GO

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’ “(Matthew 28:18-20)

One hot summer day in 1956, a young family — father, mother, and 8-year old son — was enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon at home in St. Joseph, Illinois. Two men knocked on the front door. One was named Orville Hubbard. Orville used to work in the oil fields. He had minimal education and was a very normal, ordinary guy. His friend was named Dick Wolf, and he had met this young family when the wives were in the hospital giving birth at the same time several years before. Orville & Dick asked if they could come in; they wanted to talk for a few minutes about something really important to them.There was not much else to do, so the husband invited them in.
He sat on the couch with his wife as Orville & Dick began to present the gospel. They talked about what it meant to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. The couple sat and listened. Their son, playing with his trucks on the floor, was listening, too, and hanging on every word. That day changed everything for that family. The next week, the mom & dad — along with their young son — gave their lives to Christ and were baptized. Two ordinary men responded to Jesus’ missional command to “go and make disciples,” and Jesus pointed them to this family’s house.
The “Great Commission” of Jesus is not simply a wonderful suggestion. It’s not a strategic idea or a devotional illustration. It is an authoritative command. God sent Jesus to make a way for all of mankind to be rescued. And now, Jesus sends us to spread that good news. GO. Sure, it would be more comfortable to stay. It would be easier to invite them to come to us. GO. Yes, the fear factor would be lower, the expenses cheaper, the risk of rejection slighter. But Jesus commands us: GO.
Of course, He doesn’t send us alone. He promises to be right beside us every step of the way. And He doesn’t place the entire burden of responsibility on our shoulders: We plant seeds, we water, but God gives the growth. Still, our part in the mission is to GO. TELL. Make disciples, teaching them to obey Jesus too.
I’m sure that Orville & Dick could have found other things to do that day. My guess is they were pretty nervous when they knocked on that door. But two men obeyed Jesus’ command to join in His mission. By the way, the couple who answered the door that day, Kyle Idleman, who wrote the book, “not a fan.”, calls Grandma & Grandpa. That little 8 year old boy playing on the floor, was his father. I think it’s fair to say that without Orville & Dick’s willingness to GO, he might not be a Christian, or minister today.

Pursuing Today
Take some time to trace your own spiritual family tree. Do some homework; make some calls.This might take some time, but it could be very rewarding. Thank God for obedient parents, co-workers, or friends. Now consider this: Who is Jesus calling you to go and tell? Eternity is at stake. Commit to respond in obedience today.

When Jesus Says NOT To Follow

“The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return home and tell how much God has done for you.’ So, the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”
(Luke 8:38-39)

Sometimes, Jesus says not to follow Him. Let me explain. In Luke 8, we meet a man who is off-the-charts crazy. He is certifiably out of his right mind. Luke records that he had been running around naked and homeless for a long time. He spent most of his time in the cemetery just up the way from a very frightened group of townspeople. They tried chaining him up, but his demonically acquired strength was too much. Perhaps the only grace was that the demons drove him into solitary places.
And then Jesus invades his personal space. Their encounter is fairly brief. The legion of screaming demons is no match for Jesus, much like Richard Simmons is not in the same league as Chuck Norris. (By the way, have you heard that when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, he had 3 missed calls from Chuck Norris? Or that when Chuck Norris enters a room, he doesn’t turn the lights on, he turns the dark off? I could keep going, but I won’t.) The confrontation is a “no-contest” before it even begins. Jesus drives out the demons, and the man is restored — sitting peacefully, dressed modestly, and thinking rightly.
As you might imagine, he is overcome with gratitude. He is eager to spend more time with this powerful healer. He begs for the privilege of going with Jesus, but Jesus says no and sends him away with a mission: “Return home and tell how much God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). The very next phrase of that same verse records his immediate, complete obedience: “So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.”
Sometimes Jesus says not to follow Him. A Jesus follower is obedient above all else, so when Jesus Himself tells you to go home, that’s what he wants you to do. When He tells you to get out of your comfort zone and tell others about Him, silently sitting in your saved seat in the sanctuary (say that 6 times in swift succession) isn’t really a good option. Maybe you’d rather rehearse your story a little longer. Perhaps you’re not terribly sure you will be well received. You question whether you’re qualified to go, or you assume that your neighbors will hear the good news from someone else.
But just maybe, Jesus is telling you that it’s time to quit hanging out with the preacher and the church folks and actually start rubbing shoulders with some lost people. Come to think of it, He actually put it this way: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12).

Pursuing Today
Reflect on this: Could Jesus be challenging you to move from theory to practice as you pursue Him? What is keeping you from “returning home and telling others what God has done for you”? Obey Him. Introduce (or re-introduce) yourself to the people who live right around you. And then, begin to tell them how Jesus has changed you.

