Author: Chuck & Deb

Chuck & Deb love Jesus!

Blessed are Those who Swim Against the Current

Read Mt 5.3-12, Lk 6.20-26

He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
(Matthew 5:2)

Jesus preaches the beatitudes to the people.

Can you imagine what the people were thinking when Jesus preached this sermon. Sure you can. What were you thinking the first time you heard or read this. I’m not talking about all the times since that you have glossed over it, thinking well that’s just Jesus. No, I’m talking about the first time you let these words impact your logic and registered with your emotions. “Wait a minute Jesus, are you serious?” I believe He is. His ways are so counter-cultural, so un-natural you are jolted by His expectations for real spirituality. He is looking for these attributes in His disciples; poor in spirit, mourning, gentleness, hunger and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaking, enduring persecution. What? You’re not there yet? You are in good company my friend. We all are in process but the process is real. He does have expectations of us but there is no way we could ever pull this off in the flesh. We are desperate for help if we are going to live our lives in keeping with the beatitudes. We need His Word, His example, His Spirit living powerfully within us. I think prayer and fellowship with likeminded people also play a huge role in swimming against the current of the world. If this weren’t hard enough, I believe this is part of making disciples. We are not only to live the beatitudes ourselves, we are supposed to help others do the same.

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Testimony 1: In the Beginning

The Testimony of Chaplain (Retired) Chuck Wood

Chapter 1

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; Your right hand will hold me fast. (PSALM 139:7-10)

But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
(Matthew 19:14)

As long as I can remember I’ve always known there was a God. Even when I went through the throes of rebellion during a season of my life, I could not deny that there was Something, Someone watching over us. I was less than three years old living in California. It was a bright sunny day and I was playing in the backyard. My dart gun had malfunctioned (I always knew I’d be a soldier as well) and the spring was lost somewhere in the tall grass. Dart guns are pretty important to little boys and I couldn’t have a full and productive life without one. I panicked and searched frantically for this tiny spring in (what I thought at the time was) a huge backyard. I don’t know how I thought to pray about this tragedy, but I did. And through tears of my little eyes, I found the missing spring. Coincidence? That’s just the beginning. It was my first recollection of praying and (more importantly) thinking that there must be a God.

Testimony 1: In the Beginning
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

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

The Orbit Illustration (My Relationship with the World)

I use this illustration to help men to understand their relationship to the world and the dangers of being isolated verses insulated from the world.

Get too close to the world and your burn in. Get too far, you become so heavenly minded you’re no earthly good.

It takes some calculations to get the right distance and achieve orbit.

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Methods in Disciplemaking

Mt 5.1-2, Lk 6.12-19

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,
(Luke 6:12-17)

Jesus prays all night and in the morning chooses 12 to appoint as apostles from a large crowd of His disciples.

There are three distinct groups of people in this passage; the 12, the large crowd of disciples, and great throng of people from the extended region. Since this is a study in discipleship, we need make a few observations and ask a couple of questions. Observations: First, the 12 were disciples before there were appointed as apostles. Second, they were chosen for a large crowd of disciples. Questions: How did Jesus get so many disciples and what was His primary method for making these disciples?

This passage gives us a good picture of how Jesus made disciples. The 12 were not set apart to be made into disciples, they were already followers of Jesus. Jesus had been making disciples for at least a year to this point. Some, Jesus asked to follow Him and others took the initiative and requested to be His disciple (Jn 1.35-51, Lk 9.47-52). There were disciples who followed Him everywhere and those who were more static. There were disciples who quit following Jesus (Jn 6.66) and secret disciples (Jn 19.38).

The fact of the matter is that Jesus had made many more disciples than the 12. You may be wondering why I am belaboring this point. I think some people are under the impression that the only way to make a disciple is to do what Jesus did with the 12 (others have gone as far as to say one on one is the only way to make disciples). Not according to Jesus’ methods. On the other hand, in modern American Christianity we are trying to make disciples by preaching at them and anyone with integrity would have to assess this method as a dismal failure in most Christian’s lives. They are not following Christ as a result of the myriad of messages they have heard. In fact they have become inoculated to the message. In order to make disciples we need to take a closer look at Jesus’ objective. The object should always drive the method, not the method the objective. His primary method was to invite people to follow Him. His objective was to help people get to know and become like Him (Mt 10.24-25a, Lk 6.60, 1 Jn 2.6). These men and women became disciples by listening to His preaching, watching His ministry, discussing Him in their communities, and seeing His miraculous signs. The main issue is not necessarily the method but the outcome. They were following Jesus, getting to know Him, and becoming like Him. That is the objective (Lk 6.40, 1 Jn 2.6, Mt 28.18-20).

