Archive for Discipleship
Influence July 2, 2009
“Who or what you listen to will ultimately determine what you do.”
I once heard Andy Stanley make that statement…and like it or not…it’s true. Every single one of us are influenced by someone or something–period!
This stuck out to me the other morning as I was reading through the OT and saw II Chronicles 24:1-2…take a look at that verse and notice the phrase, “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years of Jehoiada the priest.”
In other words…Joash did what was right as long as he was being influenced to do so.
BUT…as I continued to read IN THE VERY SAME CHAPTER I saw II Chronicles 24:17-22…WOW!
How does a guy who is so sold out to the Lord eventually turn his back on God and even have people killed who try to talk sense into him? Simple–WHO he listened to changed.
None of us…NO ONE…can make wise, godly decisions on our own! We need help…which is why we should continually seek…
#1 - God’s Word - I’ve said it a million times–NO ONE has ever came to me claiming to have screwed up their lives by reading the Bible and then doing what is says. In church world this is true as well…if our THEOLOGY isn’t driving our METHODOLOGY then we are screwed! (I would say correct theology!!!) And right doctrine comes from a right discipline of spending time with Him in His Word!
#2 - God’s People - Let me be clear…I do not make decisions without the godly input of others. Once again to borrow from Andy Stanley…I heard him say once that the wisest person who has ever lived (Solomon) had tons to say about listening to the advice/counsel of others. If he needed it…we do as well!
Let me be clear before moving on…we need to seek the advice of people who LOVE JESUS and we know will tell us what we NEED to hear rather than what we WANT to hear. We can always find a group of idiots that will affirm our sin and dysfunction because doing so will allow them to justify their lifestyle.
BUT…that would be the WRONG approach.
#3 - God’s Church - When you attend a church weekly and walk in with a prepared heart…you will often find that God WILL speak to you in very direct ways! I can’t tell you the number of times people have said to me, “Pastor P…I felt like you were talking to me and only me today.” Which is funny because I didn’t have that particular person in mind when I prepared the message!!!
I could list some other ways…but my question to you is WHO or WHAT has the most influence in your life…because “who or what you listen to will ultimately determine what you do.”
Life is too short for us to make bad decision after bad decision…we need Jesus and we need one another! Don’t fall for the lie that this is “my life” and I will do as I want because…in reality…our decisions always impact other people.
So…think about it…who or what has the most influence in your life? Answering this question is dangerous because in doing so, you may need to make some adjustments! When Joash got away from doing things God’s way it ALL went downhill…and what is sad is that it didn’t have to be that way!
God is ALWAYS speaking…the question is are we always listening?
Thoughts On My Birthday–Part Two June 25, 2009
#4 – I Want To Lead HIS Church As He Leads Me To Lead His Church.
I am more passionate about the church than I’ve ever been.
I have more hope…I see more potential…and I believe HIS church is on the verge of a movement that will rival any of the previous Great Awakenings. The best is YET to come!
Jesus started this church (Matthew 16:18) and will finish what He began (Philippians 1:6). HE has a plan for us…and the more I seek Him the more I believe that we haven’t even scratched the surface of all that He wants to do (Ephesians 3:20)!!!
He has surrounded me with an incredible team of people…I really do feel like David felt in I Chronicles 12:22.
AND…the church is HIS (Ephesians 1:22-23)…and I am more determined than ever before to seek HIS voice and then do exactly as He says to do.
#5 – I Want To Become Who HE Is Calling Me To Be…PERIOD.
As I said in yesterday’s post…I’ve most likely lived over half of my life already…so…
As I keep pressing on to become who He is calling me to be I will continue to surround myself with men and women who love Jesus, the church and me to speak truth into my life as they are led by the Holy Spirit.
BUT…
The critics and the naysayers who feel the obligation to “speak into my life” out of a sense of self righteousness and self preservation are going to be ignored now more than ever before!
I am sure your opinion matters to SOMEONE…just not me.
I don’t have the time, nor the energy, to do battle with you guys.
I honestly believe that a true follower of Jesus Christ will make religious people both uncomfortable and angry…and as long as those are the men and women shooting the arrows at me then I know I am walking in the right path. (John 15:18-21)
It’s not that I don’t care about you guys…it’s that I care enough to ignore you! You see, if what we are doing is wrong and sinful then the Lord will handle us…butif what we are doing here at NewSpring Church is of God…you can’t stop it (Acts 5:35-39) and are actually not opposing us…but Him. (BTW…you lose!)
I can’t be pressed into a mold from those who don’t know me, yet believe they know what is best for me. I’ve wasted too much time in the past 38 years allowing that to shape me…and it has gotten me know where.
Everyone is never going to like me…no matter what I say or do someone will always be pissed at me. That is why I am through wearing myself out in the hopes that everyone will understand and affirm me. I have ONE master…His name is Jesus…His opinion matters…and I am through tuning out His voice for fear that others may misunderstand and take shots at me.
