The Cost of Discipleship

Matthew 10:24-42

 

Salvation is a free gift of God that comes to us through faith in His Son. Jesus did everything necessary to accomplish our forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father. We can add nothing to this transaction; our job is simply to believe.

But from that point on, each one of us must make a choice: Will we follow Jesus or just coast along doing what we want? If you limit your Christianity to merely sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings, you’ll miss the greatest adventure of your life. Being a disciple of Christ requires that we be actively engaged in our relationship with Him and in service to others.

Jesus never painted a rosy picture when He called people to follow Him. He stated quite plainly that becoming His follower would require self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering. With this kind of job description, it’s no wonder so many believers have tried to make Christianity a spectator sport. Following Jesus means that He directs our lives—that’s what dying to self is all about. We give up our rights to do what we want, and instead submit to His will, even if it’s difficult or doesn’t agree with our preference. If you don’t realize how good, loving, and wise our God is, walking in His will may seem scary or even foolish.

Those who deny themselves to follow Christ discover they lose nothing and gain everything. Even amidst pain and suffering, He gives His disciples inner peace and joy that transcend circumstances. Are you following Jesus or yourself? Your lifestyle, words, and attitudes reveal who truly rules your life.

Dr. Charles Stanley

The Cost of Discipleship

                                                   Matthew 10:24-42

 

Salvation is a free gift of God that comes to us through faith in His Son. Jesus did everything necessary to accomplish our forgiveness and reconciliation with the Father. We can add nothing to this transaction; our job is simply to believe.

But from that point on, each one of us must make a choice: Will we follow Jesus or just coast along doing what we want? If you limit your Christianity to merely sitting in a pew on Sunday mornings, you’ll miss the greatest adventure of your life. Being a disciple of Christ requires that we be actively engaged in our relationship with Him and in service to others.

Jesus never painted a rosy picture when He called people to follow Him. He stated quite plainly that becoming His follower would require self-denial, sacrifice, and suffering. With this kind of job description, it’s no wonder so many believers have tried to make Christianity a spectator sport. Following Jesus means that He directs our lives—that’s what dying to self is all about. We give up our rights to do what we want, and instead submit to His will, even if it’s difficult or doesn’t agree with our preference. If you don’t realize how good, loving, and wise our God is, walking in His will may seem scary or even foolish.

Those who deny themselves to follow Christ discover they lose nothing and gain everything. Even amidst pain and suffering, He gives His disciples inner peace and joy that transcend circumstances. Are you following Jesus or yourself? Your lifestyle, words, and attitudes reveal who truly rules your life.

Dr. Charles Stanlet

Avoiding Conflict

 Today God Is First By Os Hillman

Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king (2 Sam 14:23-24).

Many people hate conflict to the point they will never confront a wrong. Taking this path will only lead to later hardship. Such was the case for Absalom and his father King David.

Amnon, also a son of David, raped his sister Tamar. When this happened, David was furious but he did not punish Amnon for his actions. Absalom saw this as a terrible injustice for his sister. So, Absalom plotted to kill Amnon at the right time. He patiently waited for two years before he set up a situation to have him killed.

David was heartbroken over the death of Amnon and held Absalom responsible. At the same time, David still desired to have a relationship with Absalom, but because he failed to address the situation with Amnon when it happened, it led to more serious consequences in the family. Absalom was banished for three years because of David’s anger towards him which allowed seeds of resentment to grown in his heart. Absalom then conspired to overthrow David’s kingdom.

It is imperative to confront problems when they arise no matter how uncomfortable it might be. We are called to speak the truth in love. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Eph 4:15-16). Failure to confront in love allows the enemy to sow greater seeds of conflict.

Is there someone in your life that you need to confront in love? Make plans now to get with this person and work through the issues that divide you.

“Running In Circles”

Thoughts to Meditate on – –

Joshua 6:3-5 NIV

 

“March around the city once with all the armed men.  Do this for six days.  Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark.  On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.  When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.”

 

That’s a pretty complicated list of instructions, isn’t it?  But God has a reason for everything He does.  Let’s take a look at His instructions to Joshua one at a time.  First, let’s look at the viewpoint of the citizens of Jericho.  They’re inside their impenetrable fortress, fearing nothing from a normal army.  But here comes this crazy bunch of nomads who showed up a short time back and who keep defeating kings that are supposedly undefeatable.  Now they’re going to take on Jericho, the reverse Alcatraz of 1400 B.C.  But instead of attacking, they march around the city every day for six days.  By the seventh day, the citizens of Jericho were probably about ready for the funny farm.  So God’s battle tactics were a good psychological ploy.

