Tuesday, November 30, 2010

November 30, 2010

"And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:26-35
A teen-age virgin was to become the mother of the Messiah!
What a strange and amazing way to save the world! Who would have thought of such a plan?
Only God! And only God could pull it off! It is ingenious and it is supernatural.
No man could have dreamed this up! Humanism wants us to believe that men are intrinsically good. If they can be provided with the right education and right environment they can grow and develop into god-like beings living in a man-made utopia. The Tower of Babel is the symbol of their vanity. That was their idea of saving the world.
God knows better. He was in the Garden when Adam and Eve disobeyed and lost their true utopia. Their sin activation a sinful will within the human nature. Your battle with sin originates with the original sin. You and I sin because we are sinners. It is our nature. And it is what alienates us from a relationship with a Holy God. One of the most heart-breaking stories in the Bible is when God came looking for Adam and Eve but found them hiding because of their shame. No longer could they walk with Him. No longer could they dwell in a perfect place.
Being created to be in fellowship with Him, He is the Source of spiritual life. He is the Source of all truth. He is the only hope for moral restoration and transformation. God would not stand for His Creatures being separated from Him. But He had a problem. Actually, we had the problem and only He could come up with the solution. How could a Holy God restore fellowship with a sinful and rebellious race? It was impossible for Him to become "unholy" and equally impossible for man to become "unsinful". How could this gap be bridged? Was their an answer for this spiritual and moral dilemma?
Jesus became the Bridge! Christmas became the solution. Young Mary became the vessel. The Angel's announcement revealed the genious of God's plan. God would send His Own Son, born of a human but conceived by the Holy Spirit! He would be born without the sin nature by virtue of His immaculate conception, but He would also human! Because He was born without sin and if He would live a sinless life through the power of the same Holy Spirit that concieved Him, He could become the sarifical Lamb Who could die for our sins! He was and He did!
What a strangely amazing way to save the world! It was first revealed to a young teen girl named Mary. And strange as it was, she embraced it and executed it.
The miracle of Christmas is the virgin birth of Jesus! The motive of Christmas is the incredible love of a Holy God for a fallen world! The message of Christmas is that salvation is come!
No greater gift has ever been given! No more brilliant plan has ever been formulated! But a gift must be received and a plan must be believed if it is to mean something.
Will you believe it? Will you receive it?

Monday, November 29, 2010

November 29, 2010

"And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:1-7
Heading into this 2010 Christmas Season one of the big national concerns is what will happen with the income tax rates. The current tax cut bill that was passed under President Bush is due to expire at the end of the year and that will cause a significant increase in tax bills that will be sent to the American people. Will Congress act on this before the Christmas recess or not?
In a time of economic recession it doesn't seem like a good idea to impose a greater burden on already stressed American households. Taxes have always been a big issue with Americans because it takes their hard earned money and puts it in the hands of the government which becomes makes people a little less powerful and government more powerful. Over human history that scenario has never ended well.
Why do I mention this?
Because as I was reading over the Christmas story from Luke 2, I was reminded that Christmas happened because of a tax increase! Yes, that's right, God used a tax increase to accomplish His purpose and fulfill the prophecy of Micah. Christmas was the original tax break!
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel" Micah 5:2
Among the many wonders of the Christmas Story perhaps this is the most incredible! Something wonderful resulted from a tax increase! God certainly does work in mysterious ways! He can use the greed of a goverment to accomplish the goodness of His grace! He orchestrated events to bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the city of David, the "house of bread" to be born to become the Savior of the world!
I guess that is one aspect of the joy of Christmas isn't it? God is greater than any power on earth! His love is greater than our greed and our sin. His will is more powerful than all the schemes of all the rulers and governments of all the ages on earth!
So, as we head into this Christmas Season, what is taxing you? What is robbing you of your power and your freedom? What is oppressing your spirit? Will you see those things as God hand at work in your life? Will you understand that God is using the events of your life to bring Jesus to you? Will you allow Him to be born anew in your spirit? Will you invite God's powerful love to invade your life?
That is true tax relief!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

November 28, 2010

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26
“GETTING INTO SHIP SHAPE”

“Stewardship Is Discipleship” Luke 9:23-26

“Salvation is free, ... but discipleship will cost you your life.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Eugene Peterson, in his book by the same name called discipleship, “A long obedience in the same direction.”

From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart, yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison--and finally their casket. The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For a while at least, that old shell must look pretty good. We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells--a structure, a framework--we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when he bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow, and leave our "shells" behind.

