Good morning, Bloggers!! Today is our last day in Kansas and we're heading home. It's been a great two weeks here visiting families and friends. And we're ready to return to our humble abode and begin working for the Lord in the DC Metro area!!
I am not a fan of "New Year's Resolution" because they will definitely be broken. If you have come up with a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, good luck!! But luck doesn't cut anything out. You might use your "Will Power". Well, where does that come from? How about asking God for His blessings on your consecrations for the new year of 2006. Now, you got a better chance than those "resolution or will power" phrases.
Here's the TOP TEN CONSECRATION I recommend every Christian in the world to consider:
10. Abomination - understanding what sin is and what it does - sin is terrible. Sin separates you from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). It's not the fault of your friends who may have lured you into it, it's not the fault of illegitimate parents who may have given a bad example, it's not the fault of false teachers who led you into the wrong path, it's your problem. Ezekiel 18 explains that "the soul that sins is the soul that will die." One sin we do is an automatic abomination to God!
9. Procrastination - beware of the dangers of putting off obedience - millions and millions of people are still putting off their decision to surrender their life to God by believing, repenting, confessing their sins, be baptized burying their old life (Ro. 6:1-4) and raised anew in Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:36-38) and daily living for Jesus! One strong reason for such procrastination is the cost of surrendering to Jesus. Yes! It does cost. Though God's grace is free to all, He gave His Son and expects us to give up our idols and life. The Holy Spirit wants a surrendered body to live in and guide.
8. Realization - know where you stand each day - what idol are you holding on to now. Idolatry comes in many forms. It actually tears you away from our Living God. It causes distractions. It pressures you away from the truth. It pursuades you to do more evil than good. It does give you temporary pleasure until you have come to realize you have, once again, "fallen short of God's glory!"
7. Revelation - seek the truth- every morning, do nothing but be still and know that the Lord is God. Be still and quiet in your soul. Ask God to reveal to you truth against any roadblocks/stumbling blocks about any relationships, situation, possession, interpretation, feeling or activity that may be blocking you from fulfilling God's purpose in your life. Saturate this time in prayer and Bible reading. Listen intently to the Holy Spirit's admonishment and guidance.
6. Investigation - everyday, take the opportunity to identify and clearly understand your thoughts about surrendering to God. If you haven't given your life to Christ, talk with a minister, or a Christian friend. Read the Bible and ask questions. Get some answers in why we are all alive today, what's our purpose in life, and what does God expect from each of us. You're accountable for your own life and someday when we all get to Heaven, God will ask what we did with His Son, Jesus.
5. Calculation - counting the cost - this is often misunderstood. You cannot live a "surrendered life" and still hold on to the world and its ways. You will need to do some evaluation and calculation. Evaluate what might change if God decides to take what you have surrendered. See Luke 14:33. God owns everything already! If you claim to have surrendered your life to Christ yet still do the same sin (intentionally), you have taken back what you have surrendered. This means you haven't fully surrendered to Him. There are only two choices:
a) Surrender it all!
b) or don't surrender at all!
4. Transformation - think with the mind of Christ - this is one of the most important "spirattitudes (spiritual attitudes)" Christians lack!! Each of us need, with the Holy Spirit's help, Count The Cost! It costs to change. It costs to make sacrifice. Whatever you pleasure yourselves with will be hard to let go. Whatever you're holding on as the most important is called idolatry! If you have problems with candies or other food, give it to the food pantry. If you're addicted to smoking, sacrifice it all in the toilet! If you're greedy, give!
Set your sights on Christ. Ask Him to transform the way you think, talk and act!!
3. Declaration - give up control of your will - whatever habits, hang-ups you may have, tell God that you're willing to throw away your ugly idols (smoking, cussing, gossip, laziness, excuses, busybodies and the list is endless!!)
2. Dedication - surround yourselves with one or more prayer warriors to help you surrender the things that entangles your life.
And the NUMBER ONE COMMITMENT is:
1. Know Christ Through Constant Surrender - it is not merely knowing Christ but knowing Christ in a deeper way (intimately, relationally and as a servant) 1 Corinthians 2:2 Surrender is not a one-time event. It's constant! If you're still living a wavering faith, see your minister or a close Christian friend. Talk to him about your struggles. Confess your sins. If you haven't given your life to Christ by burying it in baptism, don't procrastinate any longer. Your life is precious to God and He wants to bring each of His children home. But the choice is yours today, surrender your all or don't.
It is my prayer that, as you enter the New Year tonight, it will ring true with these ten steps toward a total consecration to God. Don't forget, we're still surrendering everyday!! May God bless 2006!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Monday, December 26, 2005
Know Fear or No Fear
Next month, we're going to be studying Proverbs. I am going to give you a couple of blogs giving you some insights on "wisdom".
"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25 (niv)
Fear is such a paralyzing emotion. It robs us of a couple of important life aspects:
Courage helps us step out of fear's paralysis and turn its' nervous edge into power.
I read an article in the Kansas City Star newspaper about a mother whose daughter is paralized from waist down. Her ordeal happened not long ago. Her daughter, a straight A student in high school happened to be with a couple of her friends. One of her friends was a beginner driver of her own car. The driver ran into a tree and severely injured all the passengers. This daughter, along with other riders, were taken to the hospital. She was in a much worse condition than the others. Her lungs collasped. She slipped into coma. She had major surgery on her vertebrae. Hospital bills kept increasing. Rent hasn't been paid for months. A dire need for medicine and medicinal equipment.
But that wasn't the only thing that kept paralizing the family. A year ago, the 36 year old mother had a heart attack and went through bypass heart surgery. After waking up, she realized that she had a severely degenerative heart disease. It seems one thing led to another and I read the mother's quote:
"I ran out of prayer. I stopped praying to God."
