Preparing For The Future

God's people will cross the river to the Promised Land despite our failures.

Numbers 27:12-14  One day the LORD said to Moses, "Climb one of the mountains east of the river, and look out over the land I have given the people of Israel. 13 After you have seen it, you will die like your brother, Aaron, 14 for you both rebelled against my instructions in the wilderness of Zin.

When the people of Israel rebelled, you failed to demonstrate my holiness to them at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

In my study of the Torah, I have seen that God has given us plenty of overwhelming evidence of his majesty, power and his everlasting love for us, but I have also seen that it isn’t enough, we have all rejected the evidence and gone astray (Isaiah 53:6).

God's people drift so easily:

• The first generation that came out of Egypt saw God’s mighty acts before they left. They watched as He split the sea wide open, walked through it on dry ground, and still had the nerve to complain about lunch the next day (Exodus 14–16).
• The second generation of God’s people, almost 40 years later, were still reluctant to believe and commit to God’s ways. After the generation that worshiped the golden calf had died, the younger generation also broke the first commandment en masse by worshiping the Moabite gods—just a few months before entering the Promised Land.
• The second generation was still complaining about their situation. Life was harder now and the food was worse than it had been in Egypt. Even Aaron and Miriam complained. All of this was too much for Moses to handle (Numbers 11:1-15, 12:1-16).

Drifting away from God is what they did best. It is no wonder Moses was concerned about what would happen to God’s people after his departure. As God prepared Moses for his death, Moses became especially concerned about the nation and their future

God Prepares Moses

Numbers 27:16-17 "O LORD, you are the God who gives breath to all creatures. Please appoint a new man as leader for the community. 17 Give them someone who will guide them wherever they go and will lead them into battle, so the community of the LORD will not be like sheep without a shepherd."

God tells Moses that his ministry to God's people is almost over because of the incident at Meribah where Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it. God is going to keep his promise to Moses that he would not enter the Promised Land, a fact that is difficult for us to understand, Moses was a reliable leader that served Israel faithfully in many ways.

Moses served God's people as a picture of Jesus (Hebrews 3:1-6), he was a man that knew God intimately (Deuteronomy 34:10) and God came to his defense when Miriam and Aaron criticized him. (Numbers 12:5-9)

Moses tells God that his people need a replacement, something that God already knew and had been preparing for, the new guy was already being trained for almost 40 years even though it seems that nobody realized it. 

Moses Prepares Joshua

Numbers 27:18 The LORD replied, "Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him."

Moses did what God told him to do to transfer his power to Joshua, he laid hands on him and presented him to the priest in front of everyone so there would be no question about who the new leader is.

God has been preparing the new leader for a very long time, the smooth transition of power was easy to accomplish because Joshua had been serving under Moses beginning with the first military conflict with the Amalekites not long after the Red Sea crossing. (Exodus 17:8–16)

The Bible does not tell us how Moses knew that Joshua was the right man to lead that battle 40 years ago. Maybe Moses knew Joshua before they left Egypt, maybe Joshua served in slavery in Pharaoh's household or in some way that supported the military.

Joshua proved to be a man of God as he served under Moses, he relied on God for that first victory in battle, he was not in the camp when the people worshiped the gold calf and he was one of the two spies that gave a favorable report when the people refused to enter the Promised Land.

Moses Prepares the People

A new beginning is almost here with new leaders and a new generation of God's people that will enter the promised Land. Moses will remind the people before his death that they are on a mission from God despite their unfaithfulness to God.

It looks like a long goodbye when you look at how many chapters it spans from the last section of the book of Numbers through the entire book of Deuteronomy, that's 44 chapters, but it all happened rather quickly. (See the timeline here)

Moses goodbye message will be a reminder of God's goodness to them over the years as he chose them, redeemed them, protected them through the wilderness and now he can be trusted to take his people home. But all of this experience will not keep them faithful unless they wrestle with the natural tendency to drift.

To fight the urge to drift from God, remember:

• Obey God’s commands when they enter the Promised Land
• Don’t forget God when life becomes comfortable and easy
• Every moment presents a choice, choose life and blessing by following Him 
• Teach the next generation what God has done so they can know him

They had plenty of experience with God over the past 40 years but as the old hymn says "prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." 

God sought them and bought from their slavery as a picture of the truth found in that same hymn, "Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God; he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood."

