When you see the golden arches what do you think of? McDonalds. The golden arches are a symbol of fast food. You know what you are going to get no matter where you are in the world when you see those arches. They identify the place as McDonalds.
So, in baptism we are identified with Christ’s death and resurrection. Baptism is symbolic. It tells the world that we have decided to follow Jesus. We are His. It reminds us that we are dead to the power of sin and alive to the Spirit of God living within us. Baptism symbolizes to us that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. Praise God!! What power!
Baptism gives us a new identity – we are “in Christ.” Just read the epistles and see how many times you see these words describing us as in Christ. This is a position in which we have been placed as disciples – a place of security, responsibility and power.
Before Christ’s baptism, baptism was an initiation into the community. If people from other nations or religions wanted to join the Jewish community they had to be baptized to signify their cleansing from their old affiliation and their belonging to the Jewish faith. So, water baptism is an initiation into the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God. While the spiritual birth into the body of Christ happened at salvation, the baptism is an outward sign that this has happened. We belong to one another as believers.
Baptism is a sign. Just as circumcision was a sign in the Old Testament that a person was a Jew, so water baptism is a sign that we are participating in the New Covenant of Christ’s grace.
While we were redeemed, adopted, justified, sanctified, and reborn at the moment of committing our life to Christ, baptism is a sign, symbol, identification and initiation into a life of ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ.
Few of us truly understand the significance water baptism had in the first century and should have in our lives today. It is a radical first step of obedience for the disciple. What is keeping you from being Baptized?
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty Four - Sparking Discipleship
In 1992 I was invited to attend a spiritual retreat. I had no idea what to expect. Was I in for a surprise! It was my understanding that people from many different faiths would be there. We sat around tables as we listened to talks and then discussed them. I quickly noticed that I was the only one with a Bible at my table except the leader. That seemed strange to me.
It was a very eye opening. The teaching was painfully basic for me but others were drinking it in. That weekend, while out of my comfortable church environment, my eyes were opened to the spiritual condition of the church as a whole. Simply put, they were Biblically illiterate with a shallow relationship with Christ at best. My heart was broken as I listened to their conversations. I had taken for granted my rich inheritance and the wealthy deposit of God’s Word in my heart over the years.
On Sunday morning after breakfast I just couldn’t stand the burden in my heart so I retreated to the chapel to pray. I failed at trying to hold back the groans of pain in the spirit as I pleaded for His people – the church. I felt His grief, His pain, His burden for the church and it was overwhelming.
During that experience the Lord gave me a vision of the church its inability to face the coming tide of evil. Their need for knowing the Word and experiencing a deep relationship with him was painfully apparent. Thus the passion for discipleship was ignited in my heart.
That passion still burns deeply but it has been like swimming upstream to get the message across to the body of Christ – the need to have an intimate relationship instead of just fire insurance. There is so much more God wants us to experience than just coming to church on Sunday and serving in the nursery. Those are good but He wants us to really know and experience Him and then pass it on.
Today Jess asked on Facebook, “What do you want to leave behind?” I want to leave disciples passionately in love with Jesus carrying the torch for His Word and knowing Him. Disciples, who are living, dynamic examples of the transforming power of Christ to be whole, igniting the passion in others just as I have.
An old song says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going …” Let’s be the spark.
Lord, give us a passion to be fully devoted disciples who are so dynamic others will want what we have in You. Give us the vision to pass it on by making disciples.
It was a very eye opening. The teaching was painfully basic for me but others were drinking it in. That weekend, while out of my comfortable church environment, my eyes were opened to the spiritual condition of the church as a whole. Simply put, they were Biblically illiterate with a shallow relationship with Christ at best. My heart was broken as I listened to their conversations. I had taken for granted my rich inheritance and the wealthy deposit of God’s Word in my heart over the years.
On Sunday morning after breakfast I just couldn’t stand the burden in my heart so I retreated to the chapel to pray. I failed at trying to hold back the groans of pain in the spirit as I pleaded for His people – the church. I felt His grief, His pain, His burden for the church and it was overwhelming.
During that experience the Lord gave me a vision of the church its inability to face the coming tide of evil. Their need for knowing the Word and experiencing a deep relationship with him was painfully apparent. Thus the passion for discipleship was ignited in my heart.
That passion still burns deeply but it has been like swimming upstream to get the message across to the body of Christ – the need to have an intimate relationship instead of just fire insurance. There is so much more God wants us to experience than just coming to church on Sunday and serving in the nursery. Those are good but He wants us to really know and experience Him and then pass it on.
Today Jess asked on Facebook, “What do you want to leave behind?” I want to leave disciples passionately in love with Jesus carrying the torch for His Word and knowing Him. Disciples, who are living, dynamic examples of the transforming power of Christ to be whole, igniting the passion in others just as I have.
An old song says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going …” Let’s be the spark.
Lord, give us a passion to be fully devoted disciples who are so dynamic others will want what we have in You. Give us the vision to pass it on by making disciples.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty Three - All Authority
When Jesus sends us out with a mission, He also gives us the authority or power to complete the mission. Matthew 10 :1 tells us “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness?
In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus tells his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Jesus gives them their marching orders but also gives them the weight of His authority and power to go with them.
In Acts 1 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” This was the authority and power they needed to fulfill the mission. All the weight of the glory of God would reside inside of them giving them great influence in their sphere. Those same disciples would turn the world upside down in the first century.
We like authority, power, position and titles. So why, when we have been promised this power and authority, do we not use it to influence our culture? We have the “last word” but we cower from sharing our testimony. It just doesn’t make sense.
Could it be because our life isn’t aligned with the Life Giver? Do we fear what men will think? Are we so interested in being politically correct that we have been silenced? God forbid.
In this Twenty-first century we need to repent of giving away our authority and take it back. We need to put on the full armor of God, pray and stand firm until our mission on earth is completed. We have all the power we need. What are we waiting for?
Lord, forgive us for giving away our authority. Give us the courage to take up our cross and march forward against the gates of hell, snatching sinners from the fire and making passionate disciples for your Kingdom.
In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus tells his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” Jesus gives them their marching orders but also gives them the weight of His authority and power to go with them.
In Acts 1 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” This was the authority and power they needed to fulfill the mission. All the weight of the glory of God would reside inside of them giving them great influence in their sphere. Those same disciples would turn the world upside down in the first century.
We like authority, power, position and titles. So why, when we have been promised this power and authority, do we not use it to influence our culture? We have the “last word” but we cower from sharing our testimony. It just doesn’t make sense.
Could it be because our life isn’t aligned with the Life Giver? Do we fear what men will think? Are we so interested in being politically correct that we have been silenced? God forbid.
In this Twenty-first century we need to repent of giving away our authority and take it back. We need to put on the full armor of God, pray and stand firm until our mission on earth is completed. We have all the power we need. What are we waiting for?
Lord, forgive us for giving away our authority. Give us the courage to take up our cross and march forward against the gates of hell, snatching sinners from the fire and making passionate disciples for your Kingdom.
The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty Two - Lifestyle Worship
Jess appropriately said, “If you get worship wrong then you get discipleship wrong.” Boy is that true! We usually think of worship as what you do before the preacher gets up to speak. It’s preparation for the main event – the Word. Wrong! Maybe that’s why we have discipleship wrong – something the pastors do because we pay them.
A few years ago I asked my worship team “when was the last time you worshipped and how were you doing it?” They invariably gave me the last time they played or sang in church or had their devotions. If the worship team has it wrong, surely most of us sitting in the pew might.
Worship is so much more than singing a song or giving our offering. The Message makes it crystal clear in Romans 12:1 “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Worship is a mindset that shapes our everyday lifestyle.
Worship is how we treat our spouse and others, spend our money, perform at work, honor our body and every other area of our lives. Choosing to control my impulses is an act of worship. Choosing to respond in kindness instead of revenge is an act of worship. Choosing to be on time at work or for an appointment is an act of worship. We compartmentalize our spirituality to the point that we negate its power to change our everyday practices.
Worship is taking who we are, our passion, gifts, talents and interests and offering them as a gift to glorify God instead of ourselves. It’s moment by moment being consciously aware of His presence in us wanting to be expressed through our personality in our everyday activities – not just church activities, devotions, singing.
Being and making disciples are acts of worship. Discipleship is receiving God’s transforming love and then sharing it with others in our community. Discipleship will require time, vulnerability, energy and accountability. But if we are relating with God in worship it should naturally overflow into wanting to disciple.
