Month: January 2009

(Part 7) – The Restoration Process: Discipleship Continued

(Part 8) – The Restoration Process: One-on-One Discipleship

(Part 9) – The Restoration Process: Tools and Techniques

(Part 15) – The Word of God: Essential but Neglected

(Part 20) – Interaction with Others: The Image is not and Island

(Part 21) – Interaction with Others: Intentional Co-Restoration

(Part 22) – Interaction with Others: An Invitation to Restoration

(Part 23) – Interaction with Others: Restoration begins with Explanation

(Part 24) – An Evangelistic Obstacle to Following Jesus

(Part 26) – It’s Me, O Lord Standing in the Need of Prayer

(Part 27) – Reproduction: Creative like the Creator

(Part 28) – Reproduction: Helping Others Changes Us

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Restoring the Image (Part 31) – Crossing the Finish Line

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
(Philippians 3:20-21)

Discipleship is everything and everything is discipleship. This was my motto as one of the young pastors in a large church. Some of my fellow pastors were squeamish with the statement thinking it too narrow and leaving out other essential ministries. One day one of the more senior pastors had enough of my rants and challenged me. “So, if discipleship is everything, how about a funeral, what do you think about that?!” I replied without hesitation, “That’s graduation day baby! And I certainly hope you preach the gospel to those who attend.”
And indeed it is. It is the end of the restoration process where all that is lacking is made full and we become all that God intended us to be. We call it glorification. We are perfected and will live with God for all eternity. All the years of following the example of Jesus and becoming like Him are brought to a crescendo and in the twinkling of an eye, we are made perfect. (Rom 8:17,30, 1 Cor 15:52-53, 2 Cor 5:2-4, Job 19:25-26, Jn 6:39-40)

My fellow pastor’s misconception that discipleship was merely a program or appendage of Christian living caused him to compartmentalize discipleship into just another ministry. Ministry is helping people come to and follow Jesus. He did not see the big picture. If following Jesus is the restoration process and this is the definition of discipleship, then discipleship is everything and everything is discipleship (or, following Jesus is everything and everything is following Jesus). This is true for us from beginning to end, from birth to death, from conversion to glorification.

So in the end the image will be completely restored through the person and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is our future finish line and we persevere patiently for that glorious day.

(Part 7) – The Restoration Process: Discipleship Continued

(Part 8) – The Restoration Process: One-on-One Discipleship

(Part 9) – The Restoration Process: Tools and Techniques

(Part 15) – The Word of God: Essential but Neglected

(Part 20) – Interaction with Others: The Image is not and Island

(Part 21) – Interaction with Others: Intentional Co-Restoration

(Part 22) – Interaction with Others: An Invitation to Restoration

(Part 23) – Interaction with Others: Restoration begins with Explanation

(Part 24) – An Evangelistic Obstacle to Following Jesus

(Part 26) – It’s Me, O Lord Standing in the Need of Prayer

(Part 27) – Reproduction: Creative like the Creator

(Part 28) – Reproduction: Helping Others Changes Us

Testimony 1: In the Beginning

Testimony 12: What about You?

Chapter 12

For “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” (Romans 10:13-15)

Before I continue with my life, let me ask about yours. Have you come to the point where you are sick or tired or sick and tired? Are you ready to acknowledge to God, “OK, I’ve made a big mess of this thing.” Maybe life is going grand and you just recognize you are missing something; and in your heart, you know that something is someone: God. You need Christ. Perhaps this has never made sense and now it does. Or you didn’t have enough data to make a sound decision to follow Christ and now you do.

Well, here it is in a nutshell: God loves you. But, we have stiff-armed God with our acts of wrongdoing. We have pushed Him away. Those acts of rebellion have caused us to die spiritually and ultimately we will be judged for them. There is a high price for our rebellion: judgment and death! But, God wants to bring us back into His love by offering to pay the price of rebellion for us. He did that by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our stead (on a cross). Then to prove that the price was fully paid, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day. Jesus is God’s gift to us to make things right between Him and us. We only need to trust in this gift by following Him and receiving His love and forgiveness. We turn from our way of life and embrace Jesus’ way of life. As a result of receiving God’s gift we have eternal life with Christ and abundant life here on earth.

In your heart, you know this is right! If you have never received Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, let me encourage you to start following Jesus today. You can express this to God by praying a prayer like this…

God, I know I’ve messed up and I’m separated from you. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for me to pay the price for my sins. Forgive me for the things I’ve done wrong and help me to change my life for Your glory. I want You to change my life. I want to follow Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I accept the free gift of both eternal and abundant life through Your Son. In Christ’s name I pray, AMEN.

Let me recommend the best way to get to know Jesus. Get a Bible and begin reading a chapter daily in the Gospel of Mark. Read for the purpose of getting to know Him as both your Savior and your Lord. Pray as you read for God to open your spiritual eyes and ears to what He wants you to know and do. When you finish Mark go to another Gospel and continue reading all the way through all 4 Gospels until you finish. Then drop me a line and I’ll guide you into an effective reading program to meet your needs in getting to know the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Testimony 2: Jesus is Watching You

Testimony 3: Paratrooper Religion

Testimony 4: Afraid of being Left Behind

Testimony 5: The Geographical Solution

Testimony 6: The Geographical Solution Fails

Testimony 7: The Seed is Planted

Testimony 8: Spiritual Melee

Testimony 9: Seeing the Light

Testimony 10: Receiving God’s Plan for My Life

Testimony 11: A New Creature

Testimony 12: What about You?

Testimony 13: A Little Miracle

Testimony 14: An Apostle to the Soldier

Testimony 15: First Steps toward Growth

Testimony 16: Being Discipled

Testimony 17: Life Time Mentor

Please leave me your feedback by clicking on “comments” below.

