mind mostly, my preoccupations, fixations, and musings. Where does my mind wander off when given the opportunity? Not always where it should. I cannot say that seeking the Lord’s will is what first engages my mind. But I know it should and truly want Christ to win on that battlefield. How about you? Are you sharing my struggle? What is your “victory plan” for 2024? 

Finally, Paul points to the heart; the center of our passions, desires, and affections. He says that our foolishness leads us to allow it to give in to dissipation but that instead we should intentionally relinquish control of our heart to the indwelling Holy Spirit. I know I am growing in being led by Wisdom when I am gradually prompted towards godliness, gratefulness, and humility (Eph 5:19-21).

May this be true of you and I in 2024. 

And may “God be gracious to us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us— Selah.” (Psalm 67:1)

Has this never puzzled you?

Scripture repeatedly commands us to rejoice! Why is it an imperative? It should be pretty easy and nice to be happy! 

There are at least 25 verses in the Bible calling us to be glad in the Lord. 

Why is it that the Lord has to mandate us to be happy? 

•  Because we live in a world that is in a dark gloom of sin, suffering and misery with “…no hope and without God…” (Eph 2:12). And we forget that we are in this world, not of this world.  
•  Because we easily forget Jesus Christ who gave us His joy (John 15:11), and who “…for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2)
•  Because it is unnatural. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. The joy that the Bible speaks about requires a supernatural indwelling and in-working. Men, as they are and in their own own strength cannot know that joy. That’s amazing! I mean, we see some seemingly happy people around… But they don’t have joy. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and thus worked out by that Spirit in those that submit their life to Christ and let their heart be filled by the influence of the Spirit. Our natural tendency is towards ingratitude. 
•  Because we are lazy or misled and do not cultivate our joy in the Lord. We are so self-focused that we forget that real joy can be found in the Lord alone. A neglect of personal time with God often precedes a lack of joy. The Lord and His promises are our sole source of joy. If we don’t draw near to God, we can’t rejoice in Him.
•  Because we fight among one another and rob each other of joy. There is no joy in the body when it is disjointed or in pain. The church is under attack in this individualistic society and believers need to strive to “…think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose, doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important…” (Phil 2:2b-3a)
•  Because we live in carnality and disobedience as described in Galatians 5:19-21. We cannot find joy in the Lord if we are too busy pursuing it in earthly pleasures.  
• Because of worry and anxiety. They choke out our life vitality and prevent us from seeing the good gifts from our Good Father. We fear for tomorrow and forget to rejoice today (Mat 6:25-34).

1 Pet 1:8 says “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, YOU REJOICE WITH JOY INEXPRESSIBLE and full of glory.” (LSB) [emphasis mine]

Christian, may that be true of you and I: Rejoice!

Enintsoa has just joined the Madagascar 3M team. We are delighted to have her with us. As you read through her bio, you will understand why.

” Since my childhood, I have always been perceived by others as an innocent, wise and obedient little girl. I knew I was not, without a single shadow of doubt. I excelled in my studies, attended Sunday school at FJKM Andraisoro Church, smiled and greeted people properly, as my parents taught me. Fascinated by knowledge and books, I used to read the Bible and Christian literature filling my head without changing my heart. But during my high school years, God through His word, progressively revealed to me the corruption of my heart and convicted me of my sinfulness. Indeed, He regenerated me and granted me faith in Jesus Christ.

The desire to improve livelihoods and society has long captivated my interest, and has been featured throughout my academic life. Confronted with the reality that Malagasy people rely heavily on wood energy, I was determined to study and find an alternative way of producing energy other than firewood and charcoal while studying Industrial Engineering in ESPA Vontovorona. After my graduation, I specialized in renewable energies at University of Reunion (Island) and in Development, as well as in Environment and Societies at Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. Meanwhile, I also worked as a Teacher Researcher at the University of Antananarivo.

