Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Before pausing yesterday for the end-of-the-month reflection, we had been analyzing patience. On Friday, we witnessed the depth of Jesus’ patience with us and others. On Monday, we saw how we are to be like Christ in this and be patient with others. Today, we’ll tackle an often overlooked area of the topic- patience with ourselves.
Barring any severe case of denial, we tend to be hardest on ourselves, especially when it comes to our Christian walk. We confess our need for God, clean up, sober up, accept our Life-Change through Jesus and begin the journey. Then before long (usually later that day), we succumb to a temptation of our past life- sleeping around, getting drunk, taking a hit, stealing money, blaming others, cheating, whatever. We have little patience with ourselves because we were supposed to be perfect after we came to know Jesus and were filled with the Holy Spirit, right?!? Many times, we dive into a tailspin, believing the lie that now that we’ve sinned again, there is no return to him. That maybe his grace isn’t enough. That somehow He’s going to sling it into our faces despite Him already saying He’s thrown it into the sea of forgetfulness. Why is it that we can’t be more patient with ourselves and “forget” our sin. Do we enjoy playing God and not forgiving ourselves for some sick reason?
Although my capacity for patience has grown with me as I’ve grown spiritually, I have a tendency to lose patience with myself quickly. You see, I have a confession to make: I sinned this week. I hate to burst any sort of righteous bubble you may have put me in, but I’m bluntly honest. Since I‘m transparent, I might as well tell you I sin every week. Not a lifestyle of sin, mind you. But sins nonetheless. It's frustrating because I feel like the Apostle Paul when he lamented something along the lines of, “I don’t want to do this, to commit this sin…but d--- it, I do anyway.” I know its wrong. And I may even wrestle with it a while. But more often than not, I relent. I surrender. I give in. I quit. I sin. Less than the least. Overwhelmed by Godly sorrow, I hit my knees to seek forgiveness. Yet, despite knowing Jesus has forgiven and forgotten, I lash out at myself. Sometimes even use an explicative or two. It's then that the Spirit, not I, reminds me that “His grace is sufficient for me,” that I need to be patient not only with Jesus and others, but myself as well, that I won’t be perfect until I’m one with Him for eternity. Only then, do I accept the opportunity to grow in patience. And by His grace, I walk again.
Practice patience…
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Monday, September 29, 2014
End-of-the-Month Reflection and Meditation
Well, done. good and faithful servant…
My prayerful hope is your relationship with Jesus has never been as close and intimate as it is now. Take a few minutes to praise and thank him for walking with you over the last month as we've revisited Refuge Church's vision. Then take a few more minutes to finish the reflection questions.
1. Has your personal relationship with Jesus changed over the last month? Explain.
2. Of all the Scripture, devotionals, sermons, or meditations, which one stuck out the most to you? Why? Explain.
3. How have you applied what you have learned or read to your daily life? Be specific.
4. What can you begin doing today to share what you’ve learned with others? Be specific.
5. List some reasons why you’re thankful to God
6. Pause to praise God. Thank Him for who He is and all He has done for us. Confess any lingering sin. Accept his forgiveness. Ask of Him your needs (and even your wants).
7. Remember… Jesus loves you just as you are, but He also loves you too much to let you stay that way!
My prayerful hope is your relationship with Jesus has never been as close and intimate as it is now. Take a few minutes to praise and thank him for walking with you over the last month as we've revisited Refuge Church's vision. Then take a few more minutes to finish the reflection questions.
1. Has your personal relationship with Jesus changed over the last month? Explain.
2. Of all the Scripture, devotionals, sermons, or meditations, which one stuck out the most to you? Why? Explain.
3. How have you applied what you have learned or read to your daily life? Be specific.
4. What can you begin doing today to share what you’ve learned with others? Be specific.
5. List some reasons why you’re thankful to God
6. Pause to praise God. Thank Him for who He is and all He has done for us. Confess any lingering sin. Accept his forgiveness. Ask of Him your needs (and even your wants).
7. Remember… Jesus loves you just as you are, but He also loves you too much to let you stay that way!
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Growth and Maturity #4 (One Body-Patience #2)
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
The following devotional was part of Friday’s lesson. My fear was that I would put too much on the plate at one time, so I give you this smaller portion today. Call it patience continued…
It’s been said (and I’ve found it to be true) that God doesn’t bestow patience upon us. Rather, he affords us opportunities to learn patience. Through practice. And by experience. Perhaps no place is better suited to offer us these opportunities than the church body. We’re only human, and as highlighted by my fictional tale Friday, prone to issues, dramas, and circumstances. Some we cause and some of which are beyond our control. When people join the body, they aren’t perfect. No where near it in fact. Some are immature, some needy, some clingy, some misunderstood, some bitter, some scarred and scared, some lost still. In other words, they’re babies, of the spiritual sort. And like infants, they need to be nurtured, loved, fed, counseled, and consumed with time. Taking care of such people isn’t for the impatient or faint of heart.
These aren’t times to respond with destructive, condemning behavior. These are the opportunities we’ve actually been praying for!!! These are times to bend and stretch your threshold of patience. These are opportunities to be Christ-like and to grow, for both them and us. Offer encouragement. And, in the end, not only are we growing in patience, but gaining a friend…and a disciple! (“the vision wreaks of the purpose“) Remember, most people don’t come to know Jesus through a sermon or alter call, but by watching our lives. They see something different, something real. (Cheap slogan plug). And they want it! Badly!
Despite being an admirer of Einstein, I’m not much of a mathematician. However, let’s put this into a simple equation even a child can understand…
Jesus is patient with us.
We are to be like Jesus.
Thus, we are to be patient with others.
Practice patience…
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
The following devotional was part of Friday’s lesson. My fear was that I would put too much on the plate at one time, so I give you this smaller portion today. Call it patience continued…
It’s been said (and I’ve found it to be true) that God doesn’t bestow patience upon us. Rather, he affords us opportunities to learn patience. Through practice. And by experience. Perhaps no place is better suited to offer us these opportunities than the church body. We’re only human, and as highlighted by my fictional tale Friday, prone to issues, dramas, and circumstances. Some we cause and some of which are beyond our control. When people join the body, they aren’t perfect. No where near it in fact. Some are immature, some needy, some clingy, some misunderstood, some bitter, some scarred and scared, some lost still. In other words, they’re babies, of the spiritual sort. And like infants, they need to be nurtured, loved, fed, counseled, and consumed with time. Taking care of such people isn’t for the impatient or faint of heart.
These aren’t times to respond with destructive, condemning behavior. These are the opportunities we’ve actually been praying for!!! These are times to bend and stretch your threshold of patience. These are opportunities to be Christ-like and to grow, for both them and us. Offer encouragement. And, in the end, not only are we growing in patience, but gaining a friend…and a disciple! (“the vision wreaks of the purpose“) Remember, most people don’t come to know Jesus through a sermon or alter call, but by watching our lives. They see something different, something real. (Cheap slogan plug). And they want it! Badly!
Despite being an admirer of Einstein, I’m not much of a mathematician. However, let’s put this into a simple equation even a child can understand…
Jesus is patient with us.
We are to be like Jesus.
Thus, we are to be patient with others.
Practice patience…
Friday, September 26, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. Take time to answer the following questions about your 5 closest friends:
a. What kind of fruit do they bear?
b. How do they speak of others, including the church?
c. Do they frustrate or encourage?
d. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
2. Take an honest inventory of where you stand on the issues discussed this week. Write down where you think you are now and to what point you would like to get to.
Humility -
Gentleness -
Patience -
a. What kind of fruit do they bear?
b. How do they speak of others, including the church?
c. Do they frustrate or encourage?
d. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
2. Take an honest inventory of where you stand on the issues discussed this week. Write down where you think you are now and to what point you would like to get to.
Humility -
Gentleness -
Patience -
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Growth and Maturity #3 (One Body-Patience #1)
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Be Patient.
Sometimes those plot twists not recorded in the Gospels can be more powerful than that which is. In those times, there is room for imagination. John (the Gospel writer, not the Pastor) even alluded to this at the end of his Gospel when he scribbled the statement, “Jesus did so much stuff that if you wrote it all out, there wouldn’t be enough books in the world to hold all the stories.” With that in mind, allow me some creative leash to walk. And I’ll try not choke myself.
There lived in those days a man. A man who throughout his teenage years grew disillusioned with the world around him. He became a rebel…with plenty of causes. He despised the Roman occupiers and made trouble for them at every turn. He hated the suffocating religion and God of his people. A God who cared nothing for the common man because it placed violent thieves over the people. Jealous and angry, he lashed out, becoming a violent criminal himself. Only of the illegal variety. He stole food, robbed people, killed those who turned on him, cavorted with the town’s women, smuggled contraband. Anything and everything you can possibly imagine in those days. On numerous occasions, on his gallivanting through the country, he’d heard of this man named Jesus, who was supposed to be a rabbi above all rabbis. But he wrote him off, simply because he was a rabbi and he wanted nothing to do with them. One occasion, he even bumped into this Jesus by accident as he ducked into a crowd fleeing the authorities. As he turned to see who he slammed in to, he was staring directly into the eyes of Jesus. He just knew it was Jesus, for his eyes seemed to go right through his own, straight to his troubled soul. Jesus smiled, held out his hand, said follow me.
For an emotional moment, the man’s heart weakened…but then the hardness returned. “I want no part of you,” he spewed, shoving his way around Jesus and spitting over his shoulder in an utter display of contempt.
Peter, James, and John rush to Jesus' side. “Shall we restrain him, Master? Call the authorities and have him arrested?”
Grasping their arms and pulling himself from the ground, Jesus says simply, “Patience, friends…Patience.”
Shortly after the encounter (and this is where the real Gospel story unfolds), the man was caught, convicted, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. He somehow managed to survive the brutality of the earlier beatings and found himself hanging from a cross, wheezing and raw. Raising his bloodied and bruised head, his eyes met the eyes he never forgot. The eyes of Jesus. And they were staring at him with tears streaming down. And this Jesus hung on a tree like his.
At that moment, all his pain, confusion, and anger were swallowed by the compassion and love of those swollen eyes. And from somewhere within the deepest recesses of his troubled soul, he cried out, “Jesus…remember me!”
Patience had prevailed!
Patience should never look the same to you now.
More on that later…
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Be Patient.
Sometimes those plot twists not recorded in the Gospels can be more powerful than that which is. In those times, there is room for imagination. John (the Gospel writer, not the Pastor) even alluded to this at the end of his Gospel when he scribbled the statement, “Jesus did so much stuff that if you wrote it all out, there wouldn’t be enough books in the world to hold all the stories.” With that in mind, allow me some creative leash to walk. And I’ll try not choke myself.