Grace To Start Over

Psalm 103:7-12 He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

There is hope for our drifting, unfaithful hearts! As sad as the history of God's people is in the wilderness (Psalms 78:1-72), God refused to curse them despite the fact that they were still the same people 40 years later, a truth that is still true for us thousands of years later.

Our fickle hearts still rebel against God as much as they did back in the Garden of Eden, the same as they did in Babylon as we built a tower to Heaven and the same as the multiple rebellions in the wilderness.

God's faithful heart to his people is greater than our fickle hearts! He has compassion and mercy that are new each day to forgive us that he has promised not to curse. We can be sure that he will bring us home to our Promised Land. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Living With Honor

Honor and respect are not very popular in these days of entitlement and selfishness.

1 Peter 2:13-17  For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority, whether the king as head of state,  14  or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.   

15  It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.  16  For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.  17  Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.

1 Samuel 2:30  "But I will honor those who honor Me, and I will despise those who think lightly of Me."

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Honor and respect are not very popular in these days of entitlement and selfishness, there are not very many people that are willing to deny themselves and live by a higher standard. There is a great need for authenticity and high moral vales in our country today.

It seems that the only time that honor is popular is when a con man is trying to benefit from lying about having a military award. The Supreme Court has even said that the right to free speech includes the right to lie about being a honored military vet.

Our government doesn't care so much about honor and valor but the Bible teaches us that we need to cooperate with God and value what he values, his agenda should be our agenda and we should be pleased to do his will. We should revere God and respect the standard that he has set for our daily lifestyle.

“The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training – sacrifice. In battle, and, in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in His own image. No physical courage and no greater strength can take the place of the divine help which alone can sustain him.”  - General Douglas MacArthur

God made the ultimate sacrifice and in doing so he has given us the highest honor that we could ever have. The cross should be a reminder of the greatest act of honor that has ever been done, God showed us how to sacrifice, he showed us how to stand up for truth, justice and purity.

Honoring God? Make it real!

Isaiah 29:13-14  And so the Lord says, "These people say they are Mine. They honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. And their worship of Me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.  14 Because of this, I will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders. The wisdom of the wise will pass away, and the intelligence of the intelligent will disappear."

History is full of people that pretended to honor God and the consequences for their insincerity are very high. In the Bible the nation of Israel shows us over and over again what it looks like when a nation doesn't honor God and live by the standards that he has set. Their false teachers and immoral government leaders took the people away from God and into ruin.

God gave us his commandments, he gave us an organized society with leaders to govern us and he gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us so that we can be members of society that live orderly, respectful and quiet lives.

Honor in the Proverbs:

Proverbs 3:9  Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Proverbs 18:12  Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor. Proverbs 20:3  Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. Proverbs 21:21  Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 22:4  True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life. Proverbs 26:1  Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest. Proverbs 29:23  Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.

Humility, avoiding a fight, fear the Lord and pursuing righteousness are the characteristics of a man that God will honor. I want to be found faithful, to live with authenticity, to live without compromise and serve others so that my Savior will say "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

That is the highest honor possible!

Prepare First, Then Do

We have to do after we are sure it is God's plan.

Nehemiah 1:4  When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

5 Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!

11 O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me."

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Nehemiah was the Persian king's cup-bearer, he lived at ease, and in honor, but does not forget that he is an Israelite, and that his homeland is in distress. As a result of their disobedience, Jerusalem is in ruins, the city walls and the gates are just a pile of debris and the first people that have moved back into Jerusalem are unprotected from attack.

Nehemiah wants to accomplish great things for God's people, he needs the help of others but first things first, he knows that he needs to have God on his side. He knows that he needs to be prepared for the opposition and that he cannot do any of this great work successfully without God's grace.

Nehemiah had some serious time with the Lord, there are few Christ followers that attempt to do great things for the Lord and even fewer that know that they have to have an open relationship with God to accomplish anything great.

Before I begin doing the Lord's work I need to be sure that my relationship with him is good and that the work that I desire to do is a burden on my heart that has come from God.

I want to do great things for you Lord, not for my own glory, I want you to find me useful for you.

Help Wanted: Giant Slayer

Your choice, hunker down or face the giant.

1 Samuel 17:32 "Don't worry about this Philistine," David told Saul. "I'll go fight him!"

33 "Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "There's no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You're only a boy, and he's been a man of war since his youth."

