Discipleship Network Forum

I haven't blogged in a while. You may not have noticed, but I have.

I've felt guilty about it.

I've thought of a dozen things I wanted to blog about, but then didn't follow through.

That made me even more guilty.

I have feeling guilty . . . 

When I feel guilty for two long, I have a panic attack.

That's never pretty and it brings on more guilt.

And the bottom line is I haven't blogged because I've been too busy to stop long enough to do it.

It's not like I'm never thinking about God. For example, during the past weeks I've spent a ton of time in the Bible. I teach two Bible studies a week and spend time preparing for both. I'm editing Bible curriculum each week (usually two a week) and working through parts of curriculum with new writers every week. I'm editing a manuscript about that curriculum. This week I worked through 8 chapters of it. Lot's of time spent in the Bible.

But if I'm not careful, I get caught up with the work load, the deadlines, the expectations I've put on myself, with the other 12 things I'm trying to do for my family . . . all good stuff, by the way . . . and neglect to take time to be quiet and reflect in one's happening in my spiritual life. That doesn't mean my prayer life is non-existent, or that I never worship.

It just means that blogging is a time for me to be quiet for a few minutes and listen for God's voice. Obviously, I haven't had much quiet time lately. 

I wonder if I had more quiet time if I'd have fewer feelings of guilt?

Now, that's a "no-brainer."

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

Many small groups in America are not missional. They are good at caring for one another and studying the Bible, which is good . . . but not great! In Good to Great, Jim Collins discusses our need to “confront the brutal facts.”  In Small Group Vital Signs,I help you and your small group honestly and diligently confront the brutal facts of your current reality in comparison to the truth of God’s Word. This examination may lead you to a major decision point in your life together and move you off your comfy couches to do something God-sized . . . or remain where you are and maintain the status quo.

This post is an excerpt from the Introduction of Small Group Vital Signs: Seven Indicators of Health that Make Groups Flourish. I talk more about our church's story and what we learned from it throughout the book. By the way, the book is written for group leaders to help you as you lead your group to health. I also included an appendix for small group point people, with ideas on how you can implement the vital signs in your church.

 But just as it is written, "Things that no eye has seen,

or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things

God has prepared for those who love him."

God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit

searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Cor 2:9, 10

In many Christian circles, when a person starts sharing about GOD talking to him, oftentimes questions arise in the minds of fellow believers. Is this really true? Does GOD really talk to people today just like He talked to Moses or Abraham? Some believers are even indignant for not having the same experience. They begin to wonder if GOD has chosen to leave them out of the conversation.

Well, let me ask you? Does GOD talk to you? Do you have on-going conversation with GOD during the day? Or is your prayer life a one-way street? If GOD is not talking to you, then you don't have a living relationship with Him! It is not my intention to make you feel condemned but only to point out what you may be missing – a thriving, growing relationship with your heavenly Father. I, very seldom, hear a message on how to hear from GOD and so I have decided to share with you my own personal experience. Since every individual was created unique, I don't expect you to have exactly the same experience as I but we would certainly have a common ground.

King David once said, "The nearness of GOD is my good"(Ps 73:28). King David cleaved to YHWH and made Adonai Elohim his refuge. He prayed to YHWH at least seven times a day! Even at the night watch, he wakes up to be with YHWH. YHWH said, "David is a man after my own heart." David was so close to YHWH that he came to know His very heart and will. Saul offered sacrifices to YHWH and was condemned but David wore the priestly ephod and burned sacrifices before YHWH and he was accepted. Wow! What was the difference? Though Shaul was anointed king, he never bothered to get close to YHWH but David poured out his soul daily to YHWH. David appreciated how significant YHWH has been to his daily walk. In fact, David refreshed himself daily in the presence of YHWH.

So how does YHWH speak to His children? There are several examples from the Scriptures but you can meditate on that by yourself. At the outset, I would like to submit that my example is very subjective but I would like to share my own experience to make it more relevant. Early in my christian life, I used to wonder what my mentors meant when they said, "God told me..." To them, God was very personal and He dealt with them as sons. But I didn't hear from God like any of them; so I felt like a second-class citizen. One Saturday morning, as I was meditating on Isaiah chapter 6, when YHWH appeared to Isaiah in a vision, I suddenly stopped and blurted out my frustration, "LORD, I am your son just as all your other children and I don't believe that a father ignores his son. I won't utter a word and will be quiet until I hear you speak to me." At that moment, YHWH recognized my longing and I heard Him speak to me, "Fred, who will represent Us? Whom shall We send?" To say that I was astounded is an understatement. I was totally awed, and knelt down and worshipped, saying, "Here I am FATHER, send me!" That day He anointed me as a teacher to make known His wonders. That was the first of only two times that I heard YHWH speak to me audibly.