There lived in those days a man. A man who throughout his teenage years grew disillusioned with the world around him. He became a rebel…with plenty of causes. He despised the Roman occupiers and made trouble for them at every turn. He hated the suffocating religion and God of his people. A God who cared nothing for the common man because it placed violent thieves over the people. Jealous and angry, he lashed out, becoming a violent criminal himself. Only of the illegal variety. He stole food, robbed people, killed those who turned on him, cavorted with the town’s women, smuggled contraband. Anything and everything you can possibly imagine in those days. On numerous occasions, on his gallivanting through the country, he’d heard of this man named Jesus, who was supposed to be a rabbi above all rabbis. But he wrote him off, simply because he was a rabbi and he wanted nothing to do with them. One occasion, he even bumped into this Jesus by accident as he ducked into a crowd fleeing the authorities. As he turned to see who he slammed in to, he was staring directly into the eyes of Jesus. He just knew it was Jesus, for his eyes seemed to go right through his own, straight to his troubled soul. Jesus smiled, held out his hand, said follow me.
For an emotional moment, the man’s heart weakened…but then the hardness returned. “I want no part of you,” he spewed, shoving his way around Jesus and spitting over his shoulder in an utter display of contempt.
Peter, James, and John rush to Jesus' side. “Shall we restrain him, Master? Call the authorities and have him arrested?”
Grasping their arms and pulling himself from the ground, Jesus says simply, “Patience, friends…Patience.”
Shortly after the encounter (and this is where the real Gospel story unfolds), the man was caught, convicted, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. He somehow managed to survive the brutality of the earlier beatings and found himself hanging from a cross, wheezing and raw. Raising his bloodied and bruised head, his eyes met the eyes he never forgot. The eyes of Jesus. And they were staring at him with tears streaming down. And this Jesus hung on a tree like his.
At that moment, all his pain, confusion, and anger were swallowed by the compassion and love of those swollen eyes. And from somewhere within the deepest recesses of his troubled soul, he cried out, “Jesus…remember me!”
Patience had prevailed!
Patience should never look the same to you now.
More on that later…
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Growth and Maturity #2 (One Body-Gentleness)
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Be Gentle. When we envision gentleness, the word “soft” comes to mind. While this attribute tends to be easier for women, genuine gentleness is a difficult part of all of our walks as believers in the body. We are faced with much drama (and trauma) in the body. After this occurs, we’re left with a choice to make. Do we sever the body by lashing out verbally, physically ignoring them, or judging them under our breath, thus injecting more poison through the body? Or can we handle the situation differently. A Christ-like way. With gentleness. With a softness that won’t break them, but start the restoration process. Lift them up with grace and forgiveness, rather than amputating them and wreaking debilitating damage to the body as a whole. After all, isn’t this what Jesus did for us?
A story…
On shopping sprees with my wife, I instinctively slip away to make a pilgrimage to the bookshop. Poking around a while back, I paged through Heavier Than Heaven, a biography on the life of Kurt Cobain. Those of us who lived through the nineties either listened to, or at least heard, the “voice of our generation,” the depressed, angst-ridden, front man of the band Nirvana. The troubled soul who eventually rammed a shotgun in his mouth and blew his brains out. I scanned through descriptions of his bouts with depression and addiction, stomach pains and relationship issues. But a short passage in a rather obscure chapter reached out, gripped my heart, and ripped it out. Almost a physical pain. A lump even came up in my throat and my eyes got misty. The author reported of a time when Kurt “tried“ church. What Kurt met there was far from the body of Christ. Instead, he was met by a firing squad of contempt and judgment. In their eyes, he was only there to cause trouble, pollute their young people, pick up girls. And perhaps that was true. But do any of us come to Christ or to church with the purest motives? At least when we started. That experience, along with a couple of others, turned the young man away from Jesus and led to a life-long irritation for those of faith. And a depressive impact on a generation. And a hopeless life. And a lonely suicide. And a suicide that led to other suicides and disillusionment.
I don’t live in the past. Nor do I possess any regrets (for they’ve brought me to where I am today). But take a moment to contemplate the question: What if Kurt Cobain had encountered the body of Christ, love personified, Jesus with flesh on. Imagine if he had been loved with gentleness? The next time we meet in worship, look around and see your friends and others with habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Don’t turn your face or attention away from them. And please don’t judge and condemn them. But with gentleness, reach out and strengthen the body. We’re all in this together. And we’ll only stay together if we live lives of gentleness.
Practice gentleness…
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
Be Gentle. When we envision gentleness, the word “soft” comes to mind. While this attribute tends to be easier for women, genuine gentleness is a difficult part of all of our walks as believers in the body. We are faced with much drama (and trauma) in the body. After this occurs, we’re left with a choice to make. Do we sever the body by lashing out verbally, physically ignoring them, or judging them under our breath, thus injecting more poison through the body? Or can we handle the situation differently. A Christ-like way. With gentleness. With a softness that won’t break them, but start the restoration process. Lift them up with grace and forgiveness, rather than amputating them and wreaking debilitating damage to the body as a whole. After all, isn’t this what Jesus did for us?
A story…
On shopping sprees with my wife, I instinctively slip away to make a pilgrimage to the bookshop. Poking around a while back, I paged through Heavier Than Heaven, a biography on the life of Kurt Cobain. Those of us who lived through the nineties either listened to, or at least heard, the “voice of our generation,” the depressed, angst-ridden, front man of the band Nirvana. The troubled soul who eventually rammed a shotgun in his mouth and blew his brains out. I scanned through descriptions of his bouts with depression and addiction, stomach pains and relationship issues. But a short passage in a rather obscure chapter reached out, gripped my heart, and ripped it out. Almost a physical pain. A lump even came up in my throat and my eyes got misty. The author reported of a time when Kurt “tried“ church. What Kurt met there was far from the body of Christ. Instead, he was met by a firing squad of contempt and judgment. In their eyes, he was only there to cause trouble, pollute their young people, pick up girls. And perhaps that was true. But do any of us come to Christ or to church with the purest motives? At least when we started. That experience, along with a couple of others, turned the young man away from Jesus and led to a life-long irritation for those of faith. And a depressive impact on a generation. And a hopeless life. And a lonely suicide. And a suicide that led to other suicides and disillusionment.
I don’t live in the past. Nor do I possess any regrets (for they’ve brought me to where I am today). But take a moment to contemplate the question: What if Kurt Cobain had encountered the body of Christ, love personified, Jesus with flesh on. Imagine if he had been loved with gentleness? The next time we meet in worship, look around and see your friends and others with habits, hurts, and hang-ups. Don’t turn your face or attention away from them. And please don’t judge and condemn them. But with gentleness, reach out and strengthen the body. We’re all in this together. And we’ll only stay together if we live lives of gentleness.
Practice gentleness…
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Growth and Maturity #1 (One Body-Humility)
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
If you’re comparing the devotions with John’s messages, we’ll now ready to enter week four of the series- “Grow and mature as followers of the body.” We've already taken a gander at the church as the body of Christ and how to have a healthy body, we need healthy members. In contrast, we've also mentioned the damage a wounded member can do to the remainder of body. The time has now come to elaborate on the “oneness” of the body, to what John labeled the “Seven Ones.” They are:
One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
Over the course of the next week, we’ll dive deeper into these things.
1. One body
Our lives, both individually and collectively, should reflect Jesus and his calling on our lives (verse 1). And how do we do that? The Apostle Paul continues his Jesus-inspired rant, “Be humble, gentle, patient, bear one another in love, and make an effort to live in unity and peace.”
Be Humble. Contrary to humanistic beliefs, we’re not born humble. Humility is something sought after, and learned, over time from looking to (and living) the example of Jesus Christ. It’s the pushing aside of ourselves (or who we think we are) to lift up Yahweh. It’s as Paul writes, “Jesus becoming greater and us becoming smaller.” Flip over a few pages in your Bible (Philippians 2) and we’re given a vivid description and definition of humility. Jesus being God, stepping down from his eternal glory to become an insignificant human. Lowering himself to our level. Then, God raising him up and putting him in the place of honor. (He never lifted himself up but always allowed the Father to do so.) When we follow such an example, we too will be given a place of honor.
In a recent conversation over coffee with a friend, I heard one of the greatest acts of human humility, a story so poignantly powerful, it caused me to reevaluate my own humility. My friend told me of this guy who had decided to walk in loving relationship with Jesus. He sobered up and cleaned up and moved forward by faith. Even got a job and some money in his pocket. I’ve worked in recovery and rehab circles long enough to see and know what happens next. With money in their pocket, most run back out there and spend it, brushing Jesus off as if a piece of insignificant lent. Then, after finding out the world is shallow and superficial and can’t fill the void, they are swallowed by their addictions again. They return to the chains of their past. And the brutal process continues. I was prepared to hear yet another sad story of sorrow.
As my friend dramatically paused, I felt a surprise ending coming on. He told me the man became an inspiration and an example of genuine humility. That Jesus became greater. And the man smaller. This man, this new creation in Christ, did buy himself a vehicle. But it was an old beat up pick up truck. And the only reason he made the purchase was to carry the grill in the back. This man would set up on streets- the streets he used to run on- and cook for the community. All his money went to food and all his time went to ministering to these people. All his energy went to sharing the Gospel through his words and actions. His humility won people to the cause of Christ.
While we’re not all called to such ministry, we are all called to imitate such humility. Humility that personifies the body of Christ. Humility that puts flesh and blood on the church.
Practice humility…
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
If you’re comparing the devotions with John’s messages, we’ll now ready to enter week four of the series- “Grow and mature as followers of the body.” We've already taken a gander at the church as the body of Christ and how to have a healthy body, we need healthy members. In contrast, we've also mentioned the damage a wounded member can do to the remainder of body. The time has now come to elaborate on the “oneness” of the body, to what John labeled the “Seven Ones.” They are:
One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.
Over the course of the next week, we’ll dive deeper into these things.
1. One body
Our lives, both individually and collectively, should reflect Jesus and his calling on our lives (verse 1). And how do we do that? The Apostle Paul continues his Jesus-inspired rant, “Be humble, gentle, patient, bear one another in love, and make an effort to live in unity and peace.”
Be Humble. Contrary to humanistic beliefs, we’re not born humble. Humility is something sought after, and learned, over time from looking to (and living) the example of Jesus Christ. It’s the pushing aside of ourselves (or who we think we are) to lift up Yahweh. It’s as Paul writes, “Jesus becoming greater and us becoming smaller.” Flip over a few pages in your Bible (Philippians 2) and we’re given a vivid description and definition of humility. Jesus being God, stepping down from his eternal glory to become an insignificant human. Lowering himself to our level. Then, God raising him up and putting him in the place of honor. (He never lifted himself up but always allowed the Father to do so.) When we follow such an example, we too will be given a place of honor.
