The Active Disciple

THANKSGIVING DAY

2005-11-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Are You Thankful?
by John Bircher, M.Div.

I’ve been thinking about Thanksgiving. I’ve been thinking about how it started spontaneously by those who genuinely were thankful to God and wanted to
express it. Then, with good intentions, the government made it official. Now it
seems Thanksgiving Day is just another day off. What went wrong and what is
a disciple’s response? Let’s investigate it.

The first expression of a celebration like thanksgiving was the Israelite feast of
Sukkot, or tabernacles. The peace offering was to be offered during Sukkot, The
feast of Tabernacles which occurs on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. This
is five days after Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The
celebration marked the end of forty years wandering in the wilderness when the
Israelites lived in tents. Today the Jews celebrate Sukkot by living in tents or
temporary huts.

Lev 23:34-36
"On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to
the LORD. On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day."

Lev 7:11-14
"Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the LORD. If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil. With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. And of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the LORD; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings."

When the first settlers from England arrived in Virginia, they were so thankful for safe passage, they fell on their faces and worshipped God. There was no feasting because there wasn’t that much to eat, but they were grateful for what they had. It was a celebration totally dedicated to giving thanks to their providential God. Subsequently, their charter required that they observe an annual day of giving thanks.

Two-years later, in 1621, the settlers of the Massachusetts colony celebrated their first abundant harvest with a feast involving colonists and Indians alike. A harvest festival was in existence among the Wampanoag Indians, of which the Englishmen’s friend, Squanto, was a member. It was agreed that they celebrate the colonists first Thanksgiving in the New World with a family feast. They invited Squanto and his family as well as Massasouit, the Wampanoag chief, and his family. The settlers had no idea how large Indian families could be and were astounded when 90 relatives showed up.

The Indians brought wild turkey and venison. Settlers provided journey cake, succotash and nut pudding. Governor Bradford decreed July 30 to be observed each year for prayer and feasting. This was to show gratitude for what they had. Today a typical Thanksgiving dinner consists of turkey and/or ham, mashed potatos and gravy, candied sweet potatos, green beans, corn, raisin sauce, bread stuffing, oven fresh rolls and all topped off with bread pudding with sweet sauce, or lattice top apple pie or pumpkin, the perennial favorite, or mince pie, which is my favorite. Some traditions have more, some less. It is patently obvious that this is way too much food for anyone. Blessed are those individuals and churches that share their bounty with those who don’t have.

In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed that November 26 be a day of national thanksgiving. After that the day for giving thanks was left up to government authorities to set, and it varied from year to year. Finally President Abraham Lincoln set the last Thursday of November to be a “day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” This was for a nation grateful for what it had.

For 76-years the United States President proclaimed the last Thursday in November to be Thanksgiving Day, a day to remember the bountiful provision God has given to us. In 1939, President Franklin Delano Rooseveldt ruled that Thanksgiving be celebrated the fourth Thursday of November. The motive was that in five out of seven years, this would give the nations retailers a few additional days for the Christmas shopping season. It is sad to say but today there is little emphasis on the spiritual side of the Thanksgiving celebration. The attention has shifted to focus on spending money we don’t have, to buy things that aren’t needed, to be given to people we hardly know.

A Thanksgiving should should reflect our total dependence on and our gratitude to God, Jehoveh-Jireh, our provider. David, the Psalmist, wrote in Psalm 100:

"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."

Can we be joyful and praise God for His supply to us, or, do we look covetously at what others have? Have we lost our attitude of gratitude?

Each year as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, instead of giving thanks to God for his mercy and provision, we enter into an orgy of conspicuous consumption to inaugurate the Christmas shopping season. The month following until Christmas is the busiest commercial shopping time of the year amounting to a significant amount of most stores total year’s business.

President Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, made mention that we have three unalienable rights. These are the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Depriving a person of his or her life is murder, and is against the law. Likewise, depriving a person of their liberty is slavery, and is also against the law. But there
is no legal guarantee to be happy! You only have the right to pursue happiness in
whatever lawful form you visualize it to be. You can pursue education that leads you to your goals. You can pursue vocational aspirations and even hobbies that can give happiness and meaning to life.

Webster defines, “Happiness” as “good fortune, prosperity, a state of well being and contentment, and a pleasurable satisfaction.”

There are some people that cannot be happy. They are professional sourpusses, baptized in lemon juice! They cast covetous eyes on the possessions, attainments and happiness of others and demand it for themselves as a right. They won’t work, but demand what others have attained through hard work. They live dangerous, irresponsible lives, and demand that you fix their injuries, diseases, and social difficulties. They behave lawlessly and demand that you excuse them because somehow you have deprived them of what is necessary to live upright lives.

I could go on, but you get the picture. Covetousness, wanton desire, and ingratitude has created a stronghold in their lives that robs them of their joy. Look what 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 has to say about strongholds.

‘For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ"

Joy doesn’t have to equal pleasure. Joy is knowing that in the end you have fulfilled God’s purpose. You’ve won!

Have you ever watched a tiny bird or chick trying to peck the way out of its shell? Or, have you ever observed a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon? The temptation is to help them. If they could speak, I imagine they would ask for help also. But to try to help them would result in their death. It is in the struggle that they gain strength. Power comes to those who push against the restraints.

As Christians, we must realize that all good things come from God. Even the struggles that transform us. As Christians our response to all things should be one of thanksgiving and humble reliance on God who gives to each as He pleases for our individual struggle toward Christlikeness.

‘In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
(1 Thess 5:18)

The apostle Paul, who learned to be content whether in plenty or in want, wrote in Philippians 4:11-13

"Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

My challenge to you is this: Do you have an attitude of gratitude to god for His presence, provision, and promise as you journey toward Christlikeness? Are you content with what God has provided or do you want more? Can you share the greatest gift of all, Jesus, Christ, with others who need to hear about Him? Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; "
(Colossians 4:2)

(Scripture references taken from the New American Standard Bible,)

PRAYER

2005-11-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

by John Bircher, M.Div.

THE PURPOSE, POWER AND PRIVILEGE OF PRAYER

God wants to talk with you. He has some things to say to you and He wants to hear from you too. The primary purpose of prayer is to communicate with God. But communication is not a one way street. It is not a monologue; it is a dialogue.

“Therefore I want the men in every place to
pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and
dissension.” 1 Timothy 2:8

As we determine to get to know God better we need to spend time with Him, letting Him know what is on our hearts and finding out what is dear to the heart of God. We can’t get to know someone unless we spend time with them. God is the same way. If He is to be our friend, we must spend time with Him. It has been humorously suggested that God has a telephone number and that number is Jeremiah 33:3, which reads:

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I
will tell you great and mighty things, which you
do not know.”

Prayer gives us an overview of what God wants of us and allows us to see our lives the way God does. When we are able to see things in the spiritual realm, the worldly and tangible things that seem so precious tend to evaporate or assume the role of
lesser priority.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God.” Phil 4:6-7

God wants us to pray for ourselves and our own needs. He wants to answer the needs on our hearts. He already knows our needs, but we need to know our needs. Our first need is to know Him and our second need is to grow spiritually into Christlikeness.

God wants us to pray for others; our family, our friends, missionaries, church workers, those who have authority over us, and those who have not yet become Christians. We need to intercede on behalf of others for healing, for deliverance from strongholds, for provision and that God would work mightily in their lives. Believing that God would hear our prayers is given lip service by many Christians. Practicing prayer as if we believed it is another story.

We need to rely on God in prayer so that we will be equipped, ready for every good work. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we are admonished to come boldly before the throne of grace with our petitions.

“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the
throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may
find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Earlier it was mentioned that prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. How do we know what to pray for? We know because God impresses a truth, a name, or a concern on a Christian’s heart. We respond in prayer. When God speaks to us through The Word, through actions or circumstance, the counsel of Christian friends, and even the still small voice of the Spirit, we can respond appropriately. When we attempt to pray without ceasing yet don’t give God a chance to get a word in edgewise, this is poor communication.

When we pray, we are going into partnership with the Holy Spirit. The results do not depend on our power, but on the inexhaustible power of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, God is free to work in the lives of believers and of the creatures of His creation.

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My
name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy
may be made full.” John 16:24

He can even suspend the course of nature in response to prayer. People are healed through the unleashing of God’s power and others are released from strongholds and delivered from the bondage of Satan.

Satan tries his best to convince us that prayer doesn’t work. He is afraid of prayer. He may try to tell us that God is too big to be interested in individuals, reserving His godly attention to only the big issues. But the smallest detail of your life is a big deal to God. He hears us!

“And this is the confidence which we have before
Him, that, if we ask anything according to His
will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears
us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the
requests which we have asked from Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

Since we became believers through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, we have direct access to the Throne of Grace, we can talk to God about anything and everything. It is the believer’s privilege.

Prayer is closely related to praise for it is written that we enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. If we are to come into the very throne room of God, we do so by praise. God inhabits the praises of His people and His power is perfected in praise!

THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER

God created in Eden a beautiful and fertile garden. It was a place of sweet smelling flowers, good things to eat, and the peaceful sounds of birds, brooks, and gentle breezes in the trees. It was ideal. It was perfect. This was the perfect place for man. God placed His highest creation, the man called Adam, in this garden so that man would have a purpose as its keeper. God would also enjoy the closeness of intimate fellowship as the Creator and creation walked together in the cool of the evening.

But as we know, sin interrupted the serenity of the garden and man was expelled out into a cursed world. Man has struggled outside the garden for millennia until the atoning death of Christ, to save us from our sin and reconcile us to God.

Since “all things have become new.” , (2 Cor 5:17) God once again created a garden. Gordon MacDonald, in his book, Ordering Your Private World, calls it the Inner garden of the soul. Others have called it your Prayer Closet, or the Listening Room. Calling it the listening room implies that we not only speak to God but we also hear from Him. The inner garden implies, serenity, solitude and silence; the attitudes of the heart needed to approach Almighty God. We need to cast off the hustle and bustle that surrounds us and set our hearts at peace as we get ready to walk with Him in the cool of the evening.

ENTERING IN

As we enter into a time of fellowship with the Father, we just do so with praise and thanksgiving. As Psalm 100:4 says:

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts
with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name.”

Also when you praise, God is there. For God “. . . inhabits the praises of Israel” This suggested prayer format uses the acronym: A - C - T - S

A - is for Adoration — we acknowledge who God is, His character, His goodness and mercy, and His record with us. We remember what He has done for us in the past, and know that He will be faithful in the future. Re-read “Who is God” from Week One.

"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the victory and the majesty,
indeed everything that is in the heavens and the
earth; Thine is the dominion, O LORD, and Thou
dost exalt Thyself as head over all.” 1 Chron 29:11

C - is for Confession — we confess our sin to God. We agree with God by calling it what He calls it . . . Sin!

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

T - is for Thanksgiving — we need to thank God for what He has done. And also to thank Him for what He is doing and what He will do in our lives. It is with a thankful, fearful, and humble heart that we acknowledge God’s sovereignty. Note what is says in Eph 5:20:

“. . . always giving thanks for all things in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;” Ephesians 5:20

S - is for Supplication — asking God for our needs, and for the needs of others by being an intercessor. God knows our needs but He wants us to know our needs. We need to discern between needs, felt needs, and fleshly desires. When we ask according to His will, Matthew 7:7 and 8 apply:

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” Matt 7:7-8

A legitimate question to ask is, “How does God’s Spirit speak to me?” As we learn to hear Him, He will speak to your mind by giving an idea or an understanding of a situation. He may speak to the will calling us to do what He deems best. He may speak to our spirits by giving peace when we are troubled — or by making us feel troubled when we are at peace. He may speak through the memory, to help you recall His help in the past. He may speak to our hearts by reminding us that we are breaking God’s spiritual laws, then, we feel lousy.

A PRAYER JOURNAL

Take a pen and paper with you to your inner garden and record thoughts that come to mind. God might challenge you to engage in a ministry for His glory; He may remind you of a promise unkept or a sin unconfessed; He may cheer you and encourage you with the peace of His presence. Whatever God does, make a record. This is your private journal not readily shared with others, so feel free to openly express yourself. Don’t forget to date all your entries.

PRAYER LIST

A prayer list helps you focus your prayer ministry. These are lists of your prayer needs; concerns of yours, requests of prayer by others, and prayer that your pre-Christian friends and family will come to trust in Jesus Christ. Again, date the entry and describe the request—later record when and how the prayer is answered.

PRAYER WALKING

God promised to Abraham and to his heirs forever all the land that lie within certain boundaries. But it had to be claimed.

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant
with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given
this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great
river, the river Euphrates:” Gen 15:18

God re-affirmed this to Moses and the Children of Israel while still in the desert.

"Every place on which the sole of your foot shall
tread shall be yours; your border shall be from the
wilderness to Lebanon, and from the river, the river
Euphrates, as far as the western sea.” Deut 11:24

Walking through your neighborhood praying for the people who live there is a way to reclaim territory previously lost to Satan. It is engaging in spiritual warfare with the enemy of our soul. A former pastor and I spent some time praying in front of fortune tellers, pornographic book stores and other nuisances. God was faithful and within a short time they closed down. Some actually burned down. These were a direct result of prayer to which God gets all the glory.

CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER

This is group prayer; public prayer in which you are not only praying to God, but leading others in prayer. Spontaneously and briefly pray for a concern that is on your heart. Pray for one topic at a time. Others then have an opportunity to join in lending their prayer support to your topic. It is important to pray rather than to share prayer requests. Sharing prayer requests ends up being a Christian gossip session and because of that we are reluctant to be personal. Don’t be concerned about how you sound to others but be concerned about being true and honest before God. Be committed that nothing spoken in the group is spoken outside the group. That would be a violation of trust. Pray as God moves you to pray, but try to be brief because long prayers can intimidate others.

BE QUIET

2005-11-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

by John Bircher, M.Div.

I have longed for the simple life but find that when I try to get away from it all, I end up taking it all with me.

There is a story of Peter Jenkins, a man who decided to walk across America to see if there was any good left. In 1979, Jenkins wrote a book titled, "A Walk Across America." There was a spiritual dimension to this walk-a search for God.

Steve Newman, who grew up and lived in the small town of Bethel, Ohio, walked around the world. In fact, they called him the "Worldwalker." Newman is quoted as saying, "I live a very simple life." "I was very touched when I walked around the world...In the poorest places of the world, I found the happiest people."

The above quote is from "Traveling Light," by Mary Alice Casey, in the Winter 2005 issue of Ohio Today .

I don't know if they are serious or not, but some have wanted to go live in a cave in the woods. All of this just to get away from the noise, the rat race, the monotonous daily grind.

What causes this desire to escape? The answer is in two parts: First, it is the desire to leave the problems of this noisy society behind and live the simple life. Second, it is a desire to find the silence, solitude, and serenity that leads to a profoundly spiritual experience of being together with God. But there are problems.

The first problem is noise. There is highway noise, street noise, industrial noise. Even around the house there are high levels of noise.

On a fact sheet from the League For The Hard of Hearing, the noise from a doorbell is 80 decibels (dB), a baby crying is 110 dB's. The normal sounds found in a factory 85 up to over 130 dB. A jet plane taking off is 150 dB and a rock concert is from 110 to 120 dB's.

The league cites that prolonged exposure to noise levels above 85 decibels can result in profound hearing loss.

No wonder I say "What" to everybody! I can hardly hear people talk above the background din. Try this; go to a party or event where there is a crowd of people talking. When you get home you will notice you have a sore throat from shouting to make yourself heard.

One gripe many have is against people who run around in their cars that are converted loudspeakers. They seem to always have their windows open to advertise to the world their dismal taste in music. Some communities have noise ordinances to combat this kind of nuisance.

There is everyday chatter. People yelling on cell phones as if you had to yell to make your voice heard over that itty bitty airwave. These people always end up in the booth next to me in the restaurant, unless, of course, there happens to be a screaming toddler there first. There is store noise: loudspeakers shouting about a bargain in aisle 14, or help needed on register nine. Angry people shouting epithets for the way you drive, the way you look, where you are, and the fact that you exist at all.

There is a noise to the spirit as well. Stress, hurts, broken relationships, and unforgiveness. You can't measure this kind of noise with a decibel meter but it loudly impacts the soul with the cacophony of urgency. There is an urgency that drives us to perform. An adage, "God leads; Satan pushes!" The unrelenting motivation to perform is not from God but is from the pit.

In 1927, Max Ehrman wrote a poem titled, "Desiderata." The first stanza relates this simple truth.

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence."

Another line that particularly impacts me and relates to our subject, says:

"Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

The wee small voice of God's Holy Spirit says,

"Be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:10)

Noise is a peace robber because it creates such a racket you cannot hear this wee small voice!

Another problem is the fear and anxiety that robs us of our peace. We are forever trying to live up to an artificial level of performance that is impossible to attain. This yields frustration, dissatisfaction, and destroys our hope.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick. (Prov. 13:12)

Hope eliminated, kills.

There have been people of whom it was said, "Born 1956, died 1986, buried 2005." The body lives on engaging in bodily functions, but the spirit, our innermost being, has died for lack of hope.

"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom 5:1

Everybody is looking for peace. Our restless hearts are wandering to and fro seeking this elusive commodity. To find peace we try to cut back on scheduled activities. One thing leads to another and obligations pile on obligation. Without realizing it, you're booked! The life you lead is not your own but a performance routine carrying out other people's expectations. Failure to live up to these performance goals leads to anxieties.

One thing that impacts my peace is interruptions. I tend to be a linear thinker and an interruption is like pushing the "Reset" button and starting over.

Mark Four in the “Parable of the Sower” says the Devil comes immediately to steal the sown word that is your joy and peace. This Scripture contains five things which are peace robbers.

1. Persecution
2. Affliction
3. Cares of the world
4. Deceitfulness of ricnes
5. The lust for other things

God gives us His peace as it says in Philippians 4:1; 1Pet 5:7; Isaiah 26:3

“ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”Phil 4:6-7

“casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7-8

“The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in Thee.”
Isa 26:3

Knowing Scripture is important. God gives us guidance and assurance in Scripture for the hard places of life. When my wife went through serious spinal surgery made up a "Power Pack" of Scripture verses that encompass, affirms, and builds faith and trust.

Seeking solitude is a major problem. As I said at the onset of this article, when we want to get away from it all, we end up taking it all with us. Let me give you a real life illustration.

A number of years ago my wife and I were enjoying a camping trip to the Nation's Capitol. We saw a family from New Jersey pull up for their first try at family camping.

Most of their gear was new. They had just unpacked them from the original boxes. In no time they were all shouting at each other on what to do and how to do it. Dad wanted help setting up the tent; Mom had a hard time cooking dinner in semi-primitive circumstances. The teenage girl was not going to walk a quarter-mile to use the chemical toilets, and junior had a fit because he wanted his TV set.

Sometime during the night they threw everything in the back of the station wagon and left!

On the other side was a totally different group. They drove in from Oklahoma in an older car pulling a stake bed trailer. They threw an old tarp over the trailer and slept on the straw. They cooked hot dogs over an open camp fire and later enjoyed marshmallows and graham crackers. There was no fancy gear. There was no pretence. They were having a great time enjoying what they had.

I have known those who claim they would be happy living under a bridge. On the other hand I have a good friend who said after his wife died, "I have never been alone, and I don't want to be -- it scares me! Some people can't stand solitude. They crave people to be around them. Some can't stand silence and sleep with the radio on.

In an effort to get away from it all, many go on retreats. They simply trade one crowd for another. Life is structured: up at a certain time, eat at a certain time, bed at a certain time. They are just as regimented and driven as always.

It is interesting to note, Jesus had peace, he slept in the midst of the storm and yet could be alone with the Father in the midst of a crowd.

The search for solitude, serenity, and simplicity is not at all like the TV show in which two wealthy young ladies are thrown into highly contrived situations. The point of the program is to laugh at the contrast of cultures.

Joseph Brackett, Jr., and elder in the Shaker Church wrote a song in 1848 called, "Simple Gifts."

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'Tis the gift to be free,
'tis the gift to come down where you ought to be.
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
it will be in the valley of
love and delight.

This 150 year old church hymn, (the only hymn I know of to make the pop charts 130 years after it was written), speaks of simplicity, humility, freedom and repentance. When this is accomplished, we will find ourselves in the valley of love and delight. that is, at peace in God's perfect will

We have discussed the four S's: Silence, Serenity, Solitude and Simplicity. Let's sum this up with a fifth -- Surrender.

Without this giving up of ourselves and relying totally on the grace of God, we cannot achieve the serenity we seek. Surrendering to God begins with a decision. The decision is this. The God who made me knows best what's good for me and it is best to let Him decide now to let Him have His way.

Going beyond initial decisions are the daily disciplines of getting to know Him through reading and studying His word; talking to Him in prayer, and listening for His response; loading our spiritual arsenal with God's weapons against evil by memorizing Scripture, and making an ongoing record of your history With God by writing down your thoughts daily. Wrap it all up tightly with cords of meditation and reflection.

However, the disciplines of discipleship can lead to a performance legalism. Be sure you do these things in order to come closer to Christ because you want to. If you feel you have to, you are falling into a performance trap. If an authority figure says you have to do these things to prove your faith, run!

The way to escape the complexities and vexations of life is to know God, and spend time with Him, and submit to His direction.

The inner garden of the soul that enjoys this silence, solitude, serenity, simplicity and surrender to God reminds me of the old hymn:

"I come to the garden alone..."

You cannot come as a group, a church or denomination, not even as a family, but alone. Another hymn says:

“All to Jesus I surrender...
All to Him I freely give”

Surrendering starts with you and me. And it starts anytime we chose – even now.

WISDOM

2005-09-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

by John Bircher, M.Div.

The world often equates wisdom to knowledge. Wisdom is described as the knowledge and ability to make right choices. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: (but) fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Wisdom and understanding comes as the result of interpreting knowledge with the heart. We sometimes impute wisdom to those we say have common sense, or, “horse sense.” This is because horses know where the feed trough is and return to it. We should know where the source of knowledge is and return to it.

The Greeks had three words for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Knowledge was “Gnosis.” This is where we get the word, “Gnosticism.” Gnostics were part of the early century troublemakers, claiming they had secret knowledge. Wisdom was, “Sophia.” The first major cathedral of the Christian era was the “Hagia Sophia,” the church of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople, which is now Istanbul. Understanding was “Sunetos” or “Sunesis.” Sometimes the Greek word, “Phren” was used for understanding or intelligence. From this we get, “frenzy,” which is a mind in high speed. Phrenology is also the science of determining your intelligence by the bumps on your head.

When applying wisdom, knowledge and understanding to your own life, you must realize that knowledge is your “what.” Understanding is your “how.” Wisdom is your “why.” Your knowledge, your “What,” is a collection of facts and information. Ken Jennings, a 30-year old software engineer from Salt Lake City, won two and a half million dollars on the TV game show, Jeopardy. It was a fascinating display of knowledge. In the end, the IRS was the big winner taking half of the winnings in taxes since the income was not spread out or sheltered in any way

Knowledge you have to work for. Listening, studying, reading, stuffing all that material into your brain. You need knowledge because the devil’s foremost tool is ignorance. His desire is to keep people ignorant so they can’t find God. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Understanding is how you use knowledge. It’s how you categorize it or index it so you can apply it to your situation.

Wisdom is your “why.” A story is told of three men. The first when asked what he was doing, he said, “I’m laying bricks.” The second man said, “I’m earning a living.” The third man said, “I’m building a cathedral!” Knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing gives you both motivation and discernment for the task.

The Hebrew word, “Chokmah,” is translated both knowledge and understanding. To a lesser degree, the word, “Rasheed,” is used in the same way.

In Proverbs 9:10 it says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Hebrew for fear is “Yirah,” and means “Awe,” “Reverence,” “Respect.” I would go further to say it means that the God who made us, knows us. When we realize that God made the farthest reaches of the universe and yet counts all the hairs on our heads and the billions of cells in our bodies, we react in justifiable amazement, wonder, awe and, yes, fear. He knows our doubts, He knows the things we think about that we shouldn’t be thinking about, He knows the things we’ve done that we’re not proud of. In the song, “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” there is a line that says: “He knows when we’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sakes.” He even knows what you’re thinking about right now. Our God is much greater than Santa Claus!

The fool who does not know God, disdains the very mention of Him, follows his own desires for the flesh and lawlessness should fear God with terror. It is destruction that awaits him.

Why seek wisdom? The number one reason is that God commands it! Proverbs 4:7 Says, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”

“Get” here is like, “Get Going,” not like “Getting Measles.” You have to work for it, it is not thrown at you. Wisdom calls, but you must respond.

Wisdom extends her hand to us. "In her right hand is long life, and in her left hand are riches and honor." (Pro 3:16) Ecclesiastes 7:19 says, “Wisdom strengthens the wise…” Proverbs 2:20 awards “length of days” to those who have wisdom, Proverbs 8: 35 says, “For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from the LORD;” Blessings, favor, health, riches, long life, all come from seeking and maintaining an intimate relationship with wisdom.

Wisdom sharpens us to make our work easier. Ecclesiastes 10:10 says, “If the axe is dull, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength; but wisdom brings success.” A story is told about Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth President, that if he had six hours to cut down a tree, he would spend four hours sharpening the axe. The point is we must hone our knowledge, understanding and wisdom to a point that delivers success.

When wisdom will not benefit us. When we think we know it all, we are both ignorant and arrogant. Those who are caught up in themselves cannot tell wisdom from folly. Consider Isaiah 5:20-21:

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"

Many people in our contemporary culture do not know or will not accept the difference between good and evil.

When we rely on God, this is wisdom. When we rely on self, this is folly, a result of pride. Proverbs 3:4 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…” This is God’s assurance of guidance for us.

Wisdom does not come directly from experience, although this is the conventional (pardon the expression), wisdom. You have to learn from the experience to have it become part of your character. It is said that the fool does the same thing over and over again hoping for better results. Job says in Job 32:7 “I said ‘Age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’” There are many that are wise in this world and succeed, but they have their reward in the present now. Job says in Job 12:9, “Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice.”