Oftentimes, YHWH would speak to me as a word that enters my consciousness. He is not formal at all. Most of the time, He speaks to me as a Father would to His son. He instructs and directs me. He counsels and comforts me. He rebukes and corrects me. He is the gentlest Person I know and His 'ever-presence' soothes my spirit. There were certain times when the word of YHWH would come and command me to deliver a message or send me to pray for a sick person. In any of these, YHWH was always very specific.

When I meditate on a passage of Scripture, the HOLY SPIRIT instructs me not only at that moment of reading the Word but throughout the day and even at night as I sleep. I think I am especially susceptable to instruction when asleep because my flesh and carnal mind could not interrupt, so the HOLY SPIRIT uses my imagination to instruct me through dreams. There have been several instances when I needed a new idea and as I asked the FATHER before I slept, He did enlighten me through a dream. I have also experienced seeing a vision as the LORD YESHUA spoke to me in the midst of prayer. The LORD has given me so much encouragement at these times and strengthened my faith.

If you notice, I address GOD by the Name that He said He should be known from generation to generation – YHWH. Some say that His name is too holy to utter so they have substituted God instead of the Name. Even in the English Bible translations, the translators also substituted LORD to the proper name of YHWH. The enemy has really succeeded in this endeavor because the adversary knows that there is power in the Name and the character and nature of YHWH is in the Name. In strict grammar rule in linguistics, proper nouns are not translated but may be transliterated; for example, YESHUA (Hebrew) to JESUS (English). Personally, I address YHWH as He wants to be named. All the pagan gods are named by men and are otherwise known by them as God; but I don't want to call on my GOD in the same name as the pagans do. YHWH invites us to call Him by His Name and as FATHER. I raised this matter up because calling the person you love by his name is an essential part of an intimate relationship. Communion with YHWH is based on an intimate knowledge of the holy.

You cannot expect an intimate relationship to develop without spending time with the person you love. With the greatest Person in the universe, it means giving Him priority over every other activity and over every other person. It means whatever He says, you believe and trust that whatever He promised, He will fulfill. It means, not just reading the Scriptures but really bothering to know what He meant and invoking it over the circumstances of your life as a habit. It means wanting more of Him everyday. It means desiring His presence every moment of your life.

In a dream, YHWH described time to me as a cycle of lessons in dependence. The past is before me because it is already known, while the present is what I observe happening as I walk; but the future is at my back because it is unknown. In order to walk in safety as I walk backward into the future, I must hold on to His steady hand that upholds me, trusting that He knows the way because He owns eternity. The journey is long and I must walk in union with YESHUA because He is the Way. I must abide by His Truth and only the sum of His word is Truth. I must continually fill up with His life so I can also impart life. The walk of a follower requires a constant connection to the throne of Grace so I cannot help but ensure that a vibrant link is maintained. I must not only upload my thoughts but also download YHWH's thoughts so that I am thoroughly guided whether in simple circumstances or in difficult challenges. As Shaul said, "Do all to the glory of YHWH."

In the spirit realm, the language of thought prevails. What prevails within your thoughts? YHWH said through the prophet Jeremiah, "I will put My Torah within them and write it on their hearts..." (Jer 31:33) What language do you speak?

YESHUA said, "My sheep listen to My voice, I recognize them, and they follow Me..."(Jn 10:27a)

מלאך

A small group, at its core, is Christ’s body in action. Stop and think about this for a moment. Your small group is the church. Not a subset of the church. Not a supportive program within the church. Not a tool to close the back door. Unfortunately, in today’s world, our mental image of “church” is usually something much bigger or more institutional than a single small group. We say, “I’m going to church,” meaning a building, a mass meeting, or possibly a structured program of some sort. The New Testament never uses the word church that way. Rather it refers to God’s people, called to carry out his mission. The New Testament uses the word church in three basic ways:

1. The church that meets in the home (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 1:2)
2. The church in a certain geographical area (Acts 13:1; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2)
3. All of God’s called-out people (ecclesia, Matthew 16:18)

My objective here is not to get into a pointless argument about the definition of words (see 1 Timothy 6:4 and 2 Timothy 2:14). I want to help you see what your group really is, or at least what it has the potential to become.

You are the church. You are the body of Christ,

perfectly arranged by God to carry out his mission for his world.  — 1 Corinthians 12:18

If your group is not healthy, this definition may not fit you today. Perhaps you are not seeing God’s mission accomplished through your group at the present time. But I believe there is hope! I believe that God can transform your group into a robust and healthy expression of Christ’s body.

