“And I Will Make You” – A Change in Our Character

STEP TWO:  HEART-LEVEL CHANGE

1.  A disciple is being changed by Christ.

“I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

I need to keep His mercy in view.  I must allow Him to transform my mind – my thought processes, my emotional responses, my attitude – all of it – if I am going to align with His will.

 

2.  Change comes through spending time with Jesus.

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”  (Acts 4:13)

“Peter and John were not changed instantly into the courageous men who testified before the court.  That encourages all of us.  Jesus changes us (1) through a relationship and (2) over time.  He uses many different things to bring about this change, but the key ingredient is being with Him.  As we spend time with Him, Jesus makes us more and more like Him in our inner persons, our hearts, and our character.” – from Real-Life Discipleship

 

3.  How do I connect with Him?

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in Me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)

Connection comes through studying His words and actions, then living those words and actions out in my life.

 

4.  What will the end result be?

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”  (Ephesians 3:16-19)

Dear Liar: You Don’t Own Me

“What did you expect?  You’ve not changed.  Nothing’s changed.  You’re still the same awkward, ugly duckling girl with no self-esteem and no self-confidence.  You’ll never be good enough.  Pretty enough.  Skinny enough.  You’ll never be enough.  Period.  You’re not even adequate.  You’re a failure.  A failure as a wife.   A failure as a mom.  A failure as a friend.  You’ll never measure up.  You’re worthless.  I mean, really?  What did you expect?”

Lies of the Enemy, whispered to me, kicking me over and over in the gut when I am down.

It’s funny how the very things we thought we had left behind years ago are what he immediately brings rushing back, trying to use our past to defeat us during the times we are hurt.  Old dog, old tricks.  Planting seeds of doubt and insecurity.

And for a while, I wallowed.  In self-pity.  In self-doubt.  In heartbreak.  In the past.  I allowed the Enemy to laugh while I cried; to gloat in my pain.

Until.

Until I picked up the love letter written to me by the King, and heard His words of truth that He has decreed and spoken over me.

“I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3)

“I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

“For it was I who created you; I knit you together in your mother’s womb. You are remarkably and wonderfully made by Me.” (Psalm 139:13)

“For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

“I have liberated you to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

“I will be your portion, therefore put your hope in Me.”  (Lamentations 3:24)

“When you are afraid, trust in Me.  I Myself have recorded your wanderings.  Put your tears in My bottle. Are they not in My records?”  (Psalm 56:3, 8)

“I love you so much that I gave My one and only Son for you.” (John 3:16)

“I proved My own love for you in that while you were still a sinner, I died for you!” (Romans 5:8)

“You are in Christ, you are a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” (II Cor. 5:17)

“Look! I am making everything new.” (Rev. 21:5)

“I will fulfill My purpose for You. My love is eternal; I will not abandon the work of My hands.” (Psalm 138:8)

“I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash.  Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.” (Luke 10:18-19)

“Who can separate you from My love?  Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No!  In all these things you are more than victorious because I love you.  Know that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate you from My love!”  (Romans 8:35-39)

“I AM FOR YOU.”  (Psalm 56:9)

So . .

Dear Liar,

Talked with Jesus this morning.  He said to tell you that you’re a loser, so stop gloating over me.  I might have fallen down, but He picked me back up.  My shame, my insecurity, and all my shortcomings – my sin – were nailed to the cross with Him, inscribed on the palms of His hands.  They don’t define me anymore.  He does.  He is for me.  He owns me.  He has adopted me as His own.  He pleads my case and establishes my right.  He will bring me out into the light, and I will see His righteousness.  Then you, loser, will see it and be covered with shame. (Micah 7:8-10)

P.S.  I read the end of the Book.  You lose, liar-liar-pants-on-fire.  Literally.

Step One: “Follow Me”

The Invitation to Follow

“Anyone who wants to be My disciple must follow Me, because My servants mustbe where I am.  And the Father will honor anyone who serves Me.” – John 12:26 NLT (Emphasis mine)”To follow means to acknowledge Jesus in His entirety.  Yes, He is Savior, but He also said that to follow Him meant to obey Him.” – from Real-Life Discipleship

You can accept Jesus as Savior without ever making Him Lord.  To be a disciple, Jesus must come first.  Everything else comes after Him.  We must follow His lead.  He must be both our Savior and our Lord.