If preaching alone was helping people become vibrant passionate followers of Christ, then I would practice this method more zealously. But the facts are that preaching, although a healthy component of the discipleship process, usually falls woefully short of accomplishing the objective when it is the only component of discipleship. The proof is in the pudding. Preaching was a part Jesus’ strategy for making disciple, but His methods were much more comprehensive than a sermon Sunday morning. This is where Sunday School, Music, Small Groups, One on One, and so many other methods we practice are so important. They are all components (methods) used in order to accomplish the overall objective. So here’s the question for us and modern American Christianity; do we believe Jesus has commanded us to produce His disciples? Do we see passionate followers of Jesus Christ coming out of our ministries? Are we in fact accomplishing this objective? If not, we may need to take a closer look at our methods. FJ76

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Choosing the 12 (Part 6) – Failure

Read Mk 3.13-19, Lk 6.12-16

And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
(Mark 3:14)

Jesus appointed 12 fallible men as Apostles

Jesus appointed men whom He knew would fail Him. Judas is the most obvious example but the 11 also failed, not only during the hours surrounding the crucifixion, but in the months and years that led to the cross. They tried to stop crucial ministry from happening (Mk 9.38-39, Mt 19.13-14), they lacked faith and the prayer life to perform certain types of ministry (Mt 17.14-21), they failed to understand and apply Jesus’ teaching (Mt 15.16, Mk 8.17). Ultimately, their failure would manifest itself in abandonment and betrayal. They failed and yet Jesus chose them in spite of their failures which He knew before hand (Jn 6.64; 17.12, Mt 26.31, Lk 22.31-32) . Failure was an option under Jesus’ leadership.

We don’t need divine insight in order to know that people will fail. It is in our DNA. And we don’t have to go any further than the mirror to prove it. This is a huge part of discipleship. First, we must expect and accept failure. It is a reality and how we respond to a disciple’s failure will often determine how effective the mentoring relationship will be in the future. Both truth and grace must be administered in these situations. Secondly, where there is no room for failure there is no room for self discovery (which by the way is 100 times more valuable than our preaching). People need room to try and fail. But if we control every situation or leave no room to fail, the disciple may fail to try. When we leave room for failure, we leave room for initiative and creativity. As a discipler, I expect failure. This is especially true of young laborers and leaders. Third, I can’t let failure go unnoticed. Although I expect failure, I have the responsibility to both correct and encourage proper actions. I am a safe place to express failure but I am also part of the solution for their success in the future. Finally, I am not the prefect Son of God. I am failing right along with the younger disciple. When I express these failures it does not undermine the relationship, it actually strengthens it. I need to have integrity in ministry and express my strengths as well weaknesses. When I fail to express my failure I potentially discourage the young follower of Jesus and put on the same mask worn by the Pharisees. Failure is an Option.

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Choosing the 12 (Part 5) – Apostolic Leadership

Read Mk 3.13-19, Lk 6.12-16

And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
(Luke 6:13)

Jesus appointed the 12 as Apostles.

Apostolic leadership was Jesus’ aim for these 12 men. He would teach them, model for them and ultimately die for them in order to launch the Church. The Church would need leaders who were mobile, versatile, global, and authoritative. Jesus poured His life into these men and taught them the meaning of apostolic leadership through His own example (Jn 17.18, Heb 3.1). And He began to imprint the apostolic trade mark on them as “sent ones” when He first invited them to follow Him (Mt 4.19). He continues to infuse this vision throughout His ministry up to His death (Jn 17.18). And after the resurrection, He again emphasizes sending them into the world through the Great Commission (Mt 28.18-20, Act 1.8). From the time He chose them until the day He commissioned them to reach the world, He was training them to be “sent out.”

By definition an apostle is “one who is sent.” (I do believe the word apostle can be biblically defined in a broader manner but I’ll save that for another article) Not all disciples will function as apostles but I do believe all disciples are “sent” into the world. They may not be mobile, versatile, global, and authoritative. But they can go to their families, neighborhoods, work places, and yes, even their churches to have an impact for Christ. As a part of the disciplemaking process we should be raising people to be “sent” into the world armed with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus started instilling this vision from the very beginning. He always emphasized an outward focus. He constantly reminded them of their responsibilities to their fellow man. We need to train men and women in the same manner. We need to get them out of our Christian bunkers and on the front lines. We need to send them out to personally advance the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. FJ74

If you’d like me to write more about the definition and roles of an Apostle, drop me a line.