Remember, Jesus said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Following Christ is worship; being a fisher of men is discipleship and worship. Worship prepares us to be a disciple maker.
Lord, open up our minds to understand the scope and wonder of worship. Help us to not just love you in word but “with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself."
A few years ago I asked my worship team “when was the last time you worshipped and how were you doing it?” They invariably gave me the last time they played or sang in church or had their devotions. If the worship team has it wrong, surely most of us sitting in the pew might.
Worship is so much more than singing a song or giving our offering. The Message makes it crystal clear in Romans 12:1 “So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Worship is a mindset that shapes our everyday lifestyle.
Worship is how we treat our spouse and others, spend our money, perform at work, honor our body and every other area of our lives. Choosing to control my impulses is an act of worship. Choosing to respond in kindness instead of revenge is an act of worship. Choosing to be on time at work or for an appointment is an act of worship. We compartmentalize our spirituality to the point that we negate its power to change our everyday practices.
Worship is taking who we are, our passion, gifts, talents and interests and offering them as a gift to glorify God instead of ourselves. It’s moment by moment being consciously aware of His presence in us wanting to be expressed through our personality in our everyday activities – not just church activities, devotions, singing.
Being and making disciples are acts of worship. Discipleship is receiving God’s transforming love and then sharing it with others in our community. Discipleship will require time, vulnerability, energy and accountability. But if we are relating with God in worship it should naturally overflow into wanting to disciple.
Remember, Jesus said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Following Christ is worship; being a fisher of men is discipleship and worship. Worship prepares us to be a disciple maker.
Lord, open up our minds to understand the scope and wonder of worship. Help us to not just love you in word but “with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself."
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty-One - Miracle Gro
Salt, to be effective, must be applied to food to bring out the flavor. When Salt is applied to manure it breaks down the manure and makes fertilizer. Like Miracle Gro the salt must be applied.
I have a package of Miracle Gro which I used on my flowers this past spring. I’m supposed to use it every two weeks but I became too busy this summer. Needless to say, my flowers didn’t flourish like they did the year before. I had smaller plants and less blooms. I knew what I had done but it just wasn’t a priority.
As disciples of Christ, to be effective, we need to interact with our culture in order to influence dynamic change and growth in others. We can’t do it in our pews or within the walls of the church. All our meetings and Bible studies among other disciples doesn’t impact the culture by itself. We have to take what we are learning and put it into practice with the people of our culture. We need to share our lives with unbelievers instead of staying away from them for fear that their unbelief will rub off on us.
The Great Commission tells us to “go” and doesn’t ask the unbeliever to “come”. Visiting neighbors, having lunch with co-workers, interacting during break times, inviting the unbeliever into our circle of influence are small things we can do to interact with our culture.
Unfortunately, many Christians shun the unsaved for fear the unbeliever will influence them. They don’t apply the Miracle Gro. Disciples with godly character are dynamic and contagious and have a positive influence on the unbeliever. We are to be change agents in the world. Let us resolve to make being salt and light a priority.
Lord, give us the courage to be light and salt in our world.
I have a package of Miracle Gro which I used on my flowers this past spring. I’m supposed to use it every two weeks but I became too busy this summer. Needless to say, my flowers didn’t flourish like they did the year before. I had smaller plants and less blooms. I knew what I had done but it just wasn’t a priority.
As disciples of Christ, to be effective, we need to interact with our culture in order to influence dynamic change and growth in others. We can’t do it in our pews or within the walls of the church. All our meetings and Bible studies among other disciples doesn’t impact the culture by itself. We have to take what we are learning and put it into practice with the people of our culture. We need to share our lives with unbelievers instead of staying away from them for fear that their unbelief will rub off on us.
The Great Commission tells us to “go” and doesn’t ask the unbeliever to “come”. Visiting neighbors, having lunch with co-workers, interacting during break times, inviting the unbeliever into our circle of influence are small things we can do to interact with our culture.
Unfortunately, many Christians shun the unsaved for fear the unbeliever will influence them. They don’t apply the Miracle Gro. Disciples with godly character are dynamic and contagious and have a positive influence on the unbeliever. We are to be change agents in the world. Let us resolve to make being salt and light a priority.
Lord, give us the courage to be light and salt in our world.
The Discipleship Dare Day Twenty - Rewards in Heaven
“Yea! Hip Hip Hooray! Praise God we’re being persecuted.”
I know you think I’m crazy but that’s what Matthew 5:11-12 is telling us. Rejoice and be glad in the face of insults, false reports, intimidation, and all kinds of persecution because great will be your reward in heaven.
The rewards in heaven cannot be stolen by thieves, tarnished by the weather or diminished by our economy. Those rewards are safe and sure. Jess says, “the most important wealth to accumulate on earth will be received in heaven.” Americans aren’t the best at waiting for rewards. As parents we know that we must reward our children quickly for their good attitudes or behavior.
However, the reward of joy, peace of mind, and the blessing of God’s favor are the rewards we receive daily as we impact our culture with godly character.
Our attitude should not be one of anger at the injustice of persecution, or dread of the affects of persecution, but joyful anticipation of what is coming next. It is our privilege to endure persecution for the Kingdom of God.
Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing. Enduring persecution can be convicting to unbelievers. Suffering persecution identifies us with the cloud of witnesses talked about in Hebrews 12 and with Jesus. We’re in good company when we are persecuted. Smile, no matter how badly the persecution becomes, we know the end of the story.
Lord, give us grace for persevering joyfully through all forms of persecution. Let us not be intimidated but empowered and encouraged to keep on doing good works for you.
I know you think I’m crazy but that’s what Matthew 5:11-12 is telling us. Rejoice and be glad in the face of insults, false reports, intimidation, and all kinds of persecution because great will be your reward in heaven.
The rewards in heaven cannot be stolen by thieves, tarnished by the weather or diminished by our economy. Those rewards are safe and sure. Jess says, “the most important wealth to accumulate on earth will be received in heaven.” Americans aren’t the best at waiting for rewards. As parents we know that we must reward our children quickly for their good attitudes or behavior.
However, the reward of joy, peace of mind, and the blessing of God’s favor are the rewards we receive daily as we impact our culture with godly character.
Our attitude should not be one of anger at the injustice of persecution, or dread of the affects of persecution, but joyful anticipation of what is coming next. It is our privilege to endure persecution for the Kingdom of God.
Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing. Enduring persecution can be convicting to unbelievers. Suffering persecution identifies us with the cloud of witnesses talked about in Hebrews 12 and with Jesus. We’re in good company when we are persecuted. Smile, no matter how badly the persecution becomes, we know the end of the story.
Lord, give us grace for persevering joyfully through all forms of persecution. Let us not be intimidated but empowered and encouraged to keep on doing good works for you.
The Discipleship Dare Day Nineteen - Persecution
Sometimes I think we American Christians are wimps. We don’t really know what persecution is compared to the early Christians or those in third world countries.
The type of persecution we undergo seems to be different than that of the early Christians. Theirs was outright pursuit to kill. For us it seems unbelievers are trying to silence our voice. Intimidation, ridicule, belittling, badgering, mocking are all part of the enemies strategy to negate our message or credibility.
For years there has been a systematic belittling or discrediting of Christians by the movies and TV shows. Christians are portrayed as hypocrites, ignorant, extremists and in the poorest light possible in the movies and TV shows. It’s enough to make an unbeliever not want to identify with us.
Every incidence of extreme evangelicalism has been portrayed as the norm. The abortion clinic bombers, killers of the abortion doctors or wild, off shoot groups are pictured as typical Christianity. This is persecution in its most insidious form. It discredits true disciples of Christ and undermines their message before anyone even hears the truth.
The normal disciple fears opening his mouth in public for fear that he will offend or get in trouble. The words of some trusted evangelical public figures are twisted or edited to put them in the worst light. Misunderstood by unbelievers who cannot understand Kingdom principles, we are persecuted and made fun of on a regular basis.
We are in good company though. Jesus was ridiculed, mocked, spat upon, beaten, arrested and hung on a cross. He was persecuted by the traditional religious leaders of his day. He withstood much more than any of us have had to withstand. If we are following Jesus we will be persecuted – that is a guarantee. But Jesus promises a blessing for persevering in the midst of persecution.
Harassment, maltreatment, bullying, hounding, discrimination are all synonyms for persecution. We are definitely being discriminated against. Harassment by the liberals is constant. Bullying by the constant bombardment of sensual enticement is grievous. Persecution in the 21st century may be different from the first century but it is persecution.
Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing. Bring it on!
The type of persecution we undergo seems to be different than that of the early Christians. Theirs was outright pursuit to kill. For us it seems unbelievers are trying to silence our voice. Intimidation, ridicule, belittling, badgering, mocking are all part of the enemies strategy to negate our message or credibility.
For years there has been a systematic belittling or discrediting of Christians by the movies and TV shows. Christians are portrayed as hypocrites, ignorant, extremists and in the poorest light possible in the movies and TV shows. It’s enough to make an unbeliever not want to identify with us.
Every incidence of extreme evangelicalism has been portrayed as the norm. The abortion clinic bombers, killers of the abortion doctors or wild, off shoot groups are pictured as typical Christianity. This is persecution in its most insidious form. It discredits true disciples of Christ and undermines their message before anyone even hears the truth.
The normal disciple fears opening his mouth in public for fear that he will offend or get in trouble. The words of some trusted evangelical public figures are twisted or edited to put them in the worst light. Misunderstood by unbelievers who cannot understand Kingdom principles, we are persecuted and made fun of on a regular basis.
We are in good company though. Jesus was ridiculed, mocked, spat upon, beaten, arrested and hung on a cross. He was persecuted by the traditional religious leaders of his day. He withstood much more than any of us have had to withstand. If we are following Jesus we will be persecuted – that is a guarantee. But Jesus promises a blessing for persevering in the midst of persecution.
Harassment, maltreatment, bullying, hounding, discrimination are all synonyms for persecution. We are definitely being discriminated against. Harassment by the liberals is constant. Bullying by the constant bombardment of sensual enticement is grievous. Persecution in the 21st century may be different from the first century but it is persecution.
Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing. Bring it on!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Eighteen - Children of God
Jess tells us that God’s people should be the best at handling conflict on the planet. Hmm... that has not been my experience or the experience of many others whom I know in ministry. We are pretty good at causing a lot of conflict but don’t ask us to confront it. This is an area the enemy uses against us big time. Unresolved conflict is like a weight around our necks.
Rumors, gossip, assigning blame, complaining, talking negatively, holding grudges are still alive and well in the body of Christ. One of the issues I deal with the most in ministry is reluctance or total unwillingness to deal with conflict. I understand reluctance but outright disobedience to the Word of God is inexcusable for us.
If the Word tells me that being a peacemaker is what distinguishes me as a child of God then it must be pretty important.
Ehpesians 6:13:17 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
We are to be ready to bring peace. Peace between God and man and among one another. The knowledge that we are at peace with God and one another is a weapon against our enemy. Peace is powerful but unresolved conflict is the devil’s playground.
As disciples we are brothers and sisters in Christ – children of God. We are to live at peace with one another and to take that peace to our culture. If we’re at odds with one another, speaking evil of one another then what kind of change agent will we be to the world. How do we take peace to others when we don’t have peace in the family?
I love the being “child of God.” If I want the privilege of being God’s child I must take on the responsibility of being a peacemaker. Whatever God asks us to be, He gives us the grace to accomplish. I can be a peacemaker because I am the child of God and He is the peacemaker.
Lord, give us the courage to live at peace with one another by lovingly confronting conflict in a timely manner, being merciful and compassionate to one another.
Rumors, gossip, assigning blame, complaining, talking negatively, holding grudges are still alive and well in the body of Christ. One of the issues I deal with the most in ministry is reluctance or total unwillingness to deal with conflict. I understand reluctance but outright disobedience to the Word of God is inexcusable for us.
If the Word tells me that being a peacemaker is what distinguishes me as a child of God then it must be pretty important.
Ehpesians 6:13:17 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
We are to be ready to bring peace. Peace between God and man and among one another. The knowledge that we are at peace with God and one another is a weapon against our enemy. Peace is powerful but unresolved conflict is the devil’s playground.
As disciples we are brothers and sisters in Christ – children of God. We are to live at peace with one another and to take that peace to our culture. If we’re at odds with one another, speaking evil of one another then what kind of change agent will we be to the world. How do we take peace to others when we don’t have peace in the family?
I love the being “child of God.” If I want the privilege of being God’s child I must take on the responsibility of being a peacemaker. Whatever God asks us to be, He gives us the grace to accomplish. I can be a peacemaker because I am the child of God and He is the peacemaker.
Lord, give us the courage to live at peace with one another by lovingly confronting conflict in a timely manner, being merciful and compassionate to one another.
The Discipleship Dare Day Seventeen - Peacemaker
The most loving thing we can do for someone is to confront our conflict with them. I know you think I’ve gone crazy but I know from experience.
In High School my choir director should have confronted me about how loudly I was singing. He did not. Some of my peers made fun at me, and said unkind things. It hurt me so much that I dropped out of choir for a year until they graduated. Since singing loudly in church was normal, I sang loudly in school choir. Of course, when the director indicated that we should sing more softly as a group, I did. But my soft was medium for others. If only my choir director had taken me to the side and corrected me gently I could have been saved embarrassing myself and losing a year of choir.
My first year in college my roommate confronted me about something. It was very painful to hear her criticism. I felt awful that I had acted in a way that hurt someone else. I took the criticism, was broken before the Lord and ask for His help. I then ask forgiveness of the people I had hurt. While being corrected was difficult to face, it was the most loving thing she could have done for me. I couldn’t see my fault but she could and was kind enough to let me know I had a blind spot that needed changed.
It’s like someone telling you that your zipper is down or you have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe. While it’s embarrassing to have it brought to your attention, it’s more embarrassing to walk all around without knowing it. Ignorance is not bliss – it’s embarrassing.
One of God’s attributes is peace. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Peace is not ignoring problems but confronting them lovingly so they can be resolved. Jesus did what it took to resolve the debt we owed. He paid it with his own life. He is our example. We have to die to the fear of man, die to our need to be a people pleaser and die to our pride. Die and deal with conflict between us and others.
Ignoring or avoiding problems or conflicts can cause them to escalate and allow the devil to get a foothold. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This is not a suggestion; it’s God’s Word for us.
I don’t like to deal with conflict any more than anyone else, but I have experienced it’s benefits. Therefore, I do unto others what I would want them to do to me. Make peace at all costs.
In High School my choir director should have confronted me about how loudly I was singing. He did not. Some of my peers made fun at me, and said unkind things. It hurt me so much that I dropped out of choir for a year until they graduated. Since singing loudly in church was normal, I sang loudly in school choir. Of course, when the director indicated that we should sing more softly as a group, I did. But my soft was medium for others. If only my choir director had taken me to the side and corrected me gently I could have been saved embarrassing myself and losing a year of choir.
My first year in college my roommate confronted me about something. It was very painful to hear her criticism. I felt awful that I had acted in a way that hurt someone else. I took the criticism, was broken before the Lord and ask for His help. I then ask forgiveness of the people I had hurt. While being corrected was difficult to face, it was the most loving thing she could have done for me. I couldn’t see my fault but she could and was kind enough to let me know I had a blind spot that needed changed.
It’s like someone telling you that your zipper is down or you have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe. While it’s embarrassing to have it brought to your attention, it’s more embarrassing to walk all around without knowing it. Ignorance is not bliss – it’s embarrassing.
One of God’s attributes is peace. Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Peace is not ignoring problems but confronting them lovingly so they can be resolved. Jesus did what it took to resolve the debt we owed. He paid it with his own life. He is our example. We have to die to the fear of man, die to our need to be a people pleaser and die to our pride. Die and deal with conflict between us and others.
Ignoring or avoiding problems or conflicts can cause them to escalate and allow the devil to get a foothold. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This is not a suggestion; it’s God’s Word for us.
I don’t like to deal with conflict any more than anyone else, but I have experienced it’s benefits. Therefore, I do unto others what I would want them to do to me. Make peace at all costs.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Sixteen - Pure
“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”
Pure means clean, wholesome, unpolluted, unmixed, and undefiled. It’s difficult to live in our culture without purity of heart being challenged. In an age of relativism where your truth is different from someone else’s truth, its challenging for people to get a footing on what is true north. The culture’s moral compass is skewed at best and broken at worst.
But as disciples, following Christ, our hearts are purified by His Word which is active and alive in us. As we learn and put His Word into action we are purified. The Word of God is our truth, our compass, the standard by which we model our lives.