Your Weakness Is Strong

“For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:10-

The apostle Paul made the statement above, and we all know how he was converted on the road to Damascus. In one blinding moment (literally), he was changed from being a Christian-killer to an evangelist, and for the rest of his life he suffered greatly for the cause of Christ. He rose far above his arrogant and vicious past, pouring himself out for the sake of the gospel. He learned to delight in his hardships, because they made it possible for him to lean hard on God’s strength for everything.
Chuck Colson was a kind of modern-day Paul. Before he founded Prison Fellowship, he was the last person you would expect to be converted. As Special Counsel to President Richard Nixon, he was known as a ruthless and corrupt hatchet man. He ended up in prison for his part in the Watergate cover-up, and it was there that he came to know Jesus.
Once, preaching at a Christian college commencement, he said:
“The great paradox of my life is that every time I walk into a prison and see the faces of men or women who have been transformed by the power of the living God, I realize that the thing God has chosen to use in my life is none of the successes, achievements, degrees, awards, honors, or cases I won before the Supreme Court. That’s not what God is using in my life. What God is using in my life to touch the lives of literally thousands of other people is the fact that I was a convict and went to prison. That was my great defeat, the only thing in my life I didn’t succeed in.”

Chuck understood what Paul did, that “[God’s] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He understood that losing everything was okay, that it was maybe even necessary to experience the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8). And he experienced the same “delight” that Paul experienced — a front-row seat to the power of God in the weakness of his people. Just wait till you see what He can do through you.

Pursuing Today
You and I may not have such dramatic testimonies, but we are definitely weak. What’s your “great defeat” or current hardship? What insult or difficulty are you currently enduring? Write it down. Then draw a line through it — cross it out. And prayerfully imagine how God’s strength will be clearly seen through your weakness.

Taming the Tongue

“I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.”
(Publius – Greek Philosopher)

The tongue — what a study in contrasts! To the physicians, it’s merely a 2 oz. slab of mucous membrane enclosing a complex array of muscles and nerves that enable our bodies to chew, taste, and swallow. How helpful! Equally significant, it is the major organ of communication that enables us to articulate distinct sounds so we can understand each other. How essential!

Without the tongue, no mother could sing her baby to sleep at night. No ambassador could adequately represent our nation. No teacher could stretch the minds of students. No commander could lead his fighting troops into battle. No attorney could defend the truth in court. No pastor could comfort troubled souls. No complicated, controversial issue could ever be discussed and solved. Our entire world would be reduced to unintelligible grunts and shrugs. Seldom do we pause to realize just how valuable this strange muscle in our mouths really is.

But the tongue is as volatile as it is vital. It was Washington Irving who first said, “A tongue is the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use.” It was James, the half-brother of Jesus, who first warned us about the tongue: (Read James 3:5-8.)
One word can change the course of human history. Remember, the issue is control, not silence.

3 Biblical Truths Concerning the Tongue:
1. The tongue contains an awesome power for good or evil.
2. No person can control his/her tongue by their own power.
3. We must submit our tongue to the power of the Holy Spirit.

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Read Psalm 39:1.

List out the areas in which you must guard your tongue:

1. Words to my family & friends:

2. Words spoken in anger:

3. Words spoken without thinking:

4. Words spoken out of fear or insecurity:

5. Words spoken out of selfish interests:

Waiting Time
During your waiting time, let God…

Love You.
Realize that God speaks only truth and love to you.

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any wrong use of my words, and especially my heart…the origin of my words.”

Show You.
“God, is there anything that I need to know about use of my tongue as I enter this day?”

Confession Time
Again, James is not calling for silence as the answer to a tongue out of control, but discipline.
Confess the areas of your heart where your words have hurt God and people (be specific):

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

…Read James 3:8-12 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture and allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind.

First, reflect on the contrast of your ability to both bless and curse with your tongue:

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing & thanksgiving for the people for whom you will now intercede.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself
How to Petition God Properly
Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy Will Be Done”

Prayer Requests:

Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing that God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

Steps to take in my obedience to God this week:

My Goal: To implement the above steps in the next 7 days.

Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!
Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse – Psalm 141:3

This Week’s Time Alone With God

Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – Ask God if there is anyone you have offended with your words, whom you need to ask their forgiveness.

Wednesday – Pray about 3-5 people who need a “word” of encouragement today…follow through!

Thursday – Write out a prayer today telling God of your commitment to use your tongue to His glory.

Friday – Review your memory verse.

Spiritual Apathy

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

Several years ago, I did some research on what are known as the “7 Deadly Sins.” They don’t appear as a list anywhere in Scripture, and I was curious to know how the list developed. It turns out that years ago, when the literacy rate was low and people weren’t reading the Bible for themselves, some early church leaders got together and made a list of the worst sins. At least people would know what not to do, right?
One of the sins on the list always seemed out of place to me. “Sloth” is listed as a deadly sin. It just never seemed that deadly to me.I’ve always thought of sloth as laziness. You know, not changing the channel on the TV because you lost the remote and walking over to the TV would be too taxing. But I discovered that a better way to convey what the early church leaders were getting at would be to translate the original word as “spiritual apathy.” It’s reaching a point where you know that God loves you and that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, but you shrug your shoulders because you just don’t care.
What do you do if you like the idea of pursuing Jesus, but your heart is just not in it? You used to experience zeal for Christ, but now you feel apathetic and indifferent. The good