In my new book, Small Group Vital Signs, I put on my doctor’s scrubs and got out my diagnostic instruments to help you measure the health of your group. Then, I provided holistic cures to help your group become the healthy body that God designed it to be.  If you are the group’s leader, don’t attempt to do this alone. Your whole group must be involved!

______

This blog is an excerpt from my new book, Small Group Vital Signs: Seven Indicators of Health that Make Groups Flourish (TOUCH Publications) to be released late February, 2012.

Hey everyone, just wondering if anyone else on here struggles with entertainment choices.  I love good old classic rock music, and blues...and movies.  I generally find myslef listening to christian music, but feel pulled back over & over again to the secular music. 

I just was wondering if anyone struggle with this.  I know that most of this music has subject matter that is not good.  Also, when it comes to movies, I am offended by the use of the "f" word and the using of the Lord's name in vain, and yet sometimes still watch movies containing these things.

I wonder is this is a result of living in an entertainment saturated culture.  I'm sure that the church in persecuted countries don't have this issue.

What are some of your thoughts?

GOD said, "Let the earth put forth grass, seed-producing plants, and fruit trees,

each yielding its own kind of seed-bearing fruit, on the earth";

and that is how it was. - Gen 1:11

When the people of GOD understand the basic principle of the seed as YHWH laid it out from the beginning, then they will understand much of the parables that the LORD YESHUA taught in the New Testament. You see, YHWH our ELOHIM, declared the end from the beginning and from ancient times (Isaiah 46:10).

Each seed produces a plant that produces fruits and each fruit has seeds that produces the same kind of plant and so on and so forth until you have a thick forest before you. What is the potential of a seed? YESHUA said that a mustard seed could become a tree even if it is the smallest seed among the garden herbs; and the birds of the air come and nest in its branches (Mt 13:31-32). Bur that is just one mustard seed and it can produce a lot more mustard seeds. The possibilities are exponential!

Each seed carries within itself the characteristics of its kind. The mustard seed produces mustard. An apple seed produces apples and orange seed produces oranges. Adam originally bore the image of YHWH but lost it at the Fall and had been on survival mode after that. He bore children after his own fallen image. The last Adam, YESHUA the Messiah, was the Word made flesh who was the exact representation of the FATHER and He triumph over the enemy. YESHUA is the firstfruit among many brethren; brethren who are born again from above in accordance to His image, sharing His divine nature. YESHUA is the seed of the woman (Eve), the seed of Abraham, the root of Jesse, the son of David and the beloved SON of EL ELYON.

All believers were born again by the imperishable seed through the living Word of ELOHIM that last forever (1 Pet 1:23). When you received the word of ELOHIM in the soil of your heart, you trusted in His promise of salvation and that word became flesh and you were born from above, not by the will of man but by the will of the FATHER. The Word of ELOHIM is spirit and life itself. The Word is the basic ingredient of creation. The Word is YESHUA and YESHUA is ELOHIM!(Jn 1:1-2)

The principle of the seed is the principle of exponential duplication. We reproduce who we are. So, ask yourself, whose son are you?

ךמלא

Sometimes I have to go out to my shed to get something when it’s dark.  I usually forget to take a flashlight, so when I get there I’m just frustrated because I can’t find what I’m looking for because it is so dark. 

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  Jesus is the light of the world.  But why do we need a light?  Because the world is actually a dark place because of sin and satan.  The world we live in can be extremely difficult to navigate through. 

Most of the time we don’t even realize how dark it is or what obstacles are out there because we are blind even to the darkness.  We see life through our own eyes which normally give us a self-centered, pleasure seeking, pain avoiding, idol making perspective.  It’s really hard to walk in darkness. You don’t know where you are going or what is before you.  It can be scary, dangerous and frustrating. 

But Jesus knows this world, he knows about our skewed perspective on life.  So he tells us he is the light of the world.  He will be our light for us.  One of my friends has a flashlight, but it’s not your ordinary flashlight.  It is the size of a mini-mag light, about six inches long, but this light is bright.  It is actually as bright as a car headlight.  We were at a camp where it gets really dark at night but having him shine this light made it look like daylight. 

This is what Jesus does when we follow him.  The very presence of Jesus in our life lights up our way.  I see people everyday walking in darkness.  They do things that they are completely blind to see how harmful they are and how contrary their actions are to the way they were created to live.  I’m not trying to be judgmental, I really feel sorry for them.  I pray that God would open their eyes to see Jesus, his love, his mercy, his grace and his forgiveness.  I pray that they would believe in Jesus so they can see where they are going in life and how their life needs to be satisfied by God himself and that they need to be living for His glory and not their own.  Then I look at my own life and how I often choose to walk in the darkness. 