Fear took over. She became paralized by life's crisis: herself and her daughter's. Our life's crisis can take a heavy toll against our faith with God. It will keep pounding and pounding on us until we call it quits. We stop going to church. Fellowship with other Christians is useless. We're experiencing severe spiritual dementia. And it wears us down to the point of paralysis. We begin to feel less and less from God.
We need the courage to overcome our life's crisis. But this kind of courage comes to us fully only when we know that all Satan and his allies can really have of us is our bodies. He cannot take our mind, our attitude, our faith, and most of all, he cannot take our relationship with God given to us through Jesus.
"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe." Proverbs 29:25 (niv)
Fear is such a paralyzing emotion. It robs us of a couple of important life aspects:
- Our vitality...
- Our decision making ability...
- And our strength.
Courage helps us step out of fear's paralysis and turn its' nervous edge into power.
I read an article in the Kansas City Star newspaper about a mother whose daughter is paralized from waist down. Her ordeal happened not long ago. Her daughter, a straight A student in high school happened to be with a couple of her friends. One of her friends was a beginner driver of her own car. The driver ran into a tree and severely injured all the passengers. This daughter, along with other riders, were taken to the hospital. She was in a much worse condition than the others. Her lungs collasped. She slipped into coma. She had major surgery on her vertebrae. Hospital bills kept increasing. Rent hasn't been paid for months. A dire need for medicine and medicinal equipment.
But that wasn't the only thing that kept paralizing the family. A year ago, the 36 year old mother had a heart attack and went through bypass heart surgery. After waking up, she realized that she had a severely degenerative heart disease. It seems one thing led to another and I read the mother's quote:
"I ran out of prayer. I stopped praying to God."
Fear took over. She became paralized by life's crisis: herself and her daughter's. Our life's crisis can take a heavy toll against our faith with God. It will keep pounding and pounding on us until we call it quits. We stop going to church. Fellowship with other Christians is useless. We're experiencing severe spiritual dementia. And it wears us down to the point of paralysis. We begin to feel less and less from God.
We need the courage to overcome our life's crisis. But this kind of courage comes to us fully only when we know that all Satan and his allies can really have of us is our bodies. He cannot take our mind, our attitude, our faith, and most of all, he cannot take our relationship with God given to us through Jesus.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Hang Him On It!
"Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place; For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the LORD will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him. Do not fret because of evildoers or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?" Proverbs 24:15-22 (nas)
Today we look at another reason why God allows the ungodly to have success - to illustrate by contrast the horror of an eternity without God. I was reading how Spurgeon, one of the commentators, commented:
"Eternal punishment will be all the more terrible in contrast with the former prosperity of those who are ripening for it."
The seeming joy and splendor of the successful and prosperous ungodly will be cast aside by God more awful. You will no doubt remember the story of Haman, who prepared a gallows (for hanging criminals) for Mordecai but finished up by being hanged upon it himself. The ascent to the gallows was an essential ingredient in the terror of the sentence: "Hang him on it!" (Esth. 7:9).
Those who are wicked are being raised up so that all might see how great their fall is. A preacher tells how he read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke 16, to a group of young people who were hearing it for the first time. He stopped at the part where Lazarus lay at the gate, the dogs licking his sores, while the rich man ate in splendour in his house, and said: "Which would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?" With one voice the young people shouted: "The rich man." He then read on, and after telling the story of how both died and the rich man was in torment while Lazarus was carried to Abraham's side, he asked: "Now which would you rather be?" This time they responded more quietly and soberly "Lazarus."
That is the truth the psalmist saw as he sat quietly in the sanctuary of God.
Today we look at another reason why God allows the ungodly to have success - to illustrate by contrast the horror of an eternity without God. I was reading how Spurgeon, one of the commentators, commented:
"Eternal punishment will be all the more terrible in contrast with the former prosperity of those who are ripening for it."
The seeming joy and splendor of the successful and prosperous ungodly will be cast aside by God more awful. You will no doubt remember the story of Haman, who prepared a gallows (for hanging criminals) for Mordecai but finished up by being hanged upon it himself. The ascent to the gallows was an essential ingredient in the terror of the sentence: "Hang him on it!" (Esth. 7:9).
Those who are wicked are being raised up so that all might see how great their fall is. A preacher tells how he read the story of the rich man and Lazarus, in Luke 16, to a group of young people who were hearing it for the first time. He stopped at the part where Lazarus lay at the gate, the dogs licking his sores, while the rich man ate in splendour in his house, and said: "Which would you rather be, the rich man or Lazarus?" With one voice the young people shouted: "The rich man." He then read on, and after telling the story of how both died and the rich man was in torment while Lazarus was carried to Abraham's side, he asked: "Now which would you rather be?" This time they responded more quietly and soberly "Lazarus."
That is the truth the psalmist saw as he sat quietly in the sanctuary of God.
"— for the evil man has no future hope, and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out." (v. 20)
Lord, those who have believed and were baptized ought to thank You for
the SALVATION they have and pray for those who do not possess the
same gift we all have. Personally, I ache for those who are being
risen high in their sins where we will all see their wicked
deeds. I pray that they will come to realize their own
ruin and change giving adoration and worship
to You for You have given us all Your Son,
Jesus!
In Jesus' Name, Amen!
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Dawn And Sunset Shouts For Joy
"They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy. "
Psalm 65:8 (nas)
This was actually taken this beautiful cold morning!! The temperature was a record December temp of 13 degrees in Leesburg, Virginia!!! As I gazed out of my front door, I simply forgot how cold it was and just took this awesome display of God!! This brought warmth to my soul and I, as always, know God is powerfully alive!!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Nothing But Doctrine!
(warning! long read so take your time...)
"We ought to see the world through the lens of the Bible..."
As ministers, we know that "worldview" is important!! But let's not jump into any conclusions here. I'm not done. Worldview is:
1. At the center of how we live.
2. It determines the decisions we make.
3. It determines how we treat the people we love.
4. The emotions we experience throughout the day and the eternal impact we make.
Our worldview forms the “glasses” through which we see the world.