Illustration – Moses / Joshua Principle

The life of Moses demonstrates how to be a powerful influence in another man’s life. Moses had a man name Joshua. He spent time with him and eventually Joshua became a man of God like Moses. Moses’ relationship with Joshua produced an incredible leader for a nation. But the questions remains, who was Joshua’s man and what happened to the nation after Joshua?

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Restoring the Image (Part 30) – Pressing On Toward the Finish Line

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Ever run a race? You know the feeling of seeing finish line in the distance and everything in your body is telling you stop but your brain is saying, “Ju can duit!” I use to run triathlons and what an excruciating experience. Swim, bike, run, collapse. But oh, what a feeling when I finally crossed the finish line! It was worth it all.

The finish line is quite evident in the Christian life: being with Christ. We talk about it all the time. It’s that point where we will finally be completely restored. But sometimes there are so many distractions that we lose sight of the end and wonder why we are even running. It is certain that this life takes endurance and perseverance (Heb 10.36, Jm 1.12). So how do we keep our “eye on the prize?”

Let me suggest 3 things:
· Remember that restoration is a process and we will be working on becoming like Jesus for the rest of our lives. This is a marathon not a sprint (Heb 12.1-2).
· Remember that our restoration is secure in the person of Christ not our own efforts. Our faith and hope is in Jesus. If it is based on our performance, we are sunk (Eph 2.8-9, Titus 3.5).
· And finally, remember there is nothing to compare to our eternal future with Christ. This life is but a vapor (Jm 4.14) and in Yogi Berra style, “Eternity is a very long time.”

Keep your eyes on the finish line and press on to the high calling of Christ.

(Part 7) – The Restoration Process: Discipleship Continued

(Part 8) – The Restoration Process: One-on-One Discipleship

(Part 9) – The Restoration Process: Tools and Techniques

(Part 15) – The Word of God: Essential but Neglected

(Part 20) – Interaction with Others: The Image is not and Island

(Part 21) – Interaction with Others: Intentional Co-Restoration

(Part 22) – Interaction with Others: An Invitation to Restoration

(Part 23) – Interaction with Others: Restoration begins with Explanation

(Part 24) – An Evangelistic Obstacle to Following Jesus

(Part 26) – It’s Me, O Lord Standing in the Need of Prayer

(Part 27) – Reproduction: Creative like the Creator

(Part 28) – Reproduction: Helping Others Changes Us

Illustration – The Discipleship Pipeline
Illustration – The Tree
Illustration – Living Up to Our God Given Potential
Illustration – Phases for becoming a Man of the Word
The Parable of a US Army Aviator
Illustration – My Plan, His Plan, God’s Plan
Illustration – The Components of Suffering
Lordship Changes
What does it mean to follow Jesus (Lordship)
Jesus and the Lordship of the Father
Motivation for the Word
The Five I’s of Our Ministry
Illustration – 6 Obstacles to Truth
The Orbit Illustration (My Relationship with the World)
Time Management
Application of Truth and Grace
Key Passages for Family and Marriage
Balance for the Family and Lordship
Faith Illustration
The Prayer Hand
Jesus, Man of Prayer
Quiet Time Illustration
The Temple Illustration
Illustration – Moses / Joshua Principle

Illustrations and Short Devo Index

Please leave a comment by clicking on “comment” below.

Restoring the Image (Part 29) – Reproduction: Changing the World

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “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; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

The whole is a sum of its parts. Jesus commands us in His great commission to take the good news of restoration in Him to the whole world. God’s restoration plan goes beyond nationality, gender, culture, religion, and political persuasion. His desires have always been to bring mankind as a whole back to the original design and fellowship with Him (Mk 16.15, Lk 24.46-47, Jn 17.18-21, Ac 1.8, 2 Pet 3.9).

His objective to restore men is implemented by entrusting the ones being restored with the great privilege to participate in another’s restoration. He gives ordinary men and women with the frailties of a fallen state, but with the power of His Holy Spirit, the mission to make disciples (ones being conformed to Christ’s image). When we reflect on how unfathomable that act of kindness is, to labor with God in His rescue mission, we should be overwhelmed with gratefulness and moved to action (1 Jn 3.1).

God could have chosen other methods, which to us may have seemed more efficient. Instead, He chooses to allow our natural relationships to be the vehicle on which the gospel is carried. As one person is being restored to the original image of God, he begins to help another do the same. And as they both help others the multiplication process begins. But it is important to remember it is not enough to simply change one’s behavior or practice religion. Restoring the image to its true original state can only be accomplished in and through Jesus Christ (Jn 14.6). Anything less becomes a blasphemous pyramid scheme.

His goal is to restore mankind one person at a time. His plan is to accomplish this through us. This is the great Kingdom work. Laboring with the Father in His vineyard, harvesting the fruit of eternal life (Jn 4.35-36, Mt 9.35-38). Jesus’ great commission is about reaching the world by restoring one man at a time through those who are being restored.

(Part 7) – The Restoration Process: Discipleship Continued

(Part 8) – The Restoration Process: One-on-One Discipleship

(Part 9) – The Restoration Process: Tools and Techniques

(Part 15) – The Word of God: Essential but Neglected

(Part 20) – Interaction with Others: The Image is not and Island

(Part 21) – Interaction with Others: Intentional Co-Restoration

(Part 22) – Interaction with Others: An Invitation to Restoration

(Part 23) – Interaction with Others: Restoration begins with Explanation

(Part 24) – An Evangelistic Obstacle to Following Jesus

(Part 26) – It’s Me, O Lord Standing in the Need of Prayer

(Part 27) – Reproduction: Creative like the Creator

(Part 28) – Reproduction: Helping Others Changes Us