34 But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. "When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.

36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!"

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Fortitude- Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.

Help wanted: Giant Slayer. Great benefits package, no taxes for life and a daughter of the king for a wife. Apply within.

All of Israel's army is hunkering down in panic and fear, everybody is waiting for a giant slayer to come along and help them out, and even the king is too scared.

No matter how much know how that any of us have, sooner or later we will run into something in this life that will go beyond our natural ability or training. This shortfall can make us scared and ineffective, we can lose sight of our mission and we can allow this adversity to paralyze us. But there is another option.

God allows such overwhelming circumstances to develop faith and trust. How do you think that David felt when he fought his first lion? Do you think that David was born with the courage to fight a giant? No, David had already seen adversity out in the pasture with the sheep, God had already brought overwhelming circumstances into David's life that grew his faith and trust in God so that when he came upon this Giant he was able to go beyond trust in his own abilities and trust in God's love and sovereignty to handle the situation.

We must let go of self-reliance and embrace an unwavering faith in what God can do through us, God doesn't expect us to muster the self-will, courage, and strength to supersede the feeling of fear and doubt.

Sometimes I wish that God would have given me a boisterous personality, one that would stand up with greater confidence and proclaim his love and sovereignty, but this lesson has shown me that I don't need to change my personality, I need to increase my faith.

God wants leaders that will have faith in him instead of trusting in their own abilities.

Thank you Lord for providing a way to overcome the giants in life. Help me to rely on you instead of self.

Impact The Darkness

I need to make a difference in the world around me.

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

14 "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

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Yesterday we saw that being a leader requires good character, one that is above reproach, a leader's character should set the moral standard so high that those that follow will have no reason to doubt the integrity of their leader.

A leader is somebody that has influence on others, by now it should be obvious that every Christian is supposed to be a leader, we are commanded to have an influence in other people's lives that will point them to Jesus.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus used two illustrations to tell his followers about the impact that they should have on this world.

Salt has two beneficial characteristics, it preserves and it gives flavor. When salt comes into contact with food it gives it more taste or it can also be used to keep the food from rotting.

As a Christian am I whetting someone's appetite and causing them to want to know more about Jesus? Am I behaving in a way that will leave people hungry and thirsty for more of Jesus? Is somebody developing an appetite to experience God's love first hand?

Are my actions encouraging moral decay or is my living up to God's standards helping to preserve and slow down the moral decay that is all around us?

Don't forget that salt is not neutral it exerts influence for good just by its nature but we have to actually apply the salt and cause it to come into contact with the food. As Christ followers we tend to isolate ourselves and minimize our contact with those that need the salt. We have to mingle with those that need the salt just like Jesus did.

Not only are you supposed to be salty you are also supposed to be a shining city on a hill. The Christian should be shining the light of the gospel to everyone around, peirceing the darkness so that the world will be able to see and they will be drawn to the Jesus.

In either analogy the point is clear that God wants us to be a positive moral influence for all to see.

Too many Christians either avoid contact with non-Christians altogether, or they conceal their faith in a manner that provides no salt or light. I need to be a lot more salty and I need to become a light house that can save people from the dangers in the dark.

Help me to be salty and full of light so that I can have an influence on somebodies life today.

A Leaders Lifestyle

A Christian leader needs to have a higher standard.

1 Timothy 3:1 This is a trustworthy saying: "If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position."

2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. 4 He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. 5 For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God's church?

6 An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. 7 Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil's trap.

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Paul says that it is a good thing to desire to lead but he quickly lets us know what kind of leader that he is talking about. There isn't any shortage on leaders, the problem is we are all leaders of somebody but we are not all honorable leaders, the kind that Paul says that the Christ follower should be.

The kind of leadership that we need in our churches today is a person that is willing to live above reproach, somebody that doesn't skirt around the edges of moral boundaries or the legal limits but instead God desires to have leaders that live so far above the bar that there isn't any room to consider that the leader is doing anything wrong.

We must avoid any behavior that might even raise a question or suspicion of wrongdoing, simply abstaining from a behavior may not suffice to appear "above reproach" Many things may seem innocent and harmless but the casual observer may look at you and have a good reason to question your behavior. The man of God should live so far above the standard that there is no way that anybody could reasonably suggest that he is guilty of being less than honorable.

What does living above reproach look like?