I. Discipleship Is Choosing Relationship Over Religion, “Whoever wants to be my disciple…..”

a. Knowing Him vs. Knowing About Him – Psalms 103:7
b. Enjoying Him vs. Earning Him – “Want to” vs. “Ought to”
c. Walking With Him vs. Working For Him – Love not labor
d. Surrendering To Him vs. Satisfying Him – Faith Not Phonyness
e. Being Righteous vs. Being Religious – TRANSformed not Reformed

(Father Mulcahy)

What’s the difference? How can I tell when I am in relationship with God?

THERE IS JOY! THERE IS FREEDOM! THERE IS ENERGY

II. Discipleship Is Choosing Responsibility Over Rights, “must deny themselves…….”

Our Seven Membership Commitments:

1. Give Up Your Rights
2. Cheer Up You Brothers
3. Pick Up Your Ministry
4. Back Up Your Pastor
5. Pay Up Your Tithe
6. Show Up To Church
7. Listen Up To God

Why do we do this? Why do we make these demands of our new members?

Because we want to produce disciples!

III. Discipleship Is Choosing to Risk Your Reputation, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words….”

We fear looking foolish by making a radical stand for Christ……….

We fear what people will think about us if we take a radical stand for Him……

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA -- A human rights group has expressed concern about reports of wide spread persecution of Christians in rural Ethiopia where at least one evangelist has been killed "for refusing" to abandon his Christian faith, BosNewsLife monitored Thursday, September 22.

Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which has close contacts in the region, said it has learned that 34-year old Estifanos Abate, an evangelist of the Assemblies of God church in the town of Jijiga "was shot and killed July 19 for refusing to deny his faith in Christ."

In a statement to BosNewsLife News Center, VOMC said news of the killing had been slow to emerge as "communication is difficult and reports of their courage often take several weeks to reach the outside world."

The incident allegedly happened when the evangelist was traveling from Degahabour to Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia where his passenger bus was stopped by Islamic militants. "The militants boarded the bus, demanding to know the religion of each traveler. Of the 45 passengers, five were Orthodox and four were evangelical Christians. The gunmen ordered these nine [Christians] to be separated from the Muslim passengers," VOMC claimed, citing sources in the area."The Christians were then ordered to repeat the Islamic creed and to bow three times toward Mecca. Everyone but Estifanos complied with the order and was allowed back on the bus. The gunmen threatened Estifanos, who calmly began to tell his attackers about Jesus, while his fellow travelers begged him to save his life by obeying their demands," VOMC said.

"The Muslim leader then ordered the bus to continue on its way, without Estifanos. As the bus pulled away, Estifanos was executed," VOMC added. It quoted eyewitnesses as saying that "his body was left on the side of the road for most of the day, presumably as a warning to others."

“Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” - Dietrich Bonhoffer "The Cost of Discipleship"

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes. And when He comes to get His own, He will have to problem recognizing me. My colors will be clear!
Three Commitments:

1) Dying for Christ Is Better Than Living Without Him
2) Dying to Christ Gives Boldness For Living For Him
3) Living In Christ Gives Boldness To Die For Him


I PREACH ON STEWARDSHIP EVERY YEAR BUT THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST TIME I PREACHED ON STEWARDSHIP WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT MONEY.

STEWARDSHIP IS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN MONEY!

STEWARDSHIP IS ABOUT LORDSHIP!

STEWARDSHIP IS ABOUT MANAGING YOUR HEAD, HEART, HANDS, AND HABITS SO THAT:

WORSHIP IS REAL!
FELLOWSHIP IS RICH!
DISCIPLESHIP IS RADICAL!



How is your discipleship?

RELATIONSHIP? RELIGION?


RESPONSIBILITIES? RIGHTS?

REPUTATION?

November 27, 2010

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:24-26
A disciple is one who is melding his life into Christ's. Or, more accurately, He is allowing Christ to live His life through him. You never know where that will lead. Consider this account that I discovered this week:
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA -- A human rights group has expressed concern about reports of wide spread persecution of Christians in rural Ethiopia where at least one evangelist has been killed "for refusing" to abandon his Christian faith, BosNewsLife monitored Thursday, September 22.


Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which has close contacts in the region, said it has learned that 34-year old Estifanos Abate, an evangelist of the Assemblies of God church in the town of Jijiga "was shot and killed July 19 for refusing to deny his faith in Christ."

In a statement to BosNewsLife News Center, VOMC said news of the killing had been slow to emerge as "communication is difficult and reports of their courage often take several weeks to reach the outside world."