But sometimes we confuse knowing the truth with living the truth. We need accountability partners with whom to share our lives, our shortcomings, and our challenges. It doesn’t mean our partner is perfect, but that we are committed to the process of growth and willing to be honest with ourselves and one another.
The enemy uses secrets to keep us in captivity. But the moment we confess our secrets to someone else the power is broken. James 5:16 tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Our hearts are healed of their wandering, our emotions healed of hurts, as we confess to each other our need for mercy and grace.
Lord, help us to pursue purity of heart by putting your Word into action. Help us to find someone or ones with whom to be accountable for our growth into your likeness.
Pure means clean, wholesome, unpolluted, unmixed, and undefiled. It’s difficult to live in our culture without purity of heart being challenged. In an age of relativism where your truth is different from someone else’s truth, its challenging for people to get a footing on what is true north. The culture’s moral compass is skewed at best and broken at worst.
But as disciples, following Christ, our hearts are purified by His Word which is active and alive in us. As we learn and put His Word into action we are purified. The Word of God is our truth, our compass, the standard by which we model our lives.
But sometimes we confuse knowing the truth with living the truth. We need accountability partners with whom to share our lives, our shortcomings, and our challenges. It doesn’t mean our partner is perfect, but that we are committed to the process of growth and willing to be honest with ourselves and one another.
The enemy uses secrets to keep us in captivity. But the moment we confess our secrets to someone else the power is broken. James 5:16 tells us, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” Our hearts are healed of their wandering, our emotions healed of hurts, as we confess to each other our need for mercy and grace.
Lord, help us to pursue purity of heart by putting your Word into action. Help us to find someone or ones with whom to be accountable for our growth into your likeness.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Fifteen - Merciful
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Mt. 5:7
Until I had come to the end of myself, seen the ugliness of my sin, the futility of my performance, and my utter need for God’s grace; I did not truly understand His mercy.
It’s His grace that shows us favor and gives us faith to believe in Him. It’s His mercy that withholds judgment and punishment. His grace gives me what I do not deserve and His mercy withholds what I do deserve. What an amazing God.
When we’ve come face to face with that kind of love, grace and mercy, then we can be merciful to others. If Jesus changed the world one act of mercy at a time what could one act of mercy times millions of Christians be doing?
I don’t know about you, but I need mercy. So in the spirit of the prayer from day fourteen – it’s in giving that we receive.
Lord, help us to be mindful of the depth and breadth of the mercy you are showing to us on a daily basis. The mercy that nailed you to a cross in our place is still flowing. Let us be a conduit of mercy one act at a time
Until I had come to the end of myself, seen the ugliness of my sin, the futility of my performance, and my utter need for God’s grace; I did not truly understand His mercy.
It’s His grace that shows us favor and gives us faith to believe in Him. It’s His mercy that withholds judgment and punishment. His grace gives me what I do not deserve and His mercy withholds what I do deserve. What an amazing God.
When we’ve come face to face with that kind of love, grace and mercy, then we can be merciful to others. If Jesus changed the world one act of mercy at a time what could one act of mercy times millions of Christians be doing?
I don’t know about you, but I need mercy. So in the spirit of the prayer from day fourteen – it’s in giving that we receive.
Lord, help us to be mindful of the depth and breadth of the mercy you are showing to us on a daily basis. The mercy that nailed you to a cross in our place is still flowing. Let us be a conduit of mercy one act at a time
The Discipleship Dare Day Fourteen - Satisfied
The Psalmist tells us to “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When we’re delighting in God our desires change and start lining up with His desires, which He always fulfills.
Jess tells us that the problem is not that we hunger and thirst but what we hunger and thirst for. If we hunger and thirst for possessions, fame, position and the things of the world we will always want for more. God promises us that if we hunger and thirst for a relationship with Him then we will be satisfied. Satisfaction is a guarantee. I experience that satisfaction on a regular basis and there’s nothing else like it. No other thrill, accomplishment or possession can touch the depth of fulfillment Jesus causes us to experience in Him.
Of course, a relationship with Christ will cause us to want to share our life in Christ with others, thereby impacting our culture. Fulfilling the mission of God by being a disciple and making disciples brings great satisfaction to our spirit and soul.
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi gives us a hint to being satisfied.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
It is not in hoarding more and more that we are truly satisfied. It’s not in achieving more and more. It’s in being who God has divinely designed us to be as His children living out the mission. It’s in giving that we truly receive; in dying that we have life.
If you find yourself dissatisfied in life, start giving yourself away.
Jess tells us that the problem is not that we hunger and thirst but what we hunger and thirst for. If we hunger and thirst for possessions, fame, position and the things of the world we will always want for more. God promises us that if we hunger and thirst for a relationship with Him then we will be satisfied. Satisfaction is a guarantee. I experience that satisfaction on a regular basis and there’s nothing else like it. No other thrill, accomplishment or possession can touch the depth of fulfillment Jesus causes us to experience in Him.
Of course, a relationship with Christ will cause us to want to share our life in Christ with others, thereby impacting our culture. Fulfilling the mission of God by being a disciple and making disciples brings great satisfaction to our spirit and soul.
The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi gives us a hint to being satisfied.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
It is not in hoarding more and more that we are truly satisfied. It’s not in achieving more and more. It’s in being who God has divinely designed us to be as His children living out the mission. It’s in giving that we truly receive; in dying that we have life.
If you find yourself dissatisfied in life, start giving yourself away.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The discipleship Dare Day Thirteen - Righteous
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
I used to think righteousness meant being without sin, or pure and holy like God. That would definitely be a good thing to pursue. But I could never seem to be “holy” enough no matter how much I pursued it.
Through studying I learned that being righteous has to do with being in relationship with Christ. It was not about being perfect. Christ’s righteousness was not based upon his sinlessness – even though that helped him achieve righteousness for us. It is based upon the covenant.
The Israelites discovered they couldn’t keep the covenant on their own. Try as they might to keep it wholly, they would come up short. God had given the covenant to help them see their need of a new covenant of grace supplied by Christ. In the Bible times, when someone kept their covenant then they were considered a righteous man.
Christ is righteous because he kept the covenant for us so we could be reconciled in a relationship with God. That’s why our righteousness is as filthy rags – its never good enough. But “in Christ” we are the righteousness of God. We are the demonstration of Christ’s righteousness when we accept Him as Savior.
So how do we pursue righteousness? By pursuing a relationship with Christ. Not by doing good works, not by service, not by giving money. Those are all results of being in relationship with Christ. Pursue a growing, deepening relationship with Christ and you are pursuing righteousness.
How do I get hungry or thirsty for God? By tasting and seeing that He is good.
Taking the risk to believe and act on His Word, to experience Him in your life. Once you’ve tasted His sweetness, you want more and more and more. It’s something like Lay’s potato chips – you can’t eat just one.
I used to think righteousness meant being without sin, or pure and holy like God. That would definitely be a good thing to pursue. But I could never seem to be “holy” enough no matter how much I pursued it.
Through studying I learned that being righteous has to do with being in relationship with Christ. It was not about being perfect. Christ’s righteousness was not based upon his sinlessness – even though that helped him achieve righteousness for us. It is based upon the covenant.
The Israelites discovered they couldn’t keep the covenant on their own. Try as they might to keep it wholly, they would come up short. God had given the covenant to help them see their need of a new covenant of grace supplied by Christ. In the Bible times, when someone kept their covenant then they were considered a righteous man.
Christ is righteous because he kept the covenant for us so we could be reconciled in a relationship with God. That’s why our righteousness is as filthy rags – its never good enough. But “in Christ” we are the righteousness of God. We are the demonstration of Christ’s righteousness when we accept Him as Savior.
So how do we pursue righteousness? By pursuing a relationship with Christ. Not by doing good works, not by service, not by giving money. Those are all results of being in relationship with Christ. Pursue a growing, deepening relationship with Christ and you are pursuing righteousness.
How do I get hungry or thirsty for God? By tasting and seeing that He is good.
Taking the risk to believe and act on His Word, to experience Him in your life. Once you’ve tasted His sweetness, you want more and more and more. It’s something like Lay’s potato chips – you can’t eat just one.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Twelve - Meek
I think a lot of us misunderstand meekness. We think it means lying down at the first sign of conflict and being walked on. Others think they are meek because they don’t do anything about conflict but avoid it like the plague. Some think you don’t say or do anything but suffer quietly all the while stewing inside.
But Jess rightly expresses its true meaning – responding in strength at the right things with self-control. Sometimes that means waiting for God to bring about our righteousness as the noon day sun instead of defending ourselves.