In a recent conversation over coffee with a friend, I heard one of the greatest acts of human humility, a story so poignantly powerful, it caused me to reevaluate my own humility. My friend told me of this guy who had decided to walk in loving relationship with Jesus. He sobered up and cleaned up and moved forward by faith. Even got a job and some money in his pocket. I’ve worked in recovery and rehab circles long enough to see and know what happens next. With money in their pocket, most run back out there and spend it, brushing Jesus off as if a piece of insignificant lent. Then, after finding out the world is shallow and superficial and can’t fill the void, they are swallowed by their addictions again. They return to the chains of their past. And the brutal process continues. I was prepared to hear yet another sad story of sorrow.
As my friend dramatically paused, I felt a surprise ending coming on. He told me the man became an inspiration and an example of genuine humility. That Jesus became greater. And the man smaller. This man, this new creation in Christ, did buy himself a vehicle. But it was an old beat up pick up truck. And the only reason he made the purchase was to carry the grill in the back. This man would set up on streets- the streets he used to run on- and cook for the community. All his money went to food and all his time went to ministering to these people. All his energy went to sharing the Gospel through his words and actions. His humility won people to the cause of Christ.
While we’re not all called to such ministry, we are all called to imitate such humility. Humility that personifies the body of Christ. Humility that puts flesh and blood on the church.
Practice humility…
Monday, September 22, 2014
Seeking God #10 (Fellowship With Other Believers #2)
2 Corinthians 6:14 - 7:1 (NLT)
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty” Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
Yesterday, I abandoned you to ponder four questions. Today, we’ll explore them…
1. What kind of fruit do they bear? - Fig Tree verses
On numerous occasions, fruit (and/or trees) are used in the Bible as graphic word pictures. A person’s fruit is what blossoms from their lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control). These people lift you up with their words and actions, help you out during difficult times, and live a Christ-like example for you DAILY (not just at Sunday service). The opposite is painfully clear. Lying, cheating, stealing, drunkenness, whoring around. Such diseased fruit can spread to us if we’re not careful. You wouldn’t pick up a bruised orange from the market. You wouldn’t snag a rotten, worm-laced apple from the tree. So why would we rub shoulders with those who would cause us stomach problems?
2. How do they speak of others, including the church?
We need to choose friends who discuss the good things about people, those who refrain from gossip, those who encourage others when they speak, praise the accomplishments and values of others, rejoice with them when they achieve something. Surround yourself with those who focus on the good of the church and our desire to live out “the vision.” Those who condemn other members (or visitors) or knit-pick the pastor’s preaching or voicing dissent about the song selection are those you don’t need to connect to. Before you know, you’ll be their echo.
3. Do they frustrate or encourage?
It’s been mentioned in both previous comments…so it must be important! Your friends should encourage you, not frustrate you. They should be a near constant source of inspiration, accountability, and even mentorship. True friends don’t look down on you, take advantage of your generosity, or use you as a punching bag of blame. A simple test. Pause after you’re next encounter with someone you consider a friend. Are you left with an uplifted spirit of encouragement? Or are somehow angry, bitter, envious, or ready to share their juicy gossip? Our question would then be answered for us.
4. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
In my book (for what that’s worth), this is the most important question John brought up. Studies and surveys have consistently shown us that we are products of our society. At least in some form or fashion. What, who, and where you are will inevitably rub off on you. You are, essentially, who you are around. Without insulting your intelligence, this tells us that if we spend our time with believers trying to make it, we are more likely to succeed in our Life-Change than if we were hanging out with our old running buddies. Reach out to the lost, but in your reaching, don’t tumble back out there.
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty” Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
Yesterday, I abandoned you to ponder four questions. Today, we’ll explore them…
1. What kind of fruit do they bear? - Fig Tree verses
On numerous occasions, fruit (and/or trees) are used in the Bible as graphic word pictures. A person’s fruit is what blossoms from their lives (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control). These people lift you up with their words and actions, help you out during difficult times, and live a Christ-like example for you DAILY (not just at Sunday service). The opposite is painfully clear. Lying, cheating, stealing, drunkenness, whoring around. Such diseased fruit can spread to us if we’re not careful. You wouldn’t pick up a bruised orange from the market. You wouldn’t snag a rotten, worm-laced apple from the tree. So why would we rub shoulders with those who would cause us stomach problems?
2. How do they speak of others, including the church?
We need to choose friends who discuss the good things about people, those who refrain from gossip, those who encourage others when they speak, praise the accomplishments and values of others, rejoice with them when they achieve something. Surround yourself with those who focus on the good of the church and our desire to live out “the vision.” Those who condemn other members (or visitors) or knit-pick the pastor’s preaching or voicing dissent about the song selection are those you don’t need to connect to. Before you know, you’ll be their echo.
3. Do they frustrate or encourage?
It’s been mentioned in both previous comments…so it must be important! Your friends should encourage you, not frustrate you. They should be a near constant source of inspiration, accountability, and even mentorship. True friends don’t look down on you, take advantage of your generosity, or use you as a punching bag of blame. A simple test. Pause after you’re next encounter with someone you consider a friend. Are you left with an uplifted spirit of encouragement? Or are somehow angry, bitter, envious, or ready to share their juicy gossip? Our question would then be answered for us.
4. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
In my book (for what that’s worth), this is the most important question John brought up. Studies and surveys have consistently shown us that we are products of our society. At least in some form or fashion. What, who, and where you are will inevitably rub off on you. You are, essentially, who you are around. Without insulting your intelligence, this tells us that if we spend our time with believers trying to make it, we are more likely to succeed in our Life-Change than if we were hanging out with our old running buddies. Reach out to the lost, but in your reaching, don’t tumble back out there.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Seeking God #9 (Fellowship With Other Believers #1)
Psalm 1:1-6 (NLT)
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Before leaving the topic of how we seek God, John added our need to fellowship with other believers. If we so desired, we could flip through page after page through scripture after scripture presenting us with the positives and negatives of “gathering ourselves together.” But more than likely, we’ve heard all of these verses so much that we’re immune to or desensitized to them.
So let’s head straight to the source of the verses. God Himself. Yahweh. Creator. And His creation.
Although not a hunter, nothing invigorates me more than a tromp through the outdoors. Give me a backpack, water, Clif bars, a notebook, and a Bible and send me to the woods at your own risk. I may never return. I may even get lost. On purpose.
On my hiking excursions, I soak in nature. And if nature has taught us anything, it’s this- there is safety in numbers, or even more specifically, the weakest members of the pack are always the first picked off. This word picture may capture your attention more than any Scripture I could quote.
Think about it. An animal with a wounded leg, a weaker immune system, frail health or is just too young to be on its own will inevitably slip behind and make quite the tantalizing appetizer for a predator. Or you can go the opposite way with it. An animal that thinks he is strong enough to venture off into the great unknown alone is singled out and cut off, isolated and endangered. The power of one is no match for the collective strength of the group. Pride can kill (and not just the lion variety).
What is evident in nature is mirrored in our Christian walk. If we aren’t empowered by the Holy Spirit through constant and consistent relationship time with Yahweh and other believers, we’re prone to fall in a weakened state. If we set out in pride to save the world alone because we think we’re more righteous, we’ll be devoured by the enemy.
Truth is…we need to run with the pack. With the Jesus Pack. With other believers. How can we find the “right” pack to run with? John gave us four questions to ask ourselves to see if we’re running with real Refugees:
1. What kind of fruit do they bear?
2. How do they speak of others, including the church?
3. Do they frustrate or encourage?
4. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
Consider these questions and we’ll analyze them deeper tomorrow.
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Before leaving the topic of how we seek God, John added our need to fellowship with other believers. If we so desired, we could flip through page after page through scripture after scripture presenting us with the positives and negatives of “gathering ourselves together.” But more than likely, we’ve heard all of these verses so much that we’re immune to or desensitized to them.
So let’s head straight to the source of the verses. God Himself. Yahweh. Creator. And His creation.
Although not a hunter, nothing invigorates me more than a tromp through the outdoors. Give me a backpack, water, Clif bars, a notebook, and a Bible and send me to the woods at your own risk. I may never return. I may even get lost. On purpose.
On my hiking excursions, I soak in nature. And if nature has taught us anything, it’s this- there is safety in numbers, or even more specifically, the weakest members of the pack are always the first picked off. This word picture may capture your attention more than any Scripture I could quote.
Think about it. An animal with a wounded leg, a weaker immune system, frail health or is just too young to be on its own will inevitably slip behind and make quite the tantalizing appetizer for a predator. Or you can go the opposite way with it. An animal that thinks he is strong enough to venture off into the great unknown alone is singled out and cut off, isolated and endangered. The power of one is no match for the collective strength of the group. Pride can kill (and not just the lion variety).
What is evident in nature is mirrored in our Christian walk. If we aren’t empowered by the Holy Spirit through constant and consistent relationship time with Yahweh and other believers, we’re prone to fall in a weakened state. If we set out in pride to save the world alone because we think we’re more righteous, we’ll be devoured by the enemy.
Truth is…we need to run with the pack. With the Jesus Pack. With other believers. How can we find the “right” pack to run with? John gave us four questions to ask ourselves to see if we’re running with real Refugees:
1. What kind of fruit do they bear?
2. How do they speak of others, including the church?
3. Do they frustrate or encourage?
4. Do you think Jesus would want to be a third-party in their conversations?
Consider these questions and we’ll analyze them deeper tomorrow.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. Reflect back over the week. Did you find yourself talking / listening to God more this week? What effect did this have on you?
2. Are you not only completing the devotions but applying them to your life as well? If not, what are some ways in which you can begin applying them. If so, what effect has this had on your Jesus-Walk?
3. What does the Bible mean to you?
4. Are you willing to undertake Bible study? Pick you an accountability partner and have them ask you (daily if possible) how its going.
5. Read the passage from Max’s book. Out loud. Before you start the day. For the next week. Enjoy the change.
2. Are you not only completing the devotions but applying them to your life as well? If not, what are some ways in which you can begin applying them. If so, what effect has this had on your Jesus-Walk?
3. What does the Bible mean to you?
4. Are you willing to undertake Bible study? Pick you an accountability partner and have them ask you (daily if possible) how its going.
5. Read the passage from Max’s book. Out loud. Before you start the day. For the next week. Enjoy the change.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Seeking God #8 (Bible Study #3)
Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Just the other day, a new friend of mine asked how much Bible study had really changed me during the course of my Jesus-walk. I answered by sharing with him this portion of When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado. This passage, along with living one day at a time, helped radically change me. As a writer, I can only wish to capture with words what Max did here-
“Each Day…It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still dark. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few minutes the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will e replaced by the pounding pace of the of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love…No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy…I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace…I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience…I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness…I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated me.
I choose goodness…I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness…Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will come home.
I choose gentleness…Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, my it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control…I am a spiritual being…After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when my day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.”