Unfortunately, many people in His church carelessly put together their worldview. The things they were taught as they grew up, the opinions they heard, truths they’ve read in the Bible - all get thrown together into a "worldview soup". Sadly, there are millions of them in the world today. It's brewing on a hot stove. And often, the result is a view of the world that is more theirs than God’s (and yes, we have a little guilt in that, too!).
Therefore, we need the good news. I love good news! The good news is God doesn’t want it to stay that way; he doesn’t want to leave us in the dark. God wants to give us his brain, his optical lenses. Why? So we can see this clearly in the fact that he sent his Son and gave us his Word. God wants us to know him. I believe we will need a stronger foundation. A foundation with the best news. A foundation that's more solid than our opinions or worldview. Not that opinions or worldview are alone worthless, they aren't stable. Yes, they are important helping us weigh the difference between a truth and a lie.
Jude 1:20 says, “But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith.” (nlt)
I have had hundreds of people come up to me asking what my doctrine is. Remember, doctrine means "teachings" or according to Websters, "..a principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief as by a religious group." One of the most common question is, "What does the church of Christ teach (doctrine) about _______?" Or perhaps...
"What does the church of Christ teach about baptism?" "What does the Baptist teach about baptism?" "What does the Catholics teach about baptism?"
"Does the church of Christ have a creed?"
"What does the church of Christ require a soul to be saved?"
These are great questions but I don't have an answer to any of them because there's really no answers. I have answers to the right questions. If I give the right answer to a wrong question, it's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. We'll be beating each other up!! If I give the right answer to the wrong question, I am making whatever the right answer as "the church's; the affiliation's" doctrine (teaching). Hence, my doctrine is different from theirs. And we're divided because we believe and teach differently.
DOCTRINE is what God says. DOCTRINE is what the Bible says. If you're asking me questions, I am going to use the Bible as my only doctrine. Of course, many of you will say, "So are we." Then we move on pushing another "red button" shooting another missile called, "Interpretation". In defense, people bring up a phrase, "Well, that's your interpretation." I am sure there are thousands of interpretations in the world today: how we see the weather, understanding the war, politics...
I'm convinced that we need to continually remind ourselves and all the members of the Lord's church that their view of this world is determined by the foundation that they choose to build their lives on. If they build their lives around making money, they probably have one view of the world. If they build their lives around being popular, then they'll have an entirely different view of what’s happening around them.
Finally, let's step outside of our lives now. You're not "you" anymore. Your body is rid of worldview and interpretations. Let's begin to feed that body with God's Word, the Bible and see what God wants from us (please consider this a very important admonishment):
1. IF YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD, IT HELPS ME KNOW GOD BETTER.
"Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God." Prov. 2:2-5 (ncv)
If you're living in the world without knowing God, is like driving a car, blindfolded. It doesn’t matter how hard you step on the accelerator or what direction you steer, you keep running into things and you never get anywhere. We need to know God, keep knowing God, and know the truth about God. We cannot grow with God based on our guesses, wishes, assumptions, and wild interpretations. Relationships grow with the truth; not a lie.
2. GROWING IN KNOWING GOD IS AN ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION.
"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction [doctrine] about washings [baptism] and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” Hebrew 6:1-2 (nas)
Don't you want a foundation that provides the right decisions and the appropriate directions; a foundation that leads us to eternal life? How did you come to learn how to read and write? Knowing your A-B-C's! How did you come to know the truth about G-O-D? By knowing the basic fundamental foundation found in the Bible: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Baptize, Salvation, and Living.
Well. Without the fundamentals, our lives are at risk. Our joy is at stake. Our families are on the brink of eternal damnation. Our place in eternity may be lost. So why opt for ignorance?
3. THE LIFE-SAVING DOCTRINE OF GOD FEEDS MY SOUL.
"In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." 1 Tim. 4:6 (nas)
When we hunger for solid food, that's a sign of maturity. We need soild food to sustain us. So doctrine (teachings of the Bible, the brain of God, the voice of God) is solid food for our soul!
This nourishment of our soul doesn't happen in an instance! We have to choose to eat this solid food. We have to chew for a while on some of the truths in the Bible in order to understand them. In Hebrews (5:12-14) we are warned very clearly that if we don’t decide to dig into God’s Word, we’ll remain baby Christians. Baby Christians are believers who always seem to have so many needs that they can never meet the needs of others.
I rather grow than remain a baby. It's embarrassing if I am a 37 year old man wearing diapers. If you stop feeding on God's Word, you're walking on thin ice that's about to break. Without God's Word, your spiritual life will weaken! And that's a fact!
4. KNOWING THE TRUTH IS AN "ANTI-VIRUS" AGAINST ERROR.
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Colossians 2:6–8 (niv)
When you're rooted in the Word of God, the Bible, it will be difficult for anyone to throw you off with a false doctrine.
Let me give you an example, namely cars. I am not good with cars when they go wrong. In order to drive a car, you don’t have to know anything about the engine. The car dealer pops up the hood and say, "Look at that engine!" Nice, but that doesn't tell me whether the car will ride into the horizon for eternity. I know it won't! You just push the gas pedal and the car goes. Likewise, you don’t have to know all of the truths in the Bible to become a Christian. All you have to know and believe is that Jesus loves you, that he died for your sins and that he was buried and that he was resurrected to give you new life.
But let’s get back in your car. Let’s say you’re driving down the street and the car starts to make a horrible sound. You think the sound is coming from the engine but you’re not sure. Spotting an auto repair shop, you pull in and ask a repairman what might be wrong. The repairman tells you, “You need to fill your gas tank with water. That will fix everything.” At that point, even a little bit of understanding about cars would be of great help to you.
The best way to protect yourself against errors of any kind is to know the truth. You can spot a deceiver once you know what the truth is.
