Make Some Disciples

What can we do to make disciples today?

Matthew 28:18-20 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."

Ephesians 1:21 Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else--not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be My witnesses

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Just a few days ago Jesus seemed to be totally powerless, he seemed to be unable to do anything for himself that day, but today we see that when we were looking at him on the cross we were so wrong about what was really going on and what he was capable of doing.

The man that took the role of the Passover lamb and humbled himself to die on the cross didn't do it because he didn't have the power to stop the events, oh no, he gave his life willingly. He could have easily taken the power of his captors away so that they could not finish their evil plans, he could have caused their bodies to become too weak to bring any harm to him but instead Jesus actually empowered them to accomplish HIS purpose. (John 10:15-18, Romans 13:1)

Jesus tells his disciples to go, go be the church, go tell others the good news, go and grow them into maturity in Christ. The question that we should never stop asking is this "What can we do to make disciples today?"

He didn't tell us to go and build programs and keep them forever because of tradition, he didn't tell us to go and make workers or tithers, he told us to go and have an affect on other people so that they will come to know him.

I have the power to be a witness for Christ, the power was given to me by Jesus I want to help create disciples in my church.

Help us Lord to remember the power that we have, you told us to go and make disciples and that is what we are to be doing. I pray that my church will become better equipped to make disciples.

Following Jesus

Following keeps on happening one step at a time no matter what happens.

 

John 12:12-19  The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors  13  took palm branches and went down the road to meet Him. They shouted, "Praise God! Blessings on the One who comes in the name of the LORD! Hail to the King of Israel!"  14  Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:  15  "Don't be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey's colt."

16  His disciples didn't understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into His glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about Him.

17  Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising Him from the dead, and they were telling others about it.  18  That was the reason so many went out to meet Him--because they had heard about this miraculous sign.  19  Then the Pharisees said to each other, "There's nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after Him!"

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Jerusalem was probably in a state of chaos, there were crowds in the city with their animals for the Passover celebration, and there were people that were amazed that Lazarus was back from the dead. It reminds me of the commotion that Mary and Joseph experienced when they arrived in Bethlehem to register for the census.

The excitement goes a little bit higher when the word gets out that Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. A crowd begins to parade out of the city to meet him as he comes to town.  The Pharisees are annoyed at the welcome party that Jesus received and unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to silence the people, they told Jesus but he told them that "If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!" (Luke 19:38-40).

The crowds were amazed by Jesus. 

The thing the Pharisees most feared was happening right in front of them and there doesn't seem to be a way to stop it. "Everyone has gone after him!" And why not? Jesus has made their dull life of oppression and poverty so much better. He has fed thousands, given them help with their physical ailments and brought back relatives that have died. Following was easy and for a while it made their life better.

But are they really followers of Jesus? They followed him around but that didn't make them people of faith anymore than going to church makes you a Christian. A fully committed follower knows that Jesus isn't the key to your "best life now."

The Pharisees were amazed by the crowd.

These guys were deceived into thinking that they needed to worry about losing their position and power but Jesus knew better. Jesus knew that the crowds wanted something that he wasn't going to give them, Jesus knew that they didn't understand the mission that brought him to earth, he knew that they would turn against him in a few days. Jesus would disappoint the crowds when he didn't leverage his influence to overthrow the system.

Maybe it wasn't their position or power, maybe some of the Pharisees really believed that they were doing the right thing, in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 God instructed them to kill false prophets, maybe some of them believed that they were obligated to get rid of Jesus in the same way that Saul was persecuting the early church.

The problem with that thinking is that the Pharisees are the real false prophets and teachers that are leading the people astray. Somebody should be throwing rocks at them!

Following Has A Price

Luke 14:25-28  A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them,  "If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison--your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters--yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be My disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow Me, you cannot be My disciple. But don't begin until you count the cost.

Jesus didn't smooth talk his way into getting followers, he didn't give the itching ears the stuff that they wanted to hear, Jesus told the crowds that following him was not going to be easy. Many times he told the crowds that his committed followers would have to make great sacrifices.

Make sure that you follow Jesus because of who he is not because of what you think he might provide for you. The truest test of following comes in the “even if” moments, even if my marriage falls apart, even if this cancer never goes away, even if I lose my job, even if we never get pregnant. Following keeps on happening one step at a time no matter what happens.

Isaiah 43:2  When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

Are you a part of the crowd or are you fully committed? The crowd questions God's love when the going gets tough. The crowd isn't going to keep on following when the goodies and benefits are surpassed by the struggles and disappointments that will surely come.