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Just the other day, a new friend of mine asked how much Bible study had really changed me during the course of my Jesus-walk. I answered by sharing with him this portion of When God Whispers Your Name by Max Lucado. This passage, along with living one day at a time, helped radically change me. As a writer, I can only wish to capture with words what Max did here-
“Each Day…It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still dark. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few minutes the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will e replaced by the pounding pace of the of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.
I choose love…No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy…I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I choose peace…I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I choose patience…I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I choose kindness…I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God treated me.
I choose goodness…I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I accuse. I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness…Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will come home.
I choose gentleness…Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it only be in praise. If I clench my fist, my it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control…I am a spiritual being…After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when my day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.”
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Seeking God #7 (Bible Study #2)
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Let’s face something. The Bible can be quite intimidating. Especially for new believers. Or for stunted believers who’ve put off a more thorough (and therefore more challenging) study. Many people I know have snatched the Bible off the shelf, knocked the dust off, and dove into the book of Genesis with the honorable ambition of reading through the entire Bible. No one I know has finished this, most of them surrendering before law sixteen (of hundreds listed) in the book of Deuteronomy. That “no-man’s-land” has gunned down many a seeker charging out of the trenches of complacency. My last desire would be to discourage you from such an undertaking. I, like your fearless pastor, am merely advising taking it in chunks. Slowly. Over time. The following is a basic outline of Bible study ideas John offered, along with some I’ve learned along the way. As John related, the most important thing is that you “dig in and drink deeply.”
Now you have some guidelines. No more excuses.
Now it’s accountability time. After doing this for a week, come and share what you’ve learned with me, John, or the wiser and wittier Jason. And I’ll be prepared to share mine as well.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Let’s face something. The Bible can be quite intimidating. Especially for new believers. Or for stunted believers who’ve put off a more thorough (and therefore more challenging) study. Many people I know have snatched the Bible off the shelf, knocked the dust off, and dove into the book of Genesis with the honorable ambition of reading through the entire Bible. No one I know has finished this, most of them surrendering before law sixteen (of hundreds listed) in the book of Deuteronomy. That “no-man’s-land” has gunned down many a seeker charging out of the trenches of complacency. My last desire would be to discourage you from such an undertaking. I, like your fearless pastor, am merely advising taking it in chunks. Slowly. Over time. The following is a basic outline of Bible study ideas John offered, along with some I’ve learned along the way. As John related, the most important thing is that you “dig in and drink deeply.”
- Make up your mind (and your will) to study the Bible.
- Pray for understanding each time you open the Word.
- Take one day at a time.
- Conduct your Bible study during the “best” part of your day.
- Buy (or borrow) several translations of the Bible to get a different perspective.
- Buy (or borrow) extra resources to help…commentaries, handbooks, etc.
- Write down your observations so you can track your growth.
- Share what you learn with others (which is perhaps the greatest reason).
Now you have some guidelines. No more excuses.
Now it’s accountability time. After doing this for a week, come and share what you’ve learned with me, John, or the wiser and wittier Jason. And I’ll be prepared to share mine as well.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Seeking God #6 (Bible Study #1)
Psalm 119:9-16 (NLT)
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.
As a teacher, I relate the material in many different ways, so as to make the activities and lessons more engaging and learner-centered. One way I do this is by dropping hints and allowing my kids to try to figure the topic/person/event out ahead of time. Without further ado, I want you to attempt the following question with the prompts provided:
What am I?
According to Pastor John, this determines your success and failure as a Christ follower. It is the most untapped resource available to all of us. It is truth, life, wisdom, knowledge. It relates both our beginning…and our end. It includes such subjects as poetry, history, science, psychology, sociology, literature, prophecy, and dozens more. It can be both mundane and gloriously exciting. It is the all-time bestseller but rarely read, and even more rarely lived out in principle. It is simple yet profoundly deep. You can do it again and again and get something different each time. It goes beyond mere words on a page to the unseen, eternal world. It soars along airwaves and is broadcasted into homes through televisions and internet. It has been dissected and proven. People have died to bring its words and principles to us. It makes people weep, cry, rejoice, dance, sing, shout and praise. Many have ripped it out of context and a few have preached passionately about it. It has been brought to all the world, bringing with it a message of freedom and hope. It shines light in the darkness. Its sharper than a two-edged sword, shoving the gray world into contrasting shades of black and white. It gives us the good news. It gives us an eternal love story, a romance that even us guys can get in to- of a Creator who loved his fallen creation so much he entered said creation and reconciled that creation to himself. All in the name of Love (my apologies Bono).
What am I?
Bible Study.
(Yes, yes, I know. You were all bright enough to read the devotional title and thereby get the answer. If you didn’t do that, I’m sure you figured it out along the way. If you still did not, this study is exactly what you need.)
So, why, if it involves all of this, don’t we do it more often?
How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I praise you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. I have recited aloud all the regulations you have given us. I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.
As a teacher, I relate the material in many different ways, so as to make the activities and lessons more engaging and learner-centered. One way I do this is by dropping hints and allowing my kids to try to figure the topic/person/event out ahead of time. Without further ado, I want you to attempt the following question with the prompts provided:
What am I?
According to Pastor John, this determines your success and failure as a Christ follower. It is the most untapped resource available to all of us. It is truth, life, wisdom, knowledge. It relates both our beginning…and our end. It includes such subjects as poetry, history, science, psychology, sociology, literature, prophecy, and dozens more. It can be both mundane and gloriously exciting. It is the all-time bestseller but rarely read, and even more rarely lived out in principle. It is simple yet profoundly deep. You can do it again and again and get something different each time. It goes beyond mere words on a page to the unseen, eternal world. It soars along airwaves and is broadcasted into homes through televisions and internet. It has been dissected and proven. People have died to bring its words and principles to us. It makes people weep, cry, rejoice, dance, sing, shout and praise. Many have ripped it out of context and a few have preached passionately about it. It has been brought to all the world, bringing with it a message of freedom and hope. It shines light in the darkness. Its sharper than a two-edged sword, shoving the gray world into contrasting shades of black and white. It gives us the good news. It gives us an eternal love story, a romance that even us guys can get in to- of a Creator who loved his fallen creation so much he entered said creation and reconciled that creation to himself. All in the name of Love (my apologies Bono).
What am I?
Bible Study.
(Yes, yes, I know. You were all bright enough to read the devotional title and thereby get the answer. If you didn’t do that, I’m sure you figured it out along the way. If you still did not, this study is exactly what you need.)
So, why, if it involves all of this, don’t we do it more often?
Monday, September 15, 2014
Seeking God #5 (Prayer #4)
Continued from yesterday…
3. Philippians 4:6-7 (Overcoming Worry)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
The greatest way to overcome worry, anxiety, and all-out fear is a consistent and constant prayer life. It's quite simple really. If you’re in constant communication with the God of peace, patience, and freedom, there is no room for worry, anxiety, or fear. Everything is placed in his hands, complete with your thankfulness for faithfulness. It's not that we won’t experience the dark valleys of life- deaths of people or unpaid bills or cancer or a stubbed toe or lost job or a million other things. But it means we face those things with the lover of our soul standing side by side with us. This Jesus who told us we would face troubles, but to take heart for He has already overcome the world and its petty issues (John 16:33). You can have His peace not only in the world to come…but in the one today!
4. Jeremiah 33:3 (Spiritual Knowledge and Maturity)
Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.
Have you ever been in meditation and wondered about the great mysteries of God. About who God is and how He operates. About the significance of Jesus stepping out of heaven and wandering homeless on the earth. About what life is and the purpose behind it. About inner peace and a clear conscience and a pure heart. About how we must die to live and live to die. About how we become the best by becoming the least. I have…and still do.
And the answers lie in God. And in this verse John shared, God’s offering to enlighten us to things we consider “great and unsearchable.” Why is it then that myself and others say something along the lines of, “Some things we’ll just never know” or “we’ll know it all once we get to heaven.” Is it a lack of faith that has us relating such fallacies or is it perhaps because we haven’t taken the time to call to him with such profound inquiries? Maybe both. But here again is God telling us, “Call me. Ask me anything. Anything! And I’ll tell you.” God may be mysterious, but he’s not secretive.
Back to the bottom line: All of these references, observations, and devotions don’t mean anything unless we APPLY them to our lives. So, I, like John and Jason before me, challenge you not only to read these verses, but pray and apply them. And watch in wonder as a world you never thought possible…is.
3. Philippians 4:6-7 (Overcoming Worry)
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
The greatest way to overcome worry, anxiety, and all-out fear is a consistent and constant prayer life. It's quite simple really. If you’re in constant communication with the God of peace, patience, and freedom, there is no room for worry, anxiety, or fear. Everything is placed in his hands, complete with your thankfulness for faithfulness. It's not that we won’t experience the dark valleys of life- deaths of people or unpaid bills or cancer or a stubbed toe or lost job or a million other things. But it means we face those things with the lover of our soul standing side by side with us. This Jesus who told us we would face troubles, but to take heart for He has already overcome the world and its petty issues (John 16:33). You can have His peace not only in the world to come…but in the one today!
4. Jeremiah 33:3 (Spiritual Knowledge and Maturity)
Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.
Have you ever been in meditation and wondered about the great mysteries of God. About who God is and how He operates. About the significance of Jesus stepping out of heaven and wandering homeless on the earth. About what life is and the purpose behind it. About inner peace and a clear conscience and a pure heart. About how we must die to live and live to die. About how we become the best by becoming the least. I have…and still do.
And the answers lie in God. And in this verse John shared, God’s offering to enlighten us to things we consider “great and unsearchable.” Why is it then that myself and others say something along the lines of, “Some things we’ll just never know” or “we’ll know it all once we get to heaven.” Is it a lack of faith that has us relating such fallacies or is it perhaps because we haven’t taken the time to call to him with such profound inquiries? Maybe both. But here again is God telling us, “Call me. Ask me anything. Anything! And I’ll tell you.” God may be mysterious, but he’s not secretive.
Back to the bottom line: All of these references, observations, and devotions don’t mean anything unless we APPLY them to our lives. So, I, like John and Jason before me, challenge you not only to read these verses, but pray and apply them. And watch in wonder as a world you never thought possible…is.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Seeking God #4 (Prayer #3)
Another word about prayer. There are hundreds of references to prayer throughout the Scriptures. Many we have memorized; many more we know in principle and paraphrase. As John continued to guide us through week three of the Back to the Basics series, he highlighted four references that those of us who were in the old punk rock scene would refer to as “underground.” Off the beaten path. Not in the norm or mainstream of conversation. Different…in a good way.
Like pastors feel the need to preach until at least twelve (I’m only half kidding), teachers must elaborate on lessons to reinforce them. So I will follow the verses with a brief observation.
(Author’s Note: whether or not the far wiser and wittier Jason will have the space to print out all of the Scriptures, I don’t know. Especially the Hosea reference. But I encourage you to read them before proceeding. The title following the references were Pastor‘s words, not my own.)