Life is too short to seek the affirmation of everyone.
So…how about you…we are all living on borrowed time. If you knew you didn’t have much time left how would you adjust your life?
BTW…you don’t have much time left in comparison to eternity. List the changes and then make them today!
Thoughts On My Birthday–Part One June 24, 2009
I’m 38 today…and that fact alone has my mind racing…because…I’m actually FEELING it. There is gray hair invading my head, my back is constantly sore and it takes me a lot longer to recover from a long run than it did just three years ago.
I am not sure how you approach birthdays…but this thought has hit me more than once this week, “I have most likely lived over half of my life. I seriously doubt I will make it to 74…so what adjustments will I need to make to have a strong second half and finish the game well?”
(BTW…Scripture says in Psalm 90:12 that we should number our days. For me this activity was not depressing. I refuse to ignore the obvious…that one day I will take a dirt nap and leave this place…that will happen and I cannot control it; however, I can control how I live until that point!)
#1 – I want to relentlessly pursue Jesus…and continually surrender to the fact that He is pursuing me.
I don’t want Jesus to be my hobby…or someone to help me get chills and feel emotional…
I want to be obsessed with Him! Obsessed…someone who is obsessed with Christ can’t quit talking about Him…will obey Him the first time He commands…continually understands His position in the universe as the Most High God and is willing to do WHATEVER He asks…WHENEVER He asks it.
#2 – I want to love Lucretia like Christ loves His church.
I have been thinking so much about Ephesians 5:25-33 lately. I want…
- To give myself up for her…
- To speak words to her that affirm her and leave her radiant
- Love her as I love myself
- Continually understand that we are one, we are in this together, we are a team!
- Be a man that she doesn’t have to work very hard to respect.
She is my wife…my best friend and the one God has called me to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t want her to ever have to guess whether or not I love her…I want her to know it!
#3 – To Be A Godly Father to My Little Girl.
She turns two on Saturday…TWO…where in the heck did those two years go?
I am realizing more and more that a call to parenthood is ALSO a calling to discipleship. (Deuteronomy 6:4-8.) I cannot pass off this responsibility to church or Lucretia…I MUST lead this charge.
AND…it is IMPOSSIBLE to disciple someone if I am not spending time with them.
I want her to have my very best…not my leftovers. I want to communicate to her through the way I spend my time with her that she is valued and not a burden.
I don’t want to use the lame line, “I show her I love her by providing for her.” Paychecks and purchases will not replace me tucking her into bed every night and singing “Amazing Grace” to her. (BTW…that’s her favorite song!)
She is my little girl…she always will be…and I want to love her with everything I’ve got…thus making it nearly impossible for some young punk to come along and steal her heart!
(I will let her date when she is 14; however, she cannot use toothpaste, soap or deodorant until she is 30!)
God And Frustration June 23, 2009
Being a parent is teaching me so much about…me…
The other day I was in the living room and asked Charisse to do something…and she completely ignored me and kept right on going with her agenda.
SO…I repeated myself to her, thinking maybe she had not heard me; after all, my beautiful, perfect little angel would NEVER ignore her father’s voice because I was asking something that may inconvenience her, right? ☺
She ignored me again…so…
I got up from the couch and said, “Charisse, what did daddy say?”
She stopped what she was doing, looked me in the eyes and told me exactly what I had been asking her to do…and then she went and did it.
She heard me, she understood me…she just chose to put me off for as long as she could before obeying me…perhaps thinking if she ignored me long enough that I would change my mind.
I said out loud (to no one in particular), “Why in the world didn’t she just do what I told her the first time?”
And then I felt the Lord ask me the same thing about me! SNAP!
I can not count the number of times I have really felt the Lord pressing down on me to do something…and I don’t necessarily say no…I just choose to ignore the prompting, thinking that by doing so it may disappear because, after all, He would NEVER ask me to do something uncomfortable, right? Things such as…
- “You need to make a phone call and get things right with that person.”
- “You need to memorize more Scripture.”
- “I want you to be more generous—and here is your opportunity.”
- “Witness to that person.”
- “Tell Lucretia that you are sorry and that it was your fault.”
- “Call that person and ask them how they are doing.”
I think you get the picture.
One of the things I am really wrestling with right now is desperately trying to practice immediate obedience…that whenever I hear the voice of the Lord I don’t ask for an explanation or an time extension…I just obey.
Because…
I am learning more and more that God’s holiness impacts every aspect of His being…even what He commands of His children. SO…when He speaks to me what He is commanding me to do is an extension of His holiness and perfection; therefore, He can be completely trusted!
Is there anything you are putting off that God keeps pressing in on you? He’s not going to change His mind. The key to freedom in this life we are living is to stop trying to negotiate with Him and just obey—period.