Other times it means deferring the situation to God to work out because we have absolutely no control over it.
A few of the synonyms for meek are:
timid, docile, mild, compliant
or
humble, submissive, gentle
The opposite of meek is assertive. So the common misunderstanding is if I am an assertive person I’m not meek. But if I’m a mild mannered person by nature then I’m meek. I don’t express my opinion. I don’t do anything to deal with conflict. I don’t go against the flow. I do not act.
Yet, if we look at the other synonyms for meek we see that it’s how we respond that makes us meek in the face of injustices, unfairness and other things that could cause us to want to assert our rights.
Humble means the attitude in which I approach the situation. Do I put myself first? Do I think I’m the only one who is right? Am I assuming things without knowing all the facts?
Submissive means we take into consideration the feelings and rights of others. We put them first above ourselves and our need for conflict resolution NOW!
Gentle is the manner in which we operate in the situation. We don’t have to demand or be angry. We deal calmly and patiently with the conflict.
It takes great strength of character and self-control to be truly meek. For some of us this character trait is the most difficult to cultivate. But that’s why Christ gave us the Holy Spirit. At any given moment we can consciously choose to operate out of the Holy Spirit instead of our flesh.
Meekness is a choice and the more we choose it the more it’s developed in our character.
Lord, make consciously aware of your Holy Spirit ready and waiting to help us be meek in every situation. Help us to choose meekness instead of the weakness of our flesh.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Eleven - Comfort
This one hits a little too close to home. Loss does not come just by death. Loss comes in many forms and its pain furrows deep. Unfortunately, because it’s not a death, we don’t allow time to grieve the loss. It could be the loss of health, friendships, job, sense of worth, dreams, peace, financial stability, meaningful possession, opportunities or a position of influence. These losses all bring pain but, with some of them, we expect ourselves to just get over it.
We need to grieve our losses, talk about them, admit the pain and process our thoughts with someone. We need understanding hearts – people to just be there. Just knowing that someone understands how you feel brings comfort. You realize, “I’m not alone.”
In order to be blessed, we must mourn. We have to acknowledge our loss and pain. One September I recognized this underlying sadness in my spirit. I didn’t understand what I was feeling or why. Then I took the risk of talking with someone about it. They asked the right questions and, before I knew it, I had revealed nine losses in my life that had happened in the past few months. I began the mourning process and found the comfort I needed in God and friends.
The God of all comfort is ready and willing to hear our complaints, collect our tears, and hold us close. He understands loss. But God in us wants to comfort others who need a listening ear and understanding heart.
Character is developed in the midst of painful circumstances of loss. Don’t be afraid to mourn your losses because there is a blessing in mourning – comfort.
We need to grieve our losses, talk about them, admit the pain and process our thoughts with someone. We need understanding hearts – people to just be there. Just knowing that someone understands how you feel brings comfort. You realize, “I’m not alone.”
In order to be blessed, we must mourn. We have to acknowledge our loss and pain. One September I recognized this underlying sadness in my spirit. I didn’t understand what I was feeling or why. Then I took the risk of talking with someone about it. They asked the right questions and, before I knew it, I had revealed nine losses in my life that had happened in the past few months. I began the mourning process and found the comfort I needed in God and friends.
The God of all comfort is ready and willing to hear our complaints, collect our tears, and hold us close. He understands loss. But God in us wants to comfort others who need a listening ear and understanding heart.
Character is developed in the midst of painful circumstances of loss. Don’t be afraid to mourn your losses because there is a blessing in mourning – comfort.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Ten - Lord Reign in Me!
Jesus said, “I declare that the Kingdom of God is here, among you.” I think sometimes we misunderstand the Kingdom of God as much as the crowds when Jesus preached about it. We think of it as being the Kingdom Christ will set up when he comes to rule and reign for a thousand years. We think of it as when we get to Heaven – that is the Kingdom.
But Jesus declared that it had arrived when He arrived. The Kingdom is simply the rule and reign of Christ in heaven and on the earth. Since Satan had been given rule over the earth, Christ’s new covenant began the Kingdom of God here and now – His Spirit living and abiding, empowering and equipping us to fulfill His mission on earth. The Kingdom of God is simply God’s rule in my life.
To the extent that I choose to allow Christ to reign in me is the extent that he rules in the earth. The problem is that we’ve been raised in the kingdom of this world, which can be seen, while the Kingdom of God is an invisible force living in us. The visible crowds out the invisible, and the familiar feels more comfortable than the unfamiliar.
It’s imperative that we understand that, as disciples, we are the Kingdom of God here on earth. God is depending on us to build His Kingdom; not ours.
As Jess reminded us, the Kingdom of God is present and active now. It has the power to transform the world as our character is transformed. The Kingdom brings restoration to all those around us here and now.
Lord, let your reign be established in me. Reign in my thoughts, my choices and actions. Be Lord of all.
Lord, reign in me again!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHhuKfPQo6Q
But Jesus declared that it had arrived when He arrived. The Kingdom is simply the rule and reign of Christ in heaven and on the earth. Since Satan had been given rule over the earth, Christ’s new covenant began the Kingdom of God here and now – His Spirit living and abiding, empowering and equipping us to fulfill His mission on earth. The Kingdom of God is simply God’s rule in my life.
To the extent that I choose to allow Christ to reign in me is the extent that he rules in the earth. The problem is that we’ve been raised in the kingdom of this world, which can be seen, while the Kingdom of God is an invisible force living in us. The visible crowds out the invisible, and the familiar feels more comfortable than the unfamiliar.
It’s imperative that we understand that, as disciples, we are the Kingdom of God here on earth. God is depending on us to build His Kingdom; not ours.
As Jess reminded us, the Kingdom of God is present and active now. It has the power to transform the world as our character is transformed. The Kingdom brings restoration to all those around us here and now.
Lord, let your reign be established in me. Reign in my thoughts, my choices and actions. Be Lord of all.
Lord, reign in me again!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHhuKfPQo6Q
The Discipleship Dare Day Nine - Poor in Spirit
Our whole discipleship journey begins with recognizing our brokenness, otherwise known as our sinfulness. Until the day we recognize our need of a Savior we are utterly broken and held captive to the power of sin.
Once the journey begins more brokenness is revealed. The more we know the Word, the closer our relationship with Christ, the more we see our brokenness and need for even more of Him. Without Him, we are nothing.
If you think you’ve arrived; watch out because pride has just reared its ugly head. The rest of the journey is one of unveiling brokenness, surrender and transformation; only to do it all over again. I actually find brokenness to be a sweet relief from some tension between what is and what should be.
Brokenness is not always easy; it can be quite painful to see the ugliness of attitudes exposed, pride deflated or deceit untangled. But the results are deeply satisfying as new depths of worship are mined and higher heights of grace soared. Then brokenness is sweet.
It is only Christ in me, the hope of glory that has anything to offer – my righteousness is as filthy rags. But God’s glory is magnificent and it shines through to the extent that we are broken before Him.
Lord, we are completely dependent upon your grace, your love and mercy, your resurrection power. Prayer is our reminder that we desperately need you. Keep us poor in spirit before you.
Once the journey begins more brokenness is revealed. The more we know the Word, the closer our relationship with Christ, the more we see our brokenness and need for even more of Him. Without Him, we are nothing.
If you think you’ve arrived; watch out because pride has just reared its ugly head. The rest of the journey is one of unveiling brokenness, surrender and transformation; only to do it all over again. I actually find brokenness to be a sweet relief from some tension between what is and what should be.
Brokenness is not always easy; it can be quite painful to see the ugliness of attitudes exposed, pride deflated or deceit untangled. But the results are deeply satisfying as new depths of worship are mined and higher heights of grace soared. Then brokenness is sweet.
It is only Christ in me, the hope of glory that has anything to offer – my righteousness is as filthy rags. But God’s glory is magnificent and it shines through to the extent that we are broken before Him.
Lord, we are completely dependent upon your grace, your love and mercy, your resurrection power. Prayer is our reminder that we desperately need you. Keep us poor in spirit before you.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Eight - Blessed
The Goodground blogger asks this question, “How would your church be different if every member felt responsible to help every other member develop in character?”
Character –“ who you are when no one’s looking” is one description. Jesus tells us .in the Beatitudes in Matthew five, that these are the attitudes to have for being blessed. Attitudes are the thinking that forms our feelings and behavior. Good attitudes form good character which produces right living. Being always precedes doing.