I know Jesus is leading me in one direction, but I will choose to walk in a different one.  So then I pray that God will pick me up and put me back on the path to follow Jesus.   May you and I follow Jesus today, the Light of the world, so that we can clearly see where we are going, and that we can clearly see God’s will for us today and how we might glorify Him in all that we say, do and think about.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

Intentional discipleship is surrendering to the Father's will and walking in Jesus' presence.

So how do we live the life of an intentional disciple?  How do we stay connected to Jesus when he is not bodily present with us like he was with his first disciples?  The answer is the spiritual discipline, or practices.  If you read last week’s post, it may seem like I am writing in circles, but I am trying to make a subtle but important distinction in the way we see view the disciplines.  A spiritual practice is anything that connects us to the vine, keeps us connected, or identifies and roots out obstacles to connectedness.

The practices themselves are not discipleship.  The practices do not change us.  What they do is connect us to the vine, ushering us into his presence.  They connect us to the source of transformation.  Reading Scripture is one such practice.  When we engage Scripture, we open ourselves up to experience transformation in our lives, but it is not the reading that transforms us, it is the connection to the vine that the reading promotes that brings transformation into our lives.

This gives us a different perspective of the disciplines.  We don’t do them because we should – though we should.  We don’t do them for transformation – though they lead to transformation.  We engage in spiritual practices because they connect us to the vine, and God uses that connection to transform us.  In other words, the disciplines cultivate the characteristics of connectedness and make us aware of and help root out characteristics that obstruct connectedness.

The transformation we experience in our connection to the vine is not an instantaneous experience.  It is an ongoing process.  This is why we hear people refer to the Christian life as a journey.  There is no magic pill or six easy steps to transformation.  It is only abiding in his presence that brings real, honest, and true transformation.  The point of intentional discipleship is not to act a certain way or follow a certain set of guidelines.  The point is to become the kind of people who act a certain way.  I don’t want to be someone who tries really hard to not sin.  I want to be the kind of person whose desires and inner direction keeps me off the dark path of sin.

Intentional discipleship is surrendering to the Father's will and walking in Jesus’ presence. 

My last post looked at Jesus the Rabbi and how a first century disciple sat at the master’s feet longing to take on his character.  In John 15:1-8 Jesus uses a vine and branches as a metaphor for what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

I am the true vine, my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown in the fire and burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Notice what Jesus is telling us to do.  We are to remain in him, stay close to him.  If we do that we will bear fruit, and if we are bearing fruit, we give glory to God and show ourselves to be his disciples.  The mark of a disciple is the bearing of fruit.  Bearing fruit comes only from abiding in Jesus.  Therefore, a disciple must abide in him.

We may not be able to physically follow Jesus like the Apostles, but we can abide in his transforming presence through the Holy Spirit.  This is the heart of intentional discipleship.  It is not trying really hard or even doing a specific practice or set of practices.  The heart of intentional discipleship is remaining constantly connected to the vine.  We will need to try hard, and we will certainly engage in spiritual practices.  But our effort and the spiritual practices we engage in are merely tools.  Intentional discipleship is the connection, the stem connecting us to the vine.  Let me say that again.

Doing spiritual practices is NOT the essence of intentional discipleship.  The essence of intentional discipleship is remaining deeply connected to Jesus.

Intentional discipleship is surrendering to the Father's will and walking in Jesus’ presence.

For a disciple, time in the teacher’s presence is vital, because it is in his presence that the disciple learns to do what the teacher does. You could compare the disciple to the modern day apprentice.  Some things are taught in an apprenticeship because they are best learned in the field alongside a master. We could learn about building a house or wiring a home in a classroom.  We could probably learn about these things by reading a book, attending a seminar, watching a video, or listening to a podcast, but none of these methods match the depth of learning experienced in an apprenticeship.

The apprentice learns directly from a master in the midst of real life as he watches the master in action.  The classroom is sanitary, but the real world is messy.  The apprentice has the opportunity to observe the master responding to the unexpected, the bumps, and the messiness of real life.

These same characteristics are present in the relationship of the rabbi and his disciples.  The rabbi’s disciple learns from him in the midst of everyday life, not the classroom.  He doesn’t tell his students how to live; he shows them.  He doesn’t teach about theoretical pain.  He teaches in the midst of pain.  He doesn’t teach about dealing with an imaginary enemy, he demonstrates it as he responds to an enemy.

There is a saying in the Mishnah that reads, “Let your home be a meeting-house for the sages, and cover yourself in the dust of their feet, and drink in their words thirstily.”  In the first century a rabbi might travel from town to town teaching in people’s homes.  The roads they walked were dry and dirty, so their feet had a tendency to get caked with dust.

