Discipleship Network Forum

Lee and her husband are members of our church. But when her husband fell victim to Alzheimer's, they moved five hours away to a senior adult community that specialized in treating patients with the disease. On vacation with friends, two of us visited the couple this week.

It was good to see Lee.

It was good to see they were settled in a beautiful place.

It was good to know that Lee had help with her husband.

It was also heart-breaking to see her at this stage of life.

She is incredibly thin because she literally made herself sick taking care of him. She's living alone and struggling with the transition of leaving her home and her church that had been so important to her for her entire adult life. And, she is alone in her apartment, with her husband locked in the Alzheimer's unit.

But I saw a disciple who had continued in discipleship through it all. Lee spent 35 years at the church in the nursery, loving and rocking babies. When she became too weak to be able to pick them up, the babies were placed in her arms so she could rock and love them. She embodied the love of Christ.

Now living alone in her apartment, when she's not at meals or with her children or her new friends or visiting her husband, she sits studying an old leather Bible. The Bible seems to stay next to her on the sofa all the time. When I looked at the cover, I realized it was her husband's . . . his name was imprinted on the cover.

For me, that's a beautiful picture of love and discipleship. The Bible demonstrated her connection to the two people most important in her life, Christ and her husband. One is slowing disappearing from her as he forgets more and more; the Other will never disappear from her. In a dark time, Lee continues to rely on her "hope for things to come."

That's a disciple.

Often, our spiritual enemy capitalizes on people being disgruntled in the church. They may be upset about any number of things, but almost always, when someone begins causing conflict in the church, they are definitely disgruntled about something, although they seldom admit what they are truly upset about. Instead, they turn their anger on the church, and specifically on the pastor, usually making unfounded accusations. Our spiritual enemy can easily turn their disgruntled-ness into division and dissention in the body of Christ.

Please, be careful listening to people who are disgruntled and upset. You will never hear both sides of the story, and listening to people who are sowing division and dissention into the church is a matter of high spiritual battle. Please protect yourself from this. If you do listen, or if you are caught off guard and have this divisive talk forced on you, please be careful not to blindly accept anything a disgruntled person says without first talking to a pastor about it.

Prov 18:17 says “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

Phil 1:27 clearly spells out conduct that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. We are to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel. And if we understand the importance of Christ’s prayer in John 17, then we will understand the eternal significance of our unity. Jesus put so much importance on our unity that He said it would be a sign to the world for them to believe in Him.

Here are some additional scriptures that pertain to this subject;

1Cor 1:10 – I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

Rom 16:17-18 – I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Titus 3:10-11 - 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.

Prov 26:20-21 - 20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

Prov 6:16-19 - 16 There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

2 Timothy 2:23–26 (NLT) — 23 Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. 25 Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

1 Timothy 6:20–21 (NLT) — 20 . . . Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. 21 Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness . . .

Acts 20:29–30 (NLT) — 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.

Please protect yourself in this area. If you are hearing from those who are disgruntled over something, please call your pastor and talk openly and honestly about what you have heard.

Division and dissention that starts with gossip and slander brings destruction into the body of Christ. That’s all it does – nothing else. May we be strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy (Col 1:11).

From my heart,

Pastor Dave

The gospel of grace is central to all of life. Everything we do, say and think about will be impacted by the gospel. The gospel is simply the good news that God sent his son Jesus to save us from our sins. We were created to live in relationship with God but we chose to turn our backs on God and live life the way we wanted to live. This rebellion broke our relationship with God and left us to face the wages and consequences of our own sin, which is death. But God, who is rich in mercy and grace, did not leave us to ourselves. God sent Jesus to come and die, paying the penalty for our sins, past, present and future. Through faith in Jesus we can have a restored relationship with the God of the universe. This renewed relationship will last forever and cannot be broken.

The Bible says that we are “new creations” and that we who live might no longer live for ourselves but for him who died for us. God’s Spirit comes and makes his home in our hearts. The Holy Spirit will work in and through us to glorify God in all we do. Every day should be one in which we live in the gospel of grace. This grace infects us and causes all our interactions with others and with ourselves to glorify God. You will have people that irritate you, dislike you, disobey you, make fun of you and you will love them with the grace that God has given you. You will have financial stress, your computer will stop working, you will miss an appointment and you will work through these issues with the grace that God has given you. You will enjoy a date with your wife, you will accomplish something great at work, you will find joy in smelling the fresh spring air and you will thank God for his abundant grace in your life. The gospel of grace is central to all of life. It permeates our thoughts, our actions and our words. As we walk through today and the day after that and the day after that, let us never forget to bathe ourselves in God’s grace. May you be completely overwhelmed just by meditating on this infinite grace.

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through GRACE, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (II Thess.2:16-17)

All for Jesus,

Fletch

Is it better to live here on earth or is it better to be in heaven with Jesus?  To live here on earth means that we
experience pain, suffering, difficulty and sorrow.  We have to live in a wretched world full of
sin and misery.  Disease, sickness,depression, hatred and selfishness characterize our daily lives.  But in heaven none of this exists.  There is no sorrow, pain or sin.  Heaven is a holy place.  So is there really a question as to which is
better?  Of course we will be better offin heaven.  Then the question follows…why don’t we just go to heaven once we become a Christian and skip the pain and misery of living here on earth?