In 2020, the social distancing and staying at home concept of covid-19 prevented me from doing the fieldwork of my study and suspended my work as a teacher. Passionate about interior design, I exercised my passion for painting and crafting as I created Petite Casanière, which is a small business operating in the production of personalized terra-cotta vases, paintings and handmade decorations. My perspective is to meet the needs of the Malagasy community in terms of decoration with local skills and raw materials. When I resumed my teaching, I could no longer leave my decoration activity which gives me joy and creativity, so I manage to do both.

Captivated by theological books since I became a believer, my thirst to grow in my walk with God sparked in my heart a genuine interest in Puritan books, while opting for sound doctrines. It lately caused me to attend 3M events which provide valuable tools to face sin and its wearing out effect in this world.

Hence, the offered proposal to be a Translator Coordinator within this entity aligned with my skills and interests and I see it as a great and opportune fit for my desire to refine my knowledge and understanding of God as I serve Him. Not only does it urge me to grow as person and a Christian, but it will also contribute to the spread of the Gospel to people while crossing language boundaries.” 

‘My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.’ (Psalm 73.26 / ESV)

We have benefited already from her talents as she skillfully and beautifully decorated the student lounge at the 3M Preaching Institute. We trust that she is a valuable addition to our ministry.

Welcome to the team Enintsoa!

Growth is a sign of health, right? By God’s grace, our ministry has been blessed in so many ways. 

We are in the final phase of acquiring some print-on-demand equipment and will start printing and publishing activities, Lord willing by July 1^st, 2023. 

Our printing ministry will be used to print resources for our preaching institute but will also provide a source of income for it, as we will be able to print any books that comply with our printing parameters. 

Our publishing department will enable us to print theological books that we endorse, either in French through our international partners, or in Malagasy. The resources in our language can either be translations of French or English books or works of native theologians. 

Needless to say, we are very excited!

Else, we are welcoming 4 new team members and I would like to introduce them to you.

Oliva

At the age of 14, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Before that, I just went to church because my parents were Christians. I did what good boys do and attended Sunday school because everyone else attended.

After my conversion in 2009, I started to grow and to get more involved in my church in Diego Suarez (FJKM). After high school, I chose to study Sociology at the University of Ankatso in Antananarivo and, in 2019, I was convinced that I needed to be baptized thus asked my spiritual mentor to baptize me.

I started to serve in the worship and sports ministries of my church FJKM Zoara fanantenana Ambohipo and, since 2021, I joined Madagascar 3M.

This ministry has helped me grow spiritually and develop in many other areas, and I thank the Lord daily for this blessing.

I got married to Sarobidy in December 2022 and now attend and serve the Lord at the Biblical Baptist Church of Andavamamba with my wife.  

It is a grace of God and a pleasure for me to be part of the 3M team as the Corporate Administrative and Finance Manager.

Sarobidy

I grew up in a Christian family and I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior at age 9. Since then, I’ve been eager to serve Him and to learn the Scripture more and more. I helped with the children’s program and was part of the choir in the Biblical Baptist Church of Antsiranana. I was baptized when I was 18 in 2014 and grew in my commitment exponentially. I now am part of the children and teenager ministry, not only at my church but at our denomination level. I also am part of the worship team. 

I got married to Oliva in 2022. I have been part of Madagascar 3M since 2020 and a member of the Biblical Baptist Church of Andavamamba since 2016. It has been exhilarating to be able to serve the Lord in all these avenues. 

I got a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2018 and have begun to work in that sector: archivist, community manager, and project manager. I am so glad to now join the 3M team as the Commercial and Marketing Manager for 3M Publishing and Printing. A new challenge for me. 

These verses are my life verses since my baptism in 2018:

Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Galatians 1:10: “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

Erlando

I was born in a catholic family in Sambava, a town in the North of Madagascar. My parents, wanting to provide a better level of education for us, moved my brothers and I to Antananarivo in 2003. 

I was born again in 2014. The Lord used a Bible study group that met weekly right in the house next door to make me realize that my works and my efforts to be a good person are not the way to reconciliation with God. I found true life, I found salvation in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins. He is THE way to salvation.

I began to really love reading and studying the bible and I discovered a new hobby: reading theology books. I was happy when I learned all these things about God, but at the same time there was a kind of sadness that came over me because I saw the contrast between sound doctrine and the Christianity that is practiced in my country. The gap is huge. 