Wisdom will not benefit us when it wisdom of the world. Wisdom of flesh, wisdom that comes from below.

James 3:14-17 says, “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” This wisdom is from below: soulish, fleshly, demonic and is a corruption of God’s wisdom.

From the beginning in the garden, mankind has sought wisdom, usually the wrong kind, at the wrong time, from the wrong people. Consider Eve in Genesis 3:6-7:

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”/em>

Soulish wisdom appeals to the senses and darker motives of mankind. John’s first letter says in 1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.” The lust of the flesh are our appetites. The lust of the eyes are our desires that extends to covetousness. The boastful pride of life is our desire for mastery, power, authority over others, and success. However some people are educated beyond their intelligence and think sophistication is wisdom when in fact, it is folly.

In Ezekiel 28:12-17, Satan is described as the King of Tyre and as that anointed cherub, the angel of light, Lucifer, the light bearer, full of beauty and wisdom. This did him no good when he fell because of pride.

The fool rejects wisdom: the result, folly. A fool is not someone with a diminished mental capacity, but rather someone who has rejected the truth of God. He is ignorant of God’s ways and has chosen the way of the world, flesh and self. Proverbs 12:15 says, “a fool is right in his own eyes.” Proverbs 26: 4 says, “do not answer a fool according to his folly.”
Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no god.’” That is why April First is is sometimes called “National Atheists Day.”
Scripture says not to correct a fool or a scoffer because he will not listen, but instead, he will hate you. It is better to rebuke a wise man and he will become wiser. In Jeremiah 14:11 and 11:14, God forbids us to pray for idolaters and backsliders. These are both fools. They do not have the heart to receive from God. Only when the fool wakes up and becomes receptive will he understand the mercy of God.

The Bible mentions the fool and it also mentions the simple. The simple are ignorant and need to be taught. President Ronald Reagan when speaking of his opponents said, “It’s not that they are ignorant, it’s just that so much of what they know is not so!” It is possible to teach the simple so the simple will come to Christ. But the fool is arrogant and the Bible recommends beating him with a rod.

Sometimes people who have wisdom succumb to earthly temptations and fall into folly. Listen to what Ecclesiastes 10:1 says: “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment,And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.” Those in the ministry who have fallen into temptation come to mind. Christian pollster, George Barna, says that 56 per cent of those in the ministry are addicted to internet pornography. It’s like the story of the minister who stumbled into a XXX rated porno movie in London and left three and one-half hours later in disgust.

Everybody wants to know how to get wisdom. Let me tell you three ways you can get wisdom: 1 – Instruction from the Word of God. 2 – Experience. 3 – Asking.

There is no substitute for a daily intake of God’s word; memorizing and meditating on it until it gets from your head to your heart. Especially read the wisdom books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. To this I would add both Job and Psalms. These are not necessarily foundations for your theology, but rules and examples for successful living.

In a large business a young man, who had swiftly come up through the ranks to replace an older man who was retiring, had some second thoughts about his own competence. He decided to seek advice from the older man.

He said to him, “How do I avoid making mistakes in this new job?”

The older man simply replied, “Get wisdom.”

The young man again asked , “How do I get wisdom?”

Answering, the older man said, “Learn from experience.”
This seemed to satisfy the young man for a while as he envisioned a long career of gaining and learning from experience. Thinking there might be more to the formula, he once again went to the man he was to replace and questioned,

“How do I learn from experience?”

The retiree replied, “Make mistakes!”

As we mentioned before, experience without learning does not lead to God’s wisdom. The greek word for “Elder” means an old man. More appropriately, a man with years of experience. However this is not always so. The young can be wise and serve as an elder. Consider the example of Timothy. Paul admonished him not to let other people put him down because of his youth.

Lastly, James says in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” This indicates that God has wisdom to give and gives to all who ask." I might add, you must not ask amiss, but with a prue heart.

David called out to God and said, “Create in me a clean heart..” God alone has the power to cleanse the heart which according to Jeremiah is “desperately wicked.”

The words in Ecclesiastes are appropriate to end this study:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all.” Eccl 12:13

LET'S GO FISHING

2005-08-09T12:43:00.000-07:00
By John Bircher, M.Div.

Jesus used the metaphor of fishing to describe the process of winning souls. There are many parallels too numerous to worm out of. This analogy appeals to me as I like to fish and I have a Great Commission call to evangelism and discipleship.

Fishing can be broken down into three separate activities: Going fishing, catching fish, and cleaning fish. Before you go fishing, you must make preparations. As I mentioned in the last edition the Ephesians section on the Whole Armor of God states that our feet much be shod with the PREPARATION of the gospel of peace. It is easy to overlook preparation, but without it, success may be elusive.

Prepare yourself through prayer and training. Devote youself to study scripture. Praying in advance for the opportunity to sow the seed of the gospel.

In order to catch fish, you have to understand fish. To be a fisher of men, you have to understand men. Catching fish involves knowledge, skill, and technique. Fishing for men involves the same.

Lastly, cleaning fish represents follow up and discipleship. If you pay no attention to the fish you catch but just let them flop around on the ground, in no time they will begin to stink. Don’t leave your fish to “stinkin thinkin” but do all you can do to lead, mentor, and disciple them to Christian maturity. Follow up and discipleship cleans your fish and prepares them for service in God’s kingdom.

Fishing is sometimes considered a man’s sport, but more and more you can find fisherladies engaging in the activity. Fishing is universal in that men and women, and even children can be successful at fishing. This is also true of evangelism, follow up, discipleship, and equipping.

To fish you have to go where the fish are. You won’t catch fish in the bathtub, the swimming pool, or the baptismal fount. Jesus said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…” As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, “Go” does not indicate travel as much as it does start, action, and obedience. You can find fish that need to hear the Gospel message almost anywhere you are. It is important you go fishing!

You can go to a crystal clear lake, a swift running river, a small creek or a smelly swamp and still catch fish. You can fish from the bank or a dock, or crawl through the brush to get to that secret place where you are always successful in catching fish. For some, they will take a boat and go out into the deep where the big ones are.

In order to catch the fish you’ve got to use the right bait. Different fish go for different bait. What bait do you have other than the love of God, the Word of God and the beauty of the character of Christ reflected in you? The bait, or opening gambit, is introduced to interest the person where they are and address their needs; that is: desires, felt needs, and real needs.

But you can imagine what would happen if you threw out your line with no bait at all. Nothing!

I went into a sporting goods store where all kinds of artificial baits and lures were on display. Unfortunately, you can’t go fishing for men and hope to catch them on something artificial. It has to be real. Some argue that displays of artificial bait is to catch fishermenn not fish! These are stores. Men have money and fish do not. Sporting goods stores make their money off of men, not fish.

How you play a fish is important. The best way to play your fish is with non-judgemental patience. The same is true for the seeking pre-Christian. Try to underplay self and let Christ have His way through you. You’ve got to watch for signs and some are almost imperceptible and difficult to discern. Do you give the fish a big jerk, or gently set the hook and play him easy? One cynic described fishing as a piece of string with a jerk at both ends.

Fishing is kind of a secret, that is, undercover thing. You don’t want to make a lot of noise because you’ll scare the fish away. The fish are watching you long before you see them. Is what they see compellingly attractive to them? How you act while fishing is very important.

I wish I had more time to fish, but lots of thing keep me from enjoying it. I also wish I had more time for evangelism, but lots of thing keep me from it. According to Mark, Chapter Four, 18-20:

"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among
the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,
and the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches,
and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word,
and it becomes unfruitful."

These things that choke the word also keep you from fishing. How about you? What keeps you from fishing?

Peter, James, and John worked together to make a living by fishing. Some days they had good luck, some days they had bad luck, and some days they had no luck at all. Then one day Jesus came by and said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Then their luck changed, for they understood that “L.U.C.K.” stands for, “Living Under Christ’s Kindness!”

While Peter, James, and John worked together in the fishing business, you may find it beneficial to work with a companion, prayer partner or protoge in fishing for men. It sometimes happens that your companion is a fish instead of a fisherman and finds Christ through this ministry. Seek pre-Christians to go with you on fishing trips, in this way they hear the gospel several times and come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

There are some other things about fishing you need to know. Only rarely will a fish jump out of the water and into your boat. However two members of my home church gave testimony that while on a camping, boating trip, a fish actually did just that. (They told me it was a keeper, too!) It happens, but not very often.

Why do fish jump into boats? When a fish jumps out of the water, it means that there is a bigger fish down below chasing them. This predatory fish can represent financial problems, failures, dysfunctional family life, marriage problems, addictions and lusts, criminal activity, or life’s frustrations. These will drive a fish out of the pond of his life into your church, crusade or small group bible study.

These fish are looking for help, safety, food, and nurture. They are looking to see if you are real and if they would be safe with you. What are you showing them?

Individuals, churches, and groups, fall into one of three catagories relative to seeking fish; they are:

Seeker Sensitive – These are churches that go out of their way to attract pre-Christians. Their mission and ministry is totally dedicated to reaching seekers. I have heard well meaning clergymen disparage these efforts, labeling them "entertainment." Check your bait. Are you catching fish?

Seeker Neutral – Churches that are doing what they always have done. Seekers are not sought, but are welcome. There is no specific ministry directed toward them.

Seeker Hostile – These are churches that don’t want to be bothered. They like things just the way they are and new converts or seekers just wouldn’t fit in.

Back in the hippie days of the 60’s and 70’s, two sisters that were tired of their lifestyle, sought out a church for answers. They wandered into a church appearing a bit gnarly from their life on the street, and were asked to leave.

I’ve found that fish generally travel is schools. If you catch one, you’ll probably catch others close by. You need to take note of the barometric pressure of fishing. Fish seem to want to feed, (and therefore get caught), when it is a low pressure atmosphere. Fishing can actually be best during storms. Fish don’t respond well to high pressure. We must create a loving environment by sharing Christ, not selling Him.

Fat fish don’t feed. If there is lots of food from other sources, the fish are full and won’t take your bait. The world provides lots of food, although some of it may cause spiritual indigestion. We are a nation blessed with plenty and we are, for the most part, at ease. People are so caught up with their things that they do not recognize their real need – Jesus Christ!

There are always certain numbers of fish that will steal your bait and not take the hook. They will play with our line and take your bait all day long and yet not be caught. These are unresponsive and uncaring fish. Their mission in life seems to be to lead you on and on and then excape the net. They aren’t interested in the things of God, they are only interested in playing a game with you. If you let them, they will suck you dry! Avoid frustrations and maximize your efforts by concentrating on other fish. Sometimes you have to cast your net on the other side of the boat. Life is too short to waste it on “Suckers.”

As an afterthought, it must be mentioned that you might be able to minister to these people (called EGR's for Extra Grace Required). They have a need deeper than they know. The game they play is an effort to avoid meeting God through Jesus Christ. Partner with the Holy Spirit and let Him guide you in your ministry.

CLEANING FISH

2005-08-01T09:29:00.000-07:00
by John Bircher, M.Div.

This message follows up the last issue with hints, tips, and applications for following up your evangelistic efforts to insure the new Christian continues on their journey toward Christian maturity. (That sounds like a good name for a book!)

Have you ever noticed that when the neighborhood fisherman returns from a successful fishing trip, the first thing he (or she) does is to run around to those living next door and down the street, trying to give away the fish! Why? Because he doesn't want to clean them! If he can't give them away, he'll dump them in the kitchen sink and say, "Hi honey, look what I caught for supper."

The dismayed wife is now stuck with the job of cleanng the fish.

Likewise catching fish, or introducing pre-Christians to Jesus Christ whereby they get saved, is a lot more fun than discipling them. One reason is that most people tend to shy away from long term obligations. I have even known of cases where sincere souls would refuse to witness or present God's plan of salvation because they didn't want to get involved or alter their future plans. Many times they feel that it is the "Church's" job. Well, who is the church? That's right, it's you! Some will say, "That's what we pay the preacher for." Wrong again! The pastor's job is to:

“...equip the saints to do the work of the ministry."
Ephesians 4:12

What is involved in "cleaning fish"? The discipleship process involves four major stages. These are:

1) Immediate follow-up; clarification of commitment.

2) Establishing the convert; introducing a convert to a "Nurture Group."

3) Discipling the convert and growing in faith and the faith.

4) Training or equipping the disciple to do the work of the ministry.

Now the trained disciple is able to go forth and reach others for Christ. The more diligently this process is followed, the more effectively the net is enlarged.

As Mark says in the Parable of the Sower, "Satan comes immediately..." If this is the case, then it follows that follow-up should begin immediately! If conversion occurs in the church as the result of an altar call, then an individual or couple, whom I call "Fellowship Friends," should come forward and join the convert at the altar. These fellowship friends are not random interested individuals, but part of a ministry team I call the "Nurture Group." Most churches promote the ministry of evangelism. The ministry of follow-up is equally important.

While most affirm this ministry of follow-up, they also assume that it will occur naturally, like osmosis or springtime. They assume that the convert will naturally grow up into full maturity in Christ. That is desirable and sometimes may happen, but experience shows that five-years after a profession of faith, the convert is nowhere to be found. They are lost, backsliden and shipwrecked! In many national evangelistic ministries, conserving the fruit of conversion is the number one challenge.