Unfortunately, character is in short supply in our current culture. Public figures have been exposed profusely in the last twenty years from Jimmy Swaggart to, more recently, Tiger Woods. From Enron to Wall street and even the Congress and White House businessmen have fallen from their lofty pedestals. We don’t know who to trust or model.
The Word of God is full of examples of men with either good or bad character and the consequent results. Saul and David, Eli and Samuel, Judas or Peter all serve as examples of opposite character.
How might we as a church be different if we had people to hold us accountable. David had Samuel to keep him accountable and it produced brokenness and repentance in David. The prophets kept kings accountable with some progress. Jesus kept the disciples accountable producing eleven who made thousands of other disciples who “turned the world upside down.”
Who do we have to keep us accountable? If we had someone would it make a difference? Would we grow more steadily? Would we be healed or delivered because we confessed our sins to our brother?
Would we realize the blessings of God more frequently or fully?
How do you think it would change our lives, our church?
Lord – help us to be willing to allow someone to hold us accountable. Show us someone to trust. Help us to develop your character.
Character –“ who you are when no one’s looking” is one description. Jesus tells us .in the Beatitudes in Matthew five, that these are the attitudes to have for being blessed. Attitudes are the thinking that forms our feelings and behavior. Good attitudes form good character which produces right living. Being always precedes doing.
Unfortunately, character is in short supply in our current culture. Public figures have been exposed profusely in the last twenty years from Jimmy Swaggart to, more recently, Tiger Woods. From Enron to Wall street and even the Congress and White House businessmen have fallen from their lofty pedestals. We don’t know who to trust or model.
The Word of God is full of examples of men with either good or bad character and the consequent results. Saul and David, Eli and Samuel, Judas or Peter all serve as examples of opposite character.
How might we as a church be different if we had people to hold us accountable. David had Samuel to keep him accountable and it produced brokenness and repentance in David. The prophets kept kings accountable with some progress. Jesus kept the disciples accountable producing eleven who made thousands of other disciples who “turned the world upside down.”
Who do we have to keep us accountable? If we had someone would it make a difference? Would we grow more steadily? Would we be healed or delivered because we confessed our sins to our brother?
Would we realize the blessings of God more frequently or fully?
How do you think it would change our lives, our church?
Lord – help us to be willing to allow someone to hold us accountable. Show us someone to trust. Help us to develop your character.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Discipleship Dare Day Seven - Fit for Service
Busy is the buzz word of the day. Talk to almost anyone and ask them how they are doing and you hear the answer, “busy.” It seems life is busier than ever. Our schedules are fuller, busier with more demands, more hoops through which to jump. Sometimes I want to yell, “Stop the merry-go-round and left me off.”
Yet, at a recent seminar by Valerie Burton on “How did I get so Busy” she refuted the myth that we are busier now than in the fifties. We actually have more vacation and free time than the average person had then. I was blown away. Because of all the conveniences, we can do our work faster and more efficiently than ever leaving us with more free time than our parents or grandparents.
It’s what we do with all that free time that makes us busier. We fill it with TV, Xbox, internet, hobbies, and other self-indulgent activities. The first thing to go is usually our service to God as if it is optional. .
Our relationship with God and service to His mission are normally scheduled around our job, sleep, family, friends, recreation and everything else. If there’s any time left we spend time with God and maybe do something for the mission.
But this is not the total commitment or radical sacrifice that Christ modeled.
We hopelessly try to “balance” our lives when Christ has called us to “center our lives.”
I have to tell you I’ve been a disciple for almost forty-seven years and this area has been the most difficult for me. Balance was what I was striving for and once I had it, all it took was a sickness, a time change, or unexpected emergency to throw it off,
As children we played “jump board.” You took a long board and put it on a platform of wood, balancing it so you and the other person could safely stand on either end. The one weighing the most would be close to the ground. The person up in the air would jump and it made the heavier person go up in the air. Then the person in the air would come down jumping on their end of the board causing the other person to fly into the air. What fun as long as the board stayed balanced. When it slid off balance we both ended up falling on our bottoms. It was difficult to keep the balance .
So, it is in life. Achieving balance is tricky and vulnerable. But being centered in Christ is a mindset that brings consistency. A disciple is centered not balanced. A disciple is radically committed, totally sold out, intensely focused on the mission; not what can I get out of this.
Are we ready to be so totally sold out and radically committed that we schedule everything and everyone around our relationship with God and our service to the Mission? .
Yet, at a recent seminar by Valerie Burton on “How did I get so Busy” she refuted the myth that we are busier now than in the fifties. We actually have more vacation and free time than the average person had then. I was blown away. Because of all the conveniences, we can do our work faster and more efficiently than ever leaving us with more free time than our parents or grandparents.
It’s what we do with all that free time that makes us busier. We fill it with TV, Xbox, internet, hobbies, and other self-indulgent activities. The first thing to go is usually our service to God as if it is optional. .
Our relationship with God and service to His mission are normally scheduled around our job, sleep, family, friends, recreation and everything else. If there’s any time left we spend time with God and maybe do something for the mission.
But this is not the total commitment or radical sacrifice that Christ modeled.
We hopelessly try to “balance” our lives when Christ has called us to “center our lives.”
I have to tell you I’ve been a disciple for almost forty-seven years and this area has been the most difficult for me. Balance was what I was striving for and once I had it, all it took was a sickness, a time change, or unexpected emergency to throw it off,
As children we played “jump board.” You took a long board and put it on a platform of wood, balancing it so you and the other person could safely stand on either end. The one weighing the most would be close to the ground. The person up in the air would jump and it made the heavier person go up in the air. Then the person in the air would come down jumping on their end of the board causing the other person to fly into the air. What fun as long as the board stayed balanced. When it slid off balance we both ended up falling on our bottoms. It was difficult to keep the balance .
So, it is in life. Achieving balance is tricky and vulnerable. But being centered in Christ is a mindset that brings consistency. A disciple is centered not balanced. A disciple is radically committed, totally sold out, intensely focused on the mission; not what can I get out of this.
Are we ready to be so totally sold out and radically committed that we schedule everything and everyone around our relationship with God and our service to the Mission? .
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Discipleship Dare Day Six - Feed My Sheep
Feeding or caring for people is following Christ. It’s joining Christ in his work.
In talking with some of you about the Dare I realize that you feel like Peter -- a failure or not the most likely candidate to be used by God. All or nothing thinking would cause us to just give up, “what’s the use” we think. But that is what the enemy wants you to do.
Recommitting to the mission will allow us to be qualified as we keep on following Jesus in the mission. Jess reminded us that “Peter was ready for action because he was committed to the mission.” Yes, he fell down quite a few times but he got right back up and kept following Christ. Remember our first verse? “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s in perseverance that we are developed into disciple makers, not in perfectionism.
We tend to make it so complicated. Jesus partners with us where we are. He asks us to “care for the next person who crosses our path.” This doesn’t mean preach at them. It doesn’t require a theology degree or other credentials. It means show genuine care. Be interested in them. Actively listen, look them in the eye and really listen to what they are saying or not saying. Offer what help you can whether its money, time, advice or encouragement from your own experience.
.Last night while on Facebook a chat box popped up – someone crossed my path. Thirty minutes later she said, “I didn’t think anybody cared till now.” (I’m seeing the Staples button – “That was easy.” Simple caring for people can soften their hearts for the gospel, make them feel loved and give them a sense of belonging – even change their world. “It’s so easy even a cave man can do it.”
In talking with some of you about the Dare I realize that you feel like Peter -- a failure or not the most likely candidate to be used by God. All or nothing thinking would cause us to just give up, “what’s the use” we think. But that is what the enemy wants you to do.
Recommitting to the mission will allow us to be qualified as we keep on following Jesus in the mission. Jess reminded us that “Peter was ready for action because he was committed to the mission.” Yes, he fell down quite a few times but he got right back up and kept following Christ. Remember our first verse? “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s in perseverance that we are developed into disciple makers, not in perfectionism.
We tend to make it so complicated. Jesus partners with us where we are. He asks us to “care for the next person who crosses our path.” This doesn’t mean preach at them. It doesn’t require a theology degree or other credentials. It means show genuine care. Be interested in them. Actively listen, look them in the eye and really listen to what they are saying or not saying. Offer what help you can whether its money, time, advice or encouragement from your own experience.