I prayed that I might participate in the advancement of good doctrine and the recoil of false teaching in my country. And my prayers were heard! The Lord blessed me with close friends and communities who love the bible. I was able to serve in a few ministries.

I didn’t attend a bible-centered church until 2019 but the Lord still graciously provided a community with a great sense of fellowship and love for the Word of God, whenI joined the Biblical Baptist Church of Antsahabe (also called Internation Baptist Church) where I still gladly serve until now. 

I studied and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Logistics Operations Management and a Master’s degree in Commerce. At the same time, I worked as a web redactor, followed some digital training and immersed myself in the world of digital marketing.

“All things work for the good of those who love God” and the Lord prove it again with this new opportunity. I am called to serve with the team of Madagascar 3M as the Communication and Digital Marketing Manager in the newly created project: 3M Publishing & Printing.  Not only I can continue to work in digital marketing, but I am serving in a project that is close to my heart. Praise God. 

Liva

I grew up in a Christian family, raised by my parents in Christian circles. I was taught about Jesus and the Word of God early on in the local church.

It was in 2012 that I really knew that I need Jesus Christ as the way of life, the way to save sinners. I understood that it is not enough for me to know facts about God or just to be a “good child”. The Lord touched me and led me to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

The love for God’s Word grew in the Scripture Union group I was part of, as well as Bible Study Fellowship. Even though I spent a short time there, I grew to know more about God… I also benefited there from the help of spiritual mentors.

I studied mechanical and industrial engineering at Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique d’Antananarivo. I really wanted to work full-time for a Christian company when I was in school, and I for a long time asked the Lord, “What do you want me to do?”

The Lord led me to see that my calling is to help Christians who are thirsty for spiritual growth, and I saw the need for maturing among many Christian believers. I designed a “devotional Bible study card” to enable and help people to study the scriptures every day. I volunteered in another organization and continued to be a member of the Executive Committee of that organization.

Now, God has called me to join Madagascar 3M and I will be the Technical and Maintenance Manager for 3M Printing and Publishing. I am so excited to serve God with the team at Madagascar 3M. May His will be done in me and through me!

It is truly a pleasure to have them serve with us starting on May 1st, and I am looking forward to seeing how God will use them for His glory. 

It is my privilege to introduce you to Madagascar 3M’s new Executive Director, Avotra Ravelo. 

Avotra has been part of the 3M team for more than 3 years now, pouncing on every opportunity to serve. We have been able to observe his character, his zeal for the Lord and his giftedness. He is a natural servant-leader, and I am thrilled to see how the Lord is going to use him in the years to come. Avotra will oversea Operations, Administration, HR and Finance for our organization.

Here is his testimony:

“I grew up reading the bible, attending church, going to Sunday school, getting involved and serving in every possible way. What I thought to be a zeal for His house was nothing more than an attempt to deny my own wickedness and gain other people’s approbation. In reality, I went on without understanding the true Gospel, living exactly like the world yet firmly believing I was being a good person. 

Thankfully, the Lord has been so gracious and used someone to share the Gospel with me back in 2015. From that day on, I felt an increasing desire to grow in the knowledge of God’s Word and to be a member of a Bible-centered church. Following a long set of trials, I joined and am now actively serving at the Biblical Baptist Church of Ankadivato with my wife and my son.

It was in that setting that the Lord provided me with great fellowship with dear friends for whom I am thankful, as they are powerful tools for my sanctification. Their servant heartedness, genuine love for God’s Word and diligence to minister to others, fueled my desire to do the same wholeheartedly. 

I graduated with a chemical engineering degree and occupied different positions, as a teacher, a consultant, and even as a flight attendant.

This year (2023), God called me to work full time in ministry and I am more than grateful and thrilled to serve with the team of Madagascar 3M as the Executive Director.”

Welcome on board Avotra! May you be a conduit of blessing to the staff and all those you interact with. All for His glory.  

