I Am a Disciple

I first ran across this reading about twenty years ago. It continues to challenge and inspire me on a number of levels. When I think about our calling to be in the world as an extension of Jesus Christ, I find myself going back to these words time and again. I pray they minister to you as they have ministered to me on countless occasions.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power.
The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line.

The love of God controls me. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple
of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or back away.

My past is redeemed. My present makes sense. My future is secure.

I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning,
smooth and ease, colorless dreams, mundane talking, cheap giving, and
dwarfed roles.

I no longer need prosperity, position, promotion, preeminence, or
popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or
rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk in patience, live by
prayer, and labor with power.

My face is set. My gait is fast. My goal is the Kingdom of God. My road
is narrow. My way is rough. My companions few. My guide reliable. My
mission clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back,
deluded or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of
adversaries, negotiate at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of
mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up until I've stayed up, stored up, prayed
up, paid up, spoken up, for the cause of Christ.

I must go until He comes, give until I drop, teach until all know, run
until He stops me.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ

("I am a Disciple" by Ed Cole)

Gracious Father, sharpen our minds with such thinking that we may indeed be in the world as extensions of the living Christ. Strengthen our resolve, focus our hearts and make us instruments for your use in a world that needs to know the gospel. Equip us with what we need, reduce in us what needs to be reduced and, awaken us to the vision of life that you offer until you send your Son for us. Amen.

Randy Daugherty - Stephenville, Texas

Draw Near with Confidence

…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water… (Hebrews 10:22)

During the first few months of life our hearts hum a simple tune. When we’re comfortable we coo, when we’re uncomfortable we cry, and when we don’t know what we are – just feel out of sorts -- we fret while we make up our minds.

One sign of maturity is learning how to bring harmony to a cacophony of conflicting emotions. For example, we love our spouse, we love banana pudding, we love it when driver and golf ball meet at the “sweet spot,” and we love it when a plan comes together.

We sometimes look and sound angry when we actually feel vulnerable, frustrated, sad, embarrassed, afraid… In the heat of the moment it’s easier to pitch an angry fit than to figure out what’s really going on with us.

Different feelings call for different choices. What’s this got to do with feeling guilty? Our conscience (Greek noun suneidesis) is what discerns good from evil so we can do what’s good and avoid evil.

What do you feel guilty about? I feel guilty when I relax….when I say no….when I eat sweets…let my children struggle…spend money on myself…missing church when I’m sick…

We beat ourselves up feeling guilty. We pray for wisdom to make choices that please God, then thank him by “feeling guilty” when we don’t meet human expectations. I feel very frustrated about that!

Wisdom finally said, “Sandra, what does God’s word say about feeling guilty?”
I delved into my trusty Vine’s Dictionary of Biblical Words, [Vine’s and Mounce’s] Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, and NIV Study Bible to see exactly what I should and should not feel guilty about.

I’m not a Greek student but I can snoop out sufficiently enough to be dangerous. Feeling guilty wasn’t in there!

Let’s call it what it is. We can feel uncomfortable or unsettled about earthly matters, but where eternal matters are concerned “feeling guilty” has no place in the life of a Christian. That’s very good news (Romans 5:6; 6:8; I Peter 3:18; I Corinthians 6:11).

Father God, thank you for your gift of grace that gives us peace, comfort and joy in the chaos of life. Through Jesus whose sacrifice ensured it, amen.

Sandra Milholland
Abilene, Texas

WWJD?

We live in a world that is always changing.    Our world is seductive and crazy – it’s tough to stay grounded in our anchor points.  Everywhere you look – possible temptations exist.  1 Peter 5:8 says that Satan is on the prowl.  We can’t possibly withstand the advances of evil on our own.  We need Jesus.

But, what would Jesus do…about temptation?  Matthew 4:1-11 shows us.

1.  At some time in our lives, every one of us has been tempted to do something which we have reservations about, something which doesn’t seem quite right, and every one of us has found it very hard to

 resist doing it.  Believe me, Jesus knew that situation very well – we only have to look at what happened in the desert to see that Jesus can sympathize with us:  no sooner was Jesus baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River than he was led by the Spirit into the desert, where he was tempted by the Devil.  His experience will help us to know what to do when we are tempted.  Jesus knew he would face temptation and was prepared for it.

When the Devil visits Jesus, he is not surprised.  In fact, he answers the Devil without hesitation.  This suggests he was prepared – he knew he would be tempted!  It’s not wrong to be tempted – even Jesus was tempted.  It’s wrong to give in to the temptation.  So, be ready to be tempted, and be ready to resist!