We question God's love in the difficulty but he knows that in those uncomfortable situations we grow and we make choices that increase our faith, he will put us in those situations on purpose because he wants so much more for us. It is only when we come through the tough times that our faith muscle gets exercised and it gets put on display for God's glory.

We are satisfied with where we are and who we are but God wants so much more for us. Our amazement with Jesus only requires us to use our brain. God is after our heart and that is what he needs to get us to be his committed followers!

Do we have the faith to follow Jesus one step at a time? Will we follow Jesus wherever He goes, knowing that it is God who leads the way?

Standing On The Promises

God's promises compel me to pursue living up to a higher standard.

2 Peter 1:4-7  And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.

5  In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,  6  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,  7  and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

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God has given me everything I need to live in this world that is corrupt and full of uncontrolled passions. As a child of God I have his nature within me to help me live drastically different than the rest of the world. So much has been given to me that I didn't do anything to deserve and I am responsible for my response to God's promises.

I love how the New Living translation says that I must "escape the world's corruption." As Jesus disciple, I am saved through faith without any effort on my part but now that I am saved I am compelled to discipline myself and make every attempt to live for him. This doesn't come naturally and I will need to resolve to work at the change that God wants to see in me.

True Christians will want to increase in their understanding of God and take on his character. Some of the qualities that I must grow in include:

✔  Virtue (moral excellence)
✔  Knowledge
✔  Self control
✔  Patience
✔  Godliness
✔  Brotherly kindness
✔  Love

My life should honor God in every way, all that I am and in everything that I do, in my worship and in my relationships. It is so easy to do things that dishonor him, we think more about pleasing our friends than we do about pleasing the greatest friend that we could possibly have.

Spiritual Training
1 Timothy 4:7-9  Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives' tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come."  This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it.

The world wants us to focus on physical training which doesn't do anything for us when we step into eternity. Paul told Timothy that training for godliness comes with a promise of benefits for this life and in the life to come.

Putting my faith in the work of Jesus on the cross is the starting point on a long journey. I need to respond to God's promises by training myself spiritually to become more like him.

Thank you Lord for your promises, thank you for showing us a better way to live, I want to honor you by becoming more like you.

Everything I Need

There is only one source of strength that I need to live for God.

2 Peter 1:3-4  By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

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Checkout the unlimited power that we have in our lives to live the way that God wants. I did not do anything to deserve it, he is offering this power to all of his children, he has done this because of his glory and excellence.

God promises that we can live above the evil worldly sin nature because we have his nature in us. God's children are enabled to share in his nature and moral excellence which is far greater than the code of ethics that our world lives by.

My eternal life starts now, I shouldn't sit back and wait to be changed when I get to heaven, I should already be making progress toward being like my Savior. So many of God's children don't look much different than the rest of the world, they have not made any steps forward in becoming who God wants them to be, Jesus doesn't want us to wait. (Luke 6:40)

Ephesian 1:19-20  I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

My strength to start my eternal life comes from the enormous power from God. My old sin nature is nothing in comparison but it is still a stronghold that I will have to work to overcome. I can break the power of the hurts, habits and hang-ups that Satan wants to use to keep me from reaching my potential in Jesus but it cannot be defeated by my own efforts.

Jesus love for me and all of these great promises and power motivate me to live for him. When you see yourself through the eyes of God without Jesus sacrifice and then you look at yourself with Jesus you will begin to realize how much he has done for you that you didn't deserve. How could I not live for him? (2 Corinthians 5:14, Colossians 1:13-14)

You are an awesome God, full of glory and power! Thank you for choosing me and making your power available to me.

Responding To Jesus

How will you respond to the radical claims of Jesus?

John 6:41-42  Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because He had said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven."  42  They said, "Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph? We know His father and mother. How can He say, 'I came down from heaven'?"

John 6:60-69  Many of His disciples said, "This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?"

61  Jesus was aware that His disciples were complaining, so He said to them, "Does this offend you?  62  Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again?

63  The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  64  But some of you do not believe Me." (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn't believe, and He knew who would betray Him.)

65  Then He said, "That is why I said that people can't come to Me unless the Father gives them to Me."  66  At this point many of His disciples turned away and deserted Him.

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John chapter six could be called the bread chapter, it starts off with Jesus asking Phillip where they could get enough bread to fill the stomachs of thousands of people, then the next morning the crowd demands to get breakfast. Jesus reply to them is that he is not so concerned about their belly but rather he is the bread of life that their souls are hungry for.