STEP ONE:  HEAD LEVEL

1.  Disciples must acknowledge Jesus as Lord and follow Him as our head.

This head-level change challenges everything from our worldview to our priorities.  This is one of the main stumbling blocks in moving from Jesus as Savior to Jesus as Lord.  If I am not willing to change my worldview and priorities to line up with His, I can never be His disciple.  Instead, I will end up settling for something less that fits what I already believe based on what I have been taught.  That’s called religion.  We end up being disciples of a denomination, or a preacher, or a political party, but not His disciples.

2.  Following Jesus means leaving some things behind.

Then He said to them all:  ”If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.  What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?  If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:23-24

Jesus calls me to leave my “self ” – selfish ambitions, selfish way of life, worldly gain, fear of ridicule – and follow Him.  This means moving out of my comfort zone.  It means setting down my worry, anxiety, judgmentalism and negativity and looking for opportunities to meet the needs of others, to be more generous, to show mercy and a gracious spirit, and to display a positive, affirming attitude.

Real Life Discipleship: Week Two – What is a Disciple?

Jesus invites us to be disciples

A disciple is someone who chooses to willingly follow the teaching and example of someone.  In this case, Jesus.

“Follow Me, . . . and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19

1.  FOLLOW:  ”Follow Me” 

A disciple is some who follows Jesus as Lord.  This means I must place myself under His authority and direction.  Simply believing in Jesus will make you a Christian, but it won’t necessarily make you a disciple.  Salvation comes solely from action on the part of Jesus (the work He finished on the cross).  Discipleship comes from action on my part to grow closer to Him.

2.  CHANGED:  ”I will make you”

A disciple allows Jesus to mold and change them.  These changes occur through Bible study, prayer, the counsel of other believers, and life experiences with the end result being that we are remade in the image of Christ.

“Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  - Romans 8:29

In order to be changed into a disciple, I must have the right focus.  The right focus is Jesus – not religion or denomination or personal opinion.  I need to view everything in the Bible through Jesus’ eyes.  I must study and know what He said before I can accurately apply the rest of scripture to my life.  Judgmentalism, legalism, and self-righteousness creep in when I lose sight of Jesus as I study the Bible.

If something I believe or the way I behave is contrary to Christ’s example, then I need to re-evaluate those beliefs and behaviors.  (Tangent/soapbox:  Jesus is God.  He’s the only person who has EVER had a right to be judgmental and self-righteous toward the lost.  But He wasn’t.  Who am I to think it’s okay?)

3.  MISSION:  ”fishers of men”

A disciple tells others about Jesus, not just through words, but through actions as well.  In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus called His first disciples by using real life examples and a language the fishermen could understand.  I need to be aware of how I speak to others when sharing Jesus.  ”Christian-ese” and “church-speak” do not reach the lost.  (Tangent/soapbox:  Neither does old English from 400 years ago.)  I  must use words and phrases lost people can relate to.  Be real.  Meet people where they are.  Know Bible verses in modern translations.  Using language people can’t understand only makes it hard for them to hear the Gospel.

Real Life Discipleship: Week 1, Day 2

Jesus prayed the following prayer in John 17:4-9 in the garden of Gethsemane prior to His arrest and crucifixion.

I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.  And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began.  I have revealed You to those who You gave me out of the world.  They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your word.  Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You.  For I gave them the words You gave Me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.  I pray for them.  I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they are Yours.  (John 17:4-9)

So how (and why) do we obey Jesus’ command to go and make disciples?

• Jesus stated in John 17:4-9 that He had completed the work the Father had given Him to do.  But this prayer was prayed prior to His death, burial, and resurrection.  He is talking about making disciples.

“If Jesus had died on the cross for our sins but had not made disciples who could deliver the message, none of use would have heard the good news.  Jesus completed the message: He died for us and rose from the grave.  He also created a way for people even today to hear that message: by releasing His disciples to go and make disciples, who in turn were released to go and make disciples, and so on.” – from the text.