On the plus side, some churches have instituted a formal process of follow-up. After a decision for Christ has been made, this process would include immediate post-decision counseling, an intense period of assimilation, and an extensive discipleship program. Ideally a designated counseling team member, such as the fellowship friend described above, or even the one who won the seeker to Christ would assume the responsibility for doing this.

The first act of the fellowship friend, the nurture team member, or appropriate designate, would be to invite the convert and his family to lunch. Pick a nice, but not extravagant, restaurant where you can be comfortable and talk. There should be allowances for this expence in the church budget.

Ask the convert, "Why did you come forward?" What were his motivations, his background, his vocation, religious experience, church history, their interests, their needs, where do they live and how can you contact them? Be lively, enthusiastic, and encouraging. give him plenty of attention and affirmation as you capsulize the gospel into the following easy to remember categories.

1) The love of God;

2) The fact of sin;

3) The role of Jesus;

4) The necessity to receive.

Lastly, introduce the concept of the nurture group, a meeting of other converts and seekers, to share and learn about their new life in Christ. Invite and escort them to a meeting that night.

The nurture group studies the five assurances over a five-week period. This is a rotating study led by members of the ministry team. A new convert can enter at any point, cover the five subjects, and then "graduate" to the next level of growth. Light refreshments are in order which also should be in the budget. The location should be a home near the church led by a facilitator. It should not be in the church building itself.

Let's face it, Satan isn't at all happy that the convert came to Christ and he will do all he can to challenge him in order to nullify his witness. These five basic assurances are to combat the wiles and fiery darts of the enemy.

Satan will first try to convince the convert that they are not really saved. He will say that if you're really saved, you wouldn't sin. The truth is that we live in a sin soaked world and we all sin from time to time. While sin is nothing to treat lightly, God has provided for us. When Jesus died, He died for all our sins, past, present, and future. Satan will also try to convince the convert that just believing in Jesus is not enough. There must be something more that you have to do. This is a lie! Jesus has done it all. The convert should memorize 1 John 5:11 - 12 (and maybe even verse 13) to reassure them of their blessed salvation.

“And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of
the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have
eternal life." 1 John 5:11-13

Next Satan will try to destroy the fellowship we have with God by saying that God neither hears, answers, or cares about your prayers. The truth is exactly the opposite. The prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 33:3:

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great
and mighty things, which you do not know." Jer 33:3-4

Also Jesus said in John 16:24:

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name;
ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be
made full." John 16:24

Thirdly, Satan will tempt you to sin. Remember, temptation is not sin. We are all tempted in many ways yet unless we succumb to the temptation, we do not sin. But Satan will try to tempt you then try to convince you that the temptation itself is sin. Don't you believe it! A verse to memorize is 1 Corinthians 10:13. This is your assurance of victory.

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common
to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation
will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to
endure it." 1 Cor 10:13

As we mentioned before, when we sin, we need God's forgiveness. God is ready, willing, and able to forgive us when we come to Him. There is a story of a little child who against his mother's instructions, played in the mud and got as dirty as a mudball. Upon coming into the house, the mother reminded the child ofhis disobedience. His heart was broken before his mother and he turned his big brown eyes up to her and said, "I'm sorry, mother." Her compassion overflowed as she said, "I forgive you." But rather than let the muddy child run through the house, she cleaned him up, taking off his dirty clothes and scrubbing him. This is so much like God who forgives us when we come to Him, but He won't let us continue being dirty. He cleans us. A verse to memorize is 1 John 1:9, our
assurance of forgiveness.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9-10

The last assurance on the menu of this five week program is the assurance of guidance. God will not leave us alone and flopping around like a beached whale without giving us a vision of His plan for us. As we seek and trust in God, He is able to provide wise counsel for us to use. He does this in three different ways:

1. Through the council of Christian brothers and sisters.

2. Through the wisdom revealed when reading His Word.

3. Through the wee small voice of the Spirit that comes to us at those times of deep prayer and meditation.

Memorize Provcerbs 3:5-6 as assurance that God will guide us in proportion to our trusting in Him.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not
lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths
straight." Prov 3:5-6

These verses will be both a shield and a sword for use when the enemy comes in to assault you. Here are a few more suggestions that you can implement right away.

a. Ask your Pastor to recommend a good Bible and read it daily reflecting on the passage by asking, Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.

b. Set aside a consistent time for prayer daily.

c. Memorize Scripture and decide to meditate on the verse during the day.

d. Attend church regularly. Some of the purposes of the church is for the worship of God, encouraging and being encouraged by others in the fellowship, and learning Bible skills and knowledge.

e. Every Christian has a testimony. Be ready to share yours with others.

f. Be involved regularly in one of your church’s small groups. A small group allows you to exercise your spiritual gifts, enjoy great fellowship, receive both teaching and encouragement which leads to maturity.

g. Select someone as your mentor. A person to help you progress and hold you accountable for growing into Christlikeness. Later you will have the opportunity to mentor someone else.

The third part of follow up is an extensive time of discipleship training, assimilation into the social fabric of the local church, and equipping for Kingdom service through your local church. Allowing a new Christian to exercise their gifts and calling through meaningful service in the local church context, will do more to glue them to the local body than anything else you can do. Discipleship training is a time to take the disciplines of the faith and establish them as habit in the life of the convert.

The Word - Hearing it preached, reading for content, studying for the deeper application, memorize for use and meditating on the word in order to internalize it.

Prayer - Worship and adoration, confession, thanksgiving, asking for your needs and interceding for the needs of others.

Fellowship - Gathering together for encouragement, teaching, exercising spiritual gifts for the building up of others and becoming equipped for the work of service.

Witnessing - Building relationships with unchurched pre-Christians, sharing our testimony, and finding opportunities to present the Gospel.

Much of this can be established through a daily habit of quiet time that includes Bible reading and study, prayer, and journalizing to establish a written record of your spiritual journey. Using these materials is an excellent way to grow from being a convert into a disciple.

The church is a testing ground where the new Christian helps others and in turn is ministered to. A place where he or she receives teaching and has opportunities to practice servanthood. Small groups become a spiritual family where close bonding is possible. Churches retain members when they are resident and active in a small group, and when members are equipped for ministry, and opportunities are created to allow for this to happen.

Discipleship is a never ending process. It just keeps growing and growing as we faithfully follow Him who is the King.

PREPARING YOUR PRESENTATION

2005-07-27T11:48:00.000-07:00
By John Bircher, M.Div.

In discipleship, every step is important. We must evangelize, we must establish, we must equip. The Christian Businessmen’s Committee had a chart that echoed this principle: “Out of the world and into the church—discipled and equipped by the church to be sent back into the world.” The discipleship cycle is continuous and unbroken.

Many people when quoting the Whole Armour of God passage in Ephesians Chapter Six quote in part as saying, “Feet shod with the gospel of peace…” It may astound some to find out that this is not what it says. It says,

“…feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.”

We want the gospel of peace, but often we don’t want to prepare for it. I believe that anything worthwhile is worth working for. Preparation is necessary. There is the story of a young lady in a Bible study group I was leading that believed that if God wanted her to quote a verse or state a principle, the Holy Spirit would just dump it into her head. Kerplunk!

The disciple who wishes to make disciples must first apply the disciplines to him or herself. It takes one to make one. It is the Father’s desire that we become like Jesus. To do this requires desire and determination on the part of the disciple. Evangelism also starts in the heart of God. It is God who wishes all men to be saved. God didn’t give this job of communicating His grace to the angels, but to men and women in the church, Christians.

Jesus said, “If you love me, obey My commandments!” If you have set your mind on being a disciple, obedience is paramount. Many of us have become loose-leaf Christians accepting what we want from the faith and tossing out the rest. Jesus wants us to be attentive and obey everything He has said. The Great Commission contains the following phrase, “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Observe means obey.

Since God is love, and Jesus demonstrated this love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sins, (Romans 5:8). Then it is in love that we respond to the love that God wants to shower on his children. The thing that keeps us from freely carrying out Christ’s commission is fear. What will people say? What will others think? Will my own family accept me? We must dispel this fear that inhibits us from being the witnesses we need to be. We will not do this until our love for the lost is greater than our fear of humiliation. Perfect love, that is, the Jesus kind of love, casts out all fear. We must rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to cast out the spirit of fear. Before we proceed
further in this study, pray this prayer with me.

O Heavenly Father, God. I approach your throne boldly
on the merit of your Son, Jesus Christ. I know from your
word that perfect love casts out all fear. I ask that by the
power of your Holy Spirit that I be delivered from this spirit
of fear. I renounce and repent for any sin that opened up
a doorway for Satan to torment me. I ask the the void in my
spirit be replaced by your love. It is written that if I pray
according to your will, you hear me and will grant me the
petition for which I’ve asked. So, I count it done and I now
walk in victory with thanksgiving giving glory to Jesus
Christ, my Lord, Amen.

In short, our motive must be love. Love that is heartbroken with the realization that many will reject the good news of God’s love. This is sad, but the real tragedy is that many will go into eternity without having heard the gospel or never given the opportunity to repent. Consider the awful significance of 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9:

“dealing out retribution to those who do not know God
and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction,
away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
His Power.”

We are “Watchmen.” We are to sound the alarm for our fellow human beings. It is our responsibility to warn. Motive equals purpose for purpose precedes method. There are several methods of presenting the gospel message, and I’ll comment on a few of them here. This is by no means an exhaustive list as there are other methods that will fit all situations. My recommendation is that you find one that is comfortable to your spiritual style and master it before you go on to another.

The Bridge – This well known tract developed by the Navigators majors on showing the separation of man from God as the result of sin. God is on one side and man is on the other side of a chasm. The object is to show how man gets from his side, the side of death, to God’s side, the side of life eternal. The answer is Jesus Christ whose cross forms the bridge allowing sinful man to re-unite with a merciful and loving God. Check it out at http://home.navigators.org/us/index (click on "Ministry Tools.")

The One-Verse Presentation – A modified Bridge presentation using only one verse, Romans 6:23, to cover all the points. Check it out at the same address mentioned above.

The John 3:16 Diagram – This is similar to the above as it majors on the separation between God and man. This was originally put out by Touch Resources. Their internet address is http://www.touchusa.org (lots of discipleship and small (cell) group resources listed.)

The Four Spiritual Laws – Developed by the Campus Crusade For Christ. It’s opening gambit is, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” It goes on to promise eternal life to all who place their faith in Christ. Making Jesus Lord of your life and removing self as an act of surrender is the goal of this tract. Check it out at http://www.ccci.org (Click on, "Four Spiritual Laws.")

The Five Jewish Laws – I saw this one years ago, and frankly, I haven’t seen it since. It used Old Testament passages to prove that Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah. It is used principally in witnessing to the Jews.

Steps to Peace with God – This tract is published by the Billy Graham organization and is widely used by crusade counselors and others. Check it out at http://www.billygraham.org (click on "Believe," then click on "Steps To Peace With God.")

The Two Questions – Alternately called “Evangelism Explosion” or the Coral Ridge Program for Lay Evangelism. It started out with the the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church led by Dr. D.James Kennedy. It literally was an explosion as groups fanned out all over the country and the world using the simple outline that EE suggests. It starts off with an introduction, at which time two questions are asked. “If you were to die tonight, do you know for sure you would go to heaven?” The second question is similar: “suppose your did die tonight and stood before the throne of God,and He said to you,’why should I let you into My heaven?’” What would you say?

The second section of the outline deals with elements of the gospel message: Grace, Man. God, Christ, and Faith.

The last portion is called the commitment and also consists of two questions: “Does this make sense to you?” And lastly, “Would you like to pray and make Jesus as Lord and receive the gift of eternal life? Check this tract out at http://www.menorah.org/eetract.html.

The demonstrated success of this method begs Christians interested in evangelism to consider using it. In many ways it is a prepared presentation. Those more cynical would call it “canned.” Why would you use a canned presentation? Because it works! Millions have been introduced to the saving Messiah and received eternal life because of it.

There are some lesser used techniques that may fit your style and circumstance.

1. There is a heaven, there is a hell, you get to choose!

2. Who is Jesus Christ? Deluded visionary, madman, prankster, prophet and modelling teacher, or, the Son of God?

3. Being in God’s family is an individual choice. Not to choose is to reject being in God’s family.
4. The Roman road, using the book of Romans to show man’s sin, God’s provision, and man’s needed response.

5. Who nailed Christ to the cross? You can participate in His life, or you can participate in His death.

6. How good do you have to be to get into heaven? (The answer is perfect!) Have you always lived just as you described?

7. Why? (Just ask why they believe the way they do.)

8. Another Website you might be interested in is http://www.chick.com They print a large variety of gospel tracts in several languages that people actually enjoy reading. Try passing them out at Halloween or community gathering events. When offering a tract, simply say, "Thank you." Thus presented, people will invariably receive it.

All of these techniques can help you be a fisher of men. Jesus said:

“Follow Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.”

