Walking in the way...

I love being intentional. Now, I don't want to give the impression that I've perfected it. I haven't. I am growing. The following passage was given to the people of Israel, and it's absolutely full of exhortations to intentionality. (Yes, I know, "intentionality" is not a real word. It is now.)


“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV)

Do you see this girl? ---------------------------->

That's my daughter. She's awesome. She'll be 9 in November, but I'm in the midst of enjoying 8, so 9 can take it's time.

Tonight, we went to Wal Mart. I do my dead-level best to not shop anywhere, save my trusty Food Lion. It wasn't planned. I was locked out of the house, and my office, and Care was over an hour away. Well, I should say, it wasn't planned by me. See, I'm learning intentionality from God. He's the Master, and the master of it.

We talked about stewardship (which is always a great shopping subject) dieting, movies -- the Avengers in particular, and The Hulk -- school coming to an end, a classmate's burden that she's concerned about, thunderstorms and several other items. In each case, I brought biblical principles and precepts to bear upon the subject. Despite her young age, Rachel is thoughtful and engaging, and quite impressive, at times, in her understanding. We were "walking in the way..." and were enjoying it.

We made a plan to do some nothing on Saturday. Thirty minutes later, post much exciting discussion, and long after our 30 second talk about plans to do nothing, Rachel wanted to know if her mom and sister didn't want to do nothing would she and I do nothing -- and here's the kicker -- "like we've been doing."

It hit me. God intentionally allowed me to be locked out of my house. God intentionally allowed me to be locked out of my office. God intentionally gave me conversations with one my Beautifuls. God intentionally gave me recall of Scripture and relevant application. God intentionally birthed Rachel into our family. God intentionally created her to know Him, and He intentionally equips and opportunes me to serve as His undershepherd for my daughter. Wow...

My daughter wanted surety that she and I would repeat our fellowship soon. That's intentionality.

We have walked in the way this week. Guess what...we'll sit in the house, too. Intentionally.

I will be diligent.

Warn Your Literate Friends

I'm fixin' to start bloggin' again.

A Chance to Make a Real Difference

This is a long story; epic even. I am going to try to make it brief. If you are close enough to my life to know this person that I'm talking about, please, don't use their name in this very open forum. If you want to know the person's name, I'd rather convey that face to face, and I'd be glad to share more than I am sharing here.

There's this young man; I've known him since he was 9, 10 or 11. He's a neat young man. He was raised by a single mom, and his father has never been in his life. It's been my privilege to stand and act as his father on many occasions, both in the physical and spiritual strength. He's in a fix and I am appealing to giving people to help him.

He's going into his senior year in college this year. Coming from a very poor family, and not being an academic by nature, completing three years of college has been a true and wonderful blessing. Football had been giving him a partial scholarship and student loans have been carrying the rest of his expenses. His grades were suffering from all the requirements of football, so he will forego his senior season and concentrate on finishing strong in the classroom. He's in summer classes, taking extra courses, attempting to raise his GPA. 

He's in financial trouble due to some past decisions / actions and I am appealing to you readers to help out.

Between his senior year of high school and his freshman year of college, this young man had a severe two-day long stupid attack. He went along with some guys who committed several break-ins. He didn't steal, but was rightly guilty by association and presence. It was two-days filled with bad decisions on top of 18 years of keeping his nose clean. It was two days that almost, and still threatens, to wipe away his whole future. He almost lost his opportunity to go to school. Fortunately, though many of his cohorts pulled time, he was given a deferred sentence. He was ordered to indeed go to school (should they still accept him and they did) and to make restitution of goods and damages and to pay court costs. The fees and restitution costs were nearly $10,000.00. 

He's been making payments and some of the debt has been excused. However, he owes $2,065.00 by August 8. If he doesn't pay his defferred sentence will be revoked and he will go to jail. IF I had the money, I'd just write the check. I don't have it. I have a donation.

This young man is a decent young man. He did act stupidly. He was foolish. It was not characteristic of who he is as a person. He loves the Lord, honors his mom and works hard. The pressures of football and school have made earning any real money extremely difficult. He has had temporary work as it was available and has held part-time jobs, but that's been very limited earnings. 

Here's my request and the plan.  He's willing to work it off. He's not lazy. It will be a challenge beause of his schedule, so I am going to give him the flexibility his schedule requires and the accountability his life needs. My request is simple: PLEASE GIVE. Please give by August 1, so we can clearly meet the deadline of his court appearance on August 8. If he's paid this amount and if he's still in school, the sentence deferral will still be in play. I have spoken with the court officials and they are adamant that this amount be paid, but they've been gracious in waving some fees that would have made the amount larger.

I promise to responsibly superintend your gifts. I promise to hold him accountable and make sure he works for the funds. Youth For Christ always needs things done. We'll make sure he works hard and make sure his work takes care of necessary things. I will report giving (amounts, not people) as they come in and I will use this medium to keep everyone updated on the case and his personal progress.

If this young man doesn't get assistance, I really believe he will be locked up. If he's locked up, he will lose momentum to finish school. 

Will you help?