It’s this time of the year. We look back, we look within, we look forward and we set goals for ourselves. We make resolutions. We sincerely want to keep them most of the time. And we fail to do so most of the time. This is true even of Christians setting spiritual goals for themselves every year like abiding to a Bible reading plan or studying deeper a specific area of doctrine. 

So, the question is: should Christians keep making new year resolutions and try to keep them? Is there a point in making a list of self-determined objectives aimed at bettering one’s life? 

I would like to argue that yes, Christians should make resolutions. We see the people of God in the Bible and throughout church history make commitments. And we can see that they don’t make them only at the beginning of every year but every time they feel compelled to.

However, here are a few questions to challenge how these commitments are usually made and to help ensure that we do keep them:

1-   What is the Point? 

As Jesus explained the reason why He did what He did in His ministry, He summed it up by saying “…I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” (John 8:30)

Jesus was focused on pleasing and honoring God. 

Do I make my resolutions with the same focus on God’s glory and honor? Or do I focus more on what people will say of me or my own exaltation? Is my intent fixated on the “now” or on eternity with God (John 14:1-4; Rom 8:18-25; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 John 3:1-3)?

Our resolutions must align with God’s intent for our lives as Christians: our sanctification (1 Thes 4:3; 1 Pet 1:14-16). We must kill what prevents it, the deeds of the flesh and nurture what improves it (Rom 8:12-13; 13:13-14). 

2-   What is the Push?   

God looks at why we do things, not only at the things we do. He fully knows our motivations (1 Sam 16:7). We thus must attach not only an ultimate intent to our resolutions but also an unambiguous heart motive. We might be motivated to lose weight or acquire knowledge by ego or peer pressure. Yet we must learn to slay any selfish desires and replace them with a stronger yearning to conform our life to Christ’s. His smile of favor ought to be the only approval we seek. 

Paul prays in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12… 

As we display steadfastness, Jesus gets the glory. 

3-   What is the Plan? 

What are the accompanying measures you think to implement to ensure you will achieve the goals you set? 

Scripture encourages us to make plans, but reminds us that these plans are always subject to God’s sovereign will (Prov 16:9; James 4:13-17). 

The Bible also invites us to seek advice in making those plans.  Proverbs 15:22 says “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.”

Once counsel is received, you must for your own ideas as to how you are going to reach the set target. Having an accountability partner long the way is definitely wise not to be side-tracked or blind-sided.  

4-   What is the Power Source? 

For the believer, all resolutions are illumined, empowered and sustained by the Holy Spirit. 

We are to live out our Christian lives with fear and trembling, knowing that God is at work to fulfill that which we commit to do (Phil 2:12-13). 

We thus must totally depend on His work on our behalf through prayer. 

Jesus asked the disciples to commit to one hour of prayer on His behalf in the garden. As we know they failed miserably. And so do we, often. 

Jesus tells us that the way to maintain our resolution is by watching and praying.

We are to apply all necessary processes so not to fall into temptation and we are to pray continually as our best efforts to fulfill the former will always fall short. 

We need to pray for guidance, wisdom, and strength (James 1:5) when it comes to our walk in Christ. 

Happy New Year 2023 everyone!

By God’s amazing grace and providence, Christian and Fiderana will be the second and third men from Madagascar to be trained at The Master’s Seminary. We can’t be more excited and grateful!

Left to Right: Christian, Soa-Miaina, Haddon & Mikala

Back to Front: Fiderana, Vina, Nampoina, Kasa & Kajy

They will leave our island with their family next week so to get ready to start their first semester in January 2023. 

Both men are granted this astounding opportunity through the generosity of donors of The Master’s Academy International and The Master’s Seminary, as well as so many others who are willing to invest through them in raising the next generation of church leaders in Madagascar. 

Lord willing, upon completion of their studies, they will return to be part of the faculty of Madagascar 3M Preaching Institute, which will open officially in August 2023 and is currently in the candidacy process to be part of the TMAI network of schools. 

Some may ask, “why are you sending them to seminary in the US?” Why uproot them from their current setting and ministry to make them travel thousands of miles to another culture? Can’t they just study in Madagascar? They can, and they have. And it is because they have demonstrated their faithfulness (2 Tim 2:2) in ministry in the local church and personal growth that they were considered as applicants.