The incident allegedly happened when the evangelist was traveling from Degahabour to Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia where his passenger bus was stopped by Islamic militants. "The militants boarded the bus, demanding to know the religion of each traveler. Of the 45 passengers, five were Orthodox and four were evangelical Christians. The gunmen ordered these nine [Christians] to be separated from the Muslim passengers," VOMC claimed, citing sources in the area."The Christians were then ordered to repeat the Islamic creed and to bow three times toward Mecca. Everyone but Estifanos complied with the order and was allowed back on the bus. The gunmen threatened Estifanos, who calmly began to tell his attackers about Jesus, while his fellow travelers begged him to save his life by obeying their demands," VOMC said.
"The Muslim leader then ordered the bus to continue on its way, without Estifanos. As the bus pulled away, Estifanos was executed," VOMC added. It quoted eyewitnesses as saying that "his body was left on the side of the road for most of the day, presumably as a warning to others."
Let me ask you this, "Which of these Christians were disciples?"
Let me ask you also, "What would you have done?"
You might be thinking, "Gosh, Brad, I don't know what I would do. How can I know?"
Here are three commitments Jesus asks us to make that I believe this brother made:
1) Dying for Christ Is Better Than Living Without Him
Have you made that commitment? Will you?

2) Dying to Christ Gives Boldness For Living For Him
This is the key commitment! Have you made it? Will you?

3) Living In Christ Gives Boldness To Die For Him
This is what unlocks God's power within you because it unleashes His Spirit! Will you commit to this?
The contrast between our martyred brother and those "believers" who got back on the bus is the crux of the issue in this thing called "discipleship". And, if you are not following Him whole-heartedly in life, you will not follow Him to your death.

Friday, November 26, 2010

November 26, 2010

"And he said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23




Based on some conversations I had last night with some family members I came back to a fundamental question of "why be a disciple of Jesus Christ?"



Why not be a disciple of Karl Marx or Moa Tse-Tung or Saul Alinsky? Or, why be a disciple at all? Why not just do what seems right to me?



I believe Jesus provides some solid answers to that vitally important question in this challenge to those who had been following. Will you consider those with me?



Everyone has to decide who or what they will follow. And everyone does follow something. It is impossible not to. If life matters to you then how you spend it should matter to you.



It matters to Jesus!



Everyone must make decisions. It is unavoidable! Even the decision to avoid deciding is a decision!



Jesus says, "If any man will come after me...."



What Jesus is saying is, "You guys need to decide if you are going to follow me or not." Nothing pushy about that. Nothing threatening, just a call to be intentional and deliberate about their decision. He left it up to them what to decide but they must decide.



You must decide. I must decide. We must be intentional about how we decide and be responsible for what we decide. Decisions have consequences and those should be weighed before making the decision. So, since decisions are important and inevitable decide wisely. Decide intentionally.


For me, that decision was to follow Christ. He is the only One Who has been to Heaven and to earth and even, hell. So if you are looking for someone to follow Who know the way, I'd recommend Him. He IS the way!

Which decision has the greatest potential for your life on earth and for eternity? If you decide to follow Marx, where will that take you? What about a decision to follow Moa or the Alinsky way? Where will lead your life and your soul?




Secondly, Jesus says everyone must devote to something.
".....let him deny himself........"
Deciding to follow someone necessarily excludes following anyone else. Or, everyone else. That is what it means to devote yourself. A disciple of Jesus devotes himself to Jesus.
How will devoting your life to Jesus enrich, enable or enlarge my life? How will it add value to your life? What will it do for your eternity? How will it impact those you love? Those are key questions to consider before you devote to someone or something.
To be fair, you must weigh the benefits of devoting yourself to Jesus as opposed to devoting your life to a demanding doctrine such a that promoted by Marx or Moa or even, Alinsky. Which has the greatest potential for your future development through time and eternity? Which will be maximize your life?
If you decide but you do not devote, your decision doesn't mean much.
The result of deciding and devoting results in a direction!
".......and follow me."
Once you have decided to follow Jesus and become a devoted follower, there is only one direction that is appropriate - the way of righteousness and holiness, the way of the cross, walking with Jesus.
When you find one who has decided to follow Jesus and who has devoted his life to Jesus and is clear and confident in his direction, you will know why it pays to follow Jesus.
Have you made a decision to follow Him?
Everyone follows someone somewhere. Decide carefull because your decision determines your destination!
Are you wholly devoted to Him? You can only devote yourself to one person or one philosophy. If you devote yourself to more than one thing, you devote yourself to nothing. Devote yourself to that which best shapes your life and your future.
Do you have a clear direction? Where will that direction lead you? Will you end up in a good place if you decide and devote to this direction? It this the best possible direction you can follow? Where have others ended who chose this direction?
