May-June 2011 YFC-Roxboro Newsletter

3 Story Training

Co-Laborers in The Gospel,

This coming Saturday, February 26, Youth For Christ is leading / hosting a very important training for our staff / volunteers called "3 Story" (www.3story.org). This is a great opportunity for any believer who wants to grow in their ability to consistently walk as disciple makers.

We are covering all the costs and we'd like to open to the faith community in our area.

Please feel free to share this with your congregation/church family.

Please respond if your intention is to attend so we'll have an accurate head-count for lunch.

YFC-Volunteers: This training will be offered again August 27.

Last Night's Message from East Rock Community Church

http://sermon.net/twbowes/sermonid/2608719

The Core of the Commission

The Core of the Commission

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

My grandfather was a great man. No, he didn’t do anything great, in so much that the world would grant him any sort of accolades. He was great because I knew he loved me; without a doubt, he loved me. Our relationship was not perfect, but it was very good.

Everyone called him “Buck,” but I called him “Granddaddy” – pronounced “Grandiddy,” in the very rural northern Piedmont colloquial fashion. Buck loved to hunt. I know he liked to succeed, but I believe it was the actual hunt that he most enjoyed. I loved to be with him. Deer or no, it was him I wanted to spend time with. He loved Walker deer dogs and he loved to hear them “run” deer.

One particular time Buck and I were standing in the edge of a field, on opposite ends, waiting for the dogs to run a deer across our path. The dogs quickly changed directions and Buck jumped in the truck and left; quickly, and without me. A bit dejected, but totally unconcerned, I sat down and waited. A couple of hours later he returned, mumbling something while handing me saltine crackers, a Pepsi and a can of Sardines.

Buck was committed to going after that deer. I’m also glad he was committed to our relationship. I am not sure if I knew the way home.

This is a true story, and I believe it’s a perfect illustration of the condition of most active local churches. Notice, I said active, meaning local bodies of believers who are doing something besides marking off Sundays and Wednesdays with building inhabitation. Active, in most cases, means programs and events and trips. Though it’s all organized, I am afraid we may be settling for less than the true calling God has privileged us to pursue. In other words, it seems our commitment to “go” is strong, but our pursuit of “make disciples” is lacking.

Events aren’t always easy, but they’re always temporary. That’s why we like them. This call to “go” fits right into the groove of events and short term missions and programs. We can heed the “go” part of the Great Commission and do all sorts of things, but the question is are we also pursuing the call to make disciples?

Making disciples is messy, never easy and always requires more commitment than feels natural or comfortable. However, I believe it’s what we are designed for, redeemed for and left here on this planet for. Making disciples is the call, command and commission and we should never settle for anything less.

The difficult part of accepting this assignment is also the blessed part. Namely, the church has to become relationship oriented again. Consider the Garden of Eden; it was only sin that caused Adam and Eve to hide from God. They were designed for fellowship with God, but sin corrupted original design. It not only ruined their relationship with the Lord, but it corrupted their relationship with each other and they felt shame before one another and before God.

Consider the Ten Commandments. As always, The Law reveals the nature of God, but the Ten Commandments show us an outline of relationship too. The first four commandments highlight the right attitudes and actions for our relationship with God.

·        You shall have no other gods before Me

·        You shall not make for yourself any idols

·        You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain

·        Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy

He’s first; nothing else before Him or even as important as He is. Respect Him. Spend time set aside just to honor him. Those are pretty clear expectations for relationship.

The remaining six commandments reveal the most basic guidelines for not blowing relationships with others.

·        Honor your father and mother

·        You shall not murder

·        You shall not commit adultery

·        You shall not steal

·        You shall not bear false testimony against your neighbor

·        You shall not covet

Think about it for a moment; if your friend tries to murder you, it’s probably going to have an effect on your relationship, right? Think through these others; any failure to respect these commands damages relationships.

Further, all the OT laws are extensions of these ten. They all reveal God’s nature and show us His desire for how we should relate to Him and relate to others.

And notice, too, that horizontal relationships, which are people to people in nature, are supplied out of the vertical relationship. Meaning, as we walk with God, He sets us right to minister to those around us.

Discipleship is certainly not only a New Testament phenomenon. It’s always been God’s way. Deuteronomy 6:5 sums up all the Law by commanding people to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” God clearly desires that whatever He says to us sinks beyond the realm of knowing into the reality of being. Deuteronomy 6:6 continues “these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” But, God never meant for whatever He was doing in us to simply stay in us. Verse 7 gives us God’s expectation of what we’re to do with what He is saying and what we’re becoming: “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

In everything we are hearing and becoming we are to translate to everyone in everything we’re saying and doing.

We know this is difficult. It requires believers to have full-time accountability and full-time activity. It’s a call to a life mission and a lifestyle; to always be in relation to God and to pass that relation on to others.

Many believers are active. Many have the “go” part down pat. Commendation should be gladly given to anyone seeking to serve the Lord. However, let’s not be half-measure people, especially when our half measure is missing the whole point. Going that does not meet the call to make disciples is short-sighted.