The people that were following Jesus around were not really followers of Jesus, he gave them so much evidence to prove who he was and yet they still didn't get it, just look at all of the miracles that he performed in Galilee. In Galilee he turned the water into wine, he healed the nobleman's son without even seeing him, he fed the hungry crowds but none of that mattered to this crowd. The evidence is overwhelming and their lack of understanding is inexcusable.

Matthew 11:23-24 "And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you."

They are unaware of the danger in ignoring God's blessings. As immoral as those Old Testament cities were they are still better off than the city of Capernaum.

Even the guys that grew up with Jesus had a hard time believing and it wasn't until after the resurrection that they finally got it.

John 7:5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.

The crowds could handle the physical benefits of following Jesus, the free food and the free medical, the stuff that he did made him very popular but then the things that he said made them turn on him. They could take his works but not His words. As soon as He starts talking about being God's son and that he came to save them from their sins they are out of there.

Will You Believe?
John 6:67-69 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, "Are you also going to leave?" Simon Peter replied, "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know You are the Holy One of God."

At the beginning of this chapter there are thousands of followers and by the end there are only eleven. There are plenty of people that want the Jesus that came to do good deeds and talk about being nice to each other but the number of people that are willing to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior is much smaller.

Peter responds to Jesus question with another question, it is a question that we should all ponder, the answer to this question should help build up our faith. Where will you go if you turn from Jesus to follow something else?

Will you go to those who deny God’s sovereignty or to those that deny that he exists? Will you hang out with those that deny the power of sin or those that say it really isn't a big problem?

The world offers a long list of alternatives to Jesus but they all fall short of dealing with the issues. We may not have all the problems solved—the problems of following Jesus and saying yes to his teaching and his Lordship and his saving work.

-John Piper

We cannot possibly understand everything about God or his son Jesus, there are plenty of things in the Bible that baffle us and some things that we will find offensive, but where else can you go to solve the dilemma of your sin? Where else can you find the words that give eternal life?

Thank you Lord for your word that gives light to help me know you.

RELATED ARTICLES

You Have The Words Of Eternal Life (desiringgod.org)

Come And See

Jesus invites us to come and check him out.

 

John 1:38-46  Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked them. They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"  39  "Come and see," He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

40  Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.  41  Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ").

42  Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, son of John--but you will be called Cephas" (which means "Peter").

43  The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, follow Me."  44  Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown.

45  Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth."  46  "Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"

"Come and see for yourself," Philip replied.

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Two men took the initiative and start following Jesus and it doesn't take long for him to realize that he has company. Have you ever been followed by a couple of rough looking men that you don't know? Would you walk faster and try and get away?

Jesus is a very kind and inviting person and he decides to break the ice with these two guys by asking a question. In the previous post we looked at the question that Jesus asked. The disciples make it clear that they are anxious to spend time with Jesus and they want more than just a few minutes on the road with him. (What Do You Want From Jesus?)

"Come and see" is the invitation that Andrew and John received from Jesus. The offer is the same one that we have today. He doesn't force himself of us but if we take a step toward him he will invite us to come closer and check him out and make an informed decision about who he is. His response to the disciples revealed nothing and it didn't promise anything, it only invited an opportunity to begin a relationship. Do you desire to be in the presence of God?

It didn't take long for Andrew to be fully convinced that he had found the Messiah and he wanted to share the awesome news with his brother Simon. That's the same response that most new followers of Christ have, they cannot keep it to themselves and hide it under a bushel, they seek to tell their family and friends so they may be brought to the Saviour. That is the thrust of mission work today. We do not wait for them to come to us, but we go for them and seek them out, and tell them that a Saviour is found.

Jesus invites Philip to "come follow me," Philip must have made up his mind about Jesus very quickly. We see another immediate reaction reaction, Philip's reaction was the same as Andrew's, he wants to find his brother right away and share the good news."

"Come and see," is the reply that Philip gives when Nathanael shows that he is skeptical that somebody that comes from the region of Galilee or the town of Nazareth could possibly be the Messiah. Philip didn't try to convince him, he didn't give him any apologetics or try to reason with Nathanael, he just wanted to show him Jesus.

So we should beg the people around us to lay aside their prejudices against religion, since there are so many definitions for the term Christian, we should be cautious about asking them to be one. We should just ask them to "come and see" Jesus for themselves.

John 7:52 They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself, no prophet ever comes from Galilee!"

"Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Nathanael may have been skeptical or prejudiced but he certainly was not proud like the religious leaders that couldn't believe that the Messiah would come from Nazareth or from the region of Galilee. As soon as Jesus met  Nathanael he confirmed that Nathanael was a man of good character.