_____________________________________________________________

YOUR TESTIMONY

2005-07-13T12:29:00.000-07:00
When God called us to be a witnesses, He gave us something to be witness to. The apostle Paul was called upon to be a witness before King Agrippa in Acts 26. That text reveals the general format of a personal testimony whether it be Paul’s or our own. These three main points are:

1.What our lives were like before we met Christ.
2.How we met Christ as our Savior.
3.What our lives have been like since we met Jesus as Savior.

See if you can detect these elements in Paul's testimony.

"And Agrippa said to Paul, 'You are permitted to speak for
yourself.' Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to
make his defense:

"In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews,
I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to
make my defense before you today;

especially because you are an expert in all customs and
questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to
me patiently.

"So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up,
which from the beginning was spent among my own nation
and at Jerusalem;

since they have known about me for a long time previously,
if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee
according to the strictest sect of our religion. "And now I am
standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our
fathers;

the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they
earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King,
I am being accused by Jews.
"Why is it considered incredible among you people if God
does raise the dead?

"So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things
hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

"And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock
up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority
from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to
death I cast my vote against them.

"And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried
to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at
them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities.

"While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with
the authority and commission of the chief priests,

at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven,
brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who
were journeying with me.

"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice
saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, 'Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the
goads.'

"And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I
am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

'But arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have
appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness
not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the
things in which I will appear to you;

delivering you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles,
to whom I am sending you,

to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to
light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that
they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance
among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me'

"Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient
to the heavenly vision,

but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also
at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and
even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God,
performing deeds appropriate to repentance. /em>

On the next few pages we will have the opportunity to make notes that will be the
basis of our own personal testimony using these three main divisions. Limit the
testimony to answering the questions in the mind of pre-Christians and relate to
how they can experience salvation. As Peter said in 1 Peter 3:15:

“but 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;”

When preparing the section on “What your life was like before you met Christ,” include both the good and the bad. Try to avoid glamorizing the bad. Look back on sin as it was — sin! It needs to be said but not glorified. Next, when covering the “how” or the "circumstances" of coming to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, include these four topics:

1.The fact of sin
2.The penalty of sin
3.Christ paid the price
4.The need to accept His forgiveness

Conclude by telling what you have gained by trusting in Christ. Use a few
anecdotes that explain what your life has been like.

Try not to speak "Christianese." It seems that whenever we get around other Christians we try to prove our big faith with big words. Don’t use religious words that are a foreign language to the pre-Christian. Also, don’t preach! Instead, use Scripture naturally. Scripture is the Word of God, so let it speak for itself. Tell what has happened in your life. It is a temptation to give someone else’s testimony, but stick to your story. There is a blessing in simplicity and authenticity.

It is also important to realize that people's eyes and minds glaze over after about five-minutes. For that reason keep your testimony short and to the point. The point is, "How I met Jesus Christ as Savior and how my life was changed forever.

When I was training with the Navigator's, they stressed that a testimony of four minutes is about right. Any more, and you lose the one your talking to.

Use your testimony as a springboard to sharing the Gospel message. You can ask questions like:

"That’s my story, has anything like that happened to you?"

"What does your church teach about trusting Jesus for eternal life?"

"May I take a few moments to show you a diagram that explains this relationship between God and man?"

These questions give you an opportunity to continue with a presentation of the Gospel.

WITNESSING

2005-04-06T16:36:00.000-07:00
The Active Disciple in Action

By John Bircher, M.Div.

There is one word that puts fear into the hearts of Christians and non-Christians alike. That word is, “Witnessing!” Nothing in the Christian experience and lifestyle is quite as scary as witnessing. But there is a lot of misinformation on the subject of witnessing that plays into our feelings of inadequacy. In the Greek, the word, "marturo", is translated, "witness." This is the same word from which we get martyr and martyrdom. Hardly an appealing application. The actual meaning could be stated, "testifying to the truth that you have experienced." On the other hand, most people seem to have an upside down idea of what witnessing is. Witnessing is giving witness, or testimony, to what we have seen or heard about Jesus Christ. It also means giving a first person account of our own Christian experience. Sometimes instead of witnesses we try to be lawyers, asking the
hard questions and pressing on. God didn’t call us to be lawyers—He called us to be witnesses and He made a provision of spiritual power to enable us to do it.

"… but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses . . .” Acts 1:8a

Whether we like it or not, we are all witnesses. We can be ambassadors of righteousness or ambassadors of flesh. It’s our choice. The lives of all of us are a witness to what we really believe. God has called us to be Christ’s ambassadors and give witness to what He has done in our lives.

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God
were entreating through us; we beg you, on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

The call to be His witnesses in Acts 1:8 is a re-affirmation of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. Our reason for witnessing is a response to the command of Christ. It is also our response to the love of Christ who gave His all for us and desires that we would give our all for Him. The love of Christ dwelling in us should be sufficient for us to love the lost enough to share the message of the Gospel, the good news of what has happened to us. John Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, said, "I cannot believe in the salvation of anyone who does not work for his neighbor’s salvation."

Your Evangelistic Witness Can Be Done Four Ways:

1. By Association. The pre-Christian may not be ready to respond to the message of the Gospel, but he or she may be ready to respond to the messenger. That’s you! It is imperative that we Christians develop friendship relationships with those with whom we would witness. The pre-Christian must see our love as we witness not so much in word but in deed. A quote that has been attributed to many says "People don’t care who much you know until they know how much you care.”

2. Your Testimony is one of the Most Powerful Tools You Have to Share Christ With Others. As you share your life story, remember that no man is a perfect witness, but Jesus is a perfect and faithful Savior. We are not called to be either successful or perfect, only faithful. Just share what you have seen and heard as it says in 1 John1:3:

“What we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you also,
that you may have fellowship with us; and indeed our
fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."

In the future I will have an article titled, "How toPrepare Your Personal Testimony." This will help you develop your own personalwitnessing tool tailored just for you.

3. Conduct an Investigative or Seekers Bible Study. This is a non-threatening and positive way to introduce the pre-Christian to the claims of Christ. In addition to being non-threatening, it must also be participatory. This is to say that there are no "dumb" questions and no one is condemned for the positions taken. It is the Scriptures that speak and not the leader. Objections that are voiced are answered from the Scriptures, and not by one person’s opinions or interpretations. Let the Scriptures be both your source and your authority.

In my book, "The Journey Toward Christian Maturity," there is an entire chapter, complete with group study materials which can be copied, on the subject of Seeker's Bible Studies.

During these times you are privileged to plant the seed and even reap the harvest. Many times, however, one plants, another waters, and another reaps the harvest. But it is God who causes the growth and gives the increase.

There are three ways to present an evangelistic message:

1. Proclamation – A sermon given to a large group. Billy Graham crusades come to mind. A stadium or auditorium is packed with a large group, maybe even thousands.The evangelist does not know those to whom he is talking.

2. Intrusion – When the passenger next to you is safely in the seat next to you on the airplane, he or she is a captive until the plane lands. One person I know "witnessed" to another as their cars raced down the street, paralleling each other from stoplight to stoplight. While by chance some persons might receive Christ this way, the majority get a bad impression of Christians and become inoculated against the gospel. I call this "bushwhack evangelism." This is what gives Christians the image of being unloving, narrow minded, and even hateful.

Remember, the pre-Christian is not the enemy, he is the victim of the enemy.

3. Relational or Friendship Evangelism – An easy, natural method that naturally leads into follow up and discipleship. Remember, we are called to make disciples, not just converts.

There is a responsibility beyond witnessing and leading another to have faith and trust in Jesus Christ. As a spiritual parent, you are responsible for the new Christian’s growth. don’t leave new spiritual babes on the church’s doorstep unless your church has a good program for follow up and discipleship. It is your responsibility to care for them. We multiply ourselves by winning one and training one to win one.

The final thing to consider is that witnessing is spiritual warfare. Satan doesn’t like his territory challenged. He’ll leave us alone if we are not doing anything. But if we are being obedient to the Great Commission, expect a fight. Let us join together, marching in the Will of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit to give witness to the faith that sets us free. As General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army said,

“Some like to live within the sound of chapel bell—I’d rather run a rescue ship within a yard of hell!”

MENTORING

2005-03-20T12:18:00.000-08:00
Nurturing the Paul/Timothy Relationship

By John R. Bircher, M.Div.

Up to now, the one-on-one, Paul and Timothy relationship has been labeled, “discipleship.” Paul, an Apostle come lately, named Timothy his son in the Lord. The title, “Son in the Lord,” seems to indicate that Paul’s ministry was the cause of Timothy coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ. His fatherly care and concern continued through the stages of birth, establishing, equipping and releasing. Paul commissioned Timothy to do what he had done.

“The things you have heard of me in front of these witnesses,
commit to faithful men who can teach others also.”
(2 Timothy 2:2)

The term, “Disciple,” (GR. Mathetes), literally means learner and follower and appears 237 times in the Gospels and 29 times in the Book of Acts. After that, nothing! Mathetes/disciple is not mentioned in the rest of the bible. After the death of the original followers of Jesus, Christians were called: chosen, church, fellow, faithful, saint, child in the faith, brethren, beloved, and followers of the Way. Since saving grace is appropriated by faith, followers were universally called, “believers.”

When it was no longer possible to follow the physical Jesus on earth, this new brand of followers followed by faith because they were believers! For the sake of familiarity, I will continue to use the term` “Disciple,” in all of its cognates because we all know what it means. But a more accurate description of the Paul/Timothy relationship would be that of mentor and protégé.

Throughout human history the traditional method of transferring knowledge, wisdom, and skills, from one generation to another was the apprenticeship system Jesus carried on the trade of being a carpenter from Joseph. It was almost a given that the son would carry on the trade of his father. In modern times the surname or family name reflects the family trade, such as: Miller, Hunter, Collier, Farmer, Carpenter, Potter, and others. Many of the famous artists of the world originally apprenticed to a master older than they. After some years of experience, many eclipsed their master in skill and fame.

The master/apprentice relationship is similar to the more contemporary mentor/protégé relationship. Mentoring can have a structured content that the protégé must learn, or it can be a simple, “Followship” such as existed from bible days. Since mentors are individuals, their methods may vary. A very broad application is that the mentor guides his protégé closer to Christlikeness. In a former newsletter, we discussed what the disciple maker imparts to the disciple. To condense that list, the disciple-maker/mentor imparts the following:

FAITH – The reality of God and the veracity of Scripture is of prime importance.

“He that comes to God must believe that He is and is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6).

We build faith by a steady intake of God’s word.

CHARACTER – The disciple’s goal is to become more like Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit reveals the character of Christ. Allowing the Spirit to grow this fruit in you is the only way to receive it.

KNOWLEDGE – In addition to the Scriptures, a disciple will want to research historical and topical issues by reading a number of books available. Taking sermon notes and notes on what the mentor says and does helps build knowledge.

SKILL – Using the scriptural “With Him” principle (Acts 4:13, also Mark 3:14 ), we allow our disciple to see how ministry is done and by involving him or her in the ministry.

ENABLEMENT - There comes a time when the disciple is released for ministry. Unlike learning to swim where you just jump in, the mentor helps the disciple ease into ministry with guidance and encouragement. Consider what Exodus 18:20 says:

“Teach them the statutes and laws and show them the way that
they must walk and the work they must do.”

A mentor should be a person of mature faith who has “been there,” for how can one guide unless they know the way? A mentor should have a Christian testimony that is above reproach, and one of being a soul-winner. Perhaps the most important characteristic is availability. A mentor must have time to be available to his protégé.

There are two extremes to this: 1) A mentor that is so rigid that mentoring is limited to a certain specific time to meet—like every Friday afternoon at three O’clock without fail. 2) The other extreme is the protégé who calls his mentor at three O’clock in the morning for some trivial purpose. It is up to the mentor to set ground rules at the very beginning. If either of these two situations describe you—take it to the throne of grace, repent, receive mercy, and move on.

Most people like to be applauded, looked up to, and loved. Many mentors are no different. A mentor should resist the adulation and not let it affect his relationship with his protégé. I recently read where some mentors communicate the idea that they are the vine and the protégé is the branch—leaving Jesus completely out of the dynamic. Anything sown to the flesh and not to faith will yield corruption. Protégés should resist a mentor’s agenda that is focused on his own desires rather than building up the protégé in the faith.

Recently, one person befriended another with the stated motivation of helping them out. It became an issue of control where the “would be” protégé became captive to the desires of the other. Consider 1 Peter 5:2

“Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not
under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God:
and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;”

This is followed by verse six which stressed humility on both parts:

“Humble yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that
He may exalt you at the proper time.”

Mentors should be aware that there are some would be protégés that will suck you dry. They have needs and conflicts that are unresolved and they have shown and unwillingness to resolve them. These are called “EGR’s” for “Extra Grace Required."

The main requirement to be a protégé is, hunger. Hungering for more of God—thirsting for more of His word. Like the original disciples who left their nets and nests to follow Jesus, the protégé should re-arrange his or her priorities so that God is number one.

The main requirement of a mentor, other than time, which was already mentioned, is humility. The humble servant puts others first and does not seek personal gain.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility
of mind let each of your regard one another as more important
than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal
interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

Many people would like to be mentors and seek protégés. A better method is for the protégé to seek his or her mentor. There are two reasons for this: 1) Only the serious protégé with much hunger, will seek out a mentor after much prayer and godly direction. 2) The protégé observes lives of the elders around him or her and God is able to lead them to the humble saint that can guide them higher. On the other hand, it is proper for a would be mentor to approach a potential protege after observing that they have a real heart for God. The gambit should be an offer to meet, but continuing should be the desire and imitative of the protégé.