• He must be faithful to his wife.
• He must exercise self-control,
• He must live wisely,
• He must be hospitable
• He must be able to teach.
• He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent.
• He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.
• He must manage his own family well

A leader bears the responsibility for setting the moral bar for those he or she leads, followers will seldom surpass the example of their leader, the leader is responsible to live this way in private as well as out in public. Many leaders have been caught not living up to the moral code that they say they prescribe to in public.

A self-controlled leader builds credibility with followers when he or she imposes personal limits of behavior on himself or herself that are consistent with God's standards.

God is looking for leaders that will live so far above reproach that if someone makes an accusation against them it will never be considered a possibility.

1 Peter 2:12, 15 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 15 It is God's will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.

God is looking for leaders that are pleasing him with their daily lives.
Reproach - to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure. To be a cause of blame or discredit to.

I thank you Lord for my pastors leadership that is above reproach, help me to follow his example and help me to lead with credibility that comes from living above reproach. Help my church staff to live above reproach every day.

A Line In The Sand

Are you ready to step over the line and get serious for Jesus?

Mark 8:34-38  Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

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Jesus taught many times on the concept of denying self and living to serve others. I think that sometimes we forget that the things that he taught were not instructions for the exclusive benefit of the twelve disciples but they are instructions for all of us. Here in this passage Jesus spoke to the disciples and to the crowd that had gathered around and he gave them some important instructions on how to be his follower.

Rule number 1: Turn from your selfish ways.
Yikes! What Jesus is demanding of those who follow him, those who choose to be publicly identified as his follower, is a total 180 degrees turning away from the pursuit of all personal agendas, never to return to them. Exactly opposite of our natural human desires, forget about them, the follower of Christ must be seeking to please the desires of the Father.

Rule number 2: Take up your cross.
Right here where I am today I have a mission field, most likely God already has me in the mission field that I am supposed to be working in, this isn't a call to go far from home to start doing his work.
What God may be waiting for is for me to stop pursuing my own interests and make the interests of others a top priority. As his follower I am called to do what he did, I must wash feet, rub elbows with the downtrodden, accept rejection, endure ridicule, expect to be persecuted, and carry a cross.

What extreme requirements, the fact that they are completely opposite of our sinful nature makes them seem harsh, but what is the alternative? If I spend all my time dwelling on my happiness and grabbing all the stuff that will supposedly bring fulfillment then Jesus said in the end I will lose all the my stuff and I will lose my life.

What benefit is it to me if I work to obtain my share of everything that the world has to offer but in the end its only stuff that belongs to this world and in this world its gonna stay.

What benefit is it to me if I am constantly looking out for number 1 and in my selfish endeavours I never see the one need that must be met for the protection of my soul? Humans spend so much time trying to fill "needs" that we think are so valuable and we don't see the most valuable need that we have.

Taking up my cross can lead to doing unpleasant things, being rejested or laughed at or even persecuted but still I am told to pick up my cross without embarrassment or shame so that my Savior will not be ashamed of me.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Give me a greater urgency to do the good works that you have called me to do, give me boldness to live for you despite the opposition that will come my way.

Jesus has drawn a line in the sand, if I want to be his follower then I have to choose to live to please the Father and to do the good works that he has called me to do.

Wanna Lead? Go Serve.

A servants heart is the first thing a leader needs.

Mark 9:33-35  After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, "What were you discussing out on the road?" 34 But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, "Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

Mark 10:42-45 So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

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I have been studying about leadership from God's perspective. I have seen that God wants a leader that has a pure heart, one that will be obedient to God's leadership and I have seen that the number one mission of God's leaders is to reach others with the gospel and then to disciple them to maturity.

"Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."

Jesus Christ approached leadership as a servant, the disciples hadn't figured that out yet, boy were they hoping for something that they wouldn't see in their lifetime. The disciples were anxious for Jesus to be the new leader of the nation, a leader that would over through the rule of the Roman government, instead they found that Jesus is using some new math, he told them that if they want to be number one then they will have to be number last.

"But among you it will be different."

Jesus points out that the worldly leadership style is one that pushes its power around and forces people to be its followers, not so with Jesus, he wants his followers to follow willingly by their own free will. Jesus told his disciples that his example of servant leadership would be the only style of leadership that he would accept.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."

It is so tempting to look out for self and to think that I can use my rights as a leader to get some personal gain but if the Lord of the universe came down to my level and served me then it is hopeless to think that I can look out for myself and still be pleasing to him.