 

From Israel’s viewpoint, God wanted to make sure His people knew who was fighting this battle.  He had priests carrying the Ark lead the march, not soldiers.  He had priests blow trumpets used in religiousfestivals (Numbers 10), rather than have soldiers blow militarytrumpets.  He wanted to make it very clear who was fighting this battle.  When they won, He wanted them to know that it was He that won for them, not the Israelites and their own military might.  By following His instructions to the letter, the people demonstrated their faith in the Lord and their obedience to Him, even though it seemed like He had them running in circles.

 

God shows you and me how to fight our battles, what armor to wear, what methods to use, and sometimes we think He has us running in circles.  But when we demonstrate our faith in Him and our obedience to Him, He brings about miraculous results… labeled in big red letters with His signature.  Trust God’s instructions in your life, even when they seem impossible by your standards… even when you seem to be running in circles.

 

Dogwood Ministries

Here’s Today’s Devotional from The Vine…

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. -John 20:20

Christ’s death had caused them great sorrow; to have Him back again from death gave them unspeakable joy. Indeed there never would have been and Christian joy if Jesus had not risen from the dead. It was necessary that He should die for our sins; but if He had died and remained in the grave, no benefit could have come to us from His dying.

A dead mother cannot do anything for her children; nor could a dead Savior have helped those who trusted in Him. We need a living Savior, to whose feet we can creep with our penitence when we have sinned, and in whose hands we can be kept in safety until we reach glory. We need a living Friend, who will bless us by His rich love; whose strong arm will hold us up in weakness, and defend us in temptation; whose presence will restrain us from sin, and inspire in us all good thoughts and holy desires and aspirations. We want a living Comforter, who will stand for us in heaven and plead our cause there, and stand by us on the earth in all our imperilled life. We want a living personal Caretaker, who will look after all our interests, plan for our lives, order our steps, and provide for all our wants. We want a Prince who had won for us the battle over death and the grave, and is able therefore to bring us also from under the power of death.

No wonder, then, that the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord, when they had Him back again from the dead. We should be glad too, and rejoice in the glorious truth of Christ’s resurrection. We have a living Savior. We have One in heaven who loves us. Our Redeemer holds the keys of death. No dark grave can hold us or any of ours who sleep in Jesus. We can enjoy as real communion with Jesus as did His first disciples, because He lives and is one with us.

The God of Time

 Today God Is First By Os Hillman

For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him (Eccl 8:6).

How we use our time is a good indicator of the god we choose to serve. There is a god whose name is “the urgent” that can rule our lives if we are not diligent. The wrong use of time can lead to misery. The right use of time can result in fulfillment.

“You need to take time to turn to God. Do not pray only when you have set aside time to do. The busier you are, the more you must practice turning to God. If you wait until the time is convenient, there is little doubt that you will end up spending little time with God. Try to come before God both in the morning and the evening. Pray during and between all your other jobs as much as you can. You cannot retire too much from the mindless chatter of the world. Learn to steal this time in little snatches, and you will find these moments the most precious part of your day” said Francois de Fenelon, a sixteenth century Christian leader.*

The amount of time we spend with anyone or any activity is a good indicator of the value we place on that person or activity. Time equates to money for some. For others it can be a cruel dictator. It is the physical evidence of what is at the center of our lives.

People can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the lack of available time, but the will to set a priority for the time they have. Time can be the evidence that convicts our soul that our devotion has waned.

What does the evidence of time tell you about yourself? Today, give God the time needed to develop a relationship that is meaningful for both of you.

⁹ In their hearts humans plan their course,  but the LORD establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

As we approach the New Year this verse usually comes to my mind.  I guess it should not be too big of surprise to me that I think of this scripture, since this is the time of year that companies and individuals typically make plans for the upcoming year.

In past years as I have read this verse I have only really viewed it from one angle (interpreted it in one way), but this year I though we could dig deeper and see different ways to digest these words.  Over the next couple of days we will do just that.