5. WE'RE COMMANDED TO HANDLE THE TRUTH.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (nas)
How you use the truth depends on how well you know the truth. The Scripture above isn't just for ministers, it's for everyone whom are learning how to, accurately, handle God's Word. God has entrusted us with them.
This is an amazing verse! Paul wrote to the church in Rome urging them not to continue on in sin that God's grace may increase (Ro. 6:1) and that the church remember they surrendered their lives to the Lord: 1. Died to self 2. Buried in baptism 3. Raised in Christ (Ro. 6:2-4). "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted." Romans 6:17 (niv)
We're not to rely on what others are telling us. We're to take the responsibility to study the truth.
6. WE'RE COMMANDED TO LIVE THE TRUTH!
"I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives." (Titus 1:1, NLT)
First of all, before you live the truth, you have to know the truth. And secondly, to know the truth, you must first learn the truth. Depending on your spiritual instincts is not enough (Proverbs 14:12), not if you’ve never taken the time to learn the truth.
7. WE'RE DEFENDERS OF THE TRUTH (AND IT'S A COMMAND)!
"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 1 Peter 3:15 (nas)
We must always be ready! We must be able to defend the truth of God's Word. We're not going to give in to those who wants to compromise the truth with us. We're not Christians who merely water-down the truth.
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Cor. 7:1 (niv)
Keeping those seven reasons for learning doctrine, it's time for us to take a new look at the part doctrine plays in our lives and make a commitment to be a student of God and His truth. Learning God's truth requires alot of work. It won’t be easy. Remember, it's nothing but doctrine: the teachings of God! The work will be worth it. You’ll never regret it.
"We ought to see the world through the lens of the Bible..."
As ministers, we know that "worldview" is important!! But let's not jump into any conclusions here. I'm not done. Worldview is:
1. At the center of how we live.
2. It determines the decisions we make.
3. It determines how we treat the people we love.
4. The emotions we experience throughout the day and the eternal impact we make.
Our worldview forms the “glasses” through which we see the world.
Unfortunately, many people in His church carelessly put together their worldview. The things they were taught as they grew up, the opinions they heard, truths they’ve read in the Bible - all get thrown together into a "worldview soup". Sadly, there are millions of them in the world today. It's brewing on a hot stove. And often, the result is a view of the world that is more theirs than God’s (and yes, we have a little guilt in that, too!).
Therefore, we need the good news. I love good news! The good news is God doesn’t want it to stay that way; he doesn’t want to leave us in the dark. God wants to give us his brain, his optical lenses. Why? So we can see this clearly in the fact that he sent his Son and gave us his Word. God wants us to know him. I believe we will need a stronger foundation. A foundation with the best news. A foundation that's more solid than our opinions or worldview. Not that opinions or worldview are alone worthless, they aren't stable. Yes, they are important helping us weigh the difference between a truth and a lie.
Jude 1:20 says, “But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith.” (nlt)
I have had hundreds of people come up to me asking what my doctrine is. Remember, doctrine means "teachings" or according to Websters, "..a principle or body of principles presented for acceptance or belief as by a religious group." One of the most common question is, "What does the church of Christ teach (doctrine) about _______?" Or perhaps...
"What does the church of Christ teach about baptism?" "What does the Baptist teach about baptism?" "What does the Catholics teach about baptism?"
"Does the church of Christ have a creed?"
"What does the church of Christ require a soul to be saved?"
These are great questions but I don't have an answer to any of them because there's really no answers. I have answers to the right questions. If I give the right answer to a wrong question, it's like trying to put a square peg in a round hole. We'll be beating each other up!! If I give the right answer to the wrong question, I am making whatever the right answer as "the church's; the affiliation's" doctrine (teaching). Hence, my doctrine is different from theirs. And we're divided because we believe and teach differently.
DOCTRINE is what God says. DOCTRINE is what the Bible says. If you're asking me questions, I am going to use the Bible as my only doctrine. Of course, many of you will say, "So are we." Then we move on pushing another "red button" shooting another missile called, "Interpretation". In defense, people bring up a phrase, "Well, that's your interpretation." I am sure there are thousands of interpretations in the world today: how we see the weather, understanding the war, politics...
I'm convinced that we need to continually remind ourselves and all the members of the Lord's church that their view of this world is determined by the foundation that they choose to build their lives on. If they build their lives around making money, they probably have one view of the world. If they build their lives around being popular, then they'll have an entirely different view of what’s happening around them.
Finally, let's step outside of our lives now. You're not "you" anymore. Your body is rid of worldview and interpretations. Let's begin to feed that body with God's Word, the Bible and see what God wants from us (please consider this a very important admonishment):
1. IF YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD, IT HELPS ME KNOW GOD BETTER.
"Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God." Prov. 2:2-5 (ncv)
If you're living in the world without knowing God, is like driving a car, blindfolded. It doesn’t matter how hard you step on the accelerator or what direction you steer, you keep running into things and you never get anywhere. We need to know God, keep knowing God, and know the truth about God. We cannot grow with God based on our guesses, wishes, assumptions, and wild interpretations. Relationships grow with the truth; not a lie.
2. GROWING IN KNOWING GOD IS AN ESSENTIAL FOUNDATION.
"Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction [doctrine] about washings [baptism] and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.” Hebrew 6:1-2 (nas)
Don't you want a foundation that provides the right decisions and the appropriate directions; a foundation that leads us to eternal life? How did you come to learn how to read and write? Knowing your A-B-C's! How did you come to know the truth about G-O-D? By knowing the basic fundamental foundation found in the Bible: Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, Baptize, Salvation, and Living.
Well. Without the fundamentals, our lives are at risk. Our joy is at stake. Our families are on the brink of eternal damnation. Our place in eternity may be lost. So why opt for ignorance?