A leader either sees him or herself as a superior, controlling others who must serve his or her self-centered agenda or as a servant. An authoritative leader uses people for personal gain with no regard for the well-being of the follower.

Jesus rejected the world's mission of selfishness, pursuit of fame, fortune, and power and he also goes opposite of their style of leadership. Jesus' approach to leadership is intended for the pursuit of his mission on earth, to make more disciples.

I must be a leader with a servants heart, if I lead in this fashion then I will be able to help make more disciples.

Give me wisdom Lord to live opposite of the natural order of the world. Help me to serve my family and my church and give me the boldness to lead people that I meet to you.

Pass It On

Invest your life in somebody.

2 Timothy 2:2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

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The Christian life is a journey, a journey that isn't much different than the first disciples, some days we are faithful and strong, other days we lose sight of our mission and we can look a little too much like the world than we should, some days we are full of questions and doubts.

So what is a disciple? According to the online dictionary a disciple is: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy. To make a disciple means to reproduce a follower of Jesus Christ who is committed to living a transformed life, one who obeys the Word of God, and makes the mission of disciple making his or her top priority.

Jesus gave us the command now the question is how to we make a disciple?

The first step in the discipleship process focuses on conversion. You can't become a disciple if you're not a follower of Christ.

The second step in the discipleship process spans a life time of spiritual growth. Jesus twelve disciples went from weak and feeble in their faith to men that were spiritually mature, they didn't become disciples overnight, they had three years of Jesus pouring his life into them.

The third step in the process involves becoming a disciple maker. Jesus teachings and his deeds built these guys into true disciples that could go out and make more disciples. Their weak little faith matured into the bold, dangerous faith that would cause them to sacrifice their own lives for the truth that they believed.

Other than Christ example of creating disciples, Paul's relationship with Timothy is one of the clearest examples of how to make a disciple. Paul said "Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you" (1 Tim 1:18) Paul went on to teach Timothy how to live as a Christ follower. Later Paul told Timothy to take hold of the teaching that he received from Paul and study it, make sure that reliable people can confirm those teachings and then pass on the truths that he has learned to others so that they can in turn pass it on to others.

This multiplication strategy is how the good news has spread for thousands of years. If this multiplication process were to go unbroken then there would be no problem in reaching the world with the good news.

The mission focuses on making disciples. The strategy involves investing in others who in turn make more disciples.

Every Christ follower should grow spiritually and become mature. As we grow more mature we need to get our own Timothy that we can disciple as we continue our own growth. I need to stay focused on investing my life in others so that I can be a part of this multiplication process of making more disciples.

You gave us a mission Lord that is very doable if we would all keep our focus on the mission, help me to grow as your disciple and then in turn invest my life into others so that I will be obedient to your command to "Go and make disciples."

I’m On A Mission

No time to waste!

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?" 7 He replied, "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

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I have been studying about leaders in the Bible and learning that the only leaders that were pleasing to God was the leaders that were willing to do anything that God asks them to do. That brings about the next area of focus for my Bible study.

What is it that Jesus told us to do?

Jesus told his disciples that they are on a mission from God, he told them that as they go about their everyday lives he wants them to make disciples, the man that wants to be obedient and pleasing to God must make this mission a top priority in life.

Remember Jesus started his ministry by telling his disciples "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Now as Jesus is preparing to leave he confirms the original purpose that he had for calling these guys, he wanted to make them fishers of men.

Not only are we to go and evangelize next thing that is essential for us to nurture these converts and turn them into disciples, we have to teach them how to live by instructing them from the word of God. We are on a life long journey of growth spiritually, we are to become more mature as we are pushed along by our desire to be more like Jesus and to please him, and as we grow we need to help grow others that are around us.

Notice that Jesus didn't tell us to go and make offering givers or teachers or chair stackers, he just told us one thing that we are to make and if we make disciples then all of those other things will get done as well. Doing all of those other things will become a part of the mission of getting one more soul for Jesus.

There are many missions that we can base our life on, commonly pursued missions that the world pursues are: pleasure, money, fame, influence, and power. We need to set aside the fleshly desires and take up a higher purpose for life.

My mission will decide how I spend my time. Those worldly pursuits can easily get out of control and can occupy your time and keep you from fulfilling the mission that God has given us. We cannot say we are willing to do all that God asks unless we are willing to adopt the mission of making disciples as the top priority in our daily lives.