Thursday, November 25, 2010

November 25, 2010

"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Luke 9:23
The best definition of discipleship that I have heard comes from Eugene Peterson, a prolific Christian writer and author of The Message translation of the Bible. He describes discipleship as "a long obedience in the same direction". Isn't that good? A long obedience in the direction of God and His Word and His will!
It sure fits with Jesus' call to His disciples here in this verse!
A disciple decides every day to aim his desires at God and shape his feelings, emotions and decisions around obeying Him. And then, the next day he awakes and does the same thing - and the next and the next and, well, you know. That is a "long obedience" in that direction.
A disciple daily chooses to deny himself of any desire, thought or habit that would tug the disciple in an opposite direction. Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, he guards every thought and reigns in every action. And then the next day he awakes and does the same - and the next and the next and, well, you know. That is a "long discipline" in God's direction.
A disciple takes up his cross daily - not the necklace or the bracelet or the lapel pin - the one that hurts, the one that demands him to die to self and sin. The disciple doesn't actually carry his cross, he lays down on it and dies. He dies to self so Christ can live through him in the power of the Holy Spirit.
And then the next day he awakes and does it again. And the next day! And the day after that! That is what it means to die daily - a long obedience in God's direction!
As you begin this Thanksgiving Day, where will you aim your life? How will you direct your way? Who will you follow? Who will you please? What will you serve? Will you have to get back on course? Have you back tracked or strayed in another direction? Will you aim yourself in God's direction - again?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

November 24, 2010

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-19
We are called to be disciples and the main thing disciples do is make other disciples!
Yesterday I wrote about my dog, Mulligan, who we recently had to put down. They say you can't teach on old dog new tricks, but my dog taught an old man some new truths. He demonstrated the traits that lead to being a disciple.
Mulligan loved me unconditionally. It is all he knew. He was always excited to see me whether I was gone for an hour or a week, he met me at the door with a wagging tail that shook his entire body.
I need to have that love for God. I must accept His unconditional love for me and express it to Him and to those He places in my life.
Mulligan lived to please me. When I was happy, he was happy. When he sensed my displeasure or when I raised my voice, he was upset. He found his joy in giving me joy.
I need to live to please God. That must be my driving force. To live for anything less is to disappoint Him and diminish me.
Mulligan was obedient. He did whatever I told him to do. He did it quickly and he did it gladly.
I need to be obedient to God. I must be immediate in my obedience and must find joy in obeying Him.
Mulligan loved to walk with me. The first thing I did in the morning was to get up and take him out for a walk. He loved it. He would trot to the door with his tail wagging and stand impatiently while I clicked the leash onto his collar. The last thing I did at night before going to bed was to take him for a walk. We spend hundreds of hours and walked hundreds of miles and loved every one of them.
I must walk with Jesus, every day. The first thing in the morning until the last thing at night, I must walk with Him and I should love it!
My dog Mulligan was a preacher's dog. But he was also a preacher teacher! I learned alot about discipleship by living with and loving him.

November 23, 2010

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15
I have always wondered about this verse because I know that death is God's enemy. He sent Jesus to defeat it and He paid an extremely high price to conquer it. Yesterday I got an insight into it that helped my understanding a bit.
Barbara and I had a 4:45 appointment yesterday to put down our faithful friend, Mulligan, who we have enjoyed for 12 years. We have watched him grow more ill and weaker over the past several months and knowing that he probably couldn't make the trip for Thanksgiving, it became apparent that it was time to end his struggle.
I had him outside at about 3:00 yesterday afternoon and even though he was feeling bad, he enjoyed the warm sun and the gentle breeze. When he grew tired of standing he laid down in the grass and soaked in the warmth of the day with no idea that he had less than two hours to live. Looking down at him I savored the moments and tried to imagine life without him. I thought about all the enjoyment he had given us and all the life experiences he had shared with us. All that would end in a couple of hours. I wished that I could recapture those moments. I wished I could slow down time.
I thought about God looking from the other side of eternity knowing the days and hours I have remaining. As much as I was dreading the loss of my faithful friend, He looks forward to my arrival. He appreciates the fellowship we have enjoyed and the faithfulness I have shown to Him. He celebrates the victories He has won through me. He relishes the things we have suffered together and the times I have been amazed by His grace and goodness. And, just I was grieving over the separation I was about to experience, He anticipates the joy of us being together.
And then I thought about how God had looked down on His Son watching the events conspire against Him that brought Him to His moment of death. While it must have been heartbreaking to watch His innocent Son bear our guilt, He also knew that soon His Son would be with Him again.
I won't have Mulligan again. He was precious, his death was not. His death marked the end of our relationship. But God, Who looks down lovingly on me knows that when my time comes death won't be the end, it will just be the beginning! That's precious!