Dead Snakes And Screaming Like A Girl! June 22, 2009
Yesterday morning I went for a run and was on the last couple of miles when, well, something happened to me that I am REALLY glad wasn’t caught on camera!
I was in stride, had my ipod blaring and was enjoying the breeze while running up a hill. I happened to look down and my left foot was about to come down right on top of a snake.
(News flash…I hate snakes…they are freakin scary! In the Bible they are associated with satan so I think I have Biblical grounds to despise them!!!)
I screamed…out loud…like a girl! AND…I jumped up and down for a second before gaining composure. (I hate snakes as much as I hate spiders!) This thing had just about scared the crap out of me and made me look foolish…and I may have said something I needed to ask forgiveness for…
AND…I felt REALLY stupid when I discovered that it was dead! (This seriously would have made an excellent youtube video!)
As I continued my run I began thinking, “that’s the way that we, as Christians, respond to satan at times. He’s basically a ‘dead snake’ that has been robbed of the power he once had…and yet we choose to scream and dance around him because we perceive he can destroy us.”
I know this is true for me…I allow “a dead snake” to control me at times through fear of man, fear of uncertainty and fear of being disliked. (All of which come from the enemy!)
YET…the Bible tells me that The Most High God has put HIS Holy Spirit inside of me and has empowered me to live a life of victory! (Ephesians 1:13-14, II Peter 1:3, I Corinthians 15:55-57)
If we would spend more time focusing on who Jesus is and what He has done (I Corinthians 15:3-6) rather than fearing the one who will one day be ultimately destroyed (Revelation 20:10) I believe we, as followers of Jesus, would become unstoppable.
God’s Word is clear that no weapon formed against us will prevail. (Isaiah 54:17) However, I know my problem many times has been I fear the one who has been stripped of his power rather than the One who holds ALL power.
I am not sure who this post was written for…my guess is for me because it is SO tempting to allow the enemy to cause me to fear at times; however, Scripture says in I John 4:4 that the One who is in us is GREATER than the one who is in the world.
Let’s keep fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2) and stop letting “a dead snake” control what we think and how we act!
How Often Do We Tell Him? June 18, 2009
The other day I was standing in Charisse’s play room and she came up to me and kept saying, “I love you, I love you…” over and over again.
I thought to myself, “hearing my child say that NEVER gets old!”
Then I felt the Lord speak to me and say, “it never gets old to Me either!”
I am so guilty of telling God I love Him right before I ask for something or when I am really sorry about a sin that I have committed…but…
I am understanding that He likes it best when I communicate my love to Him out of appreciation for who He is and what He has done…and not in desperation in hopes of manipulation to get Him to do what I want.
When was the last time you thanked God for all that you have…or simply said “I love you” just because?
He is the perfect Father…so He KNOWS when we are trying to “butter Him up!” AND…I am guessing it doesn’t really work with Him.
My prayer is that I will become more desperately in love with HIM because of WHO HE IS and not because of what I perceive He can give me! And a way to make sure that happens is to offer consistent and sincere praise and thankfulness to the ONE who has blessed me with more than I could ever imagine!
Asking God To Destroy Me! June 16, 2009
I shaved my gottee the other day…and didn’t really say anything to anyone about it. I wanted to see if anyone noticed and what their reaction was…
And the most unique reaction came from Charisse.
Keep in mind that I have had a gottee since she was born…that’s the only way she’s ever known me. Many times she has sat in my lap and played with my whiskers.
SO…after I shaved I walked into the living room and picked her up and began playing with her. She drew back from me and stared…put her hand where my gottee used to be and felt that it was smooth…and then proceeded to FREAK OUT!
Seriously…I was worried about her for a second. She wanted OUT of my arms because I had changed things up on her. She was used to me being a certain way…and when that wasn’t a reality for her anymore she had a hard time dealing with it…
I think I’ve had the same experience with God many times!!! I’ve thought of Him as being a certain way. I’ve placed Him in a box and built up my beliefs based on who I think He is…and He just keeps destroying my limited ideas and revealing Himself to me in ways I’ve never thought about…
Which makes me VERY uncomfortable…
One of the problems I believe I have had as a follower of Jesus is that I want to develop and idea of who God is and then have Him stay there…my desire for comfort has dominated my thinking…
But God never really invites us to a place of comfort…in fact, when He uses someone in the Scriptures He usually had to DESTROY a lot of their preconceived notions. (Isaiah 6 and Acts 9 immediately come to mind.)
SO…my prayer lately has been, “God, teach me to see as You see…and destroy in me what needs to be destroyed so that I can see you for who You are and not for who I want you to be!”
When is the last time you asked the Lord to make you uncomfortable? To destroy you? To reveal who HE IS to you rather than who you want Him to be? WATCH IT…seeking the Lord like this is dangerous…it will propel you into an uncomfortable place…but it is in that place that He ruins us and then uses us to make a difference for Him!