Help me Lord to keep my mission in focus, help me to be obedient to your command to make disciples. Help me as I work in my church to make discipling men a top priority.

A Heart Willing To Do All God Asks

God continues to look for leaders that are willing to do everything that he asks.

Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

John 10:18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

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Throughout scripture God has been looking for leaders who will do everything that he asks them to do. There were many different responses to God’s authority, just remember how different leaders in the Bible responded, think about Moses, Abraham, King Saul, Jonah they all had excuses and went against God and only partially obeyed God’s will.

Today we see an entirely different man, the God man, he had choices and the power to disobey and yet he was fully obedient to God’s will for his life. You don’t think that he had the power to choose? Could he have gone against the Fathers will? The devil believed that he could.

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

Satan worked overtime on Jesus because he believed that it was possible to get him to be disobedient and thwart God’s plan for a Savior that would make the perfect sacrifice for everyman. Satan worked him over but he was obedient, through all the human suffering and emotion that he experienced he proved to us that it is still possible to overcome all these things that weigh us down and be obedient to God’s will.

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Even in the garden moments before his arrest, Jesus told God the Father “thy will be done.” Jesus had fully aligned his will with the will of the Father, he said that he had “the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.” Praise God that Jesus was obedient unto death!

Jesus was perfect at doing his Fathers will despite the circumstances, despite the trouble, despite the emotions through all the trials that he endured, all of which are “common to man” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Jesus was still obedient and he was willing to do everything that God asked him to do.


It should be noted that Jesus had to struggle with the same issues that we use to excuse our disobedience he is our example of the man that completely obeyed his Fathers will.

A follower of Christ may become sorrowful and troubled when one considers the implications of obeying God, obedience can be costly, you may suffer but it will be worth it all to hear the Savior say “well done good and faithful servant.”

There are so many excuses that we use for our disobedience but you proved that they can all be overcome. Help me to live each day in submission to your will.

What's In Your Heart?

The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them.

1 Samuel 16:6 When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!”7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

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Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD?

That sounds like a simple question and yet we all have to scratch our heads and ask the same question of ourselves. Or maybe you have somebody that will ask you the hard questions, somebody that will keep you accountable before God, church attendance would probably drop if the pastor walked around confronting people like Samuel confronted Saul.

God wanted obedience from King Saul but instead he did his own thing and then when he was caught in his lies by Samuel the priest he was never repentant. Samuel was sent to anoint a new man to be king a man that has a heart for God.

The man for the job was David, the least of his brothers, he was looked down upon as a shepherd, he was from a small town, there wasn’t much going for him from a human perspective. But God doesn’t look at what we look at, God sees the real person without any spin or propaganda, he takes a look at the inner man. Look at what David told his son Solomon when he was passing on the crown:

1 Chronicles 28:9 "And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

The Lord sees every heart, he has supernatural vision, the kind that looks deep inside and sees beyond the walls and deception that we throw up to impress each other. Man may be impressed by looking at that but just remember it wont last, eventually what is in your heart is going to leak out.

It may seem scary to think that God’s eyes see deep inside to the heart of a man, but thankfully he does, because while other men are busy looking at my exterior God is looking at the desires of my heart. When I do slip up he knows the attitude and the intent of my heart and that I desire to please him.

Create in me a clean heart

David was bold enough to ask God to purify the sinful heart that we are born with and to get rid of all the impurities that hamper our relationship with God.

Psalms 19:12 How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults.

Psalms 26:2 Put me on trial, LORD, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart.

Create in me a loyal heart

David told Solomon to “Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind.” The whole heart, nothing less, God wants your loyalty.

Psalms 103:1 Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

David wasn’t perfect but he truly desired to be God’s man, a man that could lead his country with integrity and faithfulness. We all know of David’s failures but despite those failures the Lord still knew that David’s heart truly desired to do what God asked him to do.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

I will strive to know God and to know what he wants me to do. What a huge compliment to David that God said that he was a man after his own heart. Meditating on his word everyday will be a big help toward creating a pure heart.

Give us men in our church Lord that have a heart for you. Help me to always strive to keep my heart pure so that I will please you.

Anywhere Lord…..Just Not There.

Jonah didn't like God's plans.