1. James 4:2-3 (Voicing Our Request)
You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
In his letter, James explains two overlooked principles in prayer- our not asking for things and the motives behind our prayers. One reason we don’t posses the fulfilling spiritual life we desire (or one at all) is that we simply don’t ask. We sort of just expect it. We already know He knows everything, but we don’t ask out of pride or ignorance. But our asking for his help displays a healthy humility and acknowledgement that He alone can provide for our needs. Secondly, our motives go hand in hand with the aforementioned humility. If we expect anything to come of our conversations with God, we must leave our selfish desires at his feet. One way to tell if you’re a maturing Christ follower is that your prayers focus less and less on you and more and more on Jesus and others. Unless our heart is broken before God and our motives are pure, we’re wasting our breath. As with anything with God, it comes down to the beat of your heart. Are we praying to communicate love with our Savior? Or are we rubbing the lamp and wishing our personal genie will appear? Why settle for three wishes when there are an endless number of unselfishness ones waiting to be granted?
2. Hosea 14:1-7 (Seeking Forgiveness)
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your confessions, and return to the LORD. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises. Assyria cannot save us, nor can our warhorses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made, ‘You are our gods.’ No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy.” The LORD says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.
Yes, there is a book of the Bible called Hosea. And no, the spiteful, vengeful, judgmental Old Testament God who lacked mercy and grace never existed. We must look no further than this selection of Scripture to see this. In it, he tells us our downfall (sin), instructs us to return to Him (repentance) and nothing but Him can save us (humility/grace/mercy), and finally that we will then be healed (salvation/restoration) and flourish (filled with the fruits of the Spirit). And he does so in such beautiful, poetic word pictures. No one can read that and see anything else. Prayer involves forgiveness.
To be continued…
Like pastors feel the need to preach until at least twelve (I’m only half kidding), teachers must elaborate on lessons to reinforce them. So I will follow the verses with a brief observation.
(Author’s Note: whether or not the far wiser and wittier Jason will have the space to print out all of the Scriptures, I don’t know. Especially the Hosea reference. But I encourage you to read them before proceeding. The title following the references were Pastor‘s words, not my own.)
1. James 4:2-3 (Voicing Our Request)
You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
In his letter, James explains two overlooked principles in prayer- our not asking for things and the motives behind our prayers. One reason we don’t posses the fulfilling spiritual life we desire (or one at all) is that we simply don’t ask. We sort of just expect it. We already know He knows everything, but we don’t ask out of pride or ignorance. But our asking for his help displays a healthy humility and acknowledgement that He alone can provide for our needs. Secondly, our motives go hand in hand with the aforementioned humility. If we expect anything to come of our conversations with God, we must leave our selfish desires at his feet. One way to tell if you’re a maturing Christ follower is that your prayers focus less and less on you and more and more on Jesus and others. Unless our heart is broken before God and our motives are pure, we’re wasting our breath. As with anything with God, it comes down to the beat of your heart. Are we praying to communicate love with our Savior? Or are we rubbing the lamp and wishing our personal genie will appear? Why settle for three wishes when there are an endless number of unselfishness ones waiting to be granted?
2. Hosea 14:1-7 (Seeking Forgiveness)
Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your confessions, and return to the LORD. Say to him, “Forgive all our sins and graciously receive us, so that we may offer you our praises. Assyria cannot save us, nor can our warhorses. Never again will we say to the idols we have made, ‘You are our gods.’ No, in you alone do the orphans find mercy.” The LORD says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; it will send roots deep into the soil like the cedars in Lebanon. Its branches will spread out like beautiful olive trees, as fragrant as the cedars of Lebanon. My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines. They will be as fragrant as the wines of Lebanon.
Yes, there is a book of the Bible called Hosea. And no, the spiteful, vengeful, judgmental Old Testament God who lacked mercy and grace never existed. We must look no further than this selection of Scripture to see this. In it, he tells us our downfall (sin), instructs us to return to Him (repentance) and nothing but Him can save us (humility/grace/mercy), and finally that we will then be healed (salvation/restoration) and flourish (filled with the fruits of the Spirit). And he does so in such beautiful, poetic word pictures. No one can read that and see anything else. Prayer involves forgiveness.
To be continued…
Friday, September 12, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
1. Where (or with who) does you passion lay? Has this passion become an idol you have put in God’s place?
2. Ask yourself the questions from Tuesday’s devotion: Do I leap and shout when it comes to the things of God- not just in a literal way, but spiritually? Am I passionate- not simply generally interested or complacently consistent- in my walk? If I can do such things for a soccer match, and you can do them for ________ [fill in the blank here], why can’t we display as much (or more) for the Savior of our very souls?
3. What are the positive things that result from meeting with others to worship God?
4. Describe your prayer life. Is it everything you think it can be? What are some ways in which you can pray that you haven’t tried before?
2. Ask yourself the questions from Tuesday’s devotion: Do I leap and shout when it comes to the things of God- not just in a literal way, but spiritually? Am I passionate- not simply generally interested or complacently consistent- in my walk? If I can do such things for a soccer match, and you can do them for ________ [fill in the blank here], why can’t we display as much (or more) for the Savior of our very souls?
3. What are the positive things that result from meeting with others to worship God?
4. Describe your prayer life. Is it everything you think it can be? What are some ways in which you can pray that you haven’t tried before?
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Seeking God #3 (Prayer #2)
Matthew 6:5-15 (NLT)
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
At some point in our walk (just this last week for me), we all reach a point where we feel like we’re beating our head against a spiritual wall. Its the age-old problem of feeling like our prayers have soared only as far as the clouds before they ricochet back, never fully making it to the ears of Jesus. Or if they are, he’s just sitting quietly. In those times, let us not further our desperation by walking away. But instead, let us persevere, standing in faith and in the promises we’ve been given. There isn’t a “correct” way to pray but I wrote the following based off the Lord’s prayer for my guys at the shelter. When I hit “the wall,” I try to return to these. And true to His word, Jesus comforts me with His presence. I also find that it wasn’t he who wasn’t really listening…but me.
1. Find a quiet spot free of distractions.
2. Communicate with God. Listen, talk, sing, write, read a Psalm.
3. Worship and praise God for who He is, what He has done in creating and restoring you, and where He has brought you from.
4. Confess any sin that may be blocking a complete relationship with Jesus. Be specific if possible. He knows anyway, but there is freedom in not hiding it.
5. Repent and ask forgiveness. Ask Him to forgive where you fall short of his glory and step into self. Tell him of your desire to avoid going back to the vomit of your past and your desire to follow His will.
6. Thank Him. Give thanks for such things as salvation, love, shelter, food, clothes, your still being alive, forgiveness and forgetting. You’ll find that your lists can go on for days, so maybe pick a day to thank him for survival things, another day to thank him for particular people, another day for things in recovery. And so on.
7. Personal Requests. Ask God for stuff. Your genuine needs. And even your wants. Stay in God’s will, the fruits of the spirit, direction, others, health. Whatever is on your heart really. Revelation, clarity, wisdom, understanding. Soften people’s hearts for your message and amends. Avoid traps of temptation. Rely more on him. Shape and mold you in his image.
8. Reflection/Meditation/Listening. To finish, sit still and quiet. Reflect on God. Take deep breaths. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he speaks into your soul.
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
At some point in our walk (just this last week for me), we all reach a point where we feel like we’re beating our head against a spiritual wall. Its the age-old problem of feeling like our prayers have soared only as far as the clouds before they ricochet back, never fully making it to the ears of Jesus. Or if they are, he’s just sitting quietly. In those times, let us not further our desperation by walking away. But instead, let us persevere, standing in faith and in the promises we’ve been given. There isn’t a “correct” way to pray but I wrote the following based off the Lord’s prayer for my guys at the shelter. When I hit “the wall,” I try to return to these. And true to His word, Jesus comforts me with His presence. I also find that it wasn’t he who wasn’t really listening…but me.
1. Find a quiet spot free of distractions.
2. Communicate with God. Listen, talk, sing, write, read a Psalm.
3. Worship and praise God for who He is, what He has done in creating and restoring you, and where He has brought you from.
4. Confess any sin that may be blocking a complete relationship with Jesus. Be specific if possible. He knows anyway, but there is freedom in not hiding it.
5. Repent and ask forgiveness. Ask Him to forgive where you fall short of his glory and step into self. Tell him of your desire to avoid going back to the vomit of your past and your desire to follow His will.
6. Thank Him. Give thanks for such things as salvation, love, shelter, food, clothes, your still being alive, forgiveness and forgetting. You’ll find that your lists can go on for days, so maybe pick a day to thank him for survival things, another day to thank him for particular people, another day for things in recovery. And so on.
7. Personal Requests. Ask God for stuff. Your genuine needs. And even your wants. Stay in God’s will, the fruits of the spirit, direction, others, health. Whatever is on your heart really. Revelation, clarity, wisdom, understanding. Soften people’s hearts for your message and amends. Avoid traps of temptation. Rely more on him. Shape and mold you in his image.
8. Reflection/Meditation/Listening. To finish, sit still and quiet. Reflect on God. Take deep breaths. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he speaks into your soul.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Seeking God #2 (Prayer #1)
Matthew 6:5-15 (NLT)
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
John continued ways in which we can seek God by mentioning the necessity of prayer. If you’re faithful in these devotions, I’m assuming that you already know the following. However, it never (ever) hurts to be reminded of such things.
Prayer, like the word love, has been watered down to the point where it rolls off everyone’s lips without much thought. We hear and say phrases like “I’ll pray for you” or “I’ll pray about it” daily. But do we really? Prayer is, quite simply, communication with God- through the quietness of your heart, through verbal talking, through music, through any number of other ways. It is what shows God our need and trust in him, it displays our desire to build a relationship with Him, and through it, we are granted strength and encouragement. The beauty of prayer, other than the obvious fact of getting to speak to God personally, is there is no set formula we must follow every time. Sometimes you will simply cry out in need to God. Sometimes you may pursue confession. Sometimes you may list all of the things you’re grateful for. Sometimes you could pray a Psalm. Sometimes you may pray for others. Sometimes you’ll just sit quietly. And listen. Keep in mind that communication means both sharing…and listening. Even when you don’t know what to say, the Bible says the Spirit intercedes on your behalf.
My friend JB taught me a great deal about prayer. He also had a unique way of remembering to do it. One morning, as we were discussing consistency in prayer, he says, “I throw my shoes under the bed every night. All the way against the other wall.” He paused long enough for me to wonder if something was wrong with him before finishing. “…That way, I have to hit my knees to get them. And while I’m down there, I pray.”
Well said.
One last observation: If prayer is so vital for our spiritual well-being and its simply communicating with God, why don’t we do more of it?
When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
John continued ways in which we can seek God by mentioning the necessity of prayer. If you’re faithful in these devotions, I’m assuming that you already know the following. However, it never (ever) hurts to be reminded of such things.