The answer comes from the Scriptures;

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²²
If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I
shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My
desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. ²⁴
But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. ²⁵
Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for
your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that in me you may have
ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

Paul says that it is better to be with Christ but
to remain here on earth means fruit labor. He says “it is necessary on your account.”  Don’t miss this.  For Paul, it is better to be in heaven with Christ.  But Paul is not looking at his
life according to what is best for him. Paul is looking at life from the perspective of what God thinks is
best.  God wants Paul here on the earth for the progress and joy of the Philippians. 
So Paul’s life here on earth has nothing to do with himself, at least not directly.  Paul’s life is to be lived
for others for the glory of God. 

The problem is that most of us go through life
living for ourselves.  So we live life exactly the opposite of how God wants us to live it.  We must understand the Biblical concept of not living life for ourselves but for God and for others.  Jesus makes this clear when He is asked what
is the first and greatest commandment in Matthew 22:34-40.  Jesus says that the greatest commandment is
to love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and the second is like
it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Neither commandment says that we should live for ourselves.  There should be no confusion.  Except that our sinful nature constantly and consistently puts ourselves at the heart and center of everything.

Somehow we have to lose sight of ourselves and get caught up in loving God and loving others. 
Joel Osteen has a bestseller called “Your Best Life Now”.  Where’s the focus? It’s on YOU.  I think a title of a more Biblical book would be called, “Life is not about you!”  It probably wouldn’t be a bestseller.  But
it would be glorifying to God, whereas Olsteen’s book is a stench to God.

So why should we even take care of ourselves?  Be healthy? Exercise? Stay emotionally and
mentally sharp?

What changes do I need to make in my life to shift
the core focus from myself onto loving God and others?

Psalm 8 sheds more light on these questions…

^ESV Psalm 8:1 TO THE
CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO THE GITTITH. A PSALM OF DAVID. O LORD, our Lord, how
majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the
heavens. ² Out of the mouth of babes and infants, you have
established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. ³
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place, ⁴ what is man that you are mindful of
him, and the son of man that you care for him? ⁵ Yet you have made
him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and
honor. ⁶ You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet, ⁷ all sheep and oxen, and
also the beasts of the field, ⁸ the birds of the heavens, and the
fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. ⁹ O
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This Psalm explains to us that God, whose glory is
above the heavens, made man a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned
him with glory and honor.  So we do have
significance.  My questions prior about
why are we left on earth were not to diminish the significance of man or his
dignity.  We cannot forget that we were
created in the image of God.  However, my
question is why are we left on earth? 
What is our meaning and purpose to be here?  Verse 6 tells us that God has given man
dominion over the works of his hands, He has put all things under man’s
feet.  So our purpose is to have dominion over the earth, what
God created for Himself and also for us to enjoy.  Maybe the question itself is self-centered
and self serving.  Because God’s answers
to why we are here still center on Him and His creation, not just on us.

Maybe some better questions should be, “Why did God
create man and what purpose does God have for man while he is alive?”  This Psalm begins and ends glorifying God not
man.  “O Lord, our Lord how majestic is
your name in all the earth!”  It is the
Lord’s name that is majestic, it is the Lord’s name that must be praised and
lifted up and worshiped.

Once again we are challenged that life is not
centered around us but around a God whose glory is above everything, it is
about His name being proclaimed, established and lifted up.  Man carries out the will of God here and in
heaven.  We do have a purpose here, we do
have significance here on earth but it centers around God, not us.  We will relentlessly pursue the  meaning to 
life, and most people do, trying to create meaning and significance that
revolve around man somehow.  The problem
is that this pursuit will never end until one finds that they are pursuing the
wrong thing, down the wrong road.  The
purpose and meaning to life are found in the Scriptures, not in the world we
live in.  It is found in the Creator, not
the creation.

All for Jesus,

Fletch

Have you noticed how many things have gone retro… clothes,
cars, furniture, appliances.  Vinyl
records are making a comeback.   I wish I
had kept my leisure suits because I am sure they will return soon! Maybe even
my bell bottom pants I wore in college.  Some
are nostalgic and want to return to the good ole days when church attendance
was up and life seemed much simpler.   This
retro thinking reminds me of how we sometimes view discipleship.

We go to all the new conferences, seminars and read the
latest books to get a grip on how to more effectively grow our churches and
make disciples.  Nothing wrong with that,
but everyone seems to be looking for the discipleship silver bullet; that one
easy step that will propel our church forward and solve all our problems.  Maybe, something from the past was lost.  We debate Sunday School versus small groups,
traditional music versus contemporary, deacons versus elders, using hymn books
versus projectors, and on and on. 

The truth is the Lord can bless any church He chooses to
bless regardless of their music or methods.  
1 Cor 3:6 says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.”  NASU 
“makes things grow” NIV “God gave the increase” KJV  “God gave the growth” HCSB

The single factor I’ve observed in churches that are growing
is the fact that they are committed to “make disciples.”  They constantly celebrate baptisms and spiritual
victories in the lives of their members and other lives that their members
touch.  They are not doing church but
being church.  The members have been
equipped, trained and released to do ministry. 
All feel called to make disciples and all are using their spiritual
gifts to make a difference in their churches and communities.  This is not rocket science.