Jonah 1:1 The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are."3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD.

Jonah 2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from inside the fish. 2 He said, "I cried out to the LORD in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and LORD, you heard me! 3 You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves.

Jonah 3: 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: "Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!" 5 The people of Nineveh believed God's message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. 10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

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God asked Jonah to be his man to go tell the people of the great city of Nineveh that God is not happy with them.

Jonah decided that he didn't want to be God's man to lead a revival in Nineveh, this city was the capital of the Assyrian empire, Jonah didn't like his assignment and he really wasn't interested in preaching to these wicked people. Jonah's will was exactly the opposite of God's will, God wanted to show mercy to the Assyrians but Jonah only wanted the Assyrians to experience God's judgment.

Jonah's self centered desires required some intervention from God to redirect Jonah's path. The Lord told Jonah to go East and Jonah said nope, I am going west, he got to the coast of the Mediterranean and he said I need to go even farther so he bought his ticket and off he went, further west on that now famous boat ride.

Notice how going against God became a difficult path, the progress of the boat was hindered by a huge storm, and Jonah's plan to run from God wasn't going so well. Jonah thought that everything was working out great, he was so much at peace with his plan that he bedded down for the night and didn't have any idea that danger was on the way, instead of the Ninevites experiencing judgment Jonah was about to experience it instead.

Jonah wasn't ready to pursue God's will, he didn't agree with it, he had a struggle to come to grips with what God was asking him to do, God looks for leaders who resolutely strive to understand and pursue his will, even if we can't stand the thought of what God wants us to do.

Often times in life we feel like we are riding in that boat waiting to see if it is going to fall apart, we are in the midst of a storm that God has sent but we don't see that the purpose of the storm may be a means of God getting our attention so that we will change course. When we are in that boat we will often blame others for the situation but when Jonah was asked he immediately confessed that he was the reason for the storm.

Does it seem weird that Jonah told the guys to throw him into the ocean, why not just get down on your knees and beg God for forgiveness? Maybe Jonah still wasn't ready to go to Nineveh, maybe the thought of dying at sea was a better idea in Jonah's mind than going to Nineveh, but God was willing to give Jonah another chance to do his will. Jonah was repentant and he was able to show the Assyrians that they needed to repent too.

Am I willing to do ANYTHING that God asks me to do? It is easy to think so before the time comes to actually do it. God wants leaders that are willing to do his will even when it is something that you prefer not to do. I think that most of us have said I will go anywhere but… For Jonah the big but in his life was Nineveh, God wanted to do big things in Nineveh, but Jonah needed some time to get on board with God's plan.

Forgive me for not being completely obedient, thank you for working with me Lord even when I don't think that your way is the best. Help me to trust you and help me to desire the same things that you desire and to be completely willing to follow you.

Our Disobedience Is A Heart Problem

God is not be pleased with leaders that are disobedient or full of pride.

1 Samuel 15:1 One day Samuel said to Saul, “It was the LORD who told me to anoint you as king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the LORD! 2 This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt. 3 Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys.”

4 So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah. 5 Then Saul and his army went to a town of the Amalekites and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Saul sent this warning to the Kenites: “Move away from where the Amalekites live, or you will die with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up from Egypt.” So the Kenites packed up and left.

7 Then Saul slaughtered the Amalekites from Havilah all the way to Shur, east of Egypt. 8 He captured Agag, the Amalekite king, but completely destroyed everyone else. 9 Saul and his men spared Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep and goats, the cattle, the fat calves, and the lambs—everything, in fact, that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality.

10 Then the LORD said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the LORD all night.

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The story of Saul leaves me with a lot of questions that I would like to ask God someday. Surely God knew that Saul wasn’t going to do much of anything that he was asked to do but God still chose Saul to be Israel’s first king.

Saul was sent on a mission to execute God’s judgment on an evil nation, he was told to be through and eliminate all signs that these people ever existed, don’t even take any plunder.

Most cookie jars are noisy, I wonder why they make them that way, so when Samuel walks up he can hear the lid on the jar being moved and Saul is in trouble. Saul decided that partial obedience to God would suffice, what would it matter if their king was allowed to live and why not come home with some reward, don’t I deserve it for the work that I have done for you Lord. Poor Saul he thought that he was getting away with something but his noisy cookie jar had already given him away:

“I have carried out the LORD’s command!” “Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?” Samuel demanded.