This blessing encourages the reader to sit at the rabbi’s feet as he teaches, drinking in his words as if they were water to a dry and thirsty soul.  But what if we take the meaning a little further?  What if the dust on his feet is a metaphor for the long and many roads he has walked in his life.  What if the dust represents the experiences and lessons he has learned as he journeyed with God?  In other words, could the dust of the rabbi’s feet represent his life and his wisdom?  This is the essence of intentional discipleship, taking on the character of Jesus as we walk closely with him.

Intentional discipleship is surrendering to the will of the Father.

The first of AA’s twelve steps is to admit you are powerless to bring about change in your life, and the second step goes hand in hand with it, to believe there is a “higher power” who is able to facilitate the change you desire. These are also the first two steps in the life of a disciple.  We must be willing to admit that we are powerless to plant and cultivate the seeds of kingdom life in our own hearts, and we must submit to the only one who can.  By choosing to be a disciple, a student, we admit that we need to be taught.  Without this beginning in humility and surrender, the fullness of the abundant kingdom life will elude us. Humble submission to the creator of the universe is the foundation of intentional discipleship.

Surrender is a recurring theme in Jesus’ teaching. Over and over he teaches that clinging too tightly to our own ways will prevent us from experiencing the kingdom life.  He says, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Mt 6:24) He tells one rich man that his attachment to wealth is keeping him from the kingdom (Mark 10:17-22), and he turns away three would be followers in Luke 9:57-62 because they are unwilling to give their whole lives to be disciples.  Over and over Jesus confronts the divided loyalty of people, and over and over he says they cannot follow him without full devotion.

If we are going to enter the kingdom of God, we must be willing to leave our own kingdoms.  Land is a part of one state or another, one country or another.  There are no overlapping territories, and the same is true in the kingdom of God.  As long as I insist on living in my kingdom, I will not enter the kingdom of God.  There is an incredible home for each of us in the kingdom, but for some reason we keep paying rent on the dilapidated studio in our own kingdom.  As long as we do, the beautiful kingdom house is just a dream.

Even Jesus experienced surrender. In Philippians 2:6-11 Paul says that Jesus emptied himself and became a servant even to the point of dying one of the most horrible deaths imaginable.  Perhaps the most dramatic examples of his submission to the Father’s will comes in Luke 42:22.  For some time Jesus has known what awaited him in Jerusalem.  As he made his way down the dusty paths from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke often of his death, and I suspect it was constantly on his mind. Yet when the time came, he sat alone in a garden praying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  Moments before his arrest and hours before his death, even Jesus had to surrender his will to the will of his Father.

Surrender is not primarily a matter of obedience.  Obedience is a part of it, but I would rather look at obedience as the outcome rather than the starting point. We surrender to the will of the Father because of who he is.  He is God.  He is creator.  He is love.  Living a life of surrender means that we acknowledge that we are the created, and we cannot live the lives we were created to live under our own power.  We acknowledge that the one who can cultivate within us the life we so deeply desire is God.  We acknowledge that he is the creator of all things, that he loves us, and that he alone has the power to bring about our transformation.

A book you need to read and study to understand tomorrow. www.apocalyptictremors.com

I once posted a blog that looked at some of the troubling statistics that detailed just how little our faith seems to be impacting the way we live our lives?  The root cause of the unhinging of what we say we believe from how we live is a lack of intentional discipleship.  Because we haven’t figured this out we struggle to live up to Jesus’ expectations. If we would commit to a life of intentional discipleship there is no doubt in my mind that our actions would match what we say we believe.

Without intentional discipleship we may be able to grit our teeth and struggle our way into behavior that matches our teaching, but over time, our real hearts will begin to show through.  We can only try our way to changed practices for so long before we revert back to what is true inside.  If, however, we engage in intentional discipleship our inner lives begin to transform, and when our lives are transformed, we begin to live the lives we were created to live.  When we are transformed, the abundant kingdom life becomes an inner reality that influences everything we do and flows out like streams of living water.

We have said that a disciple is a student, a student of the master, but since we can’t follow Jesus in the same way the Apostles did, what does it look like for someone to follow Jesus today? What are the characteristics of a modern, intentional discipleship?

I’d like to suggest that intentional discipleship is surrendering to the Father’s will and walking in Jesus’ presence constantly.  This surrendering and walking brings us into the kingdom by cultivating within me the life I was created to live.  I become the person God created me to be by the transformation of my inner character into the image of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit.  I believe this understanding of discipleship encapsulates the key elements of following Jesus.  Over the next few weeks what do you say we spend some time unpacking this definition?

Our Mens Breakfast is currently studying the chronological life of Christ, which takes all four gospels and trys to put them on a time line so we study passages in the order the events supposedly happened. We are using serveral sources and strangely they all dont agree on the exact order of things.