Monday, November 22, 2010

November 22, 2010

"Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26
Our server has been down for nearly 24 hours and this is the first chance I have had to post today's thought.
This week our emphasis is on discipleship.
We have defined stewardship as "godly life management". Stewardship is what you do with your life after you have confessed Jesus as Lord.
Worship is steward of your desires - what you do with your heart.
Fellowship is stewardship of your relationships. Will I unite with like-minded believers to pursue God, will I submit a standard of discipline in order to bring out the best in each other, and will I declare the goodness and glory of God?
Discipleship is managing your life so that you are bold in your faith and unashamed of Christ.
Here is a recent example:
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (BosNewsLife) -- A human rights group has expressed concern about reports of wide spread persecution of Christians in rural Ethiopia where at least one evangelist has been killed "for refusing" to abandon his Christian faith, BosNewsLife monitored Thursday, September 22.Voice Of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC), which has close contacts in the region, said it has learned that 34-year old Estifanos Abate, an evangelist of the Assemblies of God church in the town of Jijiga "was shot and killed July 19 for refusing to deny his faith in Christ."In a statement to BosNewsLife News Center, VOMC said news of the killing had been slow to emerge as "communication is difficult and reports of their courage often take several weeks to reach the outside world."
The incident allegedly happened when the evangelist was traveling from Degahabour to Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia where his passenger bus was stopped by Islamic militants. "The militants boarded the bus, demanding to know the religion of each traveler. Of the 45 passengers, five were Orthodox and four were evangelical Christians. The gunmen ordered these nine [Christians] to be separated from the Muslim passengers," VOMC claimed, citing sources in the area.
FORCED TO BOW
"The Christians were then ordered to repeat the Islamic creed and to bow three times toward Mecca. Everyone but Estifanos complied with the order and was allowed back on the bus. The gunmen threatened Estifanos, who calmly began to tell his attackers about Jesus, while his fellow travelers begged him to save his life by obeying their demands," VOMC said."The Muslim leader then ordered the bus to continue on its way, without Estifanos. As the bus pulled away, Estifanos was executed," VOMC added. It quoted eyewitnesses as saying that "his body was left on the side of the road for most of the day, presumably as a warning to others."

So, Brad, are you saying that dying for Christ is discipleship?

No, I am not saying that. Dying for Christ is martyrdom.

Discipleship is dying to Christ! Once you die TO Christ you will be empowered to live FOR Him - and if necessary - die for Him. Discipleship is what enabled this dear brother the strength and courage to LIVE for Jesus and to submit to DYING for Him. Discipleship is denying yourself daily - putting Him first - and carrying your cross for Him daily - dying to His will.

Have you done that today?


Sunday, November 21, 2010

November 21, 2010

“GETTING INTO SHIP SHAPE”

Week Two “Stewardship Is Fellowship” Luke 9:23-26

Can you imagine a world where everyone was complete in his self and didn't need anyone else?

Would you like to be in a place like that?

Actually, there is a place like that! It is called Hell!

One contrast of heaven and hell tells of a man who had a dream that he was allowed to see both places. He was first taken to hell.
He was taken to a large room in the middle of which there was a large pot of stew.
The stew smelled delicious. But all around this point there were people who were starving and in desperation.
They all held spoons in their hands that had unusually long handles that reached all the way to the pot, but because the spoon handles were longer than their arms, they were unable to return the spoons filled with stew to their mouths. Their suffering was terrible and continuous.
Then the man was taken to heaven. Heaven was identical to hell; the rooms were identical, the pot of stew in the middle of the room was the same, and the spoons were the same. But, the people in this room were well-fed and joyous.
The man was perplexed when first walked into the room. But as he watched the people in this room, he learned the difference. The people had spoons that would not allow them to feed themselves, so they fed each other.
Fellowship is feeding each other as we allow God to feed us. It is a “joint feeding.”

You and I were created for fellowship. God placed that desire in the human psyche. He did that because He desires fellowship with us. He built in an "incompleteness" that will drive us to seek relationship with Him and with others.

In short, God wired us to need Him and to need each other. Relationship is what we need and fellowship is how we do it!

There are two places where fellowship is demonstrated as it was designed to happen, in Eden and in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Church. Relationships have never been healthier than in those two places so doesn't it make sense to see what we can learn about them?

In both situations, God was the focus of their relationship. They fellowshipped with Him. They sought God together. God was their point of connection, spiritually and emotionally. Therefore, they had oneness in their marriages and unity in their fellowship! Doesn't that sound good?

The New Testament word for "fellowship" is "koinonia". It appears 20 times in the New Testament. The first appearance is in Acts 2:42 - "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. "

"koinonia" is defined as spiritual oneness, like-mindedness, unity based in common devotion to God. Because of the central focus on God, the result is a commitment to love and serve other believers.

Fellowship is the second “ship” that will shape your life. Healthy fellowship will shape you in positive ways while unhealthy fellowship can leave you in bad shape.

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” Luke 9:23-26

In this second message of our three week series on Stewardship I want to demonstrate the role that stewardship plays in developing fellowship.