Here are 5 reasons why seminary education is necessary and beneficial. Here is why we are grateful that these 2 men could go to The Master’s Seminary.   

Christian and Fiderana are going to seminary because their time there will: 

Test their Character

1 Timothy 3:10 says that “…these men must also first be tested.” The genuineness of character of those to be appointed as deacons or elders must be confirmed through trial. Granted, their personality has been examined while they served here in country, but their personality and convictions will be exposed and established further through the rigors of academic education while living in a foreign country. 

Being out of their comfort zone will draw them to rely fully on God for strength and wisdom. Not having their family around to support will draw husband, wife, and children even closer to each other.   

They will have teachers, peers and other believers all observing their life and teaching. 

Train them in Righteousness

2 Timothy 3:16-17 speaks of the nature of Scripture and its impact on one’s life as it is profitable “…for training in righteousness” and equip “for every good work.”

For the next 3 to 4 years, they will be spending a lot of time in the Biblical text, learning the original languages, searching for the author’s intended meaning and being diligent to faithfully identify and communicate the universal truths from the text. 

My prayer is that they will always do so with a devotion to serving and glorifying God and not just as a scholastic task. I pray that they will be the first impacted and molded by what they learn. I pray that they will take to heart to apply what they are learning (Ezra 7:10).   

Tutor them in Time Management

1 Peter 4:7a “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound thinking…” 

The assignments deadlines and the level of excellence required by theological education all contribute to eliminate the clutter from one’s life and pushes the student to make the most of his time. Seminary is, in that sense as well, the best preparation for ministry as time constraint is part of the reality of the pastor. Sunday always comes at the same time, and the unexpected is to be expected during the week (a birth, a death, a counseling need, administrative or logistical needs…) affecting sermon preparation. 

Christian and Fiderana will learn to balance their time between study, serving in the local church, fellowshipping with others, and protecting their time with their family. They will still have to do so once in ministry. It is not going to be easy. Here is an area for which we can truly be praying for them. 

Teach them Humility

Romans 12:3 “…I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think…” 

One thing I discovered from seminary is how ignorant and stupid I am. I remember struggling to score a “resounding” 37% on a Bible proficiency test. At the end of the seminary journey, I felt like there was still so much more I needed to learn, as my time in California opened my eyes to see the blessed despair of trying to fully comprehend God. He is truly unsearchable (Psalm 145:3; Rom 11:33), and yet there is no better endeavor than to keep seeking! The greater view of God we have, the humbler we become. 

Spiritual pride is a danger for every minister of the Word. Seminary will crush that. The erudition of your peers and professors will expose your lack thereof. The feedback you receive after preaching what you thought to be your best sermon ever will help you gain a healthy perspective on your own (un)worthiness. Stacking chairs or cleaning toilets as a part-time job will chasten one’s arrogance.

Tie them to a Band of Brothers

Proverbs 18:24 “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” 

There is that person that sees you struggling in class who sees you battle to understand the accent of the professor and decides to sit next to you to translate from English to…English. Or the group of people carpooling with you helping you to memorize your Greek vocabulary or how to parse Hebrew verbs. Or the person who, seeing that your computer crashed just before the exams, takes from his own savings to buy you a new computer. Or the professor that takes you under his wing, availing himself to answer all your immature questions. Or the ones that will invite your family to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with them so that you wouldn’t feel lonely. Or the alumnus who shares their notes with you and calls weekly to pray with you as he’s been there before. Seminary truly places you into a band of brothers, for life.

The privilege of studying alongside godly men, going through thick and thin together, is immeasurable. No online class or self-study will provide that. Nothing will ever replace doing life together while getting an education. There is such a thing as the “invisible curriculum” including the lessons you learn through your own life’s trials and those you glean from observing others. 

Dr William Barrick was asked by a student one day what his best advice would be for one who embarks on a seminary journey. Dr Barrick replied: “Finish”.

To all my brothers preparing to attend seminary, may the Lord be with you and may you remain faithful until you finish. 

Christian, Fiderana, finish and come back soon.