We have reached Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, possibly the greatest sermon ever and certainly the most quoted. One concern I have as we embark on the study of this sermon is that many will have the tendancy to want to replace the law written on tablets of stone, with this set of "New Laws" for Christians. We are under Grace so it is going to be a interesting journey.

What are your thoughts is this a new tighter set of criteria for us to follow in order to maintain salvation or something else?

Phil Miglioratti recently stirred my reflective juices by asking for my perspective on how discipleship, prayer, and evangelism are related.

    It's a worthy question, especially for people who are so involved in any particular aspect of ministry that it becomes their primary, almost exclusive, frame of reference. Step by subtle step, all other forms of ministry become compartmentalized into separate (and perhaps secondary) roles. That's the "silo effect."

     Should discipleship, prayer, and evangelism be separate ministry silos? If so, what are the implications? If not, how would you describe their connection?

Here is my 3-paragraph perspective:

• Context. Discipleship, evangelism, and prayer are parts of a larger context: our relationship with God. True life revolves around Him -- not us. Human beings were created and designed to worship God; that is, to “honor Him in ways that He accepts.” We are most fulfilled and He is most honored when we live and function as designed—as true, vibrant worshipers of God.

• Lifestyle. We "worship" God -- i.e., we honor Him in ways that He accepts --  by loving Him, abiding in Him, and serving Him. Imagine those as 3 concentric circles with loving at the core, abiding next, and serving as the external circle. In general, the 3 circles represent a Christ-follower's heart, head, and hands. ~~~ A core process in producing this lifestyle is our constant cultivation and practice of Christlike character. ~~~ Examples of this concept in the Scriptures include 1 Cor 13, Jn 15, Rom 12, and the entire book of Ephesians. ~~~ Our lifestyle worship is the way we meet Christ’s challenge in Matthew 5:14-16.

• Connection. Discipleship includes much of what we mean by “abiding in” (or "walking with" in Ephesians) Him, such as our spiritual disciplines, Bible study, and obedience. Prayer is another way we “abide in” Him. Evangelism—with and without speaking evangelistic words—is part of our “serving.”

Your thoughts?

“When I seek the Lord my God, I will find Him if I seek Him with all my heart and with all my soul.” Deuteronomy 4:29 Does this sound like God is hiding?

Do you think God hides from us and then we have to go about seeking Him? I don’t think that God hides from us. I believe God is in plain sight and is always ready and willing to engage us on the deepest level. What blocks our view of God then?

The latter part of the verse gives us a clue. “…if I seek Him with all my heart and with all my soul.” We miss seeing God because we allow ourselves to get in the way. Our hearts and our souls can be so self-centered that we block out seeing God who is right in front of us. So our encouragement today is to examine our heart and soul, allow the grace of Christ to wash away any selfishness or impurity so we can have a clear view of God. He is there and He is totally excited to be with you, to help you, to rescue you, to give you whatever you need today to live for His glory. Christ is for you today.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark." (Michelangelo)

Not many of us will are claim to be leaders. Behind the name tags, the title on the name cards, or the qualifications that surround our names, is an ordinary person who is dependent on God. I was reflecting today on the state of leadership in the Church. One of my elders recently wrote me, saying that if I were to challenge church members by setting a high bar, it will scare them away.

Of course, that comment disturbed me. Are we preparing to tough it out to be spiritual champs, or are we preferring to take it easy and become spiritual wimps? Personally, I rather have one good and committed leader than 10 half-hearted and sleepy ones.  The reason why we have a lack of leaders is because many of us are not sure of our own identity. We have not been challenged enough to raise our own bar for personal growth and excellence. 

I read the introductory name tag of Paul:

"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior," (Titus 1:1-3)

In one short paragraph, Paul states his identity: 'Paul, a servant of God.' He declares his calling: 'an apostle of JEsus Christ.' He shares his purpose in life: 'for the faith of God's elect.' He uses his spiritual gift of exhortation: contending for 'the knowledge of the truth.' He is fixated on the reason for his calling: 'to godliness.' He reminds and anchors himself on God: 'a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life.' He reaffirms the goodness and nature of God, 'who does not lie.' He is passionate about being faithful to bring God's Word to life.

In contrast, far too many Christians are too laxed about their own identity. To the question 'Who are you?' they usually say:

• "I am a graduate of so-and-so University with a degree in _______"
• "I work at XYZ company for 15 years."
• " I serve in Church located at ABC place."
• ....
• ...