My observation is that discipleship happens best in small
groups with someone who loves the Lord and loves people and is willing to spend
some time and energy helping these people grow in Christ.  Jesus modeled this with His disciples.  We cannot improve on His Message or His Model
for doing discipleship.

We need to retro back to the first century. 

I believe it was Will Rogers who said, “Nostalgia is not
what it used to be.”  I do wish I could
wear my bell bottoms again.

Keep the Son in your Eyes,

Mike James

Obey or Observe?  What’s the difference?  Us Christians sure like telling others to obey.  After all, we are commanded to in the Great Commission, aren’t we?

The New American Standard Bible  renders the Great Commission in this way:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Most of us are used to reading “obey all that I have commanded you;”  To me, at least, these two words have very different meanings and possibly different implications for how we implement the command.

It is interesting to note, that Strongs defines it in this way:

5083 tēréō (from tēros, “a guard”) – properly, maintain (preserve); (figuratively) spiritually guard (watch), keep intact.

It is also interesting to note that in Ephesians 6:1, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right,” where there is little, if any disagreement that obey there means obey in the normal sense of our understanding, is a completely different word.

Strongs defines that word 5219 hypakoúō – properly, to obey what is heard (literally, “under hearing”) & suggests attentively listening, i.e. fully compliant (responsive).

If the Great Commission is to be translated as observe instead of obey, does that change the way we implement it?  If so, how?

In either case, observe or obey, is teaching them how implied? What are your thoughts?

God is constantly gracious. He never stops thinking about you, he is constantly with us all the time, everywhere. I love the Zephaniah 3:17 passage;
"The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

I want to encourage you to examine your life for "evidence of grace". Because God's grace is always flooding our hearts then we should be able to see evidence of it in our lives. While God's grace through Jesus is infinite let me highlight three areas you can look for in your own life.

New Desires: As we grow in our relationship with Christ, he gives us new desires that well up inside of us. These desires were not a part of us before we became a Christian, but now they are undeniable. Do you have the desire to know God more intimately through reading His Word? The fact that you value God's Word and love to read, study and hear it is evidence of grace. Do you desire to commune with God deeper through prayer? You have seen God give you peace in excruciating circumstances, answer your prayers, and move you to take risks because you prayed. Prayer is evidence of God's grace. You also have a new desire to worship. Worship happens all day, every day and hopefully as you walk through your day you have a new desire to praise God for who he is and what he's doing. Maybe your music library has changed over the last few years to have more worship music to keep your mind focused on Christ. Maybe it's a lot easier to get up on Sunday mornings and head to church, looking forward to worshiping Him with your heart, soul, strength and mind. Again, a desire to worship is evidence of grace.

New Perspective: As you have experienced the deep forgiveness of God through the work of Jesus on the cross you want to pass it on to others. I really feel that God has changed my perspective on life and specifically relationships. We all have wonderful relationships and difficult ones. God has given us so much grace that we are filled to the brim and overflowing. The overflow should pour into those around us...family, friends, co-workers, even the waiter serving us lunch. God's grace gives us a new perspective on how we treat others, how we react to others, and how we love others unconditionally. A new perspective is evidence of grace.

Old Temptations: As we constantly grown in grace then we will also constantly be hounded by Satan. We all know that "he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour". Grace gives us a tremendous weapon to fight temptation, however we constantly have to be on our guard to fight and defend ourselves. God also roams around,
"For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him."
Fight temptation by believing that the promises of God are far better than the promises of the world.

Bathe in God's grace today, let it wash over your heart, your mind and your soul, and then shower someone else with it as well.

All for Jesus,
Brian Fletcher

fletch@springrunpc.org

Sometimes, a mom can do nothing but shake her head at what God is doing in the lives of her children. I'm shaking my head today as my daughter and son-in-law are in flight to Athens, Greece, to minister to refuges there for the next week.

You would understand my head shaking if you knew my daughter. She's an amazing young woman with a heart for ministry and missions. In fact, she'll be graduating in December with a Masters in Missiology from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and her husband is working on a Masters of Divinity with his sights on the Ph.D. program. During the past two years, she has been involved in a ministry to sex industry workers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans and then in the area of human trafficking there. She is also one of the shyest people I've ever known.

She's funny and smart and has a discernment about people that is far beyond her years. She also goes into anxiety attacks when put in an uncomfortable situation. She really reminds me of her mother (that would be me) when she  was younger.

Yet, God sees the heart and the ability. As God proved to Samuel when he chose the youngest brother David to replace Saul as king, He sees what others do not see within us, instead of the outward appearance of who we are.

When involved in missions, my daughter's shyness is gone, the discernment is in overdrive, and most of the anxiety is missing. If she follows in the path of her mom, the anxiety will eventually be gone as well.

Isn't it amazing how God can lead us to be more and do more than we can even picture for ourselves?

This week, would you pray from them and the team from New Orleans Baptist Seminary who are not only ministering to refugees, but our building relationships and developing long-term ministry opportunities in Greece? 

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

For years I have been hearing about the importance of "mentoring" in the congregation. I have even been to workshops on this topic - but I could never really get a handle on it. Then one of my Elders informed me of how much she learns by our one on one times. Once a week she would come by for prayer and we would spend 20 minutes to an hour in conversation about prayer, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, leadership - whatever was on her mind. It dawned on my one day that I was mentoring. And then I realized that mentoring was not a program, it was simply sharing and imparting to others what I had learned from the Lord.