Jesus knows each one of us but do we know him? Do we know more about our definition of a Christian than we know about Jesus? A Muslim, a Jehovahs Witness, a Mormon or any other religious group, don't need to be convinced to become a Christian. They need to be shown Jesus for who he really is.

If we seek to know him then we will have a better chance of becoming like him. If we show Jesus to the people around us then we will overcome the prejudice that people have toward Christianity. After all of the history of messing things up, they can easily say, "Christian, can anything good come from that?"

Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

We don't need to show anybody a lot of knowledge or doctrine. We need to invite the people around us to learn about Jesus by inviting the to "Come and see."

What Do You Want?

How would you answer Jesus question?

John 1:35-39  The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.  36  As Jesus walked by, John looked at Him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!"

37  When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.  38  Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked them.

They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"  39  "Come and see," He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

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A popular phrase that you have probably heard is "Jesus is the answer" but have you ever thought about the questions that Jesus asked? As a teacher or Rabbi Jesus used questions to make us think and go deeper in analyzing our hearts. Instead of easy answers Jesus asks difficult questions.

It is almost time for John the Baptist to fade into the background, his ministry doesn't seem to have lasted very long, it isn't long after Jesus begins his ministry that John's ministry disappears. There isn't any reason for the crowds to keep following John the Baptist when the Messiah is the one that you should be following.

I have to wonder what the disciples of John wanted if they didn't want Jesus. John the Baptist must of had a lot of disciples around him the day that he pointed out Jesus and told the crowd that that guy is the Messiah and yet we only know of two people that stopped following John and turned to Jesus. It makes me wonder why they were following John. If they believed in his message about the coming Messiah then they should have said good-bye to John the Baptist and followed Jesus.

These two guys were very happy to see Jesus and the look on their face must have made it very clear that they wanted to be with Jesus. As Jesus notices the disciples he turns to them and makes himself available to them. That's the same thing that he does for anyone that is honestly seeking him.

Jesus breaks the ice and begins the conversation with a question. Jesus asked them "What do you want?" Their smiling faces may have turned to red with embarrassment. Was he mad that they had interrupted his day?

What do you want from Jesus? Why are you following him? We all have different reasons for beginning to follow after Jesus. Most of them are pretty selfish at the beginning of our faith journey, we want to avoid hell or we want Jesus to fix our situation in life that we created, your life is a mess and you don't know what else to do.

Instead of a direct answer the disciples ask Jesus where he is staying, that's an indirect way of saying that they want to get invited over for the afternoon, they wanted to be with Jesus for more than a few minutes on the road. They addressed Jesus as "Rabbi" and they knew that they needed to stay with him and learn from him.

Consider three of Jesus questions that are recorded in the Gospels: ✔  What do you want? (John 1:38) ✔  Why are you looking for me? (Luke 2:49) ✔  What do you want me to do for you? (Mark 10:36, 51)

We can analyze our motives and the condition of our heart by asking ourselves the questions that Jesus asked two thousand years ago. His questions will help us to focus on God and not religion, his questions will draw us to repentance, and his questions will bring to mind our level of obedience and commitment to him.

Growing Big Faith - Personal Ministry - Part 2

Personal ministry requires us to trust Jesus and get out of the boat.

Matthew 14:28-33 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” 29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.

“Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

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In the previous post Jesus and the disciples had taken a boat across the lake to get away from the crowds that were out of control. It looks like Jesus was trying to get away from the crowds but it could be that he was setting up a teachable moment for his disciples.

An important lesson on faith was the result of this boat ride across the lake. They had gone to a remote area and they needed food for the crowd but the only source of food was a small lunch basket. The disciples learned that they need to give Jesus what little they have and allow him to take care of the rest. That was Faith 101, the followup course, Faith 201 is coming right up.

The disciples are taking another boat ride but this time they are without Jesus. They are in the boat doing what they know how to do. They are experienced and have plenty of training at navigating a boat in a lake, they are at ease, they probably think "finally, Jesus asks us to do something that we know how to do."

The problem is that you don't learn very much in that situation and great things don't usually happen so let's throw in a bad storm and get them out of their comfort zone. They have been out there for hours and they were panicked, then it gets worse, Jesus saw their situation and went out across the water to them, they see him and now they are really freaked out.

The disciples are once again in a situation that seems impossible, earlier in the day they witnessed the impossible when Jesus fed the crowds, now they are in a situation that their experience tells them is hopeless. They are probably sure that this boat is going to sink.

Need Help?