.Last night while on Facebook a chat box popped up – someone crossed my path. Thirty minutes later she said, “I didn’t think anybody cared till now.” (I’m seeing the Staples button – “That was easy.” Simple caring for people can soften their hearts for the gospel, make them feel loved and give them a sense of belonging – even change their world. “It’s so easy even a cave man can do it.”
Friday, January 8, 2010
Discipleship Dare Day Five - Switching Allegiance
As soon as I read the words “switching allegiances” the tune of the song “I’m Abandoned to the Captain” by Steve Fry started playing in my head.
So lay aside each weight that binds
And enter in the harvest time
Until the Kingdom of this world
Become the kingdoms of our Christ
I'm abandoned to the Captain
Of the mighty hosts of Heaven
And I pledge Him my allegiance
'Til the earth beholds His Kingdom
My spirit soared as the choir sang this song. Not too many songs give you the opportunity to declare your loyalty to Christ.
Do you remember the feeling you had as a child, placing your hand over your heart and saying, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America?” I felt such pride. Anything patriotic does something to me. I’m not sure we have the same feeling in America today but let’s not lose it for God.
Christ is asking us to check our allegiance as disciples. Are we more loyal to ourselves, our family, our friends than we are to God? If so, we need to switch allegiances. I couldn’t use the word “hate” because that’s not what Jesus really meant. We’re not to hate anyone but our loyalty should be so strong for Christ that it’s known that we love him more.
Can you imagine yourself placing your hand over your heart and declaring “I pledge allegiance to my job, my hobby, my Mother? That is what we are doing when we love others or things more than Christ.
Lord, show us where our allegiance may be misplaced. Help us to experience your love so deeply and completely that switching allegiance is easy.
So lay aside each weight that binds
And enter in the harvest time
Until the Kingdom of this world
Become the kingdoms of our Christ
I'm abandoned to the Captain
Of the mighty hosts of Heaven
And I pledge Him my allegiance
'Til the earth beholds His Kingdom
My spirit soared as the choir sang this song. Not too many songs give you the opportunity to declare your loyalty to Christ.
Do you remember the feeling you had as a child, placing your hand over your heart and saying, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America?” I felt such pride. Anything patriotic does something to me. I’m not sure we have the same feeling in America today but let’s not lose it for God.
Christ is asking us to check our allegiance as disciples. Are we more loyal to ourselves, our family, our friends than we are to God? If so, we need to switch allegiances. I couldn’t use the word “hate” because that’s not what Jesus really meant. We’re not to hate anyone but our loyalty should be so strong for Christ that it’s known that we love him more.
Can you imagine yourself placing your hand over your heart and declaring “I pledge allegiance to my job, my hobby, my Mother? That is what we are doing when we love others or things more than Christ.
Lord, show us where our allegiance may be misplaced. Help us to experience your love so deeply and completely that switching allegiance is easy.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Discipleship Dare Day Four - Sell Your Possessions
Isn’t it interesting how Christ kept qualifying how we are to follow Him? First was just the call to come away from our normal or old life and follow Him. Then he qualified it with “deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.” This speaks of real commitment, effort, humility, work and intentionality. Its not just a stroll through the park. He lets us know its going to cost us dearly. Then he says if we’re not willing to carry our cross, then we aren’t really his disciples. That is sobering.
In this verse Christ qualifies the call even further. “Go, sell you possessions and give to the poor.” A call to be other-centered instead of self-centered. The rich young ruler was not in love with God; he was in love with himself. He was devoted to satisfying the lust of the flesh just as most of us are to some extinct or another. Seeing this , Christ cut right to the chase. If the rich young man wouldn’t sell his possessions then he wouldn’t really follow Christ. Sadly, his possessions held him captive.
Unlike the rich young ruler, some of us try to follow Christ while dragging the possessions, distractions or weights with us. We want what Christ has to offer – abundant life, but we don’t want to pay the total cost. Surely we can have our cake and eat it too. How arrogant can we be?
Fortunately for us, Christ knows us all too well. In his patience he sends the Holy Spirit to convict us, His Word to correct us. In Hebrews 12:1 Paul tells us “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
The process of sanctification or cleansing is an ongoing process. He corrects or convicts and if we respond then and there, His grace gives us the enabling power to throw off the hindrance, the distractions and to follow him more fully.
We’re in this together. While we may be thinking we are following wholeheartedly, God knows and he will be faithful to show us the problem and give us the grace to die.
“Lord, give us dying grace that we may die to the call of self and fully follow you.”
In this verse Christ qualifies the call even further. “Go, sell you possessions and give to the poor.” A call to be other-centered instead of self-centered. The rich young ruler was not in love with God; he was in love with himself. He was devoted to satisfying the lust of the flesh just as most of us are to some extinct or another. Seeing this , Christ cut right to the chase. If the rich young man wouldn’t sell his possessions then he wouldn’t really follow Christ. Sadly, his possessions held him captive.
Unlike the rich young ruler, some of us try to follow Christ while dragging the possessions, distractions or weights with us. We want what Christ has to offer – abundant life, but we don’t want to pay the total cost. Surely we can have our cake and eat it too. How arrogant can we be?
Fortunately for us, Christ knows us all too well. In his patience he sends the Holy Spirit to convict us, His Word to correct us. In Hebrews 12:1 Paul tells us “let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
The process of sanctification or cleansing is an ongoing process. He corrects or convicts and if we respond then and there, His grace gives us the enabling power to throw off the hindrance, the distractions and to follow him more fully.
We’re in this together. While we may be thinking we are following wholeheartedly, God knows and he will be faithful to show us the problem and give us the grace to die.
“Lord, give us dying grace that we may die to the call of self and fully follow you.”
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Since Jess Bousa’s sermon on Sunday the Mission has been on my mind. I have to confess that I haven’t always had my eye on The Mission but the project right before me. While my purpose for the work I was doing was for The Mission I wasn’t constantly consciously aware of The Mission. The details of ministry and life can crowd out the bigger call to The Mission.
The twenty three souls that found Jesus at the Christmas Musical were partly the result of all of those consuming details. Many people died to hours of their time, energy and talent as they offered it for The Mission. It was The Mission that kept us motivated. They took up their cross daily and came to a practice after work or all day Saturday. They gave out invitations, cared for people, befriended people, invited people and are now discipling their new friends.
For some reason the song by Steven Curtis Chapman came to my mind, For the Sake of the Call. You can Google the lyrics but I have to repeat some here.
“We will abandon it all for the sake of the call.
No other reason at all but the sake of the call.
Wholly devoted to live and to die
Nor for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we’ll obey
We will answer
For the sake of the call.”
The Mission allows us to part of something much bigger than anything we could do ourselves. The Mission is worth carrying the cross no matter how heavy it is. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We were His joy. The Mission is His joy. Jesus kept his eyes on The Mission and it enabled him to endure the cross, scorn its shame, and die in our place.
Lord ,help us to keep our eyes on The Mission so we can carry our cross and abandon it all for the sake of the call.
The twenty three souls that found Jesus at the Christmas Musical were partly the result of all of those consuming details. Many people died to hours of their time, energy and talent as they offered it for The Mission. It was The Mission that kept us motivated. They took up their cross daily and came to a practice after work or all day Saturday. They gave out invitations, cared for people, befriended people, invited people and are now discipling their new friends.
For some reason the song by Steven Curtis Chapman came to my mind, For the Sake of the Call. You can Google the lyrics but I have to repeat some here.
“We will abandon it all for the sake of the call.
No other reason at all but the sake of the call.
Wholly devoted to live and to die
Nor for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who calls
And if we believe we’ll obey
We will answer
For the sake of the call.”
The Mission allows us to part of something much bigger than anything we could do ourselves. The Mission is worth carrying the cross no matter how heavy it is. Hebrews 12:2 reminds us that Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We were His joy. The Mission is His joy. Jesus kept his eyes on The Mission and it enabled him to endure the cross, scorn its shame, and die in our place.
Lord ,help us to keep our eyes on The Mission so we can carry our cross and abandon it all for the sake of the call.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Discipleship Dare Day Two - Deny Yourself
I received an email from a Disabled Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War about the same time I first read this chapter. This is what he had written to me:
"During boot camp training, the drill instructors would yell at you "You joined the Marines to die, and die you're going to guarding America." I almost did.
I believe they yelled those kind of things at you to get the fear of death out of you and a purpose of mission into you. It is not something that goes away. The mission is something you become. Only I'm that for the Lord now --serving the same people though a Marine for Jesus.”