In the Spring of 2009 I had an interesting encounter with the Lord. As I was praying in my office, I had a vision. Appearing in front of me was a document - and on that document was a questionaire. I wrote down all the questions that I was seeing and I distributed it to all the folks in the congregation (over 60). Forty seven questionaires were returned to me. The questionaire was about intercession, prayer and spiritual warfare. The results were very diverse but there were two things that EVERY questionaire had: everyone wanted to learn more about spiritual warfare and everyone wanted to learn to hear the voice of the Lord. Now what do I do with this ? The Lord told me in prayer - "write and teach". I wrote a booklet on spiritual warfare and I followed that up with an all day seminar. But what was fascinating was what happened next. To teach people how to hear the voice of the Lord, I didn't write a booklet and I didn't have a seminar. Instead, the Lord directed me to launch a "One-2-One Prayer" initiative. Those who were interested could have one on one time with me to learn how to pray and discern the voice of the Lord. Sixteen people signed up for this. It was based on their schedule and it personal mentoring time with their pastor. We launched it in January of 2011 and we ran it for 5 months. Almost all began having experiences of the Lord in prayer; one experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit and three were raised up to join me in engaging in spiritual warfare through intercessory prayer. This One-2-One Mentoring is begining to take on new life; some are asking for very specific things to be discussed next time. Since we focus on the Christian Year (Advent to Pentecost) I have decided to expand the mentoring season from November to the end of June. This is how I learned to let Jesus lead me in mentoring (feeding) my sheep. May you be encouraged by this.

I recently had a short but provocative twitter conversation with Ukumbwa Sauti, M.Ed.  who is a professor of cultural media studies, and is trained in Indigenous African Spiritual Technologies in the Dagara tradition.  The conversation centered on the perceived cultural imperialism of Christian Missions.  This is by no means a new concept, and the tendency towards being colonial in Missions still exists.  I would have to say the my North American brethren are far more prone to making little North Americans then Making Disciples of Jesus.  In  my work on the mission field in Ecuador, I have worked among the Shuara and Quichua Indians, and the Mestizos (the mixed indigenous).  I have also worked in the midst of countless sub-cultures in the Cloud Forest Region and beyond.  I have also worked among the Navajo people in the United States.  I can honestly say that I have never, in my desire to bring Christ to these people have sought to simultaneously change their culture.  One could argue that bringing Christ into a culture is to change its culture, and if that be the case, then I am guilty.  A question which should follow logically then, is, can we bring Christ to a people, a culture, without contaminating that culture?

    Yesterday I listened, as did anyone in a two block radius of the bank, to a customer's explosive rant proclaiming they wouldn't let him cash a check. On my way home from work, two cars log-jammed in the middle of a 4-way stop with both drivers gesturing their frustration while jabbing their horns. Whew! Rage in action!

     Why are people so angry? I wish I knew the answer. My best guess is that most of us think we deserve to be first. Our unalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness clouds our vision, exuding the "me-first" mentality.

     Jesus must be shaking his head in disgust at us who call ourselves Christians acting like we have "rights." The Bible teaches there are no "first-place" Christians. Remember Salome's request that her two sons, James and John, sit at the right and left of Jesus in the kingdom of God? Graciously Jesus replied this authority was not his to give, but only God's. Yet, note the reaction of the other disciples. "When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers" (Matthew 20:24). And rightfully so.

    Follow Jesus' response: "Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:26-28). If we follow Jesus' example, our rights lessen in our service to others. No more racing at 4-way stops!

What if the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19,20 , was the generative source for all Ministry in the New Testament?  What if every other ministerial function in Church found its genealogy in Going, Making Disciples, Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded?

See the rest of this post.

Over the last year or so I have been reading some books that have had a huge impact on my walk with Christ. They have caused me to rethink my commitment to Jesus, what it means to be a Christian, how to live out the Christian faith…what a life totally surrendered to Jesus might look like, and a host of other questions.

Some of these books have been: “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan; “Radical” by David Platt; “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman. Most recently I have just finished the novel, “Courageous” by Randy Alcorn.

This is based on the screenplay of the upcoming movie by the same name. As a pastor, I have been able to see an advance screening of the movie, and as great as the movie is, the book is even better, and has had an even bigger impact on my life than the movie.

All of these books, and the movie, have one theme in common…how can you stay the same after you have encountered Jesus. They may not seem as if they are addressing this issue, but at the core, that is exactly what they are saying.

How can you stay the same after you have encountered the “crazy love” of Jesus? How can you stay the same if you have come into a relationship with this “radical” Jesus? How could you ever be just a “fan” and not a totally committed follower of Jesus after you realize what He has done for you? And how could you not be changed into a “courageous” follower after you have been loved to the cross by this man, who is God in the flesh, Jesus?

Reading John chapter 8 today, these thoughts and more came to my mind, especially when I got down to verse 11.

In John chapter 8 a woman was caught in adultery and brought to Jesus. Now, the first thing that comes to my mind is where was the man? As my Dad used to tell me, “It takes two to tango.” Maybe the man was a Pharisee or a scribe and so they were protecting one of their own. Maybe this woman was a prostitute, so they were trying to get rid of an unwanted person in their society. Whatever the reason, they were one sided in their presentation of their religious beliefs.