Not Paul. He boasts nothing about his legal credentials. He does not exhibit lists of ministry experience to show off. If he ever did, it would be to boast of God's strengths in his weaknesses in 2 Cor 12. Paul writes to his fellow believer, Titus, by first declaring his faith and identity as in Christ. His calling is in Christ. His passion, purpose, and programs are all made with glorifying God in Christ. As I think of Michelangelo's words about setting a high bar, and not to set a low bar for ourselves, I believe that as Christians, we are all called to be leaders. The difference is whether we are a good or a poor leader. All of us are leaders in some way, either at home, at work, or at other places. If that is the case, instead of waiting for a title, why not live out the title without the title?

This can be done by first setting a high bar for ourselves. Better still, let our desire for God, be the high bar, each time, and every time. Each time we set a high bar of desiring God, we are practicing leadership.

conrade

Fight for Joy

I love that phrase.  It is not original with me, it comes from my friend John Piper.  But I love it because it characterizes every day for me.  Each day I get up and face a day that has tremendous challenges.  Challenges to fight for a strong and healthy marriage, challenges to fight to raise godly kids, challenges to fight temptation and lust, challenges to fight disappointment, challenges to fight suffering, challenges to lead people to a greater understanding of God’s grace.  These challenges can seem overwhelming at times but that is why we have to fight.

I use three main weapons to fight for joy.  The first is God’s Word.  The Bible brings me the true truth about life, God, who I am and how I am supposed to live.  The Bible tells me the unbelievable story of God’s relentless pursuit of me and His unconditional grace He floods my life with everyday through Jesus.  Thanks to my old Young Life leader, Casey Dunn, I memorized Psalm 119:9,11 in high school and I still remember it today.

“How can a young man keep his way pure?...I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”  Hiding God’s Word in my heart enables me to fight for joy and to believe that the promises of God are far better than the promises of the world.

The second weapon I use to fight for joy is prayer.  I am terrible at prayer.  I can’t sit still for more than 35 seconds.  Prayer is hard work but it pays great dividends.  I try and pray throughout my day, attempting to constantly keep the Lord on my mind.  Asking the Holy Spirit to fight for me when I am tempted or frustrated or feeling down.  Sometimes I put these two weapons together and pray through a passage of Scripture.

The third weapon I fight for joy with is friendships.  I have a couple of guys that I can share absolutely anything with.  I can call them day or night, ask them for help, advice or prayer. They have always been there for me.  If I am feeling like a complete failure then I know I can call one of them to help me work through it.

So, my challenge to you is simple, grab your Bible, speak directly to God and make sure you have some buddies that will fight this battle with you.  The battle is of utmost importance, it has eternal consequences.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

This blog is first published at Yapdates here. 

conrade

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I am constantly intrigued by a weirdness in churches. Many people I have met are quick to tell me about the importance of discipleship. Pastors say it. Leaders trumpet it. Church members mention it from time to time. Unfortunately, more often than not, we are tempted to see discipleship as something that means more for OTHER people. We make ourselves an exception. Instead of offering up ourselves, we are happy to agree with one another that the 'Church ought to do it.' Some say that LEADERS ought to be doing it. Still some other people claim that because they are not trained to do discipleship, maybe some other organizations that specialize in discipleship can perhaps do it. The fact is this: We may talk a lot about discipleship. The sad thing is that many of us are without a clue of what discipleship is all about. In this reflection, I will identify three erroneous paradigms that do not reflect what true discipleship is about, followed by a suggestion for a HOO-paradigm with regards to discipleship. Discipleship begins not with others but ourselves.

A) Production Line Follow-Up Paradigm

Maybe discipleship is about follow-up after initial conversion. After an evangelistic outreach, discipleship can sometimes be seen as the second stage of Christian living. Some organizations behave like a production line. First, the outreach group shares the gospel. When there is a confession of faith, the new convert is then sent to the next group: Discipleship group. In this group, there will be articles, materials, and all kinds of Bible programs to help the newbie sink in roots to the faith. Once the course is completed, the convert is certified: "Discipled." The third stage is usually serving in some capacity in church. The fourth stage is serving in some kind of a leadership role, and so on. This follow-up paradigm is strong in the beginning, but fizzles out toward the end. This way of doing discipleship treats new converts like a raw ingredient, and the rest of us like machines cutting and sizing the dough up. This method is impersonal and turns people into projects.

This is definitely not the way to do discipleship. It can be a spark in the short-term, but the fire needs to come from the Holy Spirit and willing hearts.

B) As-Needed Paradigm

A busy society breeds busy people with busy lifestyles. Everything seems to be dictated by the clock. Whether it is the alarm clock to wake us up in the morning, or the beeping of our digital calendars to remind us of our next appointment, or the email sounds coming from our computers, we react on a need-to-know basis. Time is far too precious to linger in activities that do not fit into our busy schedules. One of the biggest alarm clocks for churches is a slowing growth rate. When members start to get bored, or contemplating going to other churches, leaders become anxious. Some fit in more programs to make the church 'relevant' for these restless individuals. The need has arrived, so the church throws in a few programs to tantalize and perhaps persuade the flagging congregation to stay. Give the church another chance.