Prayer, like the word love, has been watered down to the point where it rolls off everyone’s lips without much thought. We hear and say phrases like “I’ll pray for you” or “I’ll pray about it” daily. But do we really? Prayer is, quite simply, communication with God- through the quietness of your heart, through verbal talking, through music, through any number of other ways. It is what shows God our need and trust in him, it displays our desire to build a relationship with Him, and through it, we are granted strength and encouragement. The beauty of prayer, other than the obvious fact of getting to speak to God personally, is there is no set formula we must follow every time. Sometimes you will simply cry out in need to God. Sometimes you may pursue confession. Sometimes you may list all of the things you’re grateful for. Sometimes you could pray a Psalm. Sometimes you may pray for others. Sometimes you’ll just sit quietly. And listen. Keep in mind that communication means both sharing…and listening. Even when you don’t know what to say, the Bible says the Spirit intercedes on your behalf.
My friend JB taught me a great deal about prayer. He also had a unique way of remembering to do it. One morning, as we were discussing consistency in prayer, he says, “I throw my shoes under the bed every night. All the way against the other wall.” He paused long enough for me to wonder if something was wrong with him before finishing. “…That way, I have to hit my knees to get them. And while I’m down there, I pray.”
Well said.
One last observation: If prayer is so vital for our spiritual well-being and its simply communicating with God, why don’t we do more of it?
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Seeking God #1 (Corporate Worship)
Hebrews 10:22-25 (NLT)
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Two scenarios:
1. Wake up reluctantly. Sluggishly drag yourself from the bed, the weight of the day already upon your shoulders. Wander to the coffee pot or shower. Fuss and fight over getting the kids ready. Fuss over being late. Fuss about even making the effort to go to church. Already thinking about plans after the service. What time the game is on, who’s playing, who’ll win the Super Bowl. Or some other television program. Or the problems Monday will bring.
2. “Let it rise from the four winds, caught up in the heavenly sound, let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals, to the faithful gathered underground, of all the songs sung since the dawn of creation, some were meant to persist, of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples, none rings truer than this, and all the powers of darkness tremble at what they’ve just heard, ‘cause all the powers of darkness, can’t drown out a single word…” -from “He Reigns” by the Newsboys
Corporate worship is vitality to the Christ follower. Yes, we’re one body. Strength in numbers. Where two or more are gathered, the Spirit is there. A small taste of heaven. Unity. Neglect not the meeting of yourselves. To deny it is spiritual suicide. At this point, all of that is a given…
The focus of the devotion this morning is the beat of our collective heart. The spiritual heart, our soul. Where is our heart when it comes to gathering for worship?
Do you fall into the former camp- where we make it to church out of an obligation, duty, chore, expectation, or tradition? And we attend reluctantly, unhappily, disgruntled, or seething?
Or do we fall into the latter camp- reflecting the lyrics of the Newsboys song? Where it doesn’t matter where, how, who, or why you meet? Your desire is simply to come together and worship the Risen Lord?
Here’s some perspective:
Years ago, a missionary from Malawi (Africa) came through the church I attended at the time. While he shared many stories of both the tragic and miraculous, one thing stuck out to me above all else. He related how the people from the villages “did church” over there. Because of their isolated locales, they would only get to meet every couple of weeks. But when they did! Choruses of praise were heard long before the villagers arrived at the Meeting Place. They sang and danced and clapped in worship for hours, pausing only long enough to hear the Scripture read aloud, to break bread, to pray, and to visit. They ate together and swapped stories of encouragement. They cried on one another’s shoulders if they had issues. They brought with them what little they had to share and shared it. Despite the arduous journey and giving up their entire weekend, great joy and love permeated the entire gatherings. Its church the way church is meant to me. Giving up yourself to find it in Jesus and in his body- the church.
So here we stand again. Do you desire Refuge to be a church such as this? A unified congregation grateful for the opportunity to come together to praise our Savior. To sing from the heart. To listen and apply the Word. To offer strength and encouragement. To compassionately listen and lean on one another. To bring what little we have to share with others.
If we all bring the little we have (spiritual gifts included), together it adds up to something truly awesome. This is only the beginning of what corporate worship is about.
Just wait…
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Two scenarios:
1. Wake up reluctantly. Sluggishly drag yourself from the bed, the weight of the day already upon your shoulders. Wander to the coffee pot or shower. Fuss and fight over getting the kids ready. Fuss over being late. Fuss about even making the effort to go to church. Already thinking about plans after the service. What time the game is on, who’s playing, who’ll win the Super Bowl. Or some other television program. Or the problems Monday will bring.
2. “Let it rise from the four winds, caught up in the heavenly sound, let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals, to the faithful gathered underground, of all the songs sung since the dawn of creation, some were meant to persist, of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples, none rings truer than this, and all the powers of darkness tremble at what they’ve just heard, ‘cause all the powers of darkness, can’t drown out a single word…” -from “He Reigns” by the Newsboys
Corporate worship is vitality to the Christ follower. Yes, we’re one body. Strength in numbers. Where two or more are gathered, the Spirit is there. A small taste of heaven. Unity. Neglect not the meeting of yourselves. To deny it is spiritual suicide. At this point, all of that is a given…
The focus of the devotion this morning is the beat of our collective heart. The spiritual heart, our soul. Where is our heart when it comes to gathering for worship?
Do you fall into the former camp- where we make it to church out of an obligation, duty, chore, expectation, or tradition? And we attend reluctantly, unhappily, disgruntled, or seething?
Or do we fall into the latter camp- reflecting the lyrics of the Newsboys song? Where it doesn’t matter where, how, who, or why you meet? Your desire is simply to come together and worship the Risen Lord?
Here’s some perspective:
Years ago, a missionary from Malawi (Africa) came through the church I attended at the time. While he shared many stories of both the tragic and miraculous, one thing stuck out to me above all else. He related how the people from the villages “did church” over there. Because of their isolated locales, they would only get to meet every couple of weeks. But when they did! Choruses of praise were heard long before the villagers arrived at the Meeting Place. They sang and danced and clapped in worship for hours, pausing only long enough to hear the Scripture read aloud, to break bread, to pray, and to visit. They ate together and swapped stories of encouragement. They cried on one another’s shoulders if they had issues. They brought with them what little they had to share and shared it. Despite the arduous journey and giving up their entire weekend, great joy and love permeated the entire gatherings. Its church the way church is meant to me. Giving up yourself to find it in Jesus and in his body- the church.
So here we stand again. Do you desire Refuge to be a church such as this? A unified congregation grateful for the opportunity to come together to praise our Savior. To sing from the heart. To listen and apply the Word. To offer strength and encouragement. To compassionately listen and lean on one another. To bring what little we have to share with others.
If we all bring the little we have (spiritual gifts included), together it adds up to something truly awesome. This is only the beginning of what corporate worship is about.
Just wait…
Monday, September 8, 2014
A Thought Crushed My Mind #2
Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT)
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“In hindsight, I was embarrassed not so much by my display of patriotic passion, but by my lack of genuine passion when it comes to seeking Jesus.”
I left you to dwell on this statement yesterday. Today, we’ll pick up there.
When I read (and ponder) the vision statement, I’m forced to ask myself the following questions:
Do I leap and shout when it comes to the things of God- not just in a literal way, but spiritually?
Am I passionate- not simply generally interested or complacently consistent- in my walk?
If I can do such things for a soccer match, and you can do them for ________ [fill in the blank here], why can’t we display as much (or more) for the Savior of our very souls?
There’s this song by an artist named Matthew West. You may’ve heard the song so much you’re sick of it, but focus on the these lyrics for a few minutes before brushing aside this devotion. He laments, “…I don’t want to go through the motions. I don’t want to go through one more day. Without your all-consuming passion inside of me…”
Without God’s all-consuming passion inside of me...
Passion is a good thing. Passion for your team or club is a good thing (as long as its second to God and that club is FC Dallas). But the best thing is passion for the things of God. Even better is allowing the “all-consuming passion inside of me”- the Holy Spirit- to burn within us. It’s the Holy Spirit which delivers love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control, among a host of other things. If we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, we will be passionate for God- and others! We’ll be able to sing and shout and dance before God! We’ll be able to truly rejoice when a sinner comes to Christ! We won’t give a rip about what anyone thinks (even the dog)!
If you’re already passionate, continue to stoke the flame. If not, hit your knees and begin praying. That could just be the spark you need to ignite “the passion inside.”
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
“In hindsight, I was embarrassed not so much by my display of patriotic passion, but by my lack of genuine passion when it comes to seeking Jesus.”
I left you to dwell on this statement yesterday. Today, we’ll pick up there.
When I read (and ponder) the vision statement, I’m forced to ask myself the following questions:
Do I leap and shout when it comes to the things of God- not just in a literal way, but spiritually?
Am I passionate- not simply generally interested or complacently consistent- in my walk?
If I can do such things for a soccer match, and you can do them for ________ [fill in the blank here], why can’t we display as much (or more) for the Savior of our very souls?
There’s this song by an artist named Matthew West. You may’ve heard the song so much you’re sick of it, but focus on the these lyrics for a few minutes before brushing aside this devotion. He laments, “…I don’t want to go through the motions. I don’t want to go through one more day. Without your all-consuming passion inside of me…”
Without God’s all-consuming passion inside of me...
Passion is a good thing. Passion for your team or club is a good thing (as long as its second to God and that club is FC Dallas). But the best thing is passion for the things of God. Even better is allowing the “all-consuming passion inside of me”- the Holy Spirit- to burn within us. It’s the Holy Spirit which delivers love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control, among a host of other things. If we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives, we will be passionate for God- and others! We’ll be able to sing and shout and dance before God! We’ll be able to truly rejoice when a sinner comes to Christ! We won’t give a rip about what anyone thinks (even the dog)!
If you’re already passionate, continue to stoke the flame. If not, hit your knees and begin praying. That could just be the spark you need to ignite “the passion inside.”
Sunday, September 7, 2014
A Thought Crushed My Mind #1
Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)
Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The adjective- passionately.
We could look up the word “passion” in the dictionary but that doesn’t hit home with most of us. Maybe this will…
[Author’s Note: the following is a story about passion and soccer. As you read, you may plug in your own teams or sports as needed. Just try to remember we’re focusing on passion.]
It was the summer of 2010. To much of the world (and a few of us in America), it meant the World Cup. It’s the most prestigious competition on the planet and takes place every four years. Billions of people clad themselves in their country’s colors and sit on the edge of their seat for 90 minutes watching their teams on the pitch (field), with the hope that their squad will lift the trophy. They chant, cheer, sing, jump, dance, drum, decorate, cry, riot, fight, and much more. All in the name of passion for their team.