Jesus would have none of that.

After he wrote something in the dirt…(ever wonder what He was writing? Maybe it was the name of the scribe or Pharisee that was with the woman)…He answered them with this in verse 7: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Well, that ended that. One by one they left. Until only the woman and Jesus remained. It was after this that He said these words to her in verse 11: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

If I had a nickel for every person who quoted the first part of that statement from Jesus to me, well, I’d be a rich man for sure. Everyone wants the "no condemnation" Jesus, but not to many are ready to embrace the same Jesus that says, "Go, and sin no more."

But it is the second part of the statement that is essential and vital to this dialogue.

“Go and sin no more.”

In essence He was saying, “Go, and leave your old life behind. Go, and walk in a different direction than what you were heading. Go, and follow Me.”

And how could she not do so? After being forgiven by Jesus, how could her life not be changed? How could she continue in the life she once had? After this day, after this encounter, after being saved by Jesus, how could she not now live for Him?

And yet, many professing believers in Jesus seem to do just that.

Far too often, I have found myself doing just that.

No more.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not saying that I can be sinless…but I am saying that I can sin less. I am saying that I can follower Jesus closer. I am saying that I can love Him more.

And after all, isn’t that what it is all about.

Having this crazy love, this radical love, this courageous love, this love that causes me to be a follower and not a fan, of the one who gave His life for me…Jesus.

Will you join me?

Let’s go.

Pastor Dave

I am speaking tomorrow at a chapel service in a senior adult community in Atlanta. I get to do that three or four times a year. 

I love doing it and I never turn down the opportunity. The seniors there are so sweet. Several I know from our church and others I've gotten to know over the months when I can be there. Some show up in walkers or wheelchairs; others are brought with their caretakers; still others come in slowly under their own, if diminishing, steam. What always amazes me is that they continue to come––consistently, week by week, to participate in this chapel service.

As much as I love the opportunity, I also struggle to know what to say. I've realized over the past months that what these seniors want, more than anything else, is to hear a word of hope! As I've thought about their need and prayed for guidance, God reminded me of a Bible study I led recently about God's call upon Ezekiel to speak His message to His people (Eze. 2-3). The message God gave Ezekiel wasn't that hopeful on the short-term: He commanded Ezekiel to share with the people of Judah that their disobedience was going to bring them God's judgment and punishment. On the surface, that's not really a hopeful word! 

But to that instruction, God provided His servant Ezekiel with the following information:

First, God described those Ezekiel would face as "briers" and "thorns" and "scorpions." I can't imagine Ezekiel being thrilled with the opportunity. Yet, even though the people wouldn't be receptive to His message, God reminded Ezekiel that he only had to obediently repeat the message to them (Eze. 2:6-7).

Second, God showed Ezekiel a scroll that was written on both sides (Eze. 2:9-10). If you've ever seen a scroll in person, you know it's constantly unrolled and rolled to reveal God's scripture. It's impossible to read both sides. Some scholars believe the two-sided scroll symbolized the completeness of God's word, while others suggest that the scroll showed Ezekiel that there was only room in his ministry for God's words, not his own.

Third, God commanded Ezekiel to eat the scroll, the entire scroll, before he went to speak God's message (Eze. 3:1-4). God's instructions were for Ezekiel to consume the scroll, to take God's word internally so that it became a part of his being, to absorb the word completely.

God's message, to me, was clear. Obediently teach His word and keep myself out of His way!

Many of our senior adults are struggling with loneliness, with financial difficulties, with memory loss, with distant children . . . the list goes on and on. One senior adult who was a part of my weekly Bible study struggled with knowing what would happen when he died and went to be with Jesus. He said he was sure of where he was going, but wished he understood what would happen there. His need to know became clear as he struggled with a second round with cancer and passed away a few months later.

Our senior adults desire and need a word of hope that comes from God. I'm going to be speaking tomorrow about Daniel at the age of 80, when he continued to faithfully worship His God. It's a word of hope.

What passages would you or have you used to bring hope to our senior adults? Please share the words that God has pointed out to you and pray for our senior adults that they may cling to God's grace and hope during these years.

Margie Williamson

Community Manager

In the midst of chaos, let there be light!

Is there any lesson in Scripture about a great economic crisis that afflicted the known world in biblical times? Yes there is. And the LORD has several lessons for us. There is no problem that man has experienced that has not been known before. GOD always provides a solution but it is up to man to implement it.

Let me remind you of the story of Joseph (Genesis chapters 37,39-45) who was sold as a slave by his own brothers to Ismaelite traders, who in turn sold Joseph to Potiphar, head of Pharaoh's bodyguards in Egypt. But let's fast forward when Joseph, as a slave and prisoner, was already 30 years old.

Pharaoh had two terrible dreams that put him in deep depression and none of all his magicians or wise men could interpret his dreams. Suddenly, the cupbearer remembered Joseph in prison and told Pharaoh about how the young Hebrew interpreted his dream accurately. Joseph was removed from prison hurriedly and presented before Pharaoh. Joseph glorified YHWH by referring to Him as the revealer of dreams. As Pharaoh recounted his dreams, Joseph interpreted them as one dream.