Today I will look at the traditional way I have viewed this scripture…

In the past I have understood this to be more of a struggle for control in our lives, that try as we might to plan our course; God will determine the steps ahead of us and often orchestrate or allow a change in direction in an attempt to bring us back to Him  (or closer to Him).

Honestly I have probably viewed it this way because of my own struggles for control as opposed to submitting to God and seeking His will.   I do not know why I struggle so much with this, after all I know His heart is good towards me and He has plans for me to prosper and for a hopeful future (and for you too).  But truth be told there are so many days I am Jacob wrestling with God in the desert trying to get my way.

My prayer today and for the upcoming year is that I will lay this down and walk more in faith with Him in his direction more than I ever have (it is my prayer for you as well), will you pray for this as well as we prepare for 2012?

Have a blessed day,

Goodheart Ministries

Snap Out Of It

Psalm 144:3, NIV: “O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?” What are we that God cares for us? We are so small an insignificant in comparison to Him, yet He values us so greatly. But do we take notice of Him? Our lives are filled to the brim with activity, the most of which is centered on selfish desire. God pays attention to us, yet we pay little attention to Him. Many of us enter into each day without thought of Him, without talking to Him, or without inviting Him to go with us into our day. So many of us talk of eternity only to invest ourselves in the pursuits of this life. Though we may not be mindful of God, He is mindful of us. “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Mt. 24:37-39). Sometimes we walk through this life in a trance, and need to snap out of it. Sometimes we need to a gentle nudge–sometimes we need a good kick to wake us up and get our eyes on what’s important. written by Randy Chambers http://reflections.daybyday.org

Who We Are in Christ

1 Peter 1:1-5 

Peter wrote the first of his two epistles to encourage people who were undergoing persecution. The disciple decided that the most natural way to open such a letter was to remind believers of who they are in the Lord.

Believers are chosen in Christ. It’s not that the Lord selects some people to enter heaven and others to go to hell. Rather, the good news of Jesus Christ is offered to everyone (John 3:16; Rom. 1:20). The “elect” are those who receive the Savior through an act of free will. The bottom line is that God wants you. He chose you.

Believers are recipients of mercy. No one can claim that his or her righteous works earned a place in heaven. We are saved through the mercy of Christ (Titus 3:5). God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be in relationship with Him now and forever.

Believers are protected. Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him.” We are so well guarded that the only way that our lives can be touched by hardship is if God allows it. That doesn’t mean we won’t experience loss or upheaval. Sometimes God permits His children to walk through dark valleys, but always the protective shepherd, He remains at their side (Ps. 23:4).

The message of Peter’s letter is simple: Do not be afraid when you go through trying times. Focus upon who you are in Jesus Christ. You have reason to be bold, assured, and triumphant, because you are a chosen, beloved, and well-guarded child of God.

Dr. Charles Stanley

Their Language of Praise

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

People who have endured suffering and proven God to be faithful are strong,
mellow and patient. They have the gentleness of Christ. I love to be around
such people! They encourage my spirit!

You will come through your trial and be of great help to others if you will
trust God through it! You will see it happen on your job, in your family, in
your church. People will be attracted to you because they know what you have
gone through and they have seen you gain the victory through the power of God
alone!

Many believers who suffer never learn anything from it. As a result, they never
know God as their comforter or consoler. To hear them talk, you would think God
was hard, spiteful, uncaring. They ask, “Why me?” Then they doubt God’s
love and begin to turn away from Him. They moan, groan and murmur, and all
their joy fades. Soon they grow bitter and hard.

I have a pastor friend who for years had a very successful ministry to troubled
people. But today he is deep in sin, drug-addicted and totally backslidden. His
wife left him and he has taken up with a drug-addicted woman.

When you ask him what happened, he blames it all on how others let him down.
His wife left him; God didn’t answer his prayers; other ministers
disappointed him. He says, “I really tried, but I just couldn’t take it.
There were too many pressures and there were so many hypocrites. I was
misjudged and I couldn’t handle that.”

The apostle Paul, even in the worst hour of his sufferings, blessed the name of
the Lord. He knew the Father was full of mercy and the Source of all his
comfort. He did not question God or become bitter; in fact, he praised Him in
the midst of it all!

The best teachers in any church are not the ones in the pulpit. Rather, they
are sitting in the pews right next to you—people who have suffered and yet
still worship the Lord. The language of those who learn through suffering is
praise!