I. Fellowship Is Seeking God Together – “If anyone would come after me…..”

“koinonia” happens when people who have been seeking God together all week come to seek Him together.

It is about believing

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Acts 2:42

It is about belonging

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,” Acts 2:46

A Gallup study commissioned by Group Publishing shows that people with close friendships in their church are very satisfied with their congregation, less likely to leave their place of worship, and have a strong friendship with God. Church members who have a best friend at church are 21% more likely to report attending at least once a week and 26% more likely to report having a strong, more active faith in God. 77% of highly satisfied members have eaten a meal with fellow congregants (who are not members of their family) at some point over the last year. Only 56% of somewhat satisfied or dissatisfied members have shared a meal together. Mealtime fellowship appears strongly correlated with high levels of congregational satisfaction. 62% of those who eat meals together report regularly spending time in prayer and worship daily vs. 49% who have not eaten meals with other church members. The findings are published in Group’s new book Friendship: Creating a Culture of Connectivity in Your Church. (Monday Rush 2/22/05)

It is about becoming


II. Fellowship Is Surrendering to God Together – “he must deny himself and…..”

Do you remember the Incredible Hulk? If you do you either remember the big green monster from the comics or the television show. Dr. Banner had a serious problem. In an experiment he had unleashed a terrible monster. In times of stress he would turn into this huge raging monster. One of the classic lines from the television program was "Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry." In the comics his destruction was much more vivid and much larger-than-life. This monster would pick up armored tanks and toss them at his enemies. He could stomp one his big green feet on the ground and cause a mini-earthquake that would knock his opponents to the ground. He could survive almost anything short of a nuclear blast all the time bellowing catch words like "Hulk strong! Hulk smash puny soldiers!" When the rampage was over, however, Dr. Banner was left to live with the results of the Hulk’s actions. His clothing was ripped to shreds so that he was exposed to the elements. His life was shattered into little pieces, and he had to move to a new location where he would attempt to start a new life.
Each of us has a raging Hulk in us. The sin nature that dwells within us attempts to bring about mass destruction in our lives. If we allow it to rule over us we will find ourselves like Dr. Banner, searching for some shred of our lives that we can cling to. Sin will destroy our homes, our integrity, our stability, our financial security and most important, will cause our fellowship with God to suffer. Even the apostle Paul struggled with an inner "Hulk" of his sin nature.
Do not let the "Hulk" of sin rule in your life. Let Christ "cure" the Hulk of his control over you.

Here’s a “stewardship” solution for creating a climate where spiritual health and holiness can flourish;

1) Acceptance – But With Expectations

Anyone is welcome at our fellowship, but once they decide to join us they need to know what we expect of our members.

2) Authenticity – But With Examples

As we let them know the standard we expect, we should also show them with the example our leaders set. Let’s create an environment that honors honesty and transparency.

3) Accountability – But With Encouragement


III. Fellowship Is Standing for God Together – “if anyone is ashamed of me…..”

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out day or night to save the lost. Because so many lives were saved by that station, it became famous. Consequently, many people wanted to join the station to give their time, talent, and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, a formal training session was offered. As the membership grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and the equipment outdated. They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building.

Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members. They met regularly and it was apparent how they loved one another. They hugged each other, and shared with one another the events of their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions; so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them. About this time, a large ship was wrecked off of the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick, and half-drowned people. The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The carpets got dirty. So the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the house where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting there was rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. And that’s what they did.


As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few went out to the drowning people. History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that seacoast today, you will find many meeting places with ample parking and plush carpeting. Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.

Speak With God


If you will take time to speak with God each day. And more importantly, if you will take time to listen to Him you will not lose sight of your mission not will you lose your passion to fulfill it.



Speak About God


Talk to others about God in the church. Make Him the topic of conversation inside the church when you meet for fellowship.

Speak For God


Speak up for God! Speak up for what is right. Speak up for what is holy. Share your testimony of what Jesus has done for you.


THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE UNASHAMED
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