As most of you know, I’m passionate about soccer. I, too, was on the edge of my seat during the month of June. On one particular day, with the US tied during a do-or-die match with Algeria, I was biting my nails and wishing for a miracle. The Yanks had to score and win the match to move to the knockout rounds of the tournament. My eyes bored into the television screen, willing the ball into the goal. As each attempt ended in failure, I stooped to stirring up prophetic visions of a goal. Then, with seconds left before the final whistle, Tim Howard (the US goalie) slung the ball out and started a counterattack. Tension wracked my body. But their was an underlying optimism that the miraculous was possible. The US surged forward until Clint Dempsey got a shot off. It came painfully close but was blocked by the keeper- but the ball bounced into the path of a charging Landon Donovan, who booted in the rebound. Around the country- from pubs to living rooms- Americans leaped into the air, shouting, rejoicing, or crying. Guilty as well, I went nuts. As if I’d been healed by Jesus, I leapt and screamed at the top of my lungs like a fool. After calming down, I looked around out of embarrassment. Fortunately, only the dog was there. I use the word was because he had apparently gone into the other room during my celebratory dance.
In hindsight, I was embarrassed not so much by my display of patriotic passion, but by my lack of such passion when it comes to seeking Jesus. Think about that statement today and we’ll wrap up tomorrow.
P.S. After reading this, watch the video clip of this play, followed by video clips of people around the country celebrating. It will help solidify the devotional thought in your mind.
Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
The adjective- passionately.
We could look up the word “passion” in the dictionary but that doesn’t hit home with most of us. Maybe this will…
[Author’s Note: the following is a story about passion and soccer. As you read, you may plug in your own teams or sports as needed. Just try to remember we’re focusing on passion.]
It was the summer of 2010. To much of the world (and a few of us in America), it meant the World Cup. It’s the most prestigious competition on the planet and takes place every four years. Billions of people clad themselves in their country’s colors and sit on the edge of their seat for 90 minutes watching their teams on the pitch (field), with the hope that their squad will lift the trophy. They chant, cheer, sing, jump, dance, drum, decorate, cry, riot, fight, and much more. All in the name of passion for their team.
As most of you know, I’m passionate about soccer. I, too, was on the edge of my seat during the month of June. On one particular day, with the US tied during a do-or-die match with Algeria, I was biting my nails and wishing for a miracle. The Yanks had to score and win the match to move to the knockout rounds of the tournament. My eyes bored into the television screen, willing the ball into the goal. As each attempt ended in failure, I stooped to stirring up prophetic visions of a goal. Then, with seconds left before the final whistle, Tim Howard (the US goalie) slung the ball out and started a counterattack. Tension wracked my body. But their was an underlying optimism that the miraculous was possible. The US surged forward until Clint Dempsey got a shot off. It came painfully close but was blocked by the keeper- but the ball bounced into the path of a charging Landon Donovan, who booted in the rebound. Around the country- from pubs to living rooms- Americans leaped into the air, shouting, rejoicing, or crying. Guilty as well, I went nuts. As if I’d been healed by Jesus, I leapt and screamed at the top of my lungs like a fool. After calming down, I looked around out of embarrassment. Fortunately, only the dog was there. I use the word was because he had apparently gone into the other room during my celebratory dance.
In hindsight, I was embarrassed not so much by my display of patriotic passion, but by my lack of such passion when it comes to seeking Jesus. Think about that statement today and we’ll wrap up tomorrow.
P.S. After reading this, watch the video clip of this play, followed by video clips of people around the country celebrating. It will help solidify the devotional thought in your mind.
Friday, September 5, 2014
Reflection and Meditation
Prayerfully consider the following:
1. List at least 5 things that are hindering you from “going out” and making disciples? Take them before the Lord in prayer and ask him to grant you the strength to overcome your fear. Follow prayer with action.
2. Are you using the three things from Tuesday’s devotional to make disciples? If not, come up with ways in which you can follow through with them. If yes, what other ways can you help (disciple) others?
3. Does the task of discipleship overwhelm you? How can you break it down?
4. Have you yourself followed through on Jesus instructions to follow him in baptism? If not, what is stopping you? If you have, do you rejoice with others as they follow through with baptism?
5. What are some of the characteristics that made Jesus the ultimate example when it comes to discipleship? Which of these can you begin to work on first?
1. List at least 5 things that are hindering you from “going out” and making disciples? Take them before the Lord in prayer and ask him to grant you the strength to overcome your fear. Follow prayer with action.
2. Are you using the three things from Tuesday’s devotional to make disciples? If not, come up with ways in which you can follow through with them. If yes, what other ways can you help (disciple) others?
3. Does the task of discipleship overwhelm you? How can you break it down?
4. Have you yourself followed through on Jesus instructions to follow him in baptism? If not, what is stopping you? If you have, do you rejoice with others as they follow through with baptism?
5. What are some of the characteristics that made Jesus the ultimate example when it comes to discipleship? Which of these can you begin to work on first?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Making Disciples #5 (The Example)
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
“Jesus is my homeboy!” read the shirt.
Along with its Jim Morrison-like caricature of Jesus, this piece of clothing not only got my attention but stirred a bevy of emotions. I took captive all the thoughts that ran rampant through my head (see LifeTogether, 25 November, Clean and Unclean) and held them to the Truth of the Word. After a few minutes, I decided that the shirt did speak truth and allowed it to linger in head. Despite its controversial and hip marketing ploy, Jesus is indeed my homeboy. Not only my homeboy, but a homeboy to his disciples. And, in a way, a disciple himself. Jesus provided us the perfectly balanced example of discipleship, the ultimate example of both a disciple and a disciple-maker.
To disciple successfully, you must first be a disciple. The word disciple, by its very definition, means a person who is “a learner, a pupil, an adherent to the doctrines of another.”
Consider Jesus. We’re given only brief glances of Jesus as an adolescent in the Gospels. But in each, we find him learning and growing in knowledge and wisdom, things coming directly from his interaction with the Heavenly Father (see Luke 2:41-52). This only continues as Jesus explodes onto the scene during his ministry. We witness him pulling off to solitary places to spend time with the Father. We witness him quoting Scriptures and speaking with authority straight from the Father. We witness him submit his will to take on that of the Father. And on and on…
In the process, Jesus began discipling others, hand-picking twelve to plant his heart into and spend the vast majority of his time with. From the time he called them, he accomplished the three things we discussed on Tuesday (Living out the Life-Change, Feeding spiritual milk, Offering encouragement and help), among many, many others. Jesus wasn’t only an example to them, he was perfection personified. Daily, he walked through the human condition with all its struggles, lusts, and entanglements. Yet without sin. At each and every opportunity, Jesus taught them- from physical miracles to metaphorical parables- the deep Truth of God. All with the purpose of displaying the glory of God and the hope found through him. And finally, offering encouragement and mercy at every turn. Each time they failed to learn a lesson or stumbled under the pressure of what was asked of them, he picked them up, dusted them off, and continued to pour into them. All the way up to our “verses of the week” in Matthew, collectively known as the Great Commission.
There aren’t words in the English language (or any other language for that matter) which adequately describe the heart of Jesus. But our glimpse of him from the Gospels and our own experiences, shows us that he chooses to make disciples. And, for some unexplainable reason, he chooses you and I to help.
Your move…
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
“Jesus is my homeboy!” read the shirt.
Along with its Jim Morrison-like caricature of Jesus, this piece of clothing not only got my attention but stirred a bevy of emotions. I took captive all the thoughts that ran rampant through my head (see LifeTogether, 25 November, Clean and Unclean) and held them to the Truth of the Word. After a few minutes, I decided that the shirt did speak truth and allowed it to linger in head. Despite its controversial and hip marketing ploy, Jesus is indeed my homeboy. Not only my homeboy, but a homeboy to his disciples. And, in a way, a disciple himself. Jesus provided us the perfectly balanced example of discipleship, the ultimate example of both a disciple and a disciple-maker.
To disciple successfully, you must first be a disciple. The word disciple, by its very definition, means a person who is “a learner, a pupil, an adherent to the doctrines of another.”
Consider Jesus. We’re given only brief glances of Jesus as an adolescent in the Gospels. But in each, we find him learning and growing in knowledge and wisdom, things coming directly from his interaction with the Heavenly Father (see Luke 2:41-52). This only continues as Jesus explodes onto the scene during his ministry. We witness him pulling off to solitary places to spend time with the Father. We witness him quoting Scriptures and speaking with authority straight from the Father. We witness him submit his will to take on that of the Father. And on and on…
In the process, Jesus began discipling others, hand-picking twelve to plant his heart into and spend the vast majority of his time with. From the time he called them, he accomplished the three things we discussed on Tuesday (Living out the Life-Change, Feeding spiritual milk, Offering encouragement and help), among many, many others. Jesus wasn’t only an example to them, he was perfection personified. Daily, he walked through the human condition with all its struggles, lusts, and entanglements. Yet without sin. At each and every opportunity, Jesus taught them- from physical miracles to metaphorical parables- the deep Truth of God. All with the purpose of displaying the glory of God and the hope found through him. And finally, offering encouragement and mercy at every turn. Each time they failed to learn a lesson or stumbled under the pressure of what was asked of them, he picked them up, dusted them off, and continued to pour into them. All the way up to our “verses of the week” in Matthew, collectively known as the Great Commission.
There aren’t words in the English language (or any other language for that matter) which adequately describe the heart of Jesus. But our glimpse of him from the Gospels and our own experiences, shows us that he chooses to make disciples. And, for some unexplainable reason, he chooses you and I to help.
Your move…
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Making Disciples #4 (Baptism)
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
While we cling to many church traditions, only a handful are mentioned specifically by Jesus. Baptism is one such guideline. If, at this point, you’d like to enter a theological debate on what style of baptism is the one and only way or if its necessary for salvation, then find another devotional or book. Because we’re focusing on baptism and its role on discipleship. And its clear from Jesus’ charge that it’s a vital piece of the discipleship process. Why? Allow me to illustrate with yet another story.
Last summer, my wife and I headed back to my hometown to visit friends, get some rest, and attend an FC Dallas soccer match. While there, we stayed with Randall and Sandra, close friends who have been a constant encouragement to me along the recovery and discipleship process. This only continued as we attended church with them one Sunday morning, a service solely devoted to baptisms. From past experiences in church, baptisms were these traditional, almost solemn happenings occurring at the end of a long service when everyone was ready to go home and only clapped out of obligation. But that morning, the people being baptized were brought out and handed a microphone to share their story. And they did, some shaking the entire time and some already emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Flanking them was a friend, family member, or pastor who was there not only to support them, but to dunk them into the water. Upon emerging from the water, the congregation would clap and shout with vigor. And for longer than a few seconds. It was like a heavenly party, an event of deep spiritual importance, another notch in the discipleship process, a public profession and celebration of Jesus Christ.