3. THE LIFE-SAVING DOCTRINE OF GOD FEEDS MY SOUL.
"In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." 1 Tim. 4:6 (nas)
When we hunger for solid food, that's a sign of maturity. We need soild food to sustain us. So doctrine (teachings of the Bible, the brain of God, the voice of God) is solid food for our soul!
This nourishment of our soul doesn't happen in an instance! We have to choose to eat this solid food. We have to chew for a while on some of the truths in the Bible in order to understand them. In Hebrews (5:12-14) we are warned very clearly that if we don’t decide to dig into God’s Word, we’ll remain baby Christians. Baby Christians are believers who always seem to have so many needs that they can never meet the needs of others.
I rather grow than remain a baby. It's embarrassing if I am a 37 year old man wearing diapers. If you stop feeding on God's Word, you're walking on thin ice that's about to break. Without God's Word, your spiritual life will weaken! And that's a fact!
4. KNOWING THE TRUTH IS AN "ANTI-VIRUS" AGAINST ERROR.
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." Colossians 2:6–8 (niv)
When you're rooted in the Word of God, the Bible, it will be difficult for anyone to throw you off with a false doctrine.
Let me give you an example, namely cars. I am not good with cars when they go wrong. In order to drive a car, you don’t have to know anything about the engine. The car dealer pops up the hood and say, "Look at that engine!" Nice, but that doesn't tell me whether the car will ride into the horizon for eternity. I know it won't! You just push the gas pedal and the car goes. Likewise, you don’t have to know all of the truths in the Bible to become a Christian. All you have to know and believe is that Jesus loves you, that he died for your sins and that he was buried and that he was resurrected to give you new life.
But let’s get back in your car. Let’s say you’re driving down the street and the car starts to make a horrible sound. You think the sound is coming from the engine but you’re not sure. Spotting an auto repair shop, you pull in and ask a repairman what might be wrong. The repairman tells you, “You need to fill your gas tank with water. That will fix everything.” At that point, even a little bit of understanding about cars would be of great help to you.
The best way to protect yourself against errors of any kind is to know the truth. You can spot a deceiver once you know what the truth is.
5. WE'RE COMMANDED TO HANDLE THE TRUTH.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 (nas)
How you use the truth depends on how well you know the truth. The Scripture above isn't just for ministers, it's for everyone whom are learning how to, accurately, handle God's Word. God has entrusted us with them.
This is an amazing verse! Paul wrote to the church in Rome urging them not to continue on in sin that God's grace may increase (Ro. 6:1) and that the church remember they surrendered their lives to the Lord: 1. Died to self 2. Buried in baptism 3. Raised in Christ (Ro. 6:2-4). "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted." Romans 6:17 (niv)
We're not to rely on what others are telling us. We're to take the responsibility to study the truth.
6. WE'RE COMMANDED TO LIVE THE TRUTH!
"I have been sent to bring faith to those God has chosen and to teach them to know the truth that shows them how to live godly lives." (Titus 1:1, NLT)
First of all, before you live the truth, you have to know the truth. And secondly, to know the truth, you must first learn the truth. Depending on your spiritual instincts is not enough (Proverbs 14:12), not if you’ve never taken the time to learn the truth.
7. WE'RE DEFENDERS OF THE TRUTH (AND IT'S A COMMAND)!
"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence." 1 Peter 3:15 (nas)
We must always be ready! We must be able to defend the truth of God's Word. We're not going to give in to those who wants to compromise the truth with us. We're not Christians who merely water-down the truth.
"Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God." 2 Cor. 7:1 (niv)
Keeping those seven reasons for learning doctrine, it's time for us to take a new look at the part doctrine plays in our lives and make a commitment to be a student of God and His truth. Learning God's truth requires alot of work. It won’t be easy. Remember, it's nothing but doctrine: the teachings of God! The work will be worth it. You’ll never regret it.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
My wishlist to God...
Man! I don't know about you but as time goes by, the number of years working for God increments, the church grows makes planning more and more difficult! You should know me by now! I hate to do the same thing year by year. Like God, I love variety! So you're telling me that I'm asking for it! Thanks and I am glad I am the type of person who loves variety! It's more exciting that way.
Jesus gave tons of varieties! Through his conversation with the multitudes. Through his miracles - lame, blind, leperous, "exorcisizing", distant healing, raised Lazarus, changed water to wine, walked on water! Man! Do I need to tell you all those varieties He's done! Not to mention this, an eye-opener, heart-crasher: God raised Him from the dead! Praise God and Amen!
And God, made the world and everything that's in it! Can you count how many of the varieties He's made! There's billions of them that can be found in Google!
And the Holy Spirit! He's my buddy! I love Him! He touches people in billion different ways! From the depth of the sea to the vastness of universe, He touched those who stood in awe of God! He touched them through various ways!
"Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?" Job 38:18-19 (niv)
Here's my wish list to God....
1. That each and every true believer will reach one precious soul and bring him/her to Christ within one year! Then work with that soul through weekly correspondence and monthly outings.
2. That we will devote our lives to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God through corporate bible studies, personal bible studies, daily time of prayers, fasting, constant worship, and small group meetings.
3. Re-examine our daily priorities to make sure we're spending more time with God (among ourselves, our families, our co-workers and the community).
4. Commit to Sunday's corporate gatherings in worship and class (90+% of the time).
Year after year, some of us are prone to giving excuses - forgot to turn on alarm, something else came up, my child didn't want to go to church, it's too far to drive (Jesus didn't have an SUV!), I just don't feel like it, I have this itty-bitty cold and whatever runs through your head. ;) Think about how God feels about this when He really knows it's only a lame excuse. Think about if Jesus said, "I forgot my appointment to suffer for the world cuz I got a bit distracted with..." I don't think so. Jesus went through all this for you and He hears your _____________. So my prayer is that God will bring you up out of the pool of excuses you're wading in and begin your full devotion to Him!
5. Devote more of our finances to God (go through your budget and see where you need to sacrifice in order to give more to God).
