discipleship

WHERE DOES YOUR RECOGNIZATION COME FROM?

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A DISCIPLE’S PRAYER
PRAY 9

Dear Wonderful Dad:
You are my success, joy, and recognition in everything I do. You surround me with your Grace and Presence each and every day. You give me more than I deserve. You make my cup overflow with your abundant riches. Everything I own is a loan from you. You created everything for us to share in and we likewise share it with others. Without you there is nothing worth owning, possessing, or having. You add value to everything because you created value. I can never express my gratitude and thankfulness for your involvement in my life. Everything is because of you.

If I have not express my thanks to you today, let me say thank you again and again. If I have already expressed my thanks to you today, express it again. There is not enough time in a day to thank you for your Grace, your Gifts, but more importantly just knowing you. We humbly thank you and express our gratitude.

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“so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members one of another.”
Romans 12:5

Why do you serve? Do you want to let the world know how good of a person you are? Does ii make you feel important? Or is it just a part of your nature? Do you truly believe it is more blessed to give than receive?
 

I just finished reading an old Discipleship Journal magazine which had an article entitled “Secret Service.” The article outlined how a few Christ-followers are serving others incognito. They practice the scripture of not letting your right-hand know what your other hand is doing in serving others. When they help others they do it either through a third party or in secret. At the end of the day, all glory goes to God and the act. They just receive the personal satisfaction of helping others without the fanfare. I love it.
 

Was Jesus’ primary attitude to draw attention to Him or to help others for their sake with as little fanfare as possible? Did Jesus die for us because He wanted to achieve personal glory or because He Loves us? When He walked the earth, who did He give the glory to?
 

As His disciple, I have learned that the glory and honor belongs to Jesus, my Heavenly Dad, and the Holy Spirit. All the glory and praise is God’s. I have come to realize that everything I accomplish, whether in service or for personal gain, I achieve only because of God’s grace. For starters, He gives me life itself. He gives me the air to breathe, makes my heart tick, and mind to operate effectively (unless I damage it). He gives me His Spirit of compassion and love. He allows me to work and earn an income. He allowed me to be born in America, the land of physical wealth and personal freedom. He blesses me so I can bless others. He provides me the opportunities to serve. He teaches me the joy and privilege of serving. No wonder all the praises and glory go to Him. Everything begins and ends with Him.
 

I don’t need the recognition anymore. My recognition comes from Him. I am His disciple and He takes exceptionally good care of me. All recognition goes to Him. What about you? Where are you in your relationship with Jesus?

 

Dr. Mike

 

BRING IT ON!

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PRAY 9

Dear Heavenly Dad:

Glorify your name in all that I do. Let not my path be one of ease and comfort, but one of challenge and dependency on you. You are always with me. Help me always be with you. Make you the center of my life. Let nothing come between us. Help me capture your vision, to see your work, to accomplish your will in everything I do.

Help me be a living example of kingdom life in today’s world. Let your kingdom surround me and surround all the people we meet today. Let your glory shine through me and in me so that every person we meet today knows they have met you. Amen.

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“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34

 

                        ”Play it safe.” “Don’t take any risks.” “Why rock the boat?” “It’s better to keep it dull and routine than expressive and unpredictable.” Or does it?

      The older I become the more predictable, dull, and routine this life seeks. What change I am confronted with only creates more work and effort on my part. Basically, my nature has moved towards laziness where I don’t want to make the effort. I would rather live life with contentment, peacefulness, and stability. But is that reality?

      The scriptures teach us that a people without vision will perish. We need a mission to focus our life towards. Now our life’s mission could simply be to avoid all confrontation, to avoid being involved in other people’s lives, to live for ourselves without a care of the world around us. We simple live our life so that when we are gone no one will have missed us. We live as a world unto ourselves. But is that an apprentice of Jesus Christ? Is that what the Kingdom of God is all about?