Lastly, there is a time of releasing. Paul released Timothy to serve the churches. The mentor should release the protégé to serve. Releasing does not equal abandonment. The mentor simply changes roles. Instead of a Paul, he becomes a Barnabus, an encourager and coach. They now seek each other’s counsel as equals and share knowledge, wisdom, and advice as the situation demands.

Many streams feed the Sea of Galilee and the river Jordan flows from it. The Jordan is a viable river as it flows on to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has no outlet as the water flowing into it has nowhere to go. It is totally consumed. Likewise, Timothy’s receiving spiritual nourishment, must not allow this to be an end in itself without adopting their own “Timothy” as their child in the Lord. Pass on the wisdom you have gained to someone who is hungering and thirsting, yet a little behind you in their Journey toward Christian maturity.

Two questions to ask yourself:

1. Could I be a mentor?

2. Should I seek a mentor?

VALENTINE'S DAY

2005-02-14T05:51:00.000-08:00
A Tale of Two Hearts

by John Bircher, M.Div.

Today is Valentine’s Day. The name of the holiday comes from the names of two early Christian saints. One St. Valentine was martyred by the Emperor Claudius accused of aiding persecuted Christians. He was beheaded on February 14, 270 A.D. Another St. Valentine was a bishop of Interamna, located about 60 miles from Rome. He also was beheaded for converting a Roman family to Christianity.

These saints had nothing to do with what we celebrate as Valentine’s day, but only that the day of the first saint Valentine’s untimely end corresponded with the Roman festival of Lupercalia, a pagan festival where young men and young women chose partners for the festival by drawing names out of a box. It is said that they enjoyed each others company long after the festival was over beginning an engagement often leading to marriage. The Valentine’s merely lent their name to a celebration of love and affection.

In England, eligible young people would write their names on a slip of paper, then they would take turns drawing these names out of a pot. A couple of centuries later, they would write the names on heart shaped pieces of paper, then the young man would pin it to his coat sleeve. This was the origin of the expression, “Wearing your heart on your sleeve.”

Most valentine celebrations consist of romantic pairings in anticipation of choosing a mate. One of the earliest legends was that birds pair off and mate on February 14. One of the surest signs that it is Valentine’s day is the proliferation of red heart shaped boxes of candy as well as red heart shaped greeting cards imploring the recipient to “Be My Valentine.”

The heart has emerged as the universal symbol for this special day because the heart is the central essence of a person. When you win a persons heart, you’ve won all. You might say, “The heart is where it’s at!” A former acquaintance of mine stated that the heart is just a pump, an organ in our body, how then can it be something else? He claimed that it wasn’t our brain, mind, or soul. He asked why do we always speak of believing in our heart, experiencing heartache, experiencing heart felt emotion, etc? The answer is the heart is central and essential. Without the heart you physically cease to exist. Physiologically the heart is an organ, and an important one at that. However, the metaphor heart has come to mean much more.

This metaphor is to indicate the essential essence, the centrality and the primary source of our lives. Webster calls it, “One’s innermost character, feelings or inclinations.” We speak of the “heart of town,” the “heart of the matter,” and when a young man seeks a young ladies affection, he seeks to “win her heart.” This brings me to the heart of this essay: The difference between the heart of God and the heart of man.

Most of us would agree that the heart of God is good (all the time). However, the fact that the heart of man is wicked is questioned by many. There’s a reason for that point of view. The Bible says:

"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

As much as we would like to think mankind is getting better and better, just the opposite is true. Man’s heart has not changed. Today’s newspapers scream the sad tale of man’s depravity. Racial unrest, wars, unsafe schools, family unfaithfulness and abuse, a proliferation of drugs, cheating and deceit among people in high places, pedophilia and pornography, murder, rape, incest, abortion and even talk of euthanasia, are all evidences of man’s brutality and depravity.

Deception begins with what the heart thinks about the heart. We think we know the truth nd the way of righteousness in our mind, but the mind can be deceived as we follow the desires of our heart. Deception is deceptive because you don’t know it. Your heart is your own false prophet, when you follow it, it leads to destruction.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the
way of death" Proverbs 14:12

The heart of the problem is a problem with the heart!

After an incomplete, bogus or halfway salvation, (more than likely not a born again experience at all), the heart convinces you that we’re OK and we stop growing, we stop seeking God, we begin seeking after our own lusts. The result is shipwreck and apostasy. How bad can it get? Read what Galatians says of the man who walks in the flesh following after his own heart.

"Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality,
impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy,
outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn
you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal 5:19-21

Read today’s newspaper and you will find this list verified!

On the other hand, what is the heart of God like? The very next verses in Galatians refer to the Fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the character of God in Christ. It is also the evidence of character He desires for us. God is love and all of the fruit of the Spirit relates to His love. I saw a plaque in a church which amplifies Galatains 5:22, 23:

The Fruit of the Spirit is Love
Joy is Love’s Strength
Peace is Love’s Security
Longsuffering is Love’s Patience
Gentleness is Love’s Conduct
Goodness is Love’s Character
Faith is Love’s Confidence
Meekness is Love’s Humility
Temperance is Love’s Victory

AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

LOVE, Agape means Godlike love. This is the love that Christians should have for one another. This is the love that Jesus has for us. This is love with no requirement to love back.

JOY, This is Jesus’ joy in us. Its the joy we have knowing that in the end, we win! It is a lot like Hope, our confidence in Christ.

PEACE, The condition of calm assurance knowing that we are secure in our relationship with God. We have peace with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

PATIENCE, Longsuffering and enduring — a steadfastness gained from knowing we are on the side that will ultimately prevail.

GOODNESS, Means both being good and doing good. This can only happen when the power of the Holy Spirit is working in us.

KINDNESS, A condition of seeing the needs of others and putting these needs above our own selfish desires as a way to express affection..

FAITHFULNESS, A trait that allows us to trust Christ for who He is and a knowing that what He has promised will come to pass.

GENTLENESS, Meekness that is not weakness. It is an even tempered disposition that reaches out to console, help, and empathize.

SELF CONTROL, Often called discipline or temperance. It is the ordering of self under the power of the Holy Spirit to permit our lives to evidence Christlikeness.

The Bible verse that reveals the heart and motivation of God is the well known John 3:16 and 17

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.
“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the
world, but that the world might be saved through Him."
John 3:16-17

This is what God wants for us: Life eternal, Life Abundant, and a life given over to loving one another. 1 John 4:7 says, “Beloved (that’s us), let us love one another…” But if a man professes to love God and does not, cannot, will not love his neighbor, how real is his love for God. What man needs is desperate surgery, a heart transplant In Ezekiel the remedy is a new heart – a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone.

"And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit
within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their
flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in
My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then
they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” Ezek 11:19-20

David cried out to God saying:

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast
spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence,
And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the
joy of Thy salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then
I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be
converted to Thee.” Ps 51:10-13

Salvation must begin with a change of heart. You must desire a change – seek a change. Apply the truth of Scripture to your life and the Holy Spirit will revive, regenerate and restore the repentant heart and you will experience both a change in desire and direction. You will be a son and a follower of God. Having believed, you’ve received after John 1:12

God’s valentine (which is red, the color of blood), to you says, “Jesus loves You!”

This Valentine’s Day, send a valentine to Jesus that says, “I Love You,” then don’t forget to send a copy to all those you come in contact with. Will you do this?

The Disciplines of Discipleship

2005-01-27T16:55:00.000-08:00
By John Bircher, M.Div.

The word, “Disciple” sounds and looks a lot like the word, “Discipline.” To be a disciple requires regular discipline, and without discipline, one cannot be a disciple. In the Gospels, the men Jesus called left everything to follow Him. They left their boats, the left their jobs, they left their friends, they gave up their security to become disciples of Jesus. This was an extremely risky move. It showed total faith and reliance in Jesus as they cut their ties to their former lives.

The life of a disciple, one who is following, learning, reproducing, is a life surrendered to Jesus Christ and committed to becoming like Him. A study of the Scriptures reveal what Jesus did, that we as disciples should imitate.

FIRST He prayed – Sometimes He prayed all night.

SECOND He fellowshipped with others whom He trained.

THIRD He witnessed as He went about doing good.

FOURTH He went to church.
It seems that Jesus’ favorite words were, “Repent!” “Fear not! “Follow Me!” That’s the Gospel in five-words.

There is no such thing as a disciple who is not active in a local church. It is in the context of the local church that much discipleship occurs in the form of teaching, encouraging, and mentoring. You don’t have to be Jedi Knight to be a Great Commission Christian, but, as disciples, we must be people of the book reading, studying, and memorizing, and meditating on the Word of God. We must pray and communicate with God about our needs, and the needs of others. I can’t emphasize how important it is for the disciple to be in fellowship with others for training and encouragement. The disciple will want to learn how to share the love of Jesus and seek opportunities to do so. Lastly, the disciple’s lifestyle will give evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, the character of Christ. In light of what I have said, let me warn you ahead of time that you can get into a form of legalism based on performance. When you feel that you have to do this---and you have to do that, to be a Christian, then you are falling into the performance trap. Salvation is by faith alone. The disciplines of discipleship do not add to or subtract from your salvation. The reason I’m presenting these disciplines of discipleship is not for you to become a Christian, but that you may be able to grow in Christlikeness, and that, because you want to!

Let’s recap what the disciplemaker imparts to the disciple. Here are several principles to guide you:

· The assurance of salvation (1 John 5:11-12) and having confidence in Christ.

· The assurance of answered prayer (John 16:24). Be convinced that God hears, understands, and responds to the prayers of His people. Not necessarily as we desire, but as He wills to cause all things to work together for good.

· The assurance of victory (1 Corinthians 10:13). You are not alone. Others have faced the same temptations, but God provides the way of escape.

· The assurance of forgiveness (1John 1:9). Forgiveness sought is forgiveness received.

· The assurance of guidance (Proverbs3:5-6). Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.

· The authority of God’s Word and the five-pronged approach to it. Hearing the Word, (presched or shared). reading the Word, studying the Word, memorizing the Word and meditating on the Word.

· The communion of prayer. Touching God and letting Him touch you. praying to worship and praise. Praying to confess. Praying to ask good things of God for yourself. Standing in the gap praying for the needs of others, and praying to thank God for the answers to prayer.

· The involvement with others in the Body of Christ (for edification, encouragement, and instruction—and sometimes rebuke). As you make new friends among fellow believers,you will want to maintain pre-Christian friends outside the church with whom to share your relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior.

· Introduction of the disciple to the spiritual life (including the Baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit, walking in the miraculous and the prophetic).

· The equipping of the disciple (for sharing the faith, for spiritual warfare, and for personal ministry).

· Helping the disciple to continue to grow in Christ likeness, exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit and catching the vision for service for the cause of Christ.

Considering all this, what should be the disciple’s response:

· The disciple should place him or herself under discipling with joy, knowing that this relationship will sharpen their spiritual effectiveness. Just as iron sharpens iron, so does one man or woman sharpen another.

· The disciples should diligently apply themselves to the Word of God.

· They should make “Quiet Time” with its time of prayer, journalizing, a matter of daily habit. Just as an apple a day keeps the doctor away, a quiet time a day based on the Bible keeps the devil away.

· The disciple should be active in the fellowship of their church.

· They should be ready, willing, and able to begin ministering to the needs of others.

We must count the cost. Some disciples have not counted the cost, were not fully committed and ended up burnt out and shipwrecked in the faith. Others have counted the cost, but because of their own life circumstances they were not yet ready to make such an investment. This does not mean that they are out of the picture and they cannot resume their pursuit of discipleship after they have re-ordered their priorities. Jesus calls us to a life of commitment telling us to:

“…take up your cross daily and follow Me.”
Billy Graham is quoted as saying, “Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you everything."

Are you making disciples? That is what the Great Commission and what God has plainly told you to do.

Where is your disciple? Dawson Trotmann, the founder of the Navigators, an international discipleship ministry, would ask those assembled in a seminar, “Where is your man or woman?” “Are they walking with Christ?” “Are they growing in Christ likeness?” “Do you know?” “Where are they?” These are thoughts for each of us to ponder as we evaluate our efforts to carry out Christ’s Great Commission.

The Definitions of Discipleship

2005-01-24T08:11:00.000-08:00
By John Bircher, M.Div.

In week three we emphasized that Acts 1:8 directs us to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, in all Samaria, even to the uttermost parts of the earth. Some are called to be missionaries to the “Uttermost.” God bless them and their mission. The Christian church needs them and we need to support them. But we are also called to be witnesses to our Jerusalem’s, our Judea’s, and our Samaria’s.

It has been said that “Jerusalem” indicates people like us and close by. It would be people living nearby in our own town or township. “Judea” indicates people like us but not close by. These are people that live in other parts of the state or country. “Samaria” indicates people not like us but nearby, even living among us. America being the melting pot of nations has peoples of different races, cultures, and religions living in close proximity to us. Lastly, “The Uttermost” relates to people not like us and far away. These are those who live in Zimbabwe, Nepal, and Uzbekistan, to name a few.

