Month: July 2008

“For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”
(Luke 7:33-35)

I had been easing my buddy into a position of a palatable presentation of the gospel for two months. At the end of training one day, a zealous brother approached us, slammed a little New Testament on the desk and said “Read this!” Not my style and I was a little put out but asked my buddy what he thought. He replied, “I kind of needed a kick in the pants, I think I’ll start reading it.” Different is not necessarily wrong. SP316

And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”
(Luke 7:40)

When someone in authority wanted to see me, I always assumed the worst. Call me a pessimist but I don’t think I’m alone. Why is it that almost all of us respond to these words with anxiety rather than joy. Could it be that we know ourselves too well. How would we respond if we heard “God wants to talk to you.” Wouldn’t it elicit some of the same fears. In all actuality, I think it’s good thing, its a healthy sense of fear that keeps us humble, repentant, and real. I am a sinner, saved by grace! (See Isaiah 6.1-6) SP315

Read Mt 8.28-34, Mk 5.1-20, Lk 8.26-39

Jesus heals the demoniac and refuses anymore personal discipleship. He simply tells him to go share his testimony. How important is it for a disciple to have a testimony about what Jesus has done in their lives? This is Discipleship 101. What has Jesus done in your life? Can you make a list of 20, 50, maybe 100 things He has done for you? Can you communicate this in a way that others understand and can follow Jesus as a result of your testimony? Remember this young follower of Christ received virtually no training and yet he completely obeys his new Master. Share the great things Jesus has done for you and you will be well on your way to becoming a fisher of men (Mt 4.19).

For more information on how to develop a personal testimony see http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddzgs57z_104djkfggcd

Side note: Jesus tells the man to go and tell of the great things “God” has done for him (Lk 8.39 or Lord in Mk 5.19). He immediately goes out and tells people the great things “Jesus” had done for him (Mk 5.20, Lk 8.39). The Gospel writers demonstrate their understanding of the deity of Christ.

“Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
(Luke 8:39)

This is an amazing turn of events in one man’s life. He is released from the bondage of suffering and pain in a demonic state and given a new life. And Jesus only asks him to do one thing. And think about that for just one second, of all the things Jesus could have told him to do, this was the one thing He commanded. “Go home and tell others the great things I’ve done for you.” Just one thing. Are you doing this “One Thing?”

Application: In the next week tell three people about what Jesus has done for you. SP315

Read Jn 2.1-11

Jesus was not burdened by the social side of life. He was always around people. He was a man who was approachable and didn’t count the crowds as a bother. They were the people He came to rescue. They were the objects of His compassion. He saw their spiritual potential and was quick to forgive their shortcomings. He was also so engaged in their lives He was not willing to silently let them slip into Hell. He was passionate about correcting and straightening their relationship with God. I must say, for me, this is one of the most challenging aspects of being Jesus’ disciple. Crowded rooms make me nervous. I’d rather hang out with those who completely agree with me and my theological views. And I certainly do not enjoy chit chat or immature spiritual discussions. To be honest, I’m more like a Pharisee than Jesus. I’d rather set the rules for my club and unless you have the appropriate password, you’re not going to disturb my tidy little space. But as His disciple, we must be committed to stretching ourselves to becoming more “others focused” like Jesus was. I am working on the social skill set that communicates love for all kinds of people in all kinds of settings. I’m working on making relationships more about giving than receiving. Follow me as I follow Christ (1 Cor 11.1) FJ22

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools…
(Ecclesiastes 5:1)

When approaching the target a good reconnaissance begins by using the ears before the eyes. When approaching the Throne of Grace it is the same, the ears first. God puts a premium on the listener/learner. As you read or listen to the Word of God is your brain on transmit or receive? Remember, God’s not after your attendance, He’s after your heart.

Application: When you finish reading your devotions or hearing a sermon, ask yourself, “What is God trying to tell me?” Then write it down. SP313

Read Jn 1.40-51

It’s amazing to see how effective a simple invitation can be. Jesus says,”Follow Me” and they follow Him. Then brothers invite brothers and friends invite friends to come and discover who Jesus is. Pretty soon there was a crowd of folks following Jesus. The ministry of a disciplemaker in the beginning was to simply invite their family and friends to see Jesus. At Ft Benning we practice a very aggressive invitation plan; If it breaths, invite it to chapel or Bible study. Here’s what it sounds like; “Hey man, we have this great Bible study, you ought to come and check it out.” Then we hand them a business card with the time and place. Is that it? That’s it. My personal effectiveness in evangelism has never been better because I’m finding people who are interested in Jesus rather than trying to convince those who are not. Make it a habit to invite 5-10 people to Chapel or Bible study a week and see what happens. FJ21

Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16

“Sir, your uniform looks great, but you have a string hanging from that pocket.” In all my years in the Army, I have never been able to meet the standard perfectly. And I think I have demonstrated pretty clearly using the 10 commandments that we can never perfectly meet God’s standards either. For some, this may cause them to give up, “why even try,” they say. But God does require our obedience. Some may try to earn God’s forgiveness by trying harder. But try as they may, they will always come up short. The fact is we need a Savior. We need to be saved from our own wickedness and a final destination that will eternally separate from God. Jesus is that Savior! He is our only hope for both forgiveness and obedience. Repent from your sins and spiritual pride. Embrace the Christ and His way of life.

Read Jn 1.35-51

The disciples of John left him and began following Jesus. This makes perfect sense to us as we read it in the Gospels. Of course they are going to follow Jesus, He’s the Messiah right? But how do we feel when one of our own leaves us to follow another spiritual leader? Or when they pursue a different ministry or move away in search for a clearer understanding of Jesus. Do we hold them in a clenched fist or an open hand as John did? Ultimately, I have no disciples. They are all Jesus’ disciples. My attitude as a discipler is very important in this area. It is crucial that I recruit to the King and His Kingdom rather than to my own ministry. Don’t stop recruiting to your ministry, just keep an open hand and heart. Have the attitude of John the Baptist and point them to Jesus first. FJ20

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17

I looked at my MRE: tuna and noodles again! Then I looked at my assistant’s chicken chow mein, “boy, I sure would like to have his meal…” BOOM, just broke the 10th commandment of not coveting. “Would you just look at that vehicle, I’d rather have that one… POW, broke it again. “Wish I had a Special Forces Tab…” SLAM DUNK. Ladies and gentlemen, he’s down for the count! He’s broken the 10th commandment three times in one hour! Sound absurd? Not really; it happens every day. This is the commandment that the great Apostle Paul said “got him” every time. It’s the easiest of all to break and we do it all the time. Any time I look to my neighbor’s stuff with the idea that I would be more satisfied with his than mine, I have coveted.