      Didn’t Jesus forewarn his disciples that He came to bring division among families and people? Didn’t He predict that we would stand before courts and rulers as a witness to Him’? Didn’t He compare our struggles with that of a pregnant woman in labor? Didn’t He threaten the status quo with His mission of preaching, teaching, and healing? Didn’t the apostle Paul write that Christ-followers are turning the world upside down? Didn’t he cause riots in the streets with his message of One God? Didn’t his former religious partners seek to destroy him? Didn’t small armies pursue him with the purpose of killing him? How controversial was he in his time? Yet didn’t he preach a message of peace, contentment, and stability?

            The Kingdom of God is not a tamed vision. It requires total surrender. It requires the death of selfish desires. It is not the path of least resistance. Instead, it’s a journey through battlefields. With the armor of God, we are proactive in our daily walk with Him. We do not know what to expect on any given day. All we know is that He is with us. Today may be a roller coaster of emotions, struggles with the self, darts from the evil one, or attacks from love ones. Through it all though, we have an Advocate who is with us and we rely on. In prayer and through faith we call for assistance. We move forward towards our heavenly call. Our mission is sure. Yes, we may desire the easy way out. But, as a disciple of His we have agreed to take whatever comes our way and handle it with His love. We may have initially desired tame visions, but in the pursuit of the Kingdom of God we take on more than we are capable of handling apart from Him. Yes, I like it dull, routine, and boring. But I gladly take whatever comes my way because it will make me stronger for the Kingdom, stronger for Him, and stronger for my love ones.

              Dr. Mike

How Often Do You Look Back?

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A DISCIPLE’S PRAYER:

Our Gracious Dad,

PRAY 9

            Thank you for the privilege of being a disciple of Jesus. Of all the occupations in this world, I can’t think of one that provides the challenges, fulfillment, and rewards than being a committed disciple of our Lord. We have no regrets for making the decision years ago. Our only regret is that others have not yet captured your vision. Help me live a life worthy of discipleship. Help me live a life that glorifies you.

 

            Again, thank you Jesus for clothing me with your righteousness. Thank you for being my elder Brother, Lord, Savior, and Friend. Thank you for opening the doors to have a relationship with all of you.

            Again, we thank you for you. We ask for your continual blessings in our Lord’s name.   Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Mathew 22:14

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Can You Truly Say”There Is No Going Back Now?”

 This is one of those scriptures that always puzzles me.  Jesus states, after His parable on the wedding feast where a man  is thrown  out because he was not properly dressed, that “many are called, but few are chosen.” I have heard many interpretations of this scripture and they all seem feasible. But the one that stands out and grabs me more often relates to personal commitment.

truth 12“Many are called” refers to the millions who have heard the message of the kingdom of God and to have an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Dad. “But few are chosen,” means that not all who are called are allowed to take part in the entire Christian celebration because they are not properly clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The wedding garment pictures the righteousness that comes outside of our keeping the law which includes any work or activity that we do to make ourselves right before God. When we realize what the entire sacrifice of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection truly means, we humbly accept His authority into our life. Yet to totally surrender your life to Jesus, to trust in His salvation takes faith and a personal commitment to keep moving forward no matter what happens in the process.  Jesus Himself stated that no person who looks back at what he has given up for the kingdom of God is worthy to accept His calling (Luke 9:62).

       My father emigrated from Poland via Germany to the United States after WWII. When he stepped over the boundary of Poland into Germany he left behind all his earthy possessions: his farm and blacksmith business, family, friends, and everything else we as humans cling to in this life. He stepped over the line realizing that he was never going back and that whatever he left behind was not worth what lied before him. He immigrated  into the U.S. and never regretted it. He was more blessed in this country compared to what he gave up. He made the commitment to accept the choice and pay whatever price he had to when he crossed over the line. We likewise made the decision to step over the line; the line that separates God’s Kingdom from earthly powers; the line that separates Christ-centered discipleship from church membership,  the line that separates total surrender from self-gratification. The line has been drawn. We have to make the final decision whether or not we are going to take the step. If we don’t, then we will never become a disciple of His. If we do, we have His promises, His commitment, and His future to secure us. The decision may be initially difficult to make, but when made, it brings a sense of peace and challenge into one’s life. It gives you the peace of Christ which supersedes all understanding (Phil 4:7) and the greatest challenge this life has to offer  – To be a disciple of His.

How committed are we to keep moving forward rather than look back at what we gave up?

Dr. Mike