But, in our case, as we are going through life, as we are going about our daily business, make disciples! When we are doing that, we are Great Commission Christians.

Next, I’d like to ask you what does it mean to make disciples? A simple, perhaps, simplistic, definition of “Disciple” is one who makes disciples! One word I like that describes the process of disciple making is “Investing.” It is the investing of your life into the life of another so that your life can be reproduced in the life of the disciple just as Christ’s life has been reproduced in you. As was mentioned in a previous issue, the three marks of a disciple: He or she is a learner, a follower, and most important, a reproducer. Making disciples in the investing of yourself into the life of another so that your disciple’s life, character, lifestyle, desires and actions, would be indistinguishable from your own. In this sense, the disciple is a follower of his mentor. He follows, that is, he physically follows his mentor wherever he goes. He is also a learner. He wants to learn everything his mentor can teach him. But, most importantly, the disciple is a reproducer. It is incumbent upon the disciple to invest himself in the life of another and in this way the cycle begins all over again.

Since central to the fulfillment of the Great Commission is the making of disciples—how do you make one?

It is not enough to win people for Jesus. The life and character of Christ must be planted, tended, nurtured, and grown in the life of the new believer. To continue this process, the disciple must be taught and equipped to win and train others. It is God’s desire and plan that we all grow and mature to be like Jesus. I especially like to quote Ephesians 4:15 which reveals God’s desire for us:

“But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into
Him who is the head, even Christ.”

Growing into the likeness of Christ is the process of discipleship. There is a four-fold discipleship cycle described in the following way:

EVANGELISM this ministry produces converts out of the world.

ESTABLISHMENT the product of this ministry is committed disciples.

EQUIPPING this ministry produces laborers ready for work in
the harvest.

ENABLING trained laborers become missionaries
commissioned and sent into the world.

Paul commended Timothy to be a disciplemaker as recorded in 2 Timothy 2:2.

“And the things which you have heard from me, in the presence
of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able
to teach others also.”

Below is an illustration of what I mean:

“Early in the 1800’s, Edward Kimball had a burden to reach every youth in his Sunday School Class. One of these young men was a shoe salesman named, Dwight L. Moody. Later D. L. Moody preached at a crusade and two Sunday School teachers were filled with the Holy Spirit, much to the irritation of their pastor, F.B. Meyer. Later, Meyer, because of their continued witness, also had a Holy Spirit encounter and inspired the Bible teaching ministry of a young preacher named Wilbur Chapman. Chapman preached at evangelistic crusades and won a young major league baseball player named Billy Sunday. Sunday preached all over the United States. One crusade in Charlotte, North Carolina birthed a prayer group that prayed for many years for a revival. Ultimately, they sponsored a city-wide crusade and invited the cowboy evangelist, Mordecai Ham, to speak. During one meeting some teen-agers were reached for Christ—among these was a tall lanky young man named Billy Graham. The total numbers reached during that century that can be traced back to Edward Kimball can be known only in heaven.”

(This quote is not original but is from an unknown source.)

This ministry of making disciples will last forever as you invest in individuals—who will in turn reach others—who will reach others, etc. You can start an endless chain today! Imagine, looking back form 100-years in the future to see the results of your disciple making. Now that is an exciting prospect.

As Paul had his Timothy, and Timothy had his Paul, we should have our spiritual eyes open to find the disciple in whom we can invest. The most important ministry you can engage in is to establish your disciple in the faith and equip him or her to teach others to do the same. Realize that when you are the mentor to one, you should also be the disciple of another and under spiritual authority. Authority in this sense is never imposed from above, but rather, it is yielded from below.

Disciples are people who act like Christ, who are willing to train to be like Him, who practice the disciplines of prayer, solitude, worship, Bible reading and study, Scripture memory and Scripture meditation, community and personal ministry. They are life-long lovers and learners of Christ. You can decide today to do likewise and be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

WHATZADISCIPLE?

2005-01-10T09:32:00.000-08:00
How To Be a Great Commission Christian

By John Bircher, M.Div.

In the last few weeks we have examined the Great Commission and it's call on the Christian's life. Now let's look at discipleship, particularly what it means to be a disciple, how to become a disciple, and the responsibilities of discipleship.

We are going to see how Jesus and His disciples interacted and lived out the purposes or their lives. The bible spells out these purposes for our lives with an eye toward how we an also do it. As we go through this we need to be keeping our own spiritual scorecards to see how we measure up to the commands of Christ.

I have always been fascinated with Christ's Great Commission to us, His church. It has fascinated me because I see so few churches actually carrying it out! Among some the Great Commission generates about as much interest as the three million dollar lottery. The one that pays three bucks a year for the next million years. It's hard to get enthusiastic about something that far down the road. Let's be honest, most of us think that the Great Commission is something important that someone else should do. We tend to have a lop-sided view of the Great Commission. We want to put emphasis on one thing and sacrifice the rest. The Great Commission is not an "either, or" situation, but it is a "both, and" commandment. We are to obey it all.

The Body of Christ is indebted to Pastor Rick Warren for his book, "The Purpose Driven Church,". In this work, Warren cites the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, which says:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. All of the law and the prophets hang on these two Commandments." Matthew 22:37-40

Likewise, the Great Commission says:

"Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20

Warren says these are the church's reasons and purposes for being. These are also the purposes for the individual disciple. Warren said that in heaven you cannot witness for all there are there because they have been saved. Likewise, in heaven you cannot sin for sin and sinners have no place in heaven. These two activities can only be done on earth. Guess which one your heavenly Father desires of you on earth? When we are born again, in that moment we are no more saved than we will ever be saved. We cannot earn any more points with God. Why then does the Almighty have us hang around? Why not yank us up to heaven immediately so we can start enjoying the bliss of heaven right now? We could be in His presence-- walk on the streets of gold-- partake of the tree of life--sing in the heavenly choir--drink from the fountain of life. Why wouldn't He want that? Maybe He has something for us to do. Maybe it has something to do with this Great Commission Thing. This is our purpose for being after all.

When Jesus gave His disciples the Great Commission, He was asking them to do three things related to discipleship and how a Christian should operate in this world. These three things, based on scripture, are: 1) Go and make disciples, 2) Baptize them, and, 3) teach them to observe all that He had commanded them. Every church and every disciple is evaluated by how well they carry out these purposes.

Jesus gave the Great Commandment in response to a question. One day Jesus was asked to identify the most important commandment. He responded by saying, "Here is the entire Old Testament in a nutshell. All the law and all the prophets can be condensed into two tasks: 1) love God with all your heart, and, 2) love your neighbor as yourself."

Warren says these five purposes outline what we are to do. Loving God equals worship. Loving our neighbors equals ministry. Going and making disciples equals evangelism. Baptism equals fellowship. And teaching them to observe equals discipleship.

We are to tell the world of Christ's coming, His death on the cross, His resurrection, and His promise to return. Someday, each of us will give an account to God regarding how seriously we took this responsibility. Evangelism is more than our responsibility, it is our great privilege. We are invited to be a part of bringing people into God's eternal family. The disciples in the Gospels gave up everything to follow Jesus. I don't know of a more significant cause to give one's life for. As long as there is a person in this world who does not know Christ, the church has a mandate to keep growing and going. Growth is not optional, Jesus commands it! We should not seek church growth for our own benefit but because God wants people saved.

There is a church in Florida that I inquired about last summer when we were down there, that boasted in their advertising to be both "Full-Gospel" and striving to fulfill Christ's Great Commission. So I called the contact number that turned out to be the pastor's kitchen, and I asked about the church. Their office was a small storeroom in a less than main drag shopping center with more vacancies than shops. I was surprised when the pastor said they met right there. "But how many do you have," I asked. He said, "About 20." I said, "Are you a brand new church?...How many years have you been there?" Without flinching, he said, "Eleven years."

Eleven years and they had 20 members. I had visions of the withered fig tree that Jesus cursed for lack of fruit. There is nothing wrong with being small, but a church should not remain static, but should show growth. There used to be a TV commercial that asked, "Where's the beef?" The church should be asking, "Where's the fruit?" Consider John 15:8:

"By this is my Father Glorified, that you bear much fruit and prove to be disciples of mine."

As a church we are called not only to reach people, but to teach them. After someone has made a decision for Christ, he or she must be discipled so that they might be established in the faith. It is the church's responsibility to develop people to spiritual maturity. This is God's will for every believer.

However, the church at large has spent the last 200-years teaching people without teaching them to obey! We have classes for this, and classes for that-and people are running around helter-skelter with notebooks tucked under their arms. God does not care how much you know. He cares that you are obedient to what you do know.

If you examine the earthly ministry of Jesus, it is apparent that He included all five of these elements in His work. What is a disciple? They were friends, followers, and learners of Christ. They disciples were taught by Christ and went out and taught themselves and each other, they fellowshipped together, they worshipped, they ministered and they evangelized. Today, the purposes are unchanged. We exist to carry out the five-purposes. Do this and you are a Great Commission Christian.

THE OPEN DOOR

2004-12-30T09:33:00.000-08:00
By John R. Bircher, M.Div.

"Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut..." Rev 3:8

There are four kinds of doors. Locked; unlocked, but closed; ajar; and open. You don't have to look for the open door. God will set it before us. Many Christians wander around in the hallway of life looking for the open door, when it is God who opens the door that no man can close, and He sets it before us. The time in the hallway is a time of confusion, fear, and failure. I've heard the comment from some who have said, "The hallway is hell!" lots of Christians try to be lockpickers and open a door that God has locked. The motivation for doing this is the pursuit of our own desires, and many times it is a noble desire, but it is not God's will for us. Jesus said, "Never the less, not my will but thine." We forget that God also closes doors that no man can open.

Sometimes we try the door that is closed but not locked. We jiggle the doorknob to see if it opens up for us. Doing this, you kind of take your chance.

I am reminded of a fable where a lowly gardener and a beautiful princess fell in love. They had opportunities to see each other from a distance, but never had the opportunity to even talk to one another. One day when the gardener was working tending the flowers directly under the princess' window, she looked down and said, "I love you!" He looked up and said, "I love you."

At that moment the king walked in and heard what the young gardener said and had him arrested for his impudence. As he was being carrried away, the princess whispered, "Trust me." Now the king was a just king, at least he thought he was. He has an ampitheatre built and it had two doors. Behind one was a beautiful maiden, if the malfeasant chose that door, he would immediately marry the beautiful maiden and be promoted to a position of prominence in the kingdom. But if he whose the other door, a hungry tiger would leap out and tear him to pieces in minutes.

The king thought this was very fair. Let fate determine guilt or innocence. He also smiled because this solved the problem with his daughter the princess. If the gardener chose the maiden, he would immediately be married and be out of the picture. If he chose the tiger, he would also be out of the picture!

The night before the event, the princess agonized over the choices: if her true love chose the maiden, could she stand to see him in the castle in a position of prominence with the young beauty? On the other hand, could she stand to witness the tiger mauling and devouring the young man. She thought of the blood, the screams, the terrible scene. Finally she realized what she would do and went to sleep.

The next day, with all the people in the kingdom in attendance, the young gardener marched in, and as was the custom he went confidently to the king, and bowed. On looking up she caught an inperceptible gesture by the princess with her right hand. Seeing this, he marched confidently to the right hand door and opened it.

Opening God's closed door is a shot in the dark. But we can open it. This is God's permissive will - it is not His best, but He permits it. We sometimes settle for less because we don't recognize the open door or are not patient enough to wait on God. A lot of our problems are caused by running ahead of God's plan for us.

But there is another reason and perhaps this is the most important of all!.

The Church of Philadelphia was given an open door for spreading the Gospel, yet today, Turkey, the land where the church was located, is 99 per cent Muslim. How can this happen if God had given them an open door? The answer is simple - they didn't go through it!

To find God's open door for our lives we must seek God and not the door. With a heart focused on God, He will set it before us. Be patient - "Wait upon the Lord and renew your strength..."

While you are waiting, you can REFLECT on how God has led and blessed us in the past. We have a history with God and He has been faithful. He is not an unknown quantity. Reflecting helps us build faith.

As we wait on the Lord, He will RENEW us. He will not leave us in the dumps - He will cleanse us and make all things new.

He will RECHARGE us so we have new enthusiasm, new energy, a new anointing. When our car battery runs down, it needs recharged. So do we, and God does it.

When God places a door before us we must view it with faith, confidence, and courage. Faith knowing that it was God who set the door before us. Confidence knowing that what God prepares for us is good. Courage knowing that God has not only empowers us with what we need, He sends the Holy Spirit to walk with us through the door. He will never leave us orforsake us.

Lastly, we must RESPOND. God will place the open door before us - He can renew us - He will recharge us. But it is our solem duty to respond. How else could we respond to God? We must go through the door.

Psalms 118:19-21 sums up this beautifully:

"Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks toThee, for Thou hast answered me; And Thou hast become my salvation."

On this eve of a new year, a new day, a new opportunity, God has set before each one of us His open door. When you find it, will you enter in?