A new commitment to pursuing the mission God has given is predicated by a new commitment to pursue the privilege of being a disciple. We walk with God. We are disciples of Jesus. Then, we pass it on. We must be vertically bound and horizontally spent. That’s the only way it will work, because that’s the way God designed discipleship.

 

Jesus told the disciples “all authority has been given to Me.” Big stuff. Important. Jesus had the authority to send, equip and empower. What did He desire to use that authority for? You got it, making disciples. Go, or more accurately, as we’re going along in life, make disciples. Activity is not the call. We have activity just by living. Making disciples is the call of God.

The Apostle John succinctly embodied the core of the mission: “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). We proclaim what we’ve seen and heard and know and have experienced so that people might walk with us, and, more importantly, they might walk with Jesus. Disciples bidding others to walk with the Master, and not just with talk, but exemplifying the disciples life as we relate to the Master is the core of the mission.

Where does it start? It starts in the cash register.

In one episode some Pharisees were plotting to “entangle” Jesus in His words (Matthew 25:15). Instead of being entrapped by what His own words, Jesus discipled them. They wanted to know whether it was right to pay taxes to the Roman authorities. In His divine genius, Jesus asked them for a coin and questioned them, asking whose image was on the coin. The Pharisee contingency answered that it was Caesar’s image. Jesus’ replied, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's” (vs. 21). Then, Jesus dropped the hammer and gave us the method by which people are to serve the Lord. He continued by saying, render “…to God the things that are God's” (vs. 21). You all know Genesis 1:26 says “let Us make man in Our image.” We are made in His image. We must render ourselves to God. We are His coinage. We must let Him spend us.

It’s simple. Our lives are not our own (ref: 1 Corinthians 6:20). We are to sent and spent. We are God’s coinage and He desires to invest us in humanity, making disciples, and teaching them to “observe” all that He’s commanded us.

We must continually render ourselves to God, sit at His feet, learn of Him and live the life of an intentional disciple maker. That’s the core of the commission: Disciple Making.

My grandfather was always sitting on go. Whether hunting, working or relaxing. He was always ready to do what needed and should be done. The good thing for me is he was also always sitting on “Come on, go with me” too.

Let’s be careful to adopt this mentality in our relationship with the Lord and others. Let’s sit on go, for sure, but let’s make sure our going is making disciples, not just passing time.

Transformation Needed

For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9; ESV)

I’ve learned a long time ago not to buy clothes for my wife when she is not with me, though sometimes I’ve forgotten what I’ve learned. I can’t explain it, but I am a sucker for sweaters. I see a sweater that I think my wife will like and I just buy it. Maybe it’s because I love sweaters so much! I have plain sweaters, sweater vests, argyles and even a couple of button-up sweater vests. I even have a pink sweater!

What I have learned is my wife does not need, want, desire, request, require or appreciate my tastes in HER clothing. Don’t get me wrong, she’s always polite. She’s kept several, like souvenirs, but she’s worn none of them! This doesn’t even mention the shirts and shoes I presume to pick out for her. Here’s the deal: she has different tastes than I do. Point blank. End of story. I give up. (Until I see another sweater!)

God’s thoughts and ways are vastly different from our own. I don’t imagine many of us need convincing of these fact.

Our tendency is to make God very human, very like us. He’s not. Not even close. However, God calls us to be like Him (ref: Leviticus 11:44 & 1 Peter 1:16). How can it be that God would desire us to be like Him when we know we are so very different from Him? Simple: God desires spiritual transformation for us. Further, God empowers spiritual formation in us!

For that to even begin, we must be “born again,” meaning we must have a spiritual rebirth (John 3). We must be born from above, birthed again to new life in Christ, having died to self and come alive by faith in Christ and the quickening of the Holy Spirit. With that new life comes God’s promise to keep on completing what He has begun in us (Philippians 1:6).

The promises of what that will look like are incredibly encouraging:

• A new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• Power for living (John 15:1-5)
• Service like Jesus, and more (John 14:20)
• Unchained from the power of sin (Romans 6:1-14)
• Fellowship with the Living God (Hebrews 11:6)

Of course, there’s more! Since God’s ways are so far from our own, we need spiritual transformation to experience Him. Since these wonderful promises are not attainable by the work of our own power, we need a miracle! That’s what being “born again” is! It’s a miracle!

People surrendering to God in Christ Jesus receive the marvelous help of the Holy Spirit to be born from above into new life with a new nature: TRANSFORMATION!

Too many church people are trying to live a life of religious-do-it-done-it. Wow. That’s not what we’re designed for. We’re designed for fellowship with the Living God. We’re designed to enjoy Him. We’re designed to love God. We’re for life, not just breathing. Sin is a murderous killer, separating us from life, which is in the Living God. It corrupts us thoroughly and spiritual transformation is both the beginning and continuing of healing and restoration.

We will never pursue the things of God in our own nature. We may pursue things we put God’s name on, but they won’t be of Him.

I can’t pick out clothes for my wife. I can’t be like God on my own. I need her help for the clothes. I need God’s help…period. I need God’s help.

Do you desire spiritual transformation? Seek the Lord. He’ll gladly give what He has freely offered.