Such a 'as-needed' paradigm is basically crisis-driven. You mean, when there is no crisis, we do not do discipleship? This model must be rejected too.

C) Just a Program

The third erroneous paradigms of discipleship in the church is to turn discipleship into a program. Just like a popular TV program that comes on during prime time, 'discipleship-programming' turns discipleship into a time slot in which 'real' discipleship is said to take place. It can be an hour of teaching before the church service. It can be a seminar in which a top-notch speaker or teacher from some famous organization gets invited into the church to transfer his discipleship knowledge to ravenous church members. Such transference of knowledge is expected to make disciples of all church members.

This way of discipling has its merits, for it provides the Church with some basic understanding of the elements of discipleship. It gives knowledge necessary for some affirmative action. It is good to have zeal but zeal without knowledge is not good. Unfortunately, if we treat discipleship just as a program, we will have unwittingly reduced the personal responsibility of discipleship into an impersonal measly program.


Clue: If you find that you are not being discipled enough simply because there are no programs in Church about discipleship, you've probably bought into this erroneous paradigm, that discipleship is just a program.

D) 'HOO' me? Yes You!

One of the most influential figures in discipleship is Johann Heinrich Arnold (1913-1982) who lives through the horror years of Nazi Germany during World War II. He is said to be one blessed with the privilege of being surrounded by disciples of Christ. In other words, his discipling process is not a program, a phased approach, or a crisis method. His discipleship happens in a very personal manner. It is in a community living of people dedicated to follow Jesus. He becomes a member of the community by basically living with them, emulating them, and to be changed by one another. According to Arnold, there are three elements of discipleship making. Firstly, one needs to live humbly like Christ. Secondly, one needs to be in a consistent stance of obedience, like Christ. Thirdly, one needs to be open to the Holy Spirit, like Christ.

I call it the HOO-paradigm.

• Humble living like Christ;
• Obedience to God like Christ;
• Openness to the Spirit, like Christ.

Instead of a Christian calling himself a disciple only on Sundays, HOO basically opens up the timeline to ALL seven days of the week. One can live humbly, obediently, and with open hearts at all times. There is no need for programs, for crises, or for production lines to do just that.

HUMILITY: In humility, Arnold says that:

"Discipleship demands that we drop everything, including everything we count as positive in ourselves." (Johann Heinrich Arnold, Disciple, Rifton, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2011, 19)

Indeed, when we are humble, we acknowledge that we by ourselves can do nothing. This reminds us about Jesus's teaching to abide in Him.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

We cannot be humble by ourselves. We need to constantly practice humility through interactions with God in prayer, and through patience and understanding in speaking the truth in love with one another. In humility, we personalize God through us.

OBEDIENCE: A disciple will also learn to obey God according to the Scriptures. Any program if organized by the church needs to be grounded in the Bible teachings. Obedience can only come about when we know 'what' to obey. Without an adequate grasp of the Word of God, how then can disciples obey? Psalms 119

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. " (Ps 119:9-11)

Obviously, how can one keep one's way pure when one does not know the Word? How can anyone obey without knowing what to obey? In obedience, we reach forward toward God with purpose.

OPENNESS: In order to live for God, Arnold recommends a regular Bible reading of at least 2-3 chapters per day. He says:

"The main thing for you should be to recognize the greatness of God and to live for him. Try to read the Bible –at least two or three chapters every day. This will open your eyes to the greatness of Jehovah, the Lord of Hosts. Then you will see how very small the search for personal happiness is." (7)

He adds that if we are open to God's work and shut our own self-will down, we will be ready to receive God's faith and love.  In other words, openness to God needs to come with a willingness to deny ourselves. Jesus reminds us:

"Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)

Discipleship is not a production line that hems people into spiritual products. It is a lifestyle of humility that frees people to live in Christ and in love. Discipleship is not a crisis-driven word that rescues people when the church or community is shrinking. It is a lifestyle of obedience to God, guided by the Word, to be sure and steadfast to the truth in love. Discipleship is also not a program to fit into people's busy schedule in life. Instead, it is an attitude of openness that fits our schedules into God's time table.

Remember. When you see the word discipleship, instead of saying, "Who? Me?" say HOO-Yes-Me. Practice humility in God. Practice obedience to the Word. Practice openness to the Spirit.

Let me close with one metaphor. Discipleship in a sense is like an archer, a bow and an arrow. God is the Archer. The Church is the bow. We are the arrows.

"Happy are they who know that discipleship springs from grace, and that grace simply means discipleship." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, New York, NY: Touchstone Press, 1995, 56)

conrade