Saul must have gulped as he heard these words and thought to himself, “Why didn’t I think of that?” so now he tries to turn his disobedience into a noble cause “we brought back all this stuff to sacrifice to the LORD” how can you argue with that? Are you buying that story? If Samuel hadn’t said anything I am pretty sure that those livestock would be in the pasture for a long time.

Samuel asked “Why haven’t you obeyed the LORD?” and just like our kids lie to us Saul replied “But I did obey the LORD!”

Not only was Saul disobedient to God, he was also suffering from overly inflated self esteem, right after the victory Saul set up a monument to himself. Pride was probably behind Saul’s motives to plunder the country instead of destroying everything, he was able to say “Look what I did.”

God is not be pleased with leaders that are disobedient or full of pride, he may still use them for a season just as he did with Saul, but he still took Saul out when his servant David was ready to take the throne.

We should take obedience very seriously, God told Saul that “Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.” Disobedience is a big deal!

We have to protect our hearts selfishness, disobedience and pride can cause us to rebel against God and will take away our usefulness in God’s kingdom work.

Take my pride away Lord, my selfishness too, I want to be completely obedient to you.

Waiting On The Lord

Sometimes God uses the pause button.

Acts 7:20  "At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months. 21  When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22  Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.

23  "One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24  He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. 25  Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.

26  "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'

27  "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked. 28  'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' 29  When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.

30  "Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush. 31  When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him, 32  'I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.

33  "Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34  I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'

35 "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. 36  And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

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Looking back at Moses life we can see that God was preparing him to be a leader to rescue his people, but I wonder if Moses had any idea that God was going to use him to help his people, do you think that Moses was sitting in his bedroom in the royal palace and dreaming of what it would be like if he could use his power and authority to help the Israelites.

The scriptures tell us that "Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action" that sounds like pretty good credentials to require a leader to have, maybe Moses thought that he could help his people. Moses had a great resume and should have been the leader of something but instead when he was forty years old he made a big mistake.

After Moses killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian to get away from Pharaoh, I bet that if he dreamed of leading the Israelites then that dream had disappeared by now, did he feel like he blew it and that he would never get another chance? Moses must have been broken hearted and felt like a failure. Do you think that in those forty years in the desert that Moses ever thought that he would be useful in helping the Israelites?

Exodus 3:7  Then the LORD told him, "I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8  So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians

Notice who God said was going to rescue the Israelites, God told Moses that God was going to rescue his people and that Moses was going to be God's instrument to make it happen.

Also notice that after all the forty years of training and qualifications that Moses had, God used the broken man that had spent another forty years in the desert, time and again we see in the Bible that God uses the broken and weak to lead the strong.

Looking back at this story the timing seemed so right for Moses to lead his people when he was the strong and powerful man but God took him out of his position of authority and in his own timing he used the broken man that had no strength of his own to rely on.

Becoming the type of leader God desires you to be requires viewing your preparation from God's perspective. God's timing and preparation and his use of our failures can turn us into a leader that he can use.

Thank you Lord for using me beyond my perceived weaknesses. Thank you for looking past our mistakes and still finding us useful for your work.

Jesus Leadership Style

scripture

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John 13:1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

observation

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“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God”

Jesus had every reason to say "I am not touching those disciples dirty feet" but Jesus never needed to protect his image, he didn't do anything to make sure that everybody knew that he is powerful, he was okay if they saw him as a servant.

The Jews had never seen a leader like this before, whether it was the various governments that they had lived under or if it was the religious leaders that they had to submit to, they all ruled with a heavy hand that made sure that the little people knew who was in charge.

“You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”How true are these words? We all have moments when we would like to ask God what he is up too. The disciples were just as clueless as we are many times. Sometimes we try like Peter did and say "I will never" but God seems to enjoy streching us beyond our "never."

And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.
Remember Simon, the Pharisee that had Jesus over to his house for dinner, he was a teacher but he was not of the same character as Jesus. Simon thought that he was too good to be washing the dusty feet of his guest, but here is Jesus being the humble servant, willing to serve his disciples and show them the type of leaders that they should become.

application

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The greatest leader the world has ever know was not afraid to be a servant to everyone. If I am going to be a leader in ministry then I cannot be afraid to be a servant.

prayer

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Help me to serve you Lord with humility, I am nothing that you should decide to find me useful for your work.