Wiping away tears, I pulled myself together long enough to grasp the eternal significance here. The believers being baptized that day were the result of the grace of Jesus Christ and the toil of a person (or most likely, many people) who followed the Great Commission and poured themselves into others. You know the sacrifices of being a follower of Jesus, here is one of the many rewards- reaping a harvest of disciples. As always, Jesus knew what he was doing. By building disciples, we’re actually building our spiritual selves as well. And the beauty of God’s love comes full circle once again. From being buried with Christ in baptism and risen to a newness of life!
Disciple on…
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
While we cling to many church traditions, only a handful are mentioned specifically by Jesus. Baptism is one such guideline. If, at this point, you’d like to enter a theological debate on what style of baptism is the one and only way or if its necessary for salvation, then find another devotional or book. Because we’re focusing on baptism and its role on discipleship. And its clear from Jesus’ charge that it’s a vital piece of the discipleship process. Why? Allow me to illustrate with yet another story.
Last summer, my wife and I headed back to my hometown to visit friends, get some rest, and attend an FC Dallas soccer match. While there, we stayed with Randall and Sandra, close friends who have been a constant encouragement to me along the recovery and discipleship process. This only continued as we attended church with them one Sunday morning, a service solely devoted to baptisms. From past experiences in church, baptisms were these traditional, almost solemn happenings occurring at the end of a long service when everyone was ready to go home and only clapped out of obligation. But that morning, the people being baptized were brought out and handed a microphone to share their story. And they did, some shaking the entire time and some already emboldened by the Holy Spirit. Flanking them was a friend, family member, or pastor who was there not only to support them, but to dunk them into the water. Upon emerging from the water, the congregation would clap and shout with vigor. And for longer than a few seconds. It was like a heavenly party, an event of deep spiritual importance, another notch in the discipleship process, a public profession and celebration of Jesus Christ.
Wiping away tears, I pulled myself together long enough to grasp the eternal significance here. The believers being baptized that day were the result of the grace of Jesus Christ and the toil of a person (or most likely, many people) who followed the Great Commission and poured themselves into others. You know the sacrifices of being a follower of Jesus, here is one of the many rewards- reaping a harvest of disciples. As always, Jesus knew what he was doing. By building disciples, we’re actually building our spiritual selves as well. And the beauty of God’s love comes full circle once again. From being buried with Christ in baptism and risen to a newness of life!
Disciple on…
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Making Disciples #3 (Far and Near)
Acts 1:7-8 (The Message)
He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
Depending on what version of the Bible we read, the call to make disciples can be more than a little overwhelming. The Message using the phrase “far and near.” The New Living Translation says, “make disciples of all nations.” And the NIV relates, “make disciples of all people.”
All.
That’s a lot. No matter how you cut it.
If you find yourself, like me, overwhelmed by the task, consider flipping a few pages over to the book of Acts. Here, Jesus tells us the same thing, just breaking it down so folks like me can handle it. Speaking on sharing the Gospel and making disciples, our Savior instructs, “…And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Now before you begin inundating me with texts saying that this doesn’t clear much up, let’s take a closer look at it. Instead of the “all,” we get a manageable four places to make disciples.
Jerusalem. For Jesus’ disciples, this city was the center of their Life-change. It was the Holy City, the place where Jesus was crucified and then risen to life again. It was the place they were told to stay and wait for the Holy Spirit- God’s Spirit- upon Jesus’ return to heaven. It was their base of operations. It was their home. Despite looking drastically different and being located halfway across the globe, our Jerusalem is where we live- Greenville. The first place we are to share the Gospel and make disciples is in our backyard. We don’t need frequent flier miles or a church van to do that. We simply need to narrow our focus on those who need Jesus around us. Meet their needs. Compel them to come in. Share the message of salvation. Then train them in the ways of the Bible, so that they may grow in their Life-Change. So simple, yet so often over-looked. Its great to have a burden to reach the world for Christ. But in our enthusiasm to see the world, let’s not neglect our neighbors.
Judea. The state of Mississippi. Extended family and distant friends.
Samaria. Other parts and cultures of the United States. People you wouldn’t normally associate with.
To the utmost part of the earth. To the world. Whether it be in person through a mission trip or via the World Wide Web.
When we view it from this perspective, the call doesn’t seem quite the overwhelming undertaking.
It still, however, requires action…(stop reading now and get on that!)
He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
Depending on what version of the Bible we read, the call to make disciples can be more than a little overwhelming. The Message using the phrase “far and near.” The New Living Translation says, “make disciples of all nations.” And the NIV relates, “make disciples of all people.”
All.
That’s a lot. No matter how you cut it.
If you find yourself, like me, overwhelmed by the task, consider flipping a few pages over to the book of Acts. Here, Jesus tells us the same thing, just breaking it down so folks like me can handle it. Speaking on sharing the Gospel and making disciples, our Savior instructs, “…And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Now before you begin inundating me with texts saying that this doesn’t clear much up, let’s take a closer look at it. Instead of the “all,” we get a manageable four places to make disciples.
Jerusalem. For Jesus’ disciples, this city was the center of their Life-change. It was the Holy City, the place where Jesus was crucified and then risen to life again. It was the place they were told to stay and wait for the Holy Spirit- God’s Spirit- upon Jesus’ return to heaven. It was their base of operations. It was their home. Despite looking drastically different and being located halfway across the globe, our Jerusalem is where we live- Greenville. The first place we are to share the Gospel and make disciples is in our backyard. We don’t need frequent flier miles or a church van to do that. We simply need to narrow our focus on those who need Jesus around us. Meet their needs. Compel them to come in. Share the message of salvation. Then train them in the ways of the Bible, so that they may grow in their Life-Change. So simple, yet so often over-looked. Its great to have a burden to reach the world for Christ. But in our enthusiasm to see the world, let’s not neglect our neighbors.
Judea. The state of Mississippi. Extended family and distant friends.
Samaria. Other parts and cultures of the United States. People you wouldn’t normally associate with.
To the utmost part of the earth. To the world. Whether it be in person through a mission trip or via the World Wide Web.
When we view it from this perspective, the call doesn’t seem quite the overwhelming undertaking.
It still, however, requires action…(stop reading now and get on that!)
Monday, September 1, 2014
Making Disciples #2 (Basic Training)
Matthew 28:18-20 (The Message)
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
Last week, I received another letter from Parris Island, South Carolina. For those of you not familiar with the place, it’s the little slice of heaven where Marine Corps recruits endure boot camp. One of my former students is in the midst of basic training there and in his last letter, he related they had entered a period of training and learning that his drill sergeant referred to as “a new way of life.” As I read the words, I couldn’t help comparing it to what we’re covering in the Back to Basics series. Especially when it comes to making disciples and training them in their new way of life.
In our quest to make disciples, we need not contrive fancy gimmicks or scheduled classes, but simply share with others our story and be a guide or mentor as they walk through their “training and learning period.”
Here are practical ways to disciple (train) people to become committed, consistent Christ followers:
1) Be a Christ-like example (Live the Life-Change). If we’re going to train someone in their new way of life, its vital that we are living the life before them. We’ve all seen or heard parents who command, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Their children will inevitably follow their actions, rather than their words. Same with us as believers. If we tell our spiritual pupils how to live a righteous life, yet fail to live out the example before them, we’re not building disciples, but distorting their perception of God and how to walk with Him.
2) Feed them spiritual milk. In our excitement over discipling people, we often make the fatal mistake of shoving too much down their throat too soon. Discipling people is like tending to a baby. Babies must first swallow and digest small amounts of milk in order to grow. If they’re fed too much milk or even solid food, they will either spit up or choke. Same with those we’re discipling. They need to be fed small, easy to understand portions of the Gospel, so as to not get overwhelmed and face spiritual indigestion. As they, like babies, mature, they can handle greater portions. (A good starting place for the Gospel message is the book of John. A good starting place for the various aspects of the Christian life are books like Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians.)
3) Offer encouragement and help. Nothing is harder than starting an entirely new way of life. Like the growth process of a child, new believers will crawl, fall, walk, stumble, run, trip, hope, hurt, and endure countless other things. Next to the example we live and feeding them spiritually, they will need someone simply to be there for them. To listen as they bend and stretch in their new skin. To offer encouragement when times get rough. To lean on you when they’re not strong enough to weather their own storms yet. To tell them when they’re slipping away from their Life-Change. To challenge them to keep growing to the next stage. To teach them what it means to be consistent. And so on.
There are many more. But begin practicing these three things with those your discipling. Enjoy the journey.
There is no greater calling…
Go out and train every one you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the three-fold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I commanded you. I‘ll be with you as you do this, day after day, right up to the end of the age.
Last week, I received another letter from Parris Island, South Carolina. For those of you not familiar with the place, it’s the little slice of heaven where Marine Corps recruits endure boot camp. One of my former students is in the midst of basic training there and in his last letter, he related they had entered a period of training and learning that his drill sergeant referred to as “a new way of life.” As I read the words, I couldn’t help comparing it to what we’re covering in the Back to Basics series. Especially when it comes to making disciples and training them in their new way of life.
In our quest to make disciples, we need not contrive fancy gimmicks or scheduled classes, but simply share with others our story and be a guide or mentor as they walk through their “training and learning period.”
Here are practical ways to disciple (train) people to become committed, consistent Christ followers:
1) Be a Christ-like example (Live the Life-Change). If we’re going to train someone in their new way of life, its vital that we are living the life before them. We’ve all seen or heard parents who command, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Their children will inevitably follow their actions, rather than their words. Same with us as believers. If we tell our spiritual pupils how to live a righteous life, yet fail to live out the example before them, we’re not building disciples, but distorting their perception of God and how to walk with Him.
2) Feed them spiritual milk. In our excitement over discipling people, we often make the fatal mistake of shoving too much down their throat too soon. Discipling people is like tending to a baby. Babies must first swallow and digest small amounts of milk in order to grow. If they’re fed too much milk or even solid food, they will either spit up or choke. Same with those we’re discipling. They need to be fed small, easy to understand portions of the Gospel, so as to not get overwhelmed and face spiritual indigestion. As they, like babies, mature, they can handle greater portions. (A good starting place for the Gospel message is the book of John. A good starting place for the various aspects of the Christian life are books like Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians.)
3) Offer encouragement and help. Nothing is harder than starting an entirely new way of life. Like the growth process of a child, new believers will crawl, fall, walk, stumble, run, trip, hope, hurt, and endure countless other things. Next to the example we live and feeding them spiritually, they will need someone simply to be there for them. To listen as they bend and stretch in their new skin. To offer encouragement when times get rough. To lean on you when they’re not strong enough to weather their own storms yet. To tell them when they’re slipping away from their Life-Change. To challenge them to keep growing to the next stage. To teach them what it means to be consistent. And so on.
There are many more. But begin practicing these three things with those your discipling. Enjoy the journey.
There is no greater calling…
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