6. Grow strong and deep in fellowship through small group meetings (in homes).
7. Determine what my God-given gift(s) are and how I can give God glory with the gift(s).
8. Devote to completing the Purpose Driven Fairfax classes (PDFX 101, 201, 301, 401) during the 2006 year.
9. Be more encouraging, less critical. Be the light of the world, salt of the earth!
10. Memorize at least 12 verses (one verse per month during the 2006 year).
11. Invite member(s) to your home for lunch/dinner.
12. Adore and praise God more during worship through singing, meditation during communion, growing to please God in our worship to Him, attentive to His messages, and remember those in need and praises through prayer.
13. Confess our sins and repent from it!
14. Pray for our leaders, our country and the world (President, Congress, Supreme Court) that they will seek God in their everyday decisions.
15. That the Lord will send someone to bible school to prepare himself and his family for service among the deaf in the world. (Isaiah 6)
Lastly, I know this may be unrealistic but with God, anything is possible for those who ask:
16. Bring in 7 (or more) souls to Jesus next year!
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27 (niv)
Jesus gave tons of varieties! Through his conversation with the multitudes. Through his miracles - lame, blind, leperous, "exorcisizing", distant healing, raised Lazarus, changed water to wine, walked on water! Man! Do I need to tell you all those varieties He's done! Not to mention this, an eye-opener, heart-crasher: God raised Him from the dead! Praise God and Amen!
And God, made the world and everything that's in it! Can you count how many of the varieties He's made! There's billions of them that can be found in Google!
And the Holy Spirit! He's my buddy! I love Him! He touches people in billion different ways! From the depth of the sea to the vastness of universe, He touched those who stood in awe of God! He touched them through various ways!
"Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?" Job 38:18-19 (niv)
Here's my wish list to God....
1. That each and every true believer will reach one precious soul and bring him/her to Christ within one year! Then work with that soul through weekly correspondence and monthly outings.
2. That we will devote our lives to be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God through corporate bible studies, personal bible studies, daily time of prayers, fasting, constant worship, and small group meetings.
3. Re-examine our daily priorities to make sure we're spending more time with God (among ourselves, our families, our co-workers and the community).
4. Commit to Sunday's corporate gatherings in worship and class (90+% of the time).
Year after year, some of us are prone to giving excuses - forgot to turn on alarm, something else came up, my child didn't want to go to church, it's too far to drive (Jesus didn't have an SUV!), I just don't feel like it, I have this itty-bitty cold and whatever runs through your head. ;) Think about how God feels about this when He really knows it's only a lame excuse. Think about if Jesus said, "I forgot my appointment to suffer for the world cuz I got a bit distracted with..." I don't think so. Jesus went through all this for you and He hears your _____________. So my prayer is that God will bring you up out of the pool of excuses you're wading in and begin your full devotion to Him!
5. Devote more of our finances to God (go through your budget and see where you need to sacrifice in order to give more to God).
6. Grow strong and deep in fellowship through small group meetings (in homes).
7. Determine what my God-given gift(s) are and how I can give God glory with the gift(s).
8. Devote to completing the Purpose Driven Fairfax classes (PDFX 101, 201, 301, 401) during the 2006 year.
9. Be more encouraging, less critical. Be the light of the world, salt of the earth!
10. Memorize at least 12 verses (one verse per month during the 2006 year).
11. Invite member(s) to your home for lunch/dinner.
12. Adore and praise God more during worship through singing, meditation during communion, growing to please God in our worship to Him, attentive to His messages, and remember those in need and praises through prayer.
13. Confess our sins and repent from it!
14. Pray for our leaders, our country and the world (President, Congress, Supreme Court) that they will seek God in their everyday decisions.
15. That the Lord will send someone to bible school to prepare himself and his family for service among the deaf in the world. (Isaiah 6)
Lastly, I know this may be unrealistic but with God, anything is possible for those who ask:
16. Bring in 7 (or more) souls to Jesus next year!
"What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27 (niv)
Monday, December 05, 2005
Harmonious Living
"The group of believers were united in their hearts and spirit... In fact, they shared everything. "Acts 4:32 (ncv)
"Live in harmony with one another." Rom.12:16a (niv)
The New Testament talks a whole lot about the unity of the church than about who goes to heaven and hell. It is God's desire that each and every one of us experience oneness and harmony with one another. Like the beating heart and feeling the pulse, "U-N-I-T-Y" is the heart of fellowship; the pulse that keeps life going. DESTROY IT, you rip the heart and stop the pulse out of Christ's body, the church!
If you are not "united" with one another within His body, the church, you're disfellowshiped from Christ! Without the "fellowship of the body", there's no church. A couple of strong points in the Bible:
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are ONE (united)!
Jesus prayed for UNITY!
The Holy Spirit is the ONE who unites us in LOVE!
God values His church (believers) and sent His Son to pay a heavy price for her!
The church's (believers) responsibility is the PROTECT the UNITY where you FELLOWSHIP!
When a believer distant him/herself from the body, the church, they're hurting Christ! I remember watching a military movie and was impressed with their motto, "Leave No Man Behind; if one goes forward, all go".
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Each believer are called, commissioned by Jesus Christ to preserve the unity and the fellowship among believers. Here are a couple of suggestions that I strongly encourage all believers within His body:
1. Focus on the commonality, not the differences..
God created each of us as unique beings. Each of us are wired differently but we have one thing in common: loving God together! However, the Bible does warn us that there will be people who seeks to destroy the unity of the church through disputes, divisions, differences and distance. God desires interdependence, not independence. There's no "lone-ranger-Christian" but an "army of Christians".
2. Avoid being disillusioned...
People become disillusioned with the church for a couple of "understandable reasons": conflict, hurts, hypocrisy, legalism, neglect, confusion and the list goes on.. However, when we live under tension, manage to go through any conflicts, our maturity grows. Immaturity is when we're always criticizing others. When we're not getting along with others: unloving, unresponsive, lack of communication, lack of mutuality, lack of understanding, and wall-building, it's a sign of divorcing from the body, the church.