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Choosing the 12 (Part 4) – With Him

Read Mk 3.13-19, Lk 6.12-16

And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
(Mark 3:14)

Jesus chose them to be with Him.

Life on life, that was Jesus’ strategy for developing these men as leaders. He wanted to get men so close they couldn’t miss His example. They were with Him 24/7. They saw Him in times of stress and times of rest. They watched how He ministered to the crowds and individuals. They saw the Son of God in all His glory and the Son of Man in His deepest humility. These 12 men were given a front row seat to the model of love. Jesus intentionally chose them to be saturated with His example.
The power of proximity. Most teachers tell their students what to do, Jesus showed His men how to do it. I have found that this principle, the “with him principle,” is one of the most effective tools in our kit bag and yet one of the most neglected. The lessons are so much clearer when they are seen in action. But what would keep us from practicing this principle. Certainly, our circumstances are not the same as Jesus. Jesus was not married, have kids, or have a job. With these three things alone, it makes it significantly harder to bring the disciples with you everywhere. But we can still practice the “with him principle” on a smaller scale. When I’m discipling men I have them spend time with me in different situations, especially when I’m ministering to others. But it’s not just ministry that I want to model for these men. It’s real life. They are in my home, riding with me to Home Depot, helping me fix the sink, watching me coach my sons, they are with me as much as my schedule allows. We are trying to live life together. In recent years we had the men that I am training live in the home. This has increased my ability to model 100 times.
But perhaps you are a beginner at the “with him principle” and moving dudes in your home seems a little radical. Where do you start? I try to get the guys around me at least 4 times a week. Here’s a practical list that will help you start small and increase as you go.
· Sit together in church
· Invite him to your small group Bible study
· Ask him to your home for dinner
· Schedule lunch or breakfast once a week
· Have him help you with routine chores
· Play together (sports, games, hunting, hobbies)
· Take him on a road trip
· Have him spend the weekend for concerted training
· Take a family vacation together
· Live in the same neighborhood
· Move him in your home

Choosing the 12 (Part 3) – Appointment

Read Mk 3.13-19, Lk 6.12-16

And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach,
(Mark 3:14)

And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:
(Luke 6:13)

Jesus chooses 12 men from among all His disciples and appoints them as Apostles.

I find this act of choosing leadership completely counter to contemporary philosophies of leadership development. Jesus puts all His chips on men that are virtually untested. In fact as we watch the 12 closely throughout the Gospels, we continually see character traits that should eliminate them from leadership. We see pettiness, greed, pride, competition, and impulsiveness. They lacked wisdom, endurance, foresight, discretion, and the list goes on. On the other hand these men had shown qualities that had great potential. Characteristics like loyalty, commitment, integrity, and humility were evident in the 12. But Jesus appointed these men after concerted prayer. He did not choose them merely on what He saw but on what the Father saw in them. And they were by no means qualified for the promotion. Their apostolic authority would not be affectively used until after the ascension. Jesus chose them for what they would become.

I believe this is the key to developing Kingdom leaders. We take a man or woman under tutelage based on God’s calling for us to help people become what God desires rather than what they are. These disciples do not come prepackaged. Of course you may size up the raw material before investing, but God sees the end-state. He is not necessarily looking for the brightest, strongest, fastest, and most beautiful. But He is looking for heart. And I would suggest that we as Disciplemakers, should line up our criteria for selection with God’s criteria. But who among us is 100% on evaluating the heart. This brings us right back to prayer. God is fully aware of what is in a man or woman’s heart (1 Sam 16.7). He sees what they will become.

But praying does not eliminate all risk. God does not always give us clear guidance. He often allows us to choose for ourselves. He acts as a wise parent developing a child’s decision making process. Hence, we will make mistakes. And so did the Apostles. This brings another component of leadership development into the picture. The principle of self-selection. The Apostles were volunteers and Jesus treated them that way. He did not force or manipulate them. He set the table and it was up to them to eat. He gave them plenty of opportunities to leave the team. We need to remember that ultimately the decision to follow Christ or be a Kingdom Leader rests squarely on the shoulders of the person we are training. In a sense, they are choosing us. (There is so much more to say in this area…) FJ72

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…

Goal: Subscribers from every State in the US

I’m praying about getting subscribers and visitors from every state in the Union. Can you help me out by passing the website on to your friends in the following States;

Washington
Alaska
Montana
Idaho
Nevada
Utah
Wyoming
North Dakota

Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky

Thanks!

For questions or comments drop me a line at charleswood1@gmail.com or click the envelope below to send this post to a friend…