November 20, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26
Stewardship is what you do with your life after you confess Jesus as Savior. How do you manage your life in a way that pleases God and causes you to be effective for Him.
We have already examined the relationship between stewardship and worship. Worship is about how you manage your desires on you know that Jesus is the Christ. Worship is also about how you deny yourself of feelings, thoughts or habits that draw your desires away from Him. And, worship is also about how you manage your witness of Jesus as your Savior. Your witness is how you declare the Lordship of Jesus to others by what you say with you lips and with your life.
So, how does stewardship relate to fellowship?
Fellowship needs a focus. What will be the "velcro" that holds a group of people together? How does this group of people who have gathered together under the banner of a local church manage to find unity and form an identity. How do they manage the gifts and talents God has given them in order to fulfill the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment?
First, they commit to each other that each of them with shape their desires around God. Each individual believer must understand that their ability to manage their desires has a direct impact on the church as a whole. So, healthy godly fellowship is the result of the members of that church managing their desires in a way that unites them and glorifies God.
Second, they make a commitment to deny themselves of habits, attitudes or activities that could be harmful or destructive to the church fellowship. Every member of a church matters! Therefore what every member does either helps or hurts every other member. You have heard the saying, "no man is an island". That is true. One person can lift his fellowship or one can do serious harm to that fellowship by how he manages or mismanages his desires. This is one reason why when you join a church there are typically a set of rules or a code of conduct they require you to subscribe to.
Third, stewardship of fellowship requires you to conduct yourself in a way that represents God well and also, commends the witness of the church. You must understand that what you do and say shapes the reputation of the entire church. Members of a fellowship commit to God and to each other that each of them will make the Faith and the church look good.
So, the stewadship of fellowship means each of us live for all of us - and even more importantly - each of us live for Him! That commitment in the glue -or the velco- that holds that fellowship together. Fellowship inspires each of us to be our best for the sake of all of us!
Want your fellowship be get better? You be better! Manage your desires better, deny yourself in order to be better and declare the glory and grace of God in a positive way.

Friday, November 19, 2010

November 19, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26
I am thinking about two "miracle" inventions that have happened in my lifetime. When I read this portion of Scripture I think of them.
What are they?
One is teflon. It is of course, a rugged no stick surface that is applied to the inside of cookware to prevent food substanced cooked in the coated pan. It makes clean up a breeze after you have fried some eggs or some pancakes.
The other product I was referring to is velcro. As you know, velcro is a fuzzy fiber substance that sticks to straps also made of velco. Two pieces of velcro can secure just about any piece of clothing or can work as a substitute for shoe laces.
So, you have teflon that is slippery and doesn't allow other things to attach to it and then you have the velcro which clings to other tacking surfaces to bind them together.
So, what does this have to do with fellowship? Quite a lot, actually! Christian fellowship has a teflon aspect and a velcro aspect.
Stewardship is managing your desires so that you can adhere to the right things and your self-denail so you can stay free of harmful or hurtful things. You must determine to let wrong things slide off of your life like teflon, while you cling to relationships and Godly principles like velcro.
Stewardship is also managing your wrong desires that would cause you to use other people for your own pleasures, purposes or power. Turn your wrong desires into teflon so that nothing sticks to your spirit , soul or mind. Attach your desires to God, like velcro! Let those ungodly and hurtful things bounce off your heart and mind like teflon.
Fellowship , then is defined by knowing how to use your teflon and your velcro! And doing it together within the environment of a local church. When each individual within that church commits to faithfully attach to the holy and godly and detach from the selfish and sinfull, fellowship can be very sweet!
What is sticking to your velcro? What is sliding off of your teflon? What adjustments must you make?

Thursday, November 18, 2010

November 18, 2010

"..... For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" Luke 9:25-26
In the early '50's a group of young missionaries went to the Amazon jungles to try to reach a previously unreached tribe. This was one of a group of tribes known for their brutality and were literally on the verge of extinction because of their violence. That put an even greater urgency on making contact with this people.
When asked about the wisdom of going to this remote area and confronting these savage people on of the young missionaries by the name of Jim Elliott replied, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
That is of course, a paraphrase of these words spoken by Jesus to His disciples.
The call to fellowship is the call to extend the fellowship by reaching the lost. And that usually involves risk of some sort. Whether it be risk of comfort or risk of reputation or, as in this case, risk of life, believers are called to the fellowship of risk-takers.
I have attached a clip from the movie "End of the Spear" which chronicled the true story of these missionaries. To set up the clip, the missionaries had spent months attempting to make contact with the tribe and win their trust enough to encounter them. When they felt the time was right they flew into a spot near the village to risk the contact with members of this savage tribe. Knowing the risk they had covenanted between themselves that if things went badly they would not defend themselves with the pistol they had. Their reasoning was that if the natives were not spiritually prepared to die and they were. This powerful film clip shows how that commitment was tested:
We are called to the fellowship of suffering and we need the support, courage and accountability of standing together for Christ.
You may be wondering, "I am not sure I could do what they did. How can I be sure?"
If you aren't living in fellowship with Christ today and if you aren't in fellowship with a strong church, you be able to stand when it counts.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