Psalms 37:5  Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust Him, and He will help you.

Peter realized that he could do anything that Jesus asked him to do, he learned that when they fed the crowd a few hours ago, he just needed to know that Jesus was asking. Peter told Jesus to ask him to get out of the boat and walk across the water, so Jesus invites him to come.

Maybe the other disciples in the boat were thinking just get out of the boat but Peter wanted to know that Jesus wanted him to do it. The difference between faith and stupidity, you don't want to be out of God's will when you are making such a bold move, Peter asked Jesus to take him out of his comfort zone.

Peter may have thought "I dont know how to walk on water but I know how to get out of a boat and I know how to walk, I am going to trust Jesus with the rest." And so he trusted, until he took his eyes off Jesus and took a look around at his surroundings, he was reminded of what he couldn't do. He started thinking about his ability.

Instead of trusting in the one that can take you beyond what you can do you decide to look at your abilities and play it safe. Just about every minister, just about every ministry started with somebody that was willing to get out of the boat, insecurity is common to all of us.

Is God asking you to feed a crowd with what you have in your hands? Is he asking you to stand up and get out of the boat? When these things happen then God gets the credit but if you don't step out then you will never know what God may have accomplished through you.

Help me to trust you Lord and have big faith, big enough to pray the Peter prayer and ask Jesus to invite me out of your comfort zone.

Praying For Improvement

Praying for spiritual growth is a great way to bless your friends and neighbors.

Ephesians 1:15-19  Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere,  16  I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,  17  asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.   

18  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called--His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him.

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The ultimate church planter was probably the Apostle Paul, his strategy for planting new churches is an example that is still valid today, God used Paul to get the message about Jesus out of Israel and spread it around the world.

Paul was happy to learn that his church plant had developed a strong faith but he didn't believe that they had arrived. Paul knew that there is always room for improvement and that the pagan culture around them could easily distort the truth of the gospel and lead this new church astray.

These new Christians needed to:

✔ Grow in their knowledge of God.
✔ Realize the hope that we have in Jesus.
✔ Learn about God's great power.
✔ Understand what God's will is.

As we become more mature in our faith and understanding of God the easier it will be to live in a manner that pleases him. The new disciples had to get beyond the basics and get to know God better, just having enough knowledge about God to understand the good news of Jesus work on the cross isn't enough, there needs to be a discipleship process.

Paul was concerned about planting churches but he didn't just plant them and take off down the road, he also worked to make disciples, often times he left his coworkers behind or he sent letters to help clarify doctrine but most importantly he prayed for them.

Maturity produces obedience.

Colossians 1:9-10  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

What a great way to help the people that we know, to pray for their spiritual needs instead of concentrating on their physical needs, it is amazing that we are content to pray for the temporary instead of the eternal.

The greatest need that we have after our salvation is to become more like our Savior. To see the world through his eyes, to react to situations the way that he would, to put others before ourselves the way that he did.
 
Of course the right attitude is necessary when praying for somebody else to grow spiritually. If you are praying for them because you have judged them and decided that they "really" need improvement then you need to be careful. Don't forget the parable about "mister log eye."

No matter how faithful and spiritual we become we will never reach perfection and we will still need somebody that will go beyond praying for our temporary needs. What an awesome way to help our friends and neighbors. I need to pray for what really matters in the lives of the people all around me, those people that know the Lord already and for those that still need to know him.

Related articles

• Praying Often And Praying Well (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
• Ten Simple Strategies for Prayer (thomrainer.com)
• Spiritual Prayers (wisdomhunters.com)

Grow In Christ

Putting your roots down deep in Jesus.

Colossians 2:6-8  And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him.

7  Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

8  Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

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Difficult times are guaranteed for any Christ follower. After you have become a Child of God the devil knows that he cannot have you, but he does know that he needs to keep you from realizing your full potential in Christ and he wants to stop you from being an effective disciple maker. You made a decision to follow Christ and if you are like so many other Christ followers then you too will be tempted to do something that he just can't stand; you just might help create another Christ follower. The devil can't let that possibility go unchallenged.

There will be "new" teachings that will try and trick you and uproot your faith. The best way to safeguard against the winds of the latest philosophies that blow in is to have a deep root system that will keep you anchored. (John 15:4, Ephesians 4:14-15)

Psalms 1:1-4  Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

The advantages of being a Godly man are seen in the beginning of the book of Psalms. The Godly man is to be different in his thoughts and his behavior.

