A Wonderful Terrifying Invitation (day 4)

Jesus says, “Come unto me all of you who labor and are burdened down, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Jesus is inviting those who are burdened down with labor and care. Does that apply to you?

The world is full of sorrow and disappointment. People all around are thoughtless and there seems to be a lot of hatred going around. When I look at myself, I see failure to be the kind of person I believe I should be. And I cannot find the power to change these things in myself.

Jesus is inviting me and he is inviting you, if you are troubled by these things.

It is very important to look at the things Jesus is offering, because what he is proposing can be very frightening. Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” Again, he says, “you will find rest for your soul.” And finally he tells us, “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A yoke is a solid device for harnessing the strength of two animals to accomplish the task that the master has for them. Once the yoke is on, there is no escape and the animals must move together. Jesus is inviting you and I to voluntarily step into such a harness. If we will he also promises rest from our labors and cares, and he promises that the burden will be one that we can bear.

Father in Heaven, on one hand this invitation seems too good to be true and on the other hand it sounds too frightening to attempt. Please, give me the courage and the ability to go forward and accept your wonderful terrifying invitation. 

Simple words Surprised me again (day 3)

Sometimes I am amazed that I can read a passage of God’s Word over and over and then on the umpteenth time I see something that is extremely simple and plane that I have never seen before. God’s Word truly is living and active to cut between soul and spirit, joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of my heart.

As I was reading this evening in Ephesians 6:10-18, I was stopped dead at verse 13 & 14a.

Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore,

Now a long time ago when I went to school these were called imperative sentences. These are instructions to be obeyed. Now if you go back and look at this entire passage, it is full of imperative sentences; “Be strong in the Lord…” (vs 10), “Put on the whole armor of God…” (vs 11), “Praying always, with all prayer and supplication…” (vs 18)

If I am a follower of Jesus, if I am a disciple of Jesus, these are not suggestions. I need to take them very seriously. These very serious words speak of doing. They speak of discipline to learn to think and see in the same way that Jesus and our Father sees.

I need grace for this. So I must constantly follow the advice of Hebrews 4:16.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need.

Blessed Father in Heaven, you see the whole day that is before me today. Indeed, you see all my days. Give me grace to prepare prayerfully to be salt and light in whatever lies ahead for my day. So that I might glorify you and my precious savior, Jesus. Amen

The Word of God is Revolutionary (day 2)

The Word of God is Revolutionary.

All around we can see those who triumph by the strength of men. Some by physical strength and some by force of will. Some are able to purchase power with money and others by clever arguments.

God’s Word points me in another direction, if I will be willing to do what it says. Probably one of the most revolutionary statements can be found in 1 Corinthians 1:18.

The Message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

I am extremely thankful for the message of redemption. Jesus died on the cross to save us, or buy us back from the penalty of sin and rebellion. But consider for a moment all of the passages which speak of “working out your salvation” of “be transformed,” and from Jesus, “if you love me keep my commandments.” There are many more if we take the time to look.

The message of the cross is the message that God has chosen to show each of us how to be victorious in a world full of strife. We can be victorious without strife. Now that is revolutionary!

Jesus and the apostles spoke often about this cross but they didn’t always call it by that name. Jesus said, “He who would be greatest, let him be the one who serves.” And Paul said, “Love suffers long and is kind.” As I look around in God’s Word I constantly see places where He commands me to lay down that thing called my life, in order to become one who can have His life within myself. Jesus is saying,

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

Father in Heaven, help me to see in each situation that you are offering me an opportunity for more complete salvation, if I will choose to take up my cross and say, “Not my will, but yours be done, Oh Lord.” 

Daily thoughts (Day 1)

It has been growing in my mind and heart to learn faithfulness in preparing a Daily Thought to share with those who read this blog. My main emphasis is always Discipleship. My purpose is to share what is a help to me as a disciple. Pray with me that I may be faithful. this first thought is not new but it is relevant. I hope you find it encouraging.

Lately I have been thinking about a question. Why be a disciple of Jesus instead of just a Christian? This morning I got a clear answer. I am so inclined to doing my own will and living in unbelief. If I do not actively practice disciplines that keep the reality of The Living God at the front of my mind I will very quickly blunder into sin. I will do my own will rather than follow Jesus and do the Will of God. I will fall away from the living relationship that he desires for me. Then all that will be left is dead religion.

The Word of God is full of wonderful promises for those who will follow Jesus and DO what he says. the biggest problem is, the things he says to do are contrary to my natural inclination. The only way to learn to do God’s Will is discipline which I have to learn. However, learning them is IMPOSSIBLE, without the Grace of God. That is what grace is for, to give me the power to become a son of God. (John 1:12 KJV)

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. (1Co 2:9)

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:68)

As I begin to consider the disciplines of the disciple, I see a great need to explore and share some of my reasons for pursuing Jesus as a disciple. As I think and pray about this I see that my desire has grown over the years. I also see that it waxes and wanes in different situations. Truly the Grace of God has been the thing that has kept me over the years. He has used different methods and people to teach me more and more about his Love and the life he wants me to live.

I cannot tell anyone what they must do to be a true disciple of Jesus. But, I believe that discipleship is learning to be like the one whose disciple you are. In sharing these things, it is important to understand that I am only a very poor disciple sharing my little reflections and thoughts about the greatest mystery of all (Col. 1:27)

Salt and Light

There are a lot of things not being done the way I think they should be done, and I want to holler and crash around and make everybody listen up and start behaving properly (my way).