• Many people believe that Jesus came only to die and be resurrected from the dead.  They often leave out – either through omission or by ignoring completely – the work Jesus did of making disciples.  I believe this is because focusing on Jesus’ example of putting priority on making disciples puts the onus on us to do something.  We can’t possibly do the work of Christ on the cross, so there are absolutely no expectations associated with us following His actions there.  But we CAN go and make disciples, so that DOES put an expectation on us to actually do something.  And we want to duck that responsibility.

• Again, the completed work that Jesus referred to was making 12 men into mature disciples, setting the example for us to follow.  We know our work is complete when someone we are discipling accepts God’s Word, knows with certainty that Jesus came from God and was sent by God, and are ready to spread this news to others.

• The messenger is essential.  ”The church was not designed to be a group of spectators who attend weekly lectures . . .  All believers are the messengers who bring the message to others and then continue the process of discipling those who believe.” (from the text)  Romans  10:14 states:

How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in?  And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

We must be able to duplicate what we have learned.  Jesus gave the example by revealing the glory of the Father to His followers.  We are to do the same.

Real-Life Discipleship – Week 1, Day 1 – A Heart to Make Disciples

So, last night was the first night of the new semester of the Timothy Initiative.  My book this time is more like a Beth Moore study guide instead of a college textbook, so I am already comforted.  :)

Real-Life Discipleship class description:

The proven tools and strategies offered in this study will strengthen you as a disciple maker and help our church create an environment of intentional followers of Christ. You will learn how to identify, recruit, and create gifted leaders from within your church fellowship who go out and make disciples, who then go out and make disciple, who make disciples…

Ok.  Not so comfortable anymore.

I carefully open the workbook and start at Week One, Day One.

Title:  A Heart to Make Disciples

Heartbeat speeding up.  Hands a little clammy now.

What Does Winning Look Like?

Oh!  Sports analogies!  I can do sports analogies.  Comfort coming back.

(1) If Christianity were a team sport and the church were Christ’s team, what would winning be?  

(2) What is the church supposed to be and do to win?

Ok, so what’s our purpose as the Church? What’s our purpose as individuals? What should our main mission and cause be?

Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

Getting uncomfortable again.

I have to admit that the thought of being an intentional disciple maker makes me a little nauseous.  That involves talking to people, right?  Actually opening up and being transparent with another human being?  Moving out of my comfortable place?  Do I really have to?

Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

 

From the text: “Jesus’ last command in Matthew 28:18-20 makes the church’s mission clear:  The church is called to reach the world for Jesus one person at a time.  In other words, every Christian is commanded to participate in the mission to make disciples.”

Every other mission or cause must be second to that.  First and foremost, we are to be a reflection of the love and mercy of Jesus.  We have to extend love, mercy, and grace to everyone we come into contact with.  Whether we want to or not.  Whether we feel like it or not.  Whether we feel like they deserve it or not.

(Side note: Speaking from experience, if the other mission or “cause” you support makes you angry, judgmental, self-righteous, hateful and unloving toward others – re-evaluate your involvement with and support for that mission or “cause.”)

The part we play as believers is critical.  If we don’t do it, it won’t get done.  It doesn’t mean we have to stand on a street corner with a bullhorn and a sign.  It doesn’t mean we have to hand out tracts to strangers and ask them if they are going to hell (personally, I think this does WAY more harm than good, but that is another topic for another day).  We were each uniquely created by God with differing circumstances, differing pasts, and differing personalities.  We each have a personal role to play based on the sum of our life experiences.

So, what is MY personal role in helping the church make disciples?  After thinking about it for a while, it was really pretty simple.

1. Continue to train my child in the way he should go.
2. Support, honor, and encourage my husband.
3. Show the love of Jesus to everyone I meet by serving them and meeting any needs that I can.
4. Speak the truth IN LOVE when necessary.

Pretty simple on paper.  A lot harder to actually follow through with in real life.  It means biting my tongue when I want to respond harshly to someone who has hurt me or people I care about.  It means not saying anything if I don’t have anything nice to say.  It means spending more time in the Word learning about Jesus and how He responded to broken, hurting people (hint: it wasn’t by trashing them, calling them names, or trying to legislate morality on them).  It means knowing enough of the Word to be able to speak it to someone who is struggling and in need of encouragement.  It means getting over myself and remembering that, in God’s eyes, I was equally as bad as the worst person I can possibly think of, and the only reason I’m not anymore is because when God looks at me now He doesn’t see me, He sees Jesus.  Period.