The Godly man's life finds strength and nourishment in the Bible, he puts his roots down deep into the word and enjoys a stability and fruitful life that the wicked can only dream of. (Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Timothy 4:8)

If we realize that these false teachings come from spiritual forces that we cannot stand against on our own then we should also realize that we cannot survive without the help that comes from having our roots planted by the source of nourishment that will keep until the day of Christ return. (Ephesians 6:12)

I must spend time with God everyday so that I can live with authenticity, spending time with him is the only way to keep on track and living without compromise.

I Am A New Creation

But there are changes that are still on the way.

Galatians 6:14-16 As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died.

15 It doesn't matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.

16 May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God

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There isn't any room in God's kingdom for a self-made man, a man that did it his way will be anxious to tell you how well he has done at overcoming obstacles and how great he is at making things happen, there is usually a lot of pride in that man's life.

The Apostle Paul was a self-made man, he had a lot of book learning, he had some great teachers and he had people that had great power that gave him the authority to go after Jesus followers and have them imprisoned or killed. We look at Paul and think that he is a big deal, look at everything that he did for the church and God's kingdom, before his conversion to Christianity Paul may have joined you in patting himself on the back, but not after the message of Jesus got through to him.

God's people are not marked by circumcision anymore, they are supposed to be marked by a new life, they should be a new creation, their world view is different, their way of thinking has changed. Is your life new, is it driven by new desires? (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 12:1-2, 1 Peter 1:14-15)

God's people should be different.

Deuteronomy 18:12-13 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the LORD your God.

There is an unseen battle going on every minute of everyday, God is looking for people that are set apart, people that will see past the lies of the devil and live a better life. Our sin nature is pulling us in one direction and the Holy Spirit is wanting us to go the other way.

I am making progress but I am still a construction project that isn't finished yet, I have a bright future in glory, that's where I will finally find my rest from the battle between good and evil, the future glory of God's people when we finally become all that we were met to be.

I need to use the power of the Holy Spirit in my life so that I can overcome the devil's evil schemes that come against me to trip me up, I need the Holy Spirit to work in me to give me the strength and the discernment to make the right decisions in my daily walk.

Luke 12:31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. 

Help me Lord to rely on you and to rely on the power that you give through the Holy Spirit so that I can become more like you.

What's Important To You

Your actions should be matched up with the right attitude.

Luke 14:25-30, 33 A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, 26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

28 “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’

33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

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Popularity polls can be very misleading, they seek to know who is popular but they never ask why that person is popular, somebodies popularity could be based on misconceptions instead of reality.

In this scripture today, Jesus popularity was way up, the crowds are all excited and willing to follow him around as he teaches, heals and gives away free food. But was his popularity based on misconceptions about who he is and what his agenda is? It looks like following Jesus is a free ride, he talks about love, he feeds us and he keeps us healthy.

Jesus wasn't ever slow to set the record straight and today's scripture is no exception. Jesus told the crowd that "following" him required so much more than just "following" him through the dusty streets of Israel. Jesus told them that their allegiance would have to change, he told them that they would have to change their attitude and their actions.

Attitude is everything in following Jesus, trying to make yourself great or following just for the rewards is futile and if you think that a rigorous compliance to all of the rules will get you anywhere then you need to talk to the apostle Paul about his Pharisee days.

Right behind attitude is your actions, denying yourself and accepting the cross that Jesus has asked you to carry should only come from someone having the proper attitude, if you try to carry your cross with the wrong attitude then you won't carry it very far before you decide that it isn't worth it.

Is it worth it to give up so much for Jesus?

Matthew 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.

It seems like you are giving up so much, Jesus is asking you to live a different lifestyle from the rest of the world, but what does the world really have to offer? Wouldn't you rather live for so much more?

The world is trying to sell you on ways to find joy, peace and happiness but the only way to get lasting results is from following Jesus Christ, he said that we will receive many benefits from following him and that carrying our cross will be so worth it. (Matthew 7:24-25, 19:29, Mark 10:29-30, Luke 11:28, John 14:27, 15:10-1)

So Much Work To Do

It is a good choice but discipleship and worship trump serving.

Luke 10:38-42  As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

John 12:2-3  So they gave a dinner for Him there; Martha was serving them, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him. 3 Then Mary took a pound of fragrant oil, pure and expensive nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

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Mary and Martha both loved Jesus, their story really is a love story, both ladies were very devoted to what they were doing because of their love for Jesus but still, one of them wasn't doing the preferred thing at that moment.

Martha called Jesus the Messiah just before her brother was brought back from the dead (John 11:27), she was a true believer but she had her priorities mixed up. Jesus is right there in the house with her on two different occasions and both times she chooses to serve. On the same two occasions Mary chose to focus on discipleship and worship rather than working.