How should we prepare for it?  How can we be ready to resist temptation when it comes?  When the Devil begins to tempt Jesus, He immediately answers with a verse from Scripture.  Jesus knows God’s word – it gives him help to resist temptation.  So, read your Bible, and even memorize important verses.  If we know without a doubt what God says about something, then we will find it easier to resist temptation when we face it.  The Bible has a lot to say about all sorts of 21st Century issues, if we will just read it.  But it’s more than merely reading the Bible, it’s about enjoying a close relationship with God.  Christians also feel better able to resist temptation when they pray.  So let us draw close to God, just as Jesus was.  Jesus would not let himself be pressured into giving into temptation.

  

2.  The Devil said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread”; and “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.”  The Devil dares Jesus to do something, in order to prove that He is truly the Son of God.  Sometimes we can find ourselves being dared by others to do things which we know are wrong:  “Prove you’re not scared by stealing something from the store”; “If you really want to be my friend, you’ll come to the bar with me.”  Jesus didn’t let the Devil bully or blackmail him into doing things that he knew to be wrong.  He knew He didn’t have to prove anything to the Devil, but He did know He should do what God wanted.  It’s the same for us.  We have nothing to prove to those who tempt us to do wrong. Our responsibility is to do the right thing for God.  Jesus refused to take the easy way out.

3.  Jesus had been sent on a mission by His Father.  It would mean that every human being would have the opportunity to be restored to God, but it would also mean that He would have to die on a wooden cross. The Devil offered Him an easy way out:  worship him, instead of God, and be given authority over all nations of the world.  What a temptation that must have been – no ridicule and rejection by his fellow human beings. Also, no suffering and death on the cross.  It could have all been avoided by simply saying “yes” to the Devil in the desert.  But it would have meant that His mission to save us had failed.  God’s way is not always the easiest way, but it is always the right way.

So, next time you’re really tempted to do something you think is probably wrong, remember what Jesus would do:
1) Jesus would think about what the Bible said about it, and then act accordingly
2) Jesus would do what God wanted, not what anyone else dared him to do
3) Jesus would do the right thing, even if it was not the easiest thing

Father, thank you for the example of Jesus.  Help us to remember Him when we are faced with temptation.  Deliver us from the Evil One.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.

Casey Dacus
Graham, Texas

Writing in the Margins

Two of my favorite Bible stories are found in the gospels--the story of the man with the demon, called Legion, and the story of the woman who suffered from bleeding. I like the way that Luke tells these stories.

Jesus heads out to the Gerasenes via boat. As soon as he hits shore, a demon-possessed man who lives in the tombs gives him a warm welcome. “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?” Jesus commands the unclean spirit out of him and right into a herd of pigs, who flee off a cliff and into the lake. The cleansed man begs Jesus to go with him, but Jesus commands him to go into the town and proclaim all that God has done for him.

Jumping forward in chapter eight, Jesus is on his way to help someone else, in the midst of an oppressive crowd. As he moves, he feels power leave him because someone who so desperately believes he can heal her has touched his robes. The disciples doubt him when he says this is so, but the truth comes out when the woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years comes forward.

My affection for these stories is not solely motivated by the stories themselves; I like where and how they are positioned in the gospel story. Luke includes the testimony of the prophetess, Anna, in chapter two. He tells of the cleansing of a leper, the healing of a crippled man, the calling of a tax collector, and Jesus dining with sinners in chapter five. In chapter six, he blesses the poor, hungry, and those who weep, then calls down woes on the self-satisfied--a little different from Matthew’s beatitudes. Chapter seven includes the story of a widow’s son who is raised to life, praise of John the Baptist, then moves into chapter eight with stories of women who do Christ’s work. Chapter eight ends with the story of thousands of demons driven out of a lunatic and the healing of an unclean woman.

More than anything else, this gospel emphasizes the fact that Jesus is very intentional with the marginalized. In a culture where women could not do much, Jesus invites them to serve Him and do His work. In a culture where tax collectors are looked down upon as cheating scum, Jesus invites them not only dine with him, but to be his disciples. He heals those who are banished from the city--a leper and a crazed, demon-possessed man. Pharisees and teachers of the law look at John the Baptist and deem him crazy, but not Jesus. Jesus praises John, despite his lack of luxurious clothes and living conditions. “But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

There are many “leasts of these” who we encounter daily. If I bumped into a demon-possessed man or a woman who was unclean going on thirteen years, I would probably head for the hills. The succession of stories in Luke--with the story of these two standing out most vividly for me--commands us repeatedly to hang tight when we bump into these people. Jesus cares about them.