Thankfully, somehow Our Father speaks through the red haze and I hear Jesus say, “You are the salt of the earth but if salt has lost its savor it is not good for anything but to be cast out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do men light a lamp and place it under a basket. Rather they put it on a lamp stand and it gives light to the whole house. Let your light shine before men so that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.” (Paraphrased. Matthew 5:13-16)

Now I have been hearing this for some time and I think it’s beginning to sink in, a little. What I am realizing is that salt and light are very quiet. We need light and if it is not there, we notice that. We need salt, especially with potatoes and eggs. Still these things are quiet and don’t make a production of themselves.

Salt and light are simply what they are supposed to be. They don’t insist that others be what they are, they just are.

As a follower of Jesus, there are many things that I am supposed to be: humble, meek, merciful and loving just to name a few. But I cannot by force require anyone else to aspire and strive for these virtues. If Jesus is my Lord by the voluntary surrender of my will, then His will becomes my delight.

Salt is salty. Salt is sodium chloride and as long as it is not diluted it will always be salty. The problem arises when you put not enough salt on too many potatoes, or dilute the salt until only a little salt is mixed with too much of anything else. The same thing is true of light. On the sunniest day you can go inside and close yourself off from the light and be in the dark, but the sun is still shining bright.

My own will, especially my self-righteous religious will, is the greatest hindrance or diluting factor to my being salt and light. Hollering, crashing around and insisting that everyone else behave is the opposite of being salt and light.

Will others get what I am doing? I don’t know but that is not the point. The point is, Will I be salt and light?

Will you?

A Discipleship Course

Many years ago a young man complained that he wanted someone to disciple him but could not find a minister or anyone who would do it. I’m not sure he really wanted someone but it got me started thinking. Sometime later someone sent me a discipleship work book. I had expressed an interest in it. I found it to be full of doctrines of a specific denomination and didn’t really speak to the matters of Jesus’ teaching. At least it seemed that way to me

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says; “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

I am especially interested in that last verse. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

I have been in the Christian Church in one form or another since I was about 3 weeks old. That was a long time ago! I am fairly serious about my relationship with God. I spent 2 years and a little in Bible College. This matter of making disciples and teaching them to observe Jesus’ teaching is something I have seen very little.

Over the last several years I have been more and more aware of my own lack in this area and at the same time I have been discovering things that are helping me to become more of a disciple of Jesus.

Over the last few years I have been trying to organize what I am learning in order to share it with others so that it might be a help to them. I am sure that what I have put together will smell a lot like me, and I can only apologize for that and hope it’s not too distracting.

Therefore, I would like to offer to those who read this blog what I would call a beginning discipleship study guide.

A few people have already used this guide and say it has been helpful.

If you will email me at beginningdisciples@gmail.com and request a copy of the discipleship book, I will be happy to send you a PDF copy of the study.

There is no charge for this and I will not be sending you any other requests or advertisements. This is the one thing I have been focused on for the last few years and it is about all I have to offer.

I would only request that if you use it and find it helpful or have suggestions to make it more helpful. Please write back and let me know how I might make it better. If you don’t think it is any good, please let me know that too with your reasons. You might really be on to something.

Thank you very much 

Rick

Someone Stole my Bicycle

Someone stole my bicycle. It was a nice bicycle and I enjoyed it very much. But I didn’t always lock it up and someone saw it sitting there and took it.

Certainly it was a sin to take the bicycle that didn’t belong to them. But, did I sin by not locking it up? I don’t think I did, but I didn’t protect my neighbor from sinning.

All of this makes me look at the whole cycle of temptation and sin.

Once when I was driving over the road, a woman came up to my truck and asked if I wanted to party. This poor woman was about as physically unattractive as I could ever imagine. Yet the only thing she could offer in exchange for money or food was sexual stimulation. I pitied her but didn’t have anything I could give, I thought. She was trapped in a lifestyle of sin that would destroy her, if someone didn’t rescue her. The question I have is. How did she get there?

How do any of us get there? Somehow I think the answer to Cain’s question is, “Yes.” As far as is possible we are each one responsible for our brothers and sisters.

Circumstances affect how we each think. We each have weaknesses that are beyond our control. Alcohol is a very plain example. Some people can have a drink of wine or a beer or two and leave it at that. Another person dare not even go where there will be access to alcohol.

In this case the scope of responsibility is made broader.

It is so pleasant to write or speak about areas where I feel I have had some success, but when it comes to areas where I have little or no success, I become very uncomfortable. This is one of those areas. 

And I wonder how willing I am to get success here.

In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul talks about meat offered to idols to illustrate how we need to be careful for our brother. I understand this to mean that I am not responsible for my brother’s weakness or for the sin that he chooses. But I am responsible for myself, and if my liberty causes him to stumble then I do have a responsibility.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” If my light causes another person to stumble, I need to do something about my light. I didn’t want my bike to be stolen. Using the lock and cable that I had would have made that plain. Someone may have stolen it anyway, but then my message would have been clear. “Don’t take my bike.”

Salvation is a process. I am learning faithfulness in areas I never thought of before. Making my things secure so my brother won’t be tempted to stumble is an area I believe my father wants me to learn more faithfulness.

Consider your life. Is there an area where you need to be careful to protect your brother from stumbling?

Be faithful.