The gist of the two dreams were that Egypt was going to experience seven years of abundant harvest and afterwards, seven years of famine. The famine would be so severe that the seven years of abundance would be forgotten. Joseph even gave Pharaoh a proposal that would solve the impending disaster and ensure the food security of Egypt. As GOD purposed it, Pharaoh appointed Joseph as ruler of all Egypt second only to him, to administer the whole land and implement his proposal.

What does this mean to us today? A major economic crisis is not new. In fact, there have been a lot of major economic crisis all throughout history. And you know what? Many of them were caused by over-spending by governments to finance war. Does that sound familiar? Kublai Khan left the gold standard and printed paper money. Rome did the same thing and both their empires went down. They had the same problem. They spent more than they were earning. It is said that the family is a microcosm of the whole society. If a family spends more than it is earning, it's obviously going to get into a lot of trouble. This may sound simplistic to many but you just try doing this yourself and you'll soon find out when the creditors run after you.

Today, we have a famine of good godly leadership. Many are very much like Pharaoh. They are deeply disturbed and depressed, mostly because they don't know what to do. Some would like to bury their head in the sand like an ostrich. Some wished they were on a long vacation; but I know of someone whose actually going on a vacation in the midst of a major crisis! Some also wished they had men around them who know what they are doing - men who know the market and are wise.

Have you heard what some of these leaders are saying? Some espouse the idea that the only way to get out of a deficit is not to cut the deficit but to spend more. Just print more money. That is how to pay your debt. If you and I would do that, we would immediately be arrested for counterfeiting. Some say the government needs to bail out the major corporations, especially the banks in distress because they're too big to fail. Really? You and I should go into banking because it's very lucrative. You get to charge customers for 'investing' in imaginary negotiable instruments. You get to monetize debts even if its not worth anything because you're the third in the collection line on the mortgage. Unfortunately, you and I are not in that league. We're simply not connected to any of these fat cats. This has been going on since the beginning of time. Only the powerful and the rich has a say in the destiny of the nation; even in the leading democracy in the world.

The question is, does the rich and powerful know the solution to the world crisis? Only the future will tell. We will know because if the solution is real, then we would all have better lives. But if only the rich will benefit, then we know, we've been had!

What would Joseph do if he was here today?

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   1. Get rid of all the frills. Let's get down to brass tacks. I have no doubt, Joseph would have been shocked and speechless after looking at the balance sheet of the US of A, EU Countries, Japan, China, etc. No one should spend what he does not have. No one should promise what he can't deliver. No one should print fiat money when he knows that he does not have the funds to back it up. This is actually fraud – simply a Ponzi scheme! Debt did not happen overnight so the solution is not overnight but will take time through decisive action. When Joseph assumed leadership, he did not make a speech but he went out among the people in each city and began to implement GOD's plan (Gen 41:46-49). People won't care what you say until they see it put into action. Joseph was a hands on person and saw to it that all the plans that GOD gave him was implemented.

2. This is not about the survival of only a few, but the survival of a nation. The solution should not be tailored for only a few (like bailing out major banks) but ensuring that opportunity is given to all citizens to develop and improve their lot. In every country, the citizens would rather have dignity by working in a job they can be proud of. In Joseph's time, they gave seed to the people (Gen 47:23). A seed is a foundation by which something may grow and bear fruit. Hand outs have been proven to fail because it does not incentivize people to work more but only make them feel useless and unable to provide for their family.

3. The priority is food security. And I mean real food – whole raw food. A citizenry that is malnourished is weak and in the long run, will mean more expenses in health upkeep for the government. There are many kinds of foods that can be eaten but only food that is truly nutritious and unprocessed will give good health and help in the proper function of our bodies.

4. Implement taxation. Yes, Joseph espoused the implementation of taxes because the people were consuming everything, even the seeds, and selling their livestock. The people did not know how to manage their lives. Without livestock, how could they till their land? Without seed, what will they plant? Joseph imposed a twenty percent tax on all the produce of the land. He gathered the twenty percent tax proceeds in each city and stored it in granaries there for the duration of the seven years of abundance. Joseph sold the same produce to all Egyptians and other buyers at a fair price. When the people used up all their resources, Joseph bought all of them and provided seed for planting. The agreement was, the people were to give twenty percent of their produce to Pharaoh and retain eighty percent for themselves as food and seed for planting. Joseph knew that he must give people 'seed' so they can invest in their future. Food security was the goal, not just for Pharaoh, but for all Egypt. They did not think of conquering other nations weaker than them but even sold them food also. Pharaoh became rich during the tenure of Joseph because GOD was with him. It was a benevolent reign. What lessons for government does this story teach us?

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               nations with their gold and silver and other commercial goods. Joseph knew that trading would

               strengthen their alliance with other nations and not only enrich Egypt but also enrich their

               partners. A relationship is strengthened when a symbiotic interchange is established to

               the benefit of both parties to their mutual satisfaction. Greed is definitely not good.

               Fifthly, instead of taking advantage of other nations, Joseph would rather trade with other

            Firstly, the people should have a part in building their nation. The citizens contribute in the

            prosperity of their nation through obedience to the law and financial contribution.

            Secondly, taxation should never be too much of a burden for the citizens to bear. Only do unto

            others what you would have them do unto you. Joseph, through benevolent rule, allowed the

            people to recover economically.