But I want to give you a positive response to this to help us avoid disillusionment. Like many businesses asking for workers, "Help wanted! Apply within!", I say this,
"NO PERFECT PEOPLE NEED APPLY"
Church is a place only for those who admit they are sinners; they are open to share their burdens, their hurts, their struggles; a deep need for God's grace in their lives; and hungry to grow in Christ, in relationship, in love, in compassion, and in humility!
CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE BELIEVERS:
1. Encourage rather than criticize (Rom. 14:4)
2. Avoid troublemakers (Prov. 20:19)
3. Resolve conflicts (Matthew 18:15ff)
4. Support your leaders (ministers and elders) who work hard over you; ensample (Heb. 13:7)
We protect the fellowship; the unity of the church when we honor those who serve us by leading. Ministers and elders need encouragement, support, love and prayers.
5. Consider others better than your own selves (Phil. 2:3)
How warm is the church where you worship and fellowship with? Is she warm with love and understanding for one another? Everyone needs love, genuine love, the love so contagious that you may have to lock the church doors to keep people away!
"Live in harmony with one another." Rom.12:16a (niv)
The New Testament talks a whole lot about the unity of the church than about who goes to heaven and hell. It is God's desire that each and every one of us experience oneness and harmony with one another. Like the beating heart and feeling the pulse, "U-N-I-T-Y" is the heart of fellowship; the pulse that keeps life going. DESTROY IT, you rip the heart and stop the pulse out of Christ's body, the church!
If you are not "united" with one another within His body, the church, you're disfellowshiped from Christ! Without the "fellowship of the body", there's no church. A couple of strong points in the Bible:
God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are ONE (united)!
Jesus prayed for UNITY!
The Holy Spirit is the ONE who unites us in LOVE!
God values His church (believers) and sent His Son to pay a heavy price for her!
The church's (believers) responsibility is the PROTECT the UNITY where you FELLOWSHIP!
When a believer distant him/herself from the body, the church, they're hurting Christ! I remember watching a military movie and was impressed with their motto, "Leave No Man Behind; if one goes forward, all go".
"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."
Each believer are called, commissioned by Jesus Christ to preserve the unity and the fellowship among believers. Here are a couple of suggestions that I strongly encourage all believers within His body:
1. Focus on the commonality, not the differences..
God created each of us as unique beings. Each of us are wired differently but we have one thing in common: loving God together! However, the Bible does warn us that there will be people who seeks to destroy the unity of the church through disputes, divisions, differences and distance. God desires interdependence, not independence. There's no "lone-ranger-Christian" but an "army of Christians".
2. Avoid being disillusioned...
People become disillusioned with the church for a couple of "understandable reasons": conflict, hurts, hypocrisy, legalism, neglect, confusion and the list goes on.. However, when we live under tension, manage to go through any conflicts, our maturity grows. Immaturity is when we're always criticizing others. When we're not getting along with others: unloving, unresponsive, lack of communication, lack of mutuality, lack of understanding, and wall-building, it's a sign of divorcing from the body, the church.
But I want to give you a positive response to this to help us avoid disillusionment. Like many businesses asking for workers, "Help wanted! Apply within!", I say this,
"NO PERFECT PEOPLE NEED APPLY"
Church is a place only for those who admit they are sinners; they are open to share their burdens, their hurts, their struggles; a deep need for God's grace in their lives; and hungry to grow in Christ, in relationship, in love, in compassion, and in humility!
CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE BELIEVERS:
1. Encourage rather than criticize (Rom. 14:4)
2. Avoid troublemakers (Prov. 20:19)
3. Resolve conflicts (Matthew 18:15ff)
4. Support your leaders (ministers and elders) who work hard over you; ensample (Heb. 13:7)
We protect the fellowship; the unity of the church when we honor those who serve us by leading. Ministers and elders need encouragement, support, love and prayers.
5. Consider others better than your own selves (Phil. 2:3)
How warm is the church where you worship and fellowship with? Is she warm with love and understanding for one another? Everyone needs love, genuine love, the love so contagious that you may have to lock the church doors to keep people away!
Thursday, December 01, 2005
A Call To Commitment
Good morning, Bloggers!!! What a day it is that the Lord has made! Aren't you glad you're still alive and breathing?? It's God's "forever-fresh" air we're breathing!! He's a Great God! I love Him to death!! :)
I would like to forward one of Rick Warren's message on COMMITMENT. I receive his weekly article and found this article that cannot be overlooked.
Every time you raise the standards for leadership, you bring everyone else in the church along a little bit. A rising tide raises all the boats in the harbor.
Focus on raising the commitment of your leadership, not those who are the least committed in the crowd, nor even the semi-committed in your congregation. Whenever you raise the standard of commitment for those who are in the most visible positions of leadership, it raises the expectations among everyone else.
YOU MUST ASK PEOPLE FOR COMMITMENT
One of the most helpful things a church can do for people is:
For many people the barrier to spiritual growth is not lack of commitment, but over-commitment to the wrong things. Jesus pointed this out in the Parable of the Sower: “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke 8:14) People must be taught to make wise commitments.
ASK CONFIDENTLY FOR A BIG COMMITMENT
People want to be committed to something that gives significance to their lives. They respond to responsibilities that gives life meaning. They are attracted by a challenging vision. They want to be a part of something worthwhile.
On the other hand, people are unmoved by weak appeals and pitiful requests for help. Jesus knew this when he said in Luke 14:33, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." His challenge was total commitment.
Some pastors are afraid to ask for a big commitment, fearing that they will drive people away. But people do not resent being asked for a big commitment if there is a great purpose behind it. People respond to passionate vision, not need.