When he is on his way to heal Jairus’s daughter he stops to heal a woman who people had probably been overlooking for years. Jairus is a leader of the synagogue. Jesus should take care of him first, right? Wrong. Jesus constantly goes out of His way to heal, spend time with, teach, and love those who the rest of society shoves to the margins.

These words ring out in my mind: “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?” I think the man associates Jesus with the town leaders, teachers of the law, and “clean” people who are above his affliction. Jesus is the “Son of the Most High God.” Too good for a demon-possessed man. Well, we all have our own metaphorical “demons.” And just because some of us can hide them better with expensive clothes, shiny accomplishments, or “holy” works, it doesn’t mean that Jesus will show us more favor or that God’s people should show care to us first and in a more intentional way.

Right after Luke tells these stories, he records Jesus’ commission of the twelve: “He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases. Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2). That’s very specific, and this is what I read in between those lines: “Go out and find the people who are shoved to the margins. Write compassion, tenderness, and grace all over their hearts in My name.” I see modern versions of that demon-possessed man and woman with the hemorrhage everyday. It makes me want to pick up my pen and venture out into the margins.

God of the afflicted,
I praise You for the way that You show care to all people. Thank you for Jesus and the life that He lived--a life in which He was constantly seeking out those whom the world rejected. Help us to remember that we should love the way that He loved and expect nothing in return, because that is what You have called us to. We praise You for teaching us through the life of Your Son.
In His name, Amen.

Erin Daugherty
Abilene Christian University

Tie a String Aound Your Finger

When my mother moved to town, one of the first things she wanted was a city map.  “I want to know where all the bad things are happening when I watch TV or read the paper,” she said.  Those few words expressed poignantly how most of us feel about the stability of our environment, the security of our government, the solvency of our assets, and the safety of those we love.

When you feel paralyzed by fear or alone in your desolation, open your Bible to Psalms.  It’s the 16th book in the Old Testament.  This is a hymnbook of Hebrew poetry where mankind talks to God and God answers.  It is as powerful and beautiful today as it was in ancient times.

In Psalm 77 the writer is in such distress he can neither eat nor sleep.  In Psalm 42 his soul is dying of thirst from lack of Godly fellowship.  All he can do is cry.  In 43 he’s so oppressed by his enemies that his bones “suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’”

It isn’t uncommon to wonder if God’s unfailing love has vanished forever, or if he’s forgotten to be merciful or if, in his anger, he’s withholding his compassion (77:8, 9), and in this earthly body our souls will sometimes be downcast.  At times like these, we can do what the psalmist did:  

“Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal:  The years of the right hand of the Most High.  I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds’” (77:10); and,  “Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise [Hebrew todah – thanks] him, my Savior and my God.” (42:5, 11 & 43:5).

When we feel helpless and afraid, and when we are bursting with joy and thanksgiving, a string around our finger – figuratively or literally – will remind us where our Hope lies.

God, you are my joy and my delight, and with the music of my heart I praise you, through Christ, amen. 

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas

When the Sun Stands Still

Now Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had taken Ai and totally destroyed it, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and that the people of Gibeon had made a treaty of peace with Israel and had become their allies. 2 He and his people were very much alarmed at this, because Gibeon was an important city, like one of the royal cities; it was larger than Ai, and all its men were good fighters. 3 So Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem appealed to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish and Debir king of Eglon. 4 “Come up and help me attack Gibeon,” he said, “because it has made peace with Joshua and the Israelites.”
 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon—joined forces. They moved up with all their troops and took up positions against Gibeon and attacked it.
 6 The Gibeonites then sent word to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us.”
 7 So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. 8 The LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
 9 After an all-night march from Gilgal, Joshua took them by surprise. 10 The LORD threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon. Israel pursued them along the road going up to Beth Horon and cut them down all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. 11 As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth Horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites.
 12 On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:
   “Sun, stand still over Gibeon,
   and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 So the sun stood still,
   and the moon stopped,
   till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,
   as it is written in the Book of Jashar.
   The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. 14 There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a human being. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!  (Joshua 10: 1-14 - NIV)

Can you believe this??!!  The sun stood still!  AND, because Joshua, a human, asked God to make this happen! 

If you live in Texas or even the continental US, you do not experience the sun not setting or the moon standing still.  I realize this actually can be observed in regions near the earth’s poles, but since I have never been to Alaska or Antarctica, I haven’t witnessed this!  The sun setting and rising every day is something so routine yet important to my day.  I take for granted that the sun came up today and will set this evening.  This same occurrence happened yesterday and I anticipate it happening tomorrow – that is, assuming our Savior doesn’t return by then!