November 17, 2010

"Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." Genesis 2:19-25
Can you imagine a world where everyone was complete in himself and didn't need anyone else? Actually, there is a place like that! It is called Hell!
You and I were created for fellowship. God placed that desire in the human psyche. He did that because He desires fellowship with us. He built in an "incompleteness" that will drive us to seek relationship with Him and with others.
In short, God wired us to need Him and to need each other. Relationship is what we need and fellowship is how we do it!
There are two places where fellowship is demonstrated as it was designed to happen, in Eden and in Jerusalem at the beginning of the Church. Relationships have never been healthier than in those two places so doesn't it make sense to see what we can learn about them?
In both situations, God was the focus of their relationship. They fellowshipped together with Him. They sought God together. God was their point of connection, spiritually and emotionally. Therefore, they had oneness in in their marriages and unity in their fellowship! Doesn't that sound good?
Also, in both situations God was the focus of their rules. Think about this, God only makes rules to protect and enhance relationships. When He gave Moses the Ten Commandments they were for the purpose of guiding relationships - the first four show how to relate to God and the final six set up guidelines for healthy relationships with others. When Jesus came, He distilled the Ten down to two: love God and love your neighbor.
And thirdly, God was the focus of their reason for loving and living. Motives are key in relationships. Why do you want to be with another person? What needs are you trying to meet by coming into relationship? God comes into a relationship to meet the needs inherent in that person. His reason for relationship is to develop healthiness and holiness in a person who will have relationship with Him. Godly relationships focus on giving because love gives. Giving was rampant in the Early Church. One of the things that forms a foundation for fellowship is the desire to meet the needs of others in order to please God.
Fellowship is the result of relationships done well! Relationships done well focus on relationship with God, ordered around God's rules for the reason of developing holy people!
Make sense? Sound good?
How are your relationships? What is the focus of your relationships? What is the reason for your relationships?

Monday, November 15, 2010

November 16, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23



The New Testament word for "fellowship" is "koinonia". It appears 20 times in the New Testament. The first appearance is in Acts 2:42 - "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship (koinonia), to the breaking of bread and to prayer. "



"koinonia" is defined as spiritual oneness, like-mindedness, unity based in common devotion to God. Because of the central focus on God, the result is a commitment to love and serve other believers.



Recently I preached about worship - that it is seeking God and surrendering to God and speaking for God. What could be better than that?



How about seeking God together with other passionate, like-minded believers? Or, how about sharing life with others who are surrendered to God? One worshipper is good. But gather a number of worshippers who come seeking God and you have a powerful experience! Worshippers who come together to worship multiply the power of praise! God shows up when people come together seeking Him!
And, what could be more effective than a surrendered believer whole-heartedly following Christ? A church filled with surrendered believers whole-heartedly following Him! It doesn't take a lot of people like that to become a powerful force. God empowers a body that is sold-out and surrendered to serving Jesus.
The third aspect of worship that Jesus shared with His disciples is speaking out or standing up for Him. One person taking a stand for God can change a culture or shape history. Does the name Martin Luther mean anything to you? He stood against the corruption of the institutional Church when it was at its most powerful and declared, "The just shall live by faith!"
Jesus changed the history of the world with just twelve guys - and only eleven of them were sold out.
When a church seeks God together, and surrenders to the will of God, and stands boldly for Him there isn't much that can prevail against it!
I dream of building a church like that! Will you help?



September 15, 2010

"Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." Luke 9:23-26
Once you have seen Jesus and understand Who He is, you can never be the same! Peter's confession of Christ shaped his life forever! It was his defining moment.
How did it define his life?
First, it defined His meaning.
Peter was a fisherman become follower. Jesus had promised him He would become a "fisher of men". But had that happened yet? No really. So, what value is there in being a non-fishing fisherman? Not much.
Fully knowing Who Jesus was meant that Peter now would fish differently with different bait, a new hook and a bigger net!
His new bait? JESUS!
His new hook? LOVE!
His new net? THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!
Second, it defined his mission.
When Peter first decided to follow Jesus he left his nets and his boat to learn about this amazing new Rabbi. He became a follower because of what it could do for him and if it did not work he could always go back to fishing. Peter had a fall back position - a "plan B".
His confession of Jesus would change that forever!
Once you truly understand Who Jesus is and confess Him as Savior and Lord, there is no more "plan B". Either you are all in or you are out! Peter understood that. His mission was to be fully committed to making Christ known to others. The news was too good to keep! Evangelizing became His purpose and His top priority.
Committing to Christ marks the end of casual, aimless living!
How did he do? Read the first several chapters of Acts!
Third, it defined his message.
When you know Who Jesus is, how can you stay silent about it? When you have witnessed miracles and seen people delivered and the dead raised, how can you not tell others about that? You can't! You must!
Others needed to hear it and Peter needed to tell.
How did he do? Read the first few chapters of Acts!
Once you understand Who Christ is and once you confess Him it should dramatically and fundamentally change you! It should change your meaning - has it? It should change your mission - has it? And it should change your message - what are you talking about?