That’s why most stewardship campaigns don’t work: they focus on the needs of the church rather than the vision of the church. If people were really motivated by organizational needs, then every time a need was presented it would immediately be met.
BE SPECIFIC IN ASKING FOR A COMMITMENT
We have developed four covenants that spell out exactly what each of these commitments include: (Mark's note: this is what Saddleback church do to help a new believer understand God's expectation of them. This is especially a very good way to help our new members know where they stand and where they should go from the burial (baptism) toward eternity!)
A Membership Covenant;
A Maturity Covenant;
A Ministry Covenant; and
A Missions Covenant.
Each one is very specific about what is expected and required at that level of commitment. Instead of saying, "Be committed to Christ," explain specifically what that involves.
Explain the personal benefits, the family benefits, the benefits to the Body of Christ and society in general, and the eternal benefits of committing to spiritual growth. People really do have an innate desire to learn, to grow, and to improve.
We challenge people to make a commitment and then grow into it. It’s like choosing to become a parent. Very few couples feel competent to parent before they have their first child. But somehow - after the decision is made and a baby is born - the couple grows into their parenting role.
It is also OK to break big commitments into smaller steps and lead people gradually along. That’s the idea behind our Life Development Process (the baseball diamond).
Let people take baby steps!
I would like to forward one of Rick Warren's message on COMMITMENT. I receive his weekly article and found this article that cannot be overlooked.
"If you don't ask people for commitment, you won't get it.
You have not because you ask not."
Rick Warren
One of the ways I believe you can assess whether or not your church is maturing spiritually is this - the standards for leadership keep getting tougher as time passes. You keep turning up the heat every year, requiring a deeper level of commitment to Christ and spiritual growth. For instance, when Saddleback first began, our only requirement for serving in children’s Sunday school was that you had to be a warm body. Over the years, we’ve tightened the requirements considerably! We have done the same thing with our lay pastors, our musicians, and other ministry positions.
Every time you raise the standards for leadership, you bring everyone else in the church along a little bit. A rising tide raises all the boats in the harbor.
Focus on raising the commitment of your leadership, not those who are the least committed in the crowd, nor even the semi-committed in your congregation. Whenever you raise the standard of commitment for those who are in the most visible positions of leadership, it raises the expectations among everyone else.
YOU MUST ASK PEOPLE FOR COMMITMENT
If you don't ask people for commitment, you won't get it. You have not because you ask not. It’s amazing to me that many community organizations require more from participants than the local churches do. If you’ve ever been a Little League parent you know that when your child signed up to play, you were required to make a major commitment in terms of providing refreshments, transportation, trophies, and victory parties in addition to attendance. There was nothing voluntary about it! It was required if you wanted to participate.
One of the most helpful things a church can do for people is:
1. ..to help them clarify what commitments they ought to make.
2. ..and what commitments they ought to decline.
The reason we have so many weak Christians today is because they are half-committed to two dozen causes rather than being totally committed to the things that really matter.
For many people the barrier to spiritual growth is not lack of commitment, but over-commitment to the wrong things. Jesus pointed this out in the Parable of the Sower: “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke 8:14) People must be taught to make wise commitments.
ASK CONFIDENTLY FOR A BIG COMMITMENT
Study how Jesus asked for commitment. He was always clear and confident when he asked for it. He was not at all reluctant to ask grown men and women to drop everything and follow him. This is an interesting phenomena: The greater the commitment you request, the greater response you will get.
People want to be committed to something that gives significance to their lives. They respond to responsibilities that gives life meaning. They are attracted by a challenging vision. They want to be a part of something worthwhile.
On the other hand, people are unmoved by weak appeals and pitiful requests for help. Jesus knew this when he said in Luke 14:33, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." His challenge was total commitment.
Some pastors are afraid to ask for a big commitment, fearing that they will drive people away. But people do not resent being asked for a big commitment if there is a great purpose behind it. People respond to passionate vision, not need.
That’s why most stewardship campaigns don’t work: they focus on the needs of the church rather than the vision of the church. If people were really motivated by organizational needs, then every time a need was presented it would immediately be met.
BE SPECIFIC IN ASKING FOR A COMMITMENT
Another key of developing commitment is being specific. Tell people exactly what is expected of them. At Saddleback we ask people to commit to Christ, be baptized, become a member, develop the habits for maturity, minister, and fulfill their life mission.
We have developed four covenants that spell out exactly what each of these commitments include: (Mark's note: this is what Saddleback church do to help a new believer understand God's expectation of them. This is especially a very good way to help our new members know where they stand and where they should go from the burial (baptism) toward eternity!)
A Membership Covenant;
A Maturity Covenant;
A Ministry Covenant; and
A Missions Covenant.
Each one is very specific about what is expected and required at that level of commitment. Instead of saying, "Be committed to Christ," explain specifically what that involves.
EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF COMMITMENT
Another key to developing commitment in people is to identify the benefits of it. God does this. So many of the commands in Scripture have promises attached to them. I once did a study of the promises attached to God’s commands to be generous. We always end up being blessed whenever we’re obedient.
Explain the personal benefits, the family benefits, the benefits to the Body of Christ and society in general, and the eternal benefits of committing to spiritual growth. People really do have an innate desire to learn, to grow, and to improve.
BUILD ON COMMITMENT RATHER THAN TOWARD COMMITMENT
Even though you tell people where you are taking them (by challenging them with a big commitment) you start with whatever commitment they are able to give. Begin with an initial commitment regardless of how weak it may seem.
We challenge people to make a commitment and then grow into it. It’s like choosing to become a parent. Very few couples feel competent to parent before they have their first child. But somehow - after the decision is made and a baby is born - the couple grows into their parenting role.
It is also OK to break big commitments into smaller steps and lead people gradually along. That’s the idea behind our Life Development Process (the baseball diamond).
Let people take baby steps!
Thanks, Rick!!
In Christ Alone!!
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