The Cure for Anxiety – Luke 12:22-34

The Cure for Anxiety

²² Then He said to His disciples: ”Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: they don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? ²⁵Can any of you add a cubit to his height ^[f] by worrying? ²⁶ If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest?

    ²⁷ ”Consider how the wildflowers grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! ²⁸ If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He do for you—you of little faith? ²⁹ Don’t keep striving for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. ³⁰ For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.³¹ ”But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. ³² Don’t be afraid,little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

An Everlasting Love

I love the book of Jeremiah.  I haven’t actually read it all the way through, but I think I want to do a study on that next, if I can find one.  It just has my favorite verses ever.  I found another one this morning when reading my Beth devo.  Jeremiah 31:3-4 says:

³ the LORD appeared to him ^[a] from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you. ^(C)

⁴ Again I will build you so that you will be rebuilt,
Virgin Israel.
You will take up your tambourines again ^(D)
and go forth in joyful dancing.

He loves me – ME – with an everlasting love.  The kind of love girls search for in romance novels and movies.  The kind of love we’re told doesn’t really exist in our world.  But it does.  He loves us that way.  And only He can.  No matter what happens to us, He will rebuild us and restore joy to us.

40/40 – Day 16

Today is Day 16 of 40/40.  One of the scriptures for reflection was Matthew 6:9-15.  It’s the Lord’s Prayer, but the passage also includes the 2 verses (14 and 15) after the prayer.  Those are the ones that stood out to me the most today.

For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.  But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.

Ouch.  Talk about hitting home.  I read somewhere recently that true forgiveness isn’t something you do once and then just forget about it.  There’s no such thing as “forgive and forget.”  But true forgiveness is when, once you start thinking about how someone hurt you or wronged you, you actively say something to the effect of “I have forgiven that, and put it behind me.  I am not going to dwell on something that has happened that I can’t change.  I’m not going to let it control me.”

I’ve had to do that a lot recently.

It’s often easier to forgive a friend or a family member that hurt you unintentionally, but it’s a lot harder to do when it involves someone whom you aren’t in a close relationship with and who intentionally hurt you in an effort to gain personally.  But I am commanded to do that, as much as I would rather tell them off and let the whole world know how I have been wronged.  As much as – deep down – I want to hurt them as much as they have hurt me.  But I am not going to give them that much power over me.  I am not going to let their treatment of me be a stumbling block in my relationship with God.  I will forgive when I think about how I was treated – even if they never ask for it (which they most likely won’t) – even if I have to do it 490+ times (which I most definitely will). I just need to focus on my attitude and my relationship with God, and let Him take care of theirs.

40/40 Vigil – Day 10

One of today’s 40/40 verses was Philemon 1:6.

I pray that your participation in the faith may become effective through knowing every good thing that is in us for the glory of Christ.

It’s a short verse, but several things stood out to me as I thought on it.

1.  My faith requires my participation.  It’s not something we do once, and then it’s done.  I am to be an active participant in a relationship with my God.  I can’t do that if I never spend time with Him.  I can’t do that if my choices don’t reflect Him.  My faith needs action on my part – not to ensure my salvation, because that is secure – but to lead to the next part of the verse.

2.  My active participation in my faith is what will make me effective.  My actions either make my faith effective or ineffective, depending on the choices I make.  I confess that all too often, I don’t choose to do things that would make my faith more effective.  I spend way too much time in front of my computer or the TV.  I spend too much time complaining about circumstances.  I spend too much time gossiping, holding grudges, being offended, etc.  I spend too much time reflecting the world, participating in the world, letting the world make me ineffective.

3.  My active participation in my faith will not only make me effective, it will help me to know every good thing that is in me for the glory of Christ.  I’m a seeker.  I like mysteries.  Searching for clues.  Piecing things together.  Finding the answers.  I want to KNOW the mysteries that God has promised to reveal to us through His Word.  But I’m not going to find them in Facebook or on the television.  And those things certainly won’t help me to bring Him glory.  Does it mean I need to give up the Internet and TV?  No.  But I tend the plan my life around those things – things that really don’t matter – instead of around Him and things that will matter for eternity.  I need to get my priorities straight.