I absolutely love this bible story!  The bible is FULL of accounts of battles won by the Lord, miracles, supernatural powers, and God demonstrating His AWESOME - ness!  But this particular story resonates with me.  Joshua, chosen by God to lead an army, came to the rescue of the Gibeonites. 

The Lord spoke to him and said ”Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”   I think it’s interesting that more men died from the hail than from the hand of another man!  God completely orchestrated this encounter!  Add to that, Joshua asked the Lord to make the sun and moon stand still for a full day!  AND GOD LISTENED TO HIM!  God shows His power all of the time, and I am so amazed by this!  During creation, God set into motion the cycle of life, day and night.  This is how we keep time!  It’s as if time stood still!  That there was an interruption in a cycle that had occurred uninterrupted for hundreds of years is really amazing! 

It just reiterates the point that God does listen to us.  He is with us always and His power to orchestrate such magnificent occurrences should create a sense of awe within us.  So many great stories can be found in the Old Testament and I encourage you to seek these out.  You might find that they help spark a greater awe for our Lord and His majesty.  Each of these scenarios were for the greater plan – His plan to redeem His sinful children and to provide the ultimate sacrifice.  We can experience His AWESOME-ness as we learn more about these stories!

Father, thank you for protecting your people and for providing opportunities to experience your love.  Help me to seek you more and find you in ways I have yet to experience.  Thank you for sending Jesus to be the ultimate rescuer.

In His name,
Michelle Tittor
Grapevine, TX

A Heart for God

A ‘heart for God’ reflects the heart of God!  Is that a true statement?

It is if that hearts love for God is based on an obedient knowledge of God’s heart as revealed in His word!

It is if the experiences of ones life reflect decision-making, interacting with others, a serving, prayerful, Spirit-filled life-style resulting from feeding on the revealed story of God and His grace found in the Bible.

As I think of the message from God’s Word that supports and ‘anchors’ my walk of faith, it is this over-all call of God to know Him, and to grow into His holy likeness!  1 Peter 1:15,16 says “..just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

A careful student of the Bible will be touched by the message that our God is “holy” and He desires that we be holy also.   But to us holiness in the human experience might smack of a “holier than thou” attitude.  How we have let Satan lie to us!

Of course the word “attitude” is a key in this discussion!  But, we must be careful not to buy into the idea  “we can never be perfect…God’s grace will cover it… so why even try?” (Romans 6:1)   We are told in many ways, “be holy, as I am holy.”  God would not tell us this if it were impossible.

My constant prayer for myself and my loved ones is that we will develop hearts for Him that grow out of becoming more and more acquainted, through the word, with His nature, His ways!  We know that Jesus told the apostles when He walked among them that He showed them the ways of His Father!  So there we find we have four books of the New Testament that feed our knowledge of what our holy God is like!! (And you can think of many other scriptures that describe His nature…Psalms being filled with such!)  But for us to be informed that the life/nature of Jesus Christ reveals what our God is like…..how tragic if we treat it lightly, and miss the blessing of knowing our God more intimately!!

One stellar example of the concept of knowing God and having a heart for him is found in Genesis 39:9, where Joseph (after being sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers, and now entrusted by Potiphar, his Egyptian owner/master, with running his affairs) is tempted by this man’s wife to sleep with her!  Instead of Joseph saying, “I can’t do this…..Potiphar would kill me!!,”  he said, “How then can I do this wicked thing and sin against my God?!”  Oh, if only our young people coming up in the Lord would understand this as a blessed “key” to resisting the temptations in their lives today!  A feeling of the presence of God in our lives is a huge anchor in keeping us strong and focused on the goal of our faith, the salvation of our souls! (1 Peter 1:9)

When we can grasp this true ’anchor point’ of Christian faith, that our decisions and actions must be based on our relationship with our God, our Maker, then we will truly be guided by Him.  We will be able to recognize the “way of escape” every time we are tempted beyond our own human ability to cope.  The One who has shown us the Father, who is our redeeming sacrificial Lamb, pleads at the Father’s side so we can know that our salvation is securely anchored for all eternity!

Prayer:

O Lord, God, our Maker and the One who loves us and is love, thank You, thank You for the assurances You give us in Your Word!  Make us so aware of Your presence in our lives that the Spirit of Christ will always prompt us to take Your way of escape when we are tempted and lured by calls to us from the dark side of this human existence!  I pray You will strengthen our young people for faithful and close experience of Your presence in their lives!  Like Joseph may they have consciences so filled with Your presence they will be strong to resist evil!  Please save your children all over the world now and forevermore without the loss of a one!  In Jesus precious name, Amen

Jan McCoy

Merkel, Texas