The first time that Mary sat at Jesus feet it was like any disciple or follower would, all of the rabbis at the temple had followers that sat at their feet and learned from them, Mary was interested in discipleship rather than serving. The second time that she was at Jesus feet was when she has her own worship service as she anointed Jesus feet with expensive perfume.

There are three good choices, serving, discipleship and worship, we have to make up our minds what the best choice is, which one will be our priority. It seems like it is the same as when the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about love. Paul said that faith, hope, and love were all good but he made it clear that love was the greatest. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Any pastor would be thrilled to have a church full of "Mary's and Martha's." The work would be getting done and there would also be lots of discipleship and worship. Service is wonderful to have but it is even more important to chose to worship Jesus and learn to be more like him. After-all Jesus himself told us to go and make disciples and to teach them, he didn't say go and make people that will serve (Matthew 28:19-20). There are a lot of lazy people in the church that need to be serving but their problem is that they probably are not worshiping or growing either.

Serving in my local church is important but I need to keep my priorities straight and remember that worship and discipleship are a notch above serving.

Help me Lord to serve you with my priorities in the right order.

The Disciple Making Lifestyle

Jesus lived to make disciples.

Matthew 4:19  “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”

Matthew 28:19  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

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There are a lot of distractions in the world but for the Christ follower that wants to be obedient, the number one focus should be on making disciples, it's what Jesus spent his time doing everyday. He started his ministry with the call to the first disciples and he ended his ministry by telling his disciples to go make some more disciples.

Jesus told his potential disciples up front what we was going to do with them but I don't think that they really understood and I am pretty sure that they didn't realize the process as it was going on. Jesus subtly brought them along one tiny step at a time, just the same as he has done with me, he knew that there would be a process and that I wouldn't suddenly become a mature, faithful follower right away.

Jesus spent three years in close daily contact with this group of men, showing them the new way of life and the new way of thinking, he did so through his teaching but most important he did it through his lifestyle. Disciples don't get made by themselves so I need to use my talents and abilities that the Lord has given to me to help encourage and strengthen somebody else's spiritual growth. I need to be intentional and make it a part of my lifestyle, I need to be about building relationships that will give me opportunities to share about my faith.

Help me Lord to step out and intentionally work at making disciples, I want to live so that my walk is consistent with my talk, so that you will get the glory.

Jesus Is That Important

Men of the Bible Series -  Zacchaeus didn't let anything get in the way.

Luke 19:1-10  He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since He was about to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, because today I must stay at your house."

6 So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, "He's gone to lodge with a sinful man!"

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, I'll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord! And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I'll pay back four times as much!"

9 "Today salvation has come to this house," Jesus told him, "because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost."

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Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (Luke 19:28) on a trip that must have taken quite a bit of time, he was stopped by the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), then there were the people that kept on bringing their kids to him (Luke 18:15), and he was doing a lot of teaching along the way as well. Zacchaeus must have heard about all of the uproar that Jesus was causing and he knew that he had to meet Jesus for himself.

As Jesus approached Zacchaeus location, it became clear to him that he would not be able to see Jesus over the crowds so he ran ahead and climbed a tree. Zacchaeus proved that he had a great desire to find out about Jesus and was determined to overcome the obstacles that got in the way.  

Notice that Zacchaeus efforts are rewarded, Jesus calls hims down from the tree and invites himself to dinner with him, if we reach out to meet Jesus and make a bold move then we will not be disappointed. The question we have to answer for our self is "Is Jesus that important to me?" If we have the desire to get close to Jesus then it will happen, he will find us in our tree and invite himself in to get close to us.

We don't know what was said or how Jesus had an affect on Zacchaeus, but we do know that he experienced genuine change and to prove it he quickly announced that his life wasn't going to be the same, for now on he would live in surrender to Christ.

Jesus needs to be THAT important! He needs to be so important that it has an effect on the way I live, I need to desire to meet with him despite the obstacles, I need to seek him out everyday and keep my eyes on him. There are more than enough ways to be distracted but if we keep our eyes on Jesus then "the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Help me Lord to keep my eyes on you and not let the things that the world has to offer get in the way or cause my desire for you to fade.

Follow Me

Disciples of Jesus must be followers of Jesus

Matthew 4:19   Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.

John 12:26   Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

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Some people are "directionally challenged" I love those people that need help with getting somewhere. It makes me happy when I know the way and there is somebody that needs me to show it to them.