Carl, my brother, was critically wounded in Vietnam and almost died of a gunshot to the brain stem. He lost most of his hearing, some eyesight, all of his sense of smell and has many shrapnel wounds. His Marine training had prepared him to die.
Dietrich Bonhoffer in The Cost of Discipleship said, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." The paradox of life springing from death is what the harvest is about. As we die to self, die to our fears, die to our excuses, and give our lives to the mission a harvest is produced – a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God.
“No person is truly alive until he has found a cause he is willing to die for.” The original twelve disciples all literally died for the mission.
Jesus lived, died and conquered death not for his benefit but for ours. He changed the course of history by dying for the mission of seeing you and me reconciled to God and living the abundant life. Now he asks us to follow him in the mission and be willing to die for it. Die to self – crucify the fleshly comforts that keep us at home in the easy chair, instead of sharing our lives with others.
What is the mission you ask. “Go, get out of your comfort zones, get out of your church pew, get out where the people are and make disciples.
In the New Testament time there were no cars, no buses, no bikes, people walked everywhere. As they walked they met people, talked with people became involved in their lives. In the New Testament a persons business was usually just below their home on the first floor. They had a culture of intermingling business with life. They naturally shared their stories of the change Christ had made in their lives with those who came into their business.
Today our business and homes are separated. We go to work, school and everywhere isolated in our cars. We fear rejection if we share our stories – what will people think? We have been brain washed that you don’t talk about politics or religion with other people – it can get you in a hot debate or worse, fired from your job. We lost sight of the mission – we think that’s what we’re paying the pastors for.
We need a renewed sense of the purpose of the mission. We need to get the fear of man out of us and the purpose of mission into us. The Spirit is saying, “You’ve got to die, and die your going to -- building the Kingdom.
Are we living a life worth dying for? Or did Jesus die in vain? Are we willing to die and what might that mean for each of us?
"During boot camp training, the drill instructors would yell at you "You joined the Marines to die, and die you're going to guarding America." I almost did.
I believe they yelled those kind of things at you to get the fear of death out of you and a purpose of mission into you. It is not something that goes away. The mission is something you become. Only I'm that for the Lord now --serving the same people though a Marine for Jesus.”
Carl, my brother, was critically wounded in Vietnam and almost died of a gunshot to the brain stem. He lost most of his hearing, some eyesight, all of his sense of smell and has many shrapnel wounds. His Marine training had prepared him to die.
Dietrich Bonhoffer in The Cost of Discipleship said, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." The paradox of life springing from death is what the harvest is about. As we die to self, die to our fears, die to our excuses, and give our lives to the mission a harvest is produced – a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God.
“No person is truly alive until he has found a cause he is willing to die for.” The original twelve disciples all literally died for the mission.
Jesus lived, died and conquered death not for his benefit but for ours. He changed the course of history by dying for the mission of seeing you and me reconciled to God and living the abundant life. Now he asks us to follow him in the mission and be willing to die for it. Die to self – crucify the fleshly comforts that keep us at home in the easy chair, instead of sharing our lives with others.
What is the mission you ask. “Go, get out of your comfort zones, get out of your church pew, get out where the people are and make disciples.
In the New Testament time there were no cars, no buses, no bikes, people walked everywhere. As they walked they met people, talked with people became involved in their lives. In the New Testament a persons business was usually just below their home on the first floor. They had a culture of intermingling business with life. They naturally shared their stories of the change Christ had made in their lives with those who came into their business.
Today our business and homes are separated. We go to work, school and everywhere isolated in our cars. We fear rejection if we share our stories – what will people think? We have been brain washed that you don’t talk about politics or religion with other people – it can get you in a hot debate or worse, fired from your job. We lost sight of the mission – we think that’s what we’re paying the pastors for.
We need a renewed sense of the purpose of the mission. We need to get the fear of man out of us and the purpose of mission into us. The Spirit is saying, “You’ve got to die, and die your going to -- building the Kingdom.
Are we living a life worth dying for? Or did Jesus die in vain? Are we willing to die and what might that mean for each of us?
Discipleship Dare Day One - Follow Me
I’ve always loved this verse, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s a call to be something I cannot be without following. It’s something He does in me as I’m in a learning, growing relationship with Christ.
But unfortunately most Christians today do not see themselves as disciples who are following Christ for the purpose of becoming disciple makers. We have accepted his sacrifice so we won’t go to hell and life will be better. We have fire insurance but are not really experiencing the transformed life of a devoted follower. We are saved for a purpose – to glorify God through fulfilling the great commission of being fishers of men. We are to extend the call to others.
I learned to cook while I was in the kitchen with my mother. As I watched her clean and cut vegetables I learned how. I watched her wash the chicken, pull off any unnecessary hairs, salt and pepper it, roll it in flour and carefully place the chicken in a hot frying pan. She browned the chicken well on both sides before cutting down the heat and putting on the lid to allow the chicken to stay moist and flavorful. But until I put forth the effort to actually do it myself I was not a cook.
The original word for disciple actually means learner and has the thought of “putting forth effort.” For some of us learning is a passion. We love to learn but if we never put into action that which we are learning it does us no good. Are we following Christ just for what we can get or are we following for who He will make us – just like Him, fishers of men.
Please feel free to comment about what you received on the first day of your Discipleship Dare.
But unfortunately most Christians today do not see themselves as disciples who are following Christ for the purpose of becoming disciple makers. We have accepted his sacrifice so we won’t go to hell and life will be better. We have fire insurance but are not really experiencing the transformed life of a devoted follower. We are saved for a purpose – to glorify God through fulfilling the great commission of being fishers of men. We are to extend the call to others.
I learned to cook while I was in the kitchen with my mother. As I watched her clean and cut vegetables I learned how. I watched her wash the chicken, pull off any unnecessary hairs, salt and pepper it, roll it in flour and carefully place the chicken in a hot frying pan. She browned the chicken well on both sides before cutting down the heat and putting on the lid to allow the chicken to stay moist and flavorful. But until I put forth the effort to actually do it myself I was not a cook.
The original word for disciple actually means learner and has the thought of “putting forth effort.” For some of us learning is a passion. We love to learn but if we never put into action that which we are learning it does us no good. Are we following Christ just for what we can get or are we following for who He will make us – just like Him, fishers of men.
Please feel free to comment about what you received on the first day of your Discipleship Dare.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Discipleship Dare - The One Thing
Today Jess Bousa spoke to our church about making discipleship a priority in our lives. I wonder what stood out to you? “The One Thing” stood out to me. Jesus left the disciples With one imperative command – “make disciples.” Jesus left the plan of how to do this through His own lifestyle of making disciples and the instructions he gave us in the Great Commission in
Matthew 28:18-20.
I really related to his example of the parent leaving the child with just one thing to do while she was at work. She gave her son permission to do whatever he wanted – watch TV, play Wii, use the computer, etc but she wanted him to take out the garbage before she came home. That evening when she came home from a long day of work she found the kitchen garbage overflowing onto the floor. The sky was the limit as to what her son could do but she only gave him one imperative – take out the garbage.
I can remember seeing my mother’s disappointed face when she came home from a long day of waitressing and then grocery shopping only to find the kitchen a mess because we hadn’t done our one thing – straighten up the kitchen so she could fix supper. She let me have it verbally and with appropriate discipline. I decided then and there I’d never let that happen again.
Jesus has left us with one imperative – one command to be His disciple. Disciples naturally make disciples because in being a disciple of Jesus we become like Him and He made disciples. Jesus said,” Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s something we naturally become as we are following Jesus. Is it possible that if we are truly following Jesus we are naturally doing our one thing?
Matthew 28:18-20.
I really related to his example of the parent leaving the child with just one thing to do while she was at work. She gave her son permission to do whatever he wanted – watch TV, play Wii, use the computer, etc but she wanted him to take out the garbage before she came home. That evening when she came home from a long day of work she found the kitchen garbage overflowing onto the floor. The sky was the limit as to what her son could do but she only gave him one imperative – take out the garbage.
I can remember seeing my mother’s disappointed face when she came home from a long day of waitressing and then grocery shopping only to find the kitchen a mess because we hadn’t done our one thing – straighten up the kitchen so she could fix supper. She let me have it verbally and with appropriate discipline. I decided then and there I’d never let that happen again.
Jesus has left us with one imperative – one command to be His disciple. Disciples naturally make disciples because in being a disciple of Jesus we become like Him and He made disciples. Jesus said,” Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” It’s something we naturally become as we are following Jesus. Is it possible that if we are truly following Jesus we are naturally doing our one thing?
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