The Great Commission - Part Three

2004-12-23T08:44:00.000-08:00
By John Bircher, M. Div.

It is with tongue in cheek that I call this the third of a two-part series but, the pages ran out before the material ran out. Taking a close look at the Book of John account and the Book of Acts account of the Great Commission is more important than the number of weeks devoted to this series. The Acts version of the Great Commission is as follows:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth." Acts 1:8

While last week we talked about preaching, this week we are going to delve into what is witnessing. Witnessing is different than preaching as it involves what you personally have experienced. Your personal testimony is an example of witnessing. The word for witness in Greek is, "Marturo," from which we get the word "Martyr." Hardly an appealing synonym.

The thing to remember about being a witness is that you are not a lawyer, pressing forward the prosecution's case to convict. The Holy Spirit is the one who convicts. As a witness we are not to play the role of judge. God alone is the judge. We get in trouble and our witness is ineffective when we try to be the judge, the prosecutor, and the jury.

A biblical example of a witness is the testimony of the blind man given sight by Jesus as recorded in John 9:25:

"Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

As a witness he told what he knew out of his own experience. As witnesses, that is what we should do.

The second issue this passage brings up is the necessity of the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. There are many views on what this means. One group calls it a "Second work of grace." Pentecostals call it the "Baptism in the Holy Spirit." Still others refer to it as a continual filling or sanctification. To keep it simple and walk the middle ground, I categorize the Spirit coming upon you with an enduement of power is the result of being close to and obedient to the words of Jesus. God is ever ready to answer our prayers. He who asks, receives. To receive this Holy Spirit power, you must ask. In James 4:8 God is saying if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. Power comes as a result of this close association.

What kind of power are we talking about? A power to witness is referred to in the verse. Also the power to pray effectively (See James 5:13-16), interceding for others. Lastly is the power to live the successful Christian life. Applying yourself to the daily disciplines of the disciple (which we will cover at length in a future post of THE ACTIVE DISCIPLE), which are Spirit ordered. A disciple giving evidence of a Christian walk is also giving evidence of the Holy Spirit empowering him or her.

Lastly, according to Acts 1:8, the church has a sphere of operations which are our Jerusalem's, our Judea's, our Samaria's, and even the remotest, or the uttermost part of the world. Have you asked God where He wants to place you?

What do these spheres represent to the modern day disciple?

Jerusalem has been described as people nearby and like us. These are people in your own town, in your own neighborhood, and in your own sphere of influence. These include the non-Christian in your midst.

Judea is those people like us but not nearby. An example may be Christians and non-christians living in a distant city. You might even meet them at a seminar or a praise gathering, or in your work or business, at another location.

Samaria contains those people who may be nearby but unlike us. Our country is a melting pot of different cultures and religions. Here in Cincinnati, we have an Islamic mosque, a Hindu temple and a variety of other religions and pseudo Christian cults. They are all around you. The mission field is here!

The remotest or uttermost parts of the world are people unlike us and not nearby. An example would be mission outposts like Zimbabwe, Nepal, Uzbekistan, and other distant and strange places and cultures.

As you can see, Acts 1:8 covers the earth. You are to share your witness with all peoples in all places. You can do this today, starting in your Jerusalem.

Now let's turn to John's version which is called the "Resurrection Commission." It was given by Jesus after His resurrection and immediately preceding His ascension.

"Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." John 20:21

This verse is notable in that it uses two different Greek verbs for "sent." The first, the perfect tense of the verb "apostello," which indicates Jesus was sent by the Father with a mission. The perfect tense indicates it is the present state of a past action. The second verb is "pempo," which is in the present tense and indicates that it is a beginning now and continuing happening. It also indicates that the disciples were sent by Jesus with His authority. Jesus was sent on a mission for which He was able and equipped to do. We are sent on a mission for which the authority and ability are supplied by Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

This commission, given to ten of the disciples (Thomas being absent), was meant for all of them. This implies it is also meant for us. It is meant for today. It is meant for you. Jesus has sent you, and Jesus has given you all the tools you need. Start Now!

In review, the Great Commission, which is stated in all gospels, and the book of Acts, is the marching order for the church. The hymn, "Onward Christian Soldiers," has as its first word, "Onward." this is our motivation and direction; this is our command and this is what we will do. Be aware that we are to start today and "preach" the gospel as witnesses to what we know and have experienced. Also realize, "preach," means a variety of actions centering on relating the Good News to those near and far who are desperate to hear it

The Great Commission - Part Two

2004-12-13T13:18:00.000-08:00
By John Bircher, M.Div.

In our last post we discussed the familiar Matthew version of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). We discovered the word “go” in Greek is actually a participle and means simply and profoundly whenever and wherever, start making disciples. In fact, go means start. This is called the "Discipleship Commission."

Now, let’s look at the Great Commission as reported in the Gospel of Mark:

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” Mark 16:15

This has been called the "Worldwide Preaching" Commission. Notable is that the word, “preach,’ is a translation of the Greek word, “Kerusso.” in addition to “Preach” this word also means, to publish, proclaim as a herald, to announce openly and publicly, to noise abroad, to announce, and inculcate.

In bible days, the recently converted Christians would gather in a home, a forest, a graveyard or a cave to hear more about this Jesus who died to save and the way of life He demanded. A teacher, who may have been an itinerant, would share, proclaim and preach the gospel. The closest to what we have come to know as “Preaching,” was the ministry of marketplace evangelists who were a lot like present day “street preachers.”

Our idea of what the word preach means is skewed by the “Hellenization” of the scripture. What is meant here is the “Greeking” of the church. This was largely brought on by the influence of Marcion, an early church figure, who concluded since the Jews were responsible for the death of Christ, nothing should remain of Jewish form or custom in the Christian Church.

In the Second Century as the church became more and more under Greek influence, the Greek arts of reason, rhetoric, and oratory, invaded the young church. One early church father, John Chrysostom (John the golden mouth), is considered the father of oratorical preaching. For good or for bad, this became the norm or model for doing church even up to the present time.

This is not to disparage pulpit preaching for this is what 99% of churches and clergy do, and it represents church as we know it. The original meaning of ”Preach,” had a much broader meaning than it does today. The preachers, pastors, or ministers are not alone in this commission to preach the gospel to all the world. As Great Commission Christians, we have the joy and responsibility to testify, announce, herald, share, and proclaim the good news to all as we go along life’s highway.

In the Mark Passage, “Kerusso,” is the imperative, therefore it is not a suggestion. It is a command of the Lord Jesus Christ! This newsletter is a form of “Kerusso,” publishing edification, encouragement and equipping, to fellow believers, which becomes a written type of preaching.

Now let’s look to the Luke passage.

“And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Luke 24:47

In the Luke passage, Jesus adds, two new dimensions. The first: “Beginning in Jerusalem." And the second: "Proclaim the gospel of repentance and remission of sin." The Luke version is aptly called the "Forgiveness Message." This means start where you are! I once saw a button worn by someone and it said, “Bloom where you’re planted.” You won’t be successful in an “Uttermost” ministry until you have been faithful in your “Jerusalem.”

We cannot weasel out from under the command of Christ — it is the responsibility, privilege, duty and joy of all Christians to herald the coming of the King and His Kingdom.

The message of the proclamation is the gospel of repentance for remission of sin. This is the Good News. God said, He did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world. (see John 3:17) Paul added in Romans 8:1 that there is therefore now no condemnation for all who are in Christ Jesus.

People are fearful that we wish to impose a strict puritanical adherence to rules and form. This is not the case and we need our “preaching” directed toward dispelling this misconception. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sin. He died not only for the righteous but for the unrighteous. It is not our job to be “fruit inspectors,” enforcing what we consider important. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. He will gently start a remodeling job in all of us enabling us to grow to maturity in Christ.

Billy Graham, perhaps the greatest evangelist the world has ever known, ends his crusade sermons with the hymn, “Just As I Am.” That’s Good News! God is a God who is ever ready to forgive. Forgiveness for repentance. This for that. You repent, God forgives.

Repentance is not just feeling sorry, which is remorse. Many times we are simply sorry we got caught. Repentance is not penance, an attempt to pay for our sin. Early bible translators mis-translated repentance as penance. This has caused a lot of confusion over the years. Repentance is not just pledging to do better, which is reformation. No, repentance is recognizing your sin; hating your sin; turning away from it and turning toward Christ for forgiveness. Guilt is gone—peace with God is yours. This is Good News.

The application of this commission is to realize that preaching takes several forms. Second, the Christian message is to go into all the world, starting with us, where we are. This is the message of reconciliation, restoring a relationship with God that was broken by sin. Lastly, that it is a message of repentance for forgiveness of sin. It’s not what we do—it’s what He did to save us. Apply these three truths and you are on your way to living the Great Commission lifestyle.

My challenge to you is this. Prayerfully pick someone and share this message with them and ask what is their response or reaction to it. It may open up a door to share "Good News!"

The Great Commission - Part One

2004-12-02T13:25:00.000-08:00
First of a two-part series

By John Bircher, M.Div.

Since this is the first issue of this online newsletter, we will cover the basic commission that our Lord Jesus Christ gave to His church just before He returned to heaven. We call this the Great Commission because it is the marching orders for His church, and contains the blueprint for winning the world. There are many scriptures that refer to the Great Commission. Perhaps the best known is Matthew 28:19-20.

“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 taught you, and Lo, I am with you, even to the end of the age.”

The first word you notice is “go." In the Greek this word is a participle and should be translated, “going.” Since the phrase, “Going, therefore, make disciples,” doesn’t flow well in English, we can re-phrase it to read, “Therefore, while going, make disciples.” Adding the word, “while” makes it simpler to read and understand.

Making disciples is the imperative. It is the command. It means whatever you’re doing; wherever you’re going, make disciples!

In our generation we have placed the greater emphasis on the word “go” than the commission to make disciples. It is a wonderful calling to be a missionary to a foreign land, but that isn’t the thrust of the command. In this case, “go” doesn’t mean you have to travel someplace, it means “start!” Let me illustrate. Fill in the blanks: “One, two, three, ____!” Or, “Get ready, get set, ____!” The missing word is “Go.” Imagine you are at a stoplight. The light turns from red to green. What do you do? Go means “Start.” Today, whatever you’re doing, start making disciples.

Many are confused about what it means to make disciples. Making converts is not making disciples. Making converts is the first stage of making disciples, but it is not the end. We have been so busy involved in various campaigns to save the lost that we really forget what is the full meaning of discipleship. Discipleship is the investing of yourself in the life of another so that the Jesus Life in you can be grown and matured in the disciple.

A disciple is a learner, a follower, and a reproducer. A disciple reproduces himself in the life of another. We must reproduce mature saints, not just collect converts. In India, teachers, or gurus, have disciples that follow them around, eat what they eat, and listen intently to every word the guru says in the hope that the disciple can put it into practice and become just like his teacher.

Our teacher is the Holy Spirit. We must learn of Jesus, and follow Him so that we can become like Him. God’s greatest desire for us that we become conformed to the image of his Son, Jesus.
The Great Commission also commands us to, “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” It is interesting to note that we are not commanded to gain or impart knowledge, but to “observe” what we learn. In other words, God is not interested in what we know, only that we are obedient to what we do know. This is not about knowledge, it is about obedience!

We have become a generation of learners (not necessarily followers or reproducers). I see earnest individuals attending classes, seminars, and meetings complete with workbooks, and textbooks. We buy all the tapes, videos, and related information sources we can lay out hands on. But God simply says to do what you know to do! Where is His will spelled out? In His word and we must read it and obey it.

Some of us may skip over the baptizing part thinking that that is the exclusive job of the pastor, minister, or priest. We usually have a formal service of baptism with the clergy in charge. I personally maintain that it is every Christian’s opportunity, but I realize that there are other points of view. An observation: if we are all called to be in obedience to the great commission,and one who serves is a minister, aren’t we all ministers? We should be.

Some view baptism as a sacrament, that is, the act specifically confers grace. Others view it as a memorial or ordinance, following Christ’s command to publicly become identified with the body of Christ. This is the viewpoint of Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Church, who relates baptism to fellowship. He says when a person is baptized, they publicly identify with a new fellowship, a group of believers. Since this group of believers has a common experience in Christ, they now have a basis for fellowshipping together.

Baptism has its roots in ancient Judaism where the priest ritually washed before entering into his priestly duties. (see Exodus 30:19-20 )Jesus was baptized by John before entering into His priestly duties. (see Matthew 3:13-17) The New Testament understanding of baptism is something that is immersed, filled, overflowing and overfilled. Where the water of regeneration goes into all parts of your spiritual being.

The application of this commission is that we are not to be slack in making disciples. We are to evangelize. We are to help new Christians become mature Christians. We are to equip disciples to become reproducers themselves. Everything we do should bring ourselves and others closer to Christlikeness. Romans 8:29 says: "For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…”

Ask Yourself, “Am I reading Scripture daily? Am I memorizing God’s Word and hiding it in my heart? Am I enthusiastic about a daily quiet time when I can converse with God? Am I reaching out to others building bridges of relationships which can be platforms for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ? Decide today that you are going to be a disciple — a learner, a follower, and a reproducer.