            Thirdly, it is not the government's job to micro-manage each family but every family is expected

            to take care of themselves from the proceeds of whatever earnings they have. The livelihood,

            health and psychological needs of the family falls on the shoulders of the family themselves, not

            the state. There is a great difference between those who cannot work and those who refuse to

            work. Those who can work but refuse to work, do not eat.

            Fourthly, government leaders should have both a short term plan and a long term plan. These

            plans are action plans that are easy to understand and which subordinates can easily implement.

            The government provides direction and guidance and executes sound plans for the food security,

            dispensing justice, maintaining order and protection of the people. They leave business to the

            businessmen because they are experts at it. They leave fighting to the military but in this case,

            Pharaoh is a warrior and he leads the army in war. Planning is bringing tomorrow to the present

            so we can understand and do what is necessary to ensure prosperity now and in the future.

Sixth, the medium of exchange is denominated in gold, silver or barter with products that have a

definite value, not 'fiat' money. The value of gold and silver are according to weigh and products

are exchanged with other products, the value of which are agreed upon, depending on the

demand and supply. This may sound archaic to us but it prevented individuals and nations from

over-spending. If you don't have any more resources, then you are bankrupt! The world prides

itself with being civilized and yet every other nation commits fraud in one way or another by

printing paper money without real resources backing it up. I think this is the very reason why the

IMF now demands nations who pay their debts to them in gold.

What leadership lessons could we gather from this story?

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   1. Leadership is nothing without divine revelation. In the world, leaders pride themselves for

      possessing vision but as elaborate and colorful they may be, they are just the tarnished dreams of a

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            architect of order. So if you want expert guidance, be like Joseph. Get close to GOD and let Him

            teach you Himself because He will, if you ask. Have you ever wondered how Joseph was able to

            preserve the grain in different cities for more than seven years? Could the present technology even

            preserve grain for more than two years? Who do you think gave Joseph the technology so that

            even after seven years, their grain were just as fresh as the day of harvest?

            proud man. The truth is, GOD is the original designer and He is the origin of creativity and the

2. Leaders know how to follow. Joseph's life was characterized by obedience to YHWH. He

   treasured his relationship with his GOD; and as a result, he obeyed those who were above him,

   even if they were pagans. One cannot be a leader who does not know how to follow first. Nobody

   is born a leader. A person becomes a leader through a process of life-tests in humility, very much

   like what Joseph had. Unfortunately, the world abhors this kind of testing but even the world

   hates a coward. Joseph was unjustly enslaved and put in prison for 17 years before GOD

   promoted him but he took all the pain and triumph.

3. Real leaders are always willing to make the difficult decisions that are right. The true leader

   always knows that there is only one way – the right way according to GOD. An alternative way

   may sound more attractive and full of promise but it only ends in disaster and sure failure.

4. Real leaders are planners and they know how to implement their blueprint into concrete action.

   He takes the lead through good example. They just don't make speeches but they get their hands

   dirty.

5. Real leaders inspire people to do their best. They don't drive people, they motivate and provide

   them with a picture of a finished product. Joseph gave the people seed for planting and food for

   their little ones. He inspired them to plant even in the midst of a famine, so their family will live.

   He didn't strangle them with the debt they owe Pharaoh but only required twenty percent share so

   they have a chance to recover. Joseph knew that the whip does not produce willing and motivated

   workers but slaves. Although the people sold themselves to Pharaoh, Joseph did not treat them as

   slaves.

6. Real leaders see the ultimate goal – destiny with YHWH. He told his brothers, “..it was GOD who

   sent me ahead of you to preserve life. GOD sent me ahead of you to ensure that you will have

   descendants on earth and to save your lives in a great deliverance. So it was not you who sent me

   here, but GOD; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his household and ruler over

   the whole land of Egypt” (Gen 45:5, 7,8).

I leave you with the words of the Psalmist...

Unless ADONAI builds the house,

its builders work in vain.

Unless ADONAI guards the city,

the guard keeps watch in vain.

In vain do you get up early

and put off going to bed,

working hard to earn a living;

for He provides for His beloved

even when they sleep.

• Psalm 127:1,2

   

  
  ἀγγελος

  “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son. God had told him, "Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,"and he reasoned that God could even raise him from the dead...” (Heb 11:17-19)

Some people would ask, “How great is your faith?” But the question should be, “How great is your GOD?” At the time of Abraham, nobody has ever heard of anyone being raised from the dead, or any of the gods of the nations raising up the dead. The idea of a resurrection has not even entered their minds. But to Abraham, nothing was impossible for YHWH! After all, if YHWH caused all things to be, why would it be impossible for Him to bring the dead back to life? Abraham has heard YHWH promised him that through Isaac he shall bear many nations after him and he believed GOD (Gen 15:6; 17:16). This is the first time in Scripture that a man 'believed' GOD. Abraham believed GOD so much he was committed to that trust even beyond what he could see or even imagined.

We are talking here of boundaries. In the natural world, we are limited by our senses and by what we have experienced. Scientists propose theories and perform experiments to empirically prove their theories but they are limited to what their hands can handle, what their eyes can witness and what their other senses can experience with all the machines at their disposal. Man is limited by the three dimensions he lives in. However, when a man believes YHWH and His Word, the SPIRIT breathes into him life that breaks the physical boundary and transports him to a new level, a new dimension – eternity with YHWH.