Jesus knows the way and he loves to show it to his disciples, he knows where he is going and he wants to take us along. If we would just obey his command to "follow me" then he will be the light for our path so that we will never get lost.

John 8:12 Jesus said to the people, "I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't be stumbling through the darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

I like to lead, I don't follow too well, this is something that has caused problems in life. So many times when I was in charge of what direction that I was going to go in usually took me down some dirt roads with some big potholes.

I need to follow the light of the world and be sure to stay off of those roads that lead away from the light.

Jesus forgive me for those times when I was in control and I decided to chart my own course instead of following you.

Disciples Of Jesus Are Called To Give

Giving helps me to preach the gospel without using words.

 John 3:16  "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.

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Jesus gave his all, literally, there was nothing that he held so tightly that he was not willing to give up for the advancement of the kingdom. He gave it all away his hands were wide open up until the day that they were nailed to the cross.

Just how much generosity do I have? How much am I willing to give so that Christ will be seen in my life? The less sacrifice attached to the message the less meaning it has to those that we are trying to reach.

"He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose" - Jim Elliot

The giving potential of a follower of Christ is rarely maximized, I am pretty sure that I can do more to help those that are in need so that they will have to say to themselves "Why does this guy keep on giving so much?"

Help me to share the good news Lord by giving sacrificially so that people will notice you in me.

Jesus Disciples Are Servants

Just like their Savior

Matthew 20:26-28  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,  27  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  28  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."

Matthew 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

35 For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited Me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave Me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for Me. I was in prison, and you visited Me.'

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How come the only time that somebody needs help is when its inconvenient? Can't they pick a better time to need help?

Serving is hard because the main sacrifice that you have to make is to give up some of your time or some of your pride. Either the chore is something that you don't want to be seen doing or it's something that is going to cut into your schedule. Jesus and his disciples didn't have a daily calender and there wasn't any place that Jesus wouldn't go. 

I need to serve sacrificially until somebody ask why I am doing it so that I can share about the one that gave himself for me.

Thank you Lord for your sacrifice. Help me to let go of pride and make room in my schedule to follow your example and become a servant.

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Jesus Wants His Disciples To Be Loving

Most people are under-loved, so we need to get to work.

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

1 John 5:2 We know we love God's children if we love God and obey His commandments.

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The most attractive thing about Jesus is that he did not exclude anybody, it didn't matter what everybody else thought about a person, Jesus love for people looked beyond what they did and how they behaved.

That is so difficult for us to do, our ability to love comes from the ability of the other person to measure up to our standards. God told us to love with no strings attached, was that person nice to me? Do they behave and look a certain way? No, well love them anyway.

The only way that we can accomplish loving all of those people that we can't stand to love is to love God first. Jesus love for people was the result of his love for God, if we begin with loving God then he will help us to love what he loves, the more that Jesus disciples love God the more they will love people without exception.

Jesus Makes The Difference

Philippians 2:1-2  Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 

The only way that people are going to be attracted to God is for them to be loved. Who in the world would be drawn to a God that might not like them? A God that might reject them. Who would be attracted to a God that has hateful, unloving children?

Love is the bait that attracts unbelievers, I need to love until someone ask why, I need to display God's extravagant love in my sphere of influence.

Help me Lord to love without strings attached so that people are drawn to you.

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Jesus Disciples Are Called To Forgive

Live to forgive and you will change your world.

Matthew 18:21-22  Then Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?"

22 "No, not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!

Colossians 3:13  Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

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It's the gift that keeps on giving, it never wears out or goes out of style, the one gift that we needed the most. As much as we love this gift we are also supposed to re-gift it and let others have some. The best forgivers in the world should be the people that have experienced Jesus forgiveness but it seems like they may be the worst at it.

The Bible is very clear that if I do not show mercy in the same measure that it was given to me then I am in a very serious situation. If I really understand how much i have been forgiven through no merit that I achieved then i should always remember to do the same for others. 

Forgiveness doesn't change the past but it unlocks the future, past unforgiveness will weigh a person down and keep them in bondage but Jesus unlocks those chains. Forgiving as Jesus did will change the world.

If I truly love as Jesus loves then I will be forgiving at all times, without any restraint and there certainly shouldn't be any strings attached, Jesus gave up his rights and canceled the debt. That makes it seem silly that we cannot forfeit our rights and fully forgive those that are around us. How much have I really been wronged? Not much in comparison.

Help us to be world changers Lord by unlocking the freedom found in forgiveness, help us to give up our rights and allow our brothers to make mistakes.

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