In the spiritual realm, the usual boundaries do not apply. The man who is born from above learns a new language – a language of the spirit that connects him directly with the Almighty. His mind is constantly being transformed into the mindset of YESHUA. Like his FATHER, he becomes more and more creative and wiser as he walks in the SPIRIT. He is taught of GOD and the Torah is imbeded in his heart. He speaks and prophesies with the Word of GOD. He walks the talk.

The natural laws only has meaning to him as a pilgrim in this world but in no way bars him from transcending it. Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land. Moses called on fire to rain on Egypt; frogs to flood Egypt; turned the Nile into blood and many more miracles. Joshua prayed that the sun would stand still and it did for almost 24 hours until they conquered the Amorites at Gibeon. YESHUA walked on water (Mk 6:48-50). Shadrach, Mishach and Abednego were not burned in a fiery inferno (Dan 3:19-27). Lions could not eat Daniel! (Dan 6:22) Joseph interpreted dreams and so did Daniel. A jail could not hold Peter (Acts 12:6-12). Shackles could not hold Paul and Silas (Acts 16:26-29). The Romans tried to boil St. John but they could not harm him so they exiled him instead at the island of Patmos where he wrote the Revelation of YESHUA. They simply could not stop him from fulfilling GOD's purpose in his life. Today, the SPIRIT of GOD is still working with the same resurrection power that He used to raise the LORD YESHUA from the dead on all who would perform exploits for the glory of the FATHER.

If you are led by the HOLY SPIRIT then you are a son of GOD (Rom 8:14) and nothing is impossible for those who believe, as Abraham believed in the GOD who makes all things possible, who believe in things that are not as if they were. It is not a question of how great is your faith, for you only need a mustard seed size faith to move mountains. It is not about you or I. It is all about GOD, and we do things for His glory.

ἀγγελος

"HUT, TWO. THREE, FOUR..."

The Apostle Peter uses this same imagery of building in his explanation of the church body. In discussing the theological foundation of the church, he stated, “Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” ( 1 Peter 2:4-5, HCSB) This theological statement is referred to as the “priesthood of believers,” which means that Christians have access to God through Jesus Christ. On three occasions in the Bible (Revelation 1:6, 5:10, and 1 Peter 2:5,9), the word priest is used “for Christians who have been set apart by God for service to God.” (William Mounce, Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words) The phrase “priesthood of believers” means that Christians have a duty and a responsibility. Believers are a volunteer army that has been deployed for duty.

Question for Today: Why do some people choose to come to church, occupy a seat, and refuse to serve? I would love to get your comments.

Check out my site at www.SpiritLedConnecting.com. 

Objects that are misplaced can create a frustrating situation. I should know. My Mom was not kidding when she said, "You'd loose your head if it were not attached." However, in the church, people that are misplaced constitute a tragedy. Every believer has the greatest power force in the world and has been gifted for a ministry that will be life-changing for all who are involved. Yet, a careless (or prayerless) decision by a church leader can limit (at best) the potential for a Christian to grow and experience the joy of ministry service. This is like the All Star football quarterback being assigned midseason to the duties of simply holding the ball for the kicker. You would empathize with his frustration.

When believers are haphazardly placed in church ministry, leaders are not following the lead of the Holy Spirit. When a leader chooses not to connect with a believer, but randomly asks the person to serve in a position, a recipe for disaster could be waiting. The effects of this laziness will go beyond the believer who has been misplaced. The church body will suffer, too. A local church that implores this method long enough will likely regress, stunting the spiritual growth of the believers therein.

I am absolutely convinced that God has provide for us a better way. This is too important to neglect. God's Word gives us guidance on leading His people and equipping them to serve Him with joy and effectiveness. Every believer in our churches should have the opportunity to be a part of a vital ministry and experience the exhilaration of seeing the lives of others changed by the hand of God. God often uses leaders to facilitate this connection. It is a part of our calling!

In the next post, I will begin to explore the biblical basis for volunteer ministry. 

You can also visit www.SpiritLedConnecting.com for more insight.

What is the value of a brother or sister, mom or dad? What is the value of a faithful friend? Our society has a habit of placing value on that which is self-serving (cars, phones, houses, etc.) and downplaying relationships. Last night I was challenged with a thought, "How much value does our church leadership place on volunteers?" The measuring stick for this proposition is found in our attitude toward those we work with directly in ministry.

Allen Newell, author of a training ministry called "High Impact Volunteers," suggests that too many church leaders see volunteers as second class ministers. We either look at others as "spectators" of our show or assistants that should serve us and help us reach our goals. Newell even coins a term, "the priesthood of SOME believers."

This is a dangerous mentality for church leadership. First, it devalues the work of God within a believer. Second, it exalts oneself at the expense of others (people don't typically like being "used" for someone else's glory). Third, this method fails to make disciples. For a brief time, it may produce some workers, but people are less likely to excel when they fail to see the positive results of their labor.

Newell is right when he uses the word "partnerships" as a description of the relationship between  believers. The work of God's Kingdom is assigned to all who have trusted in Jesus for salvation. Each has a part to play. We are called to serve one another, not to enlist people to serve us.

Give me your thoughts and be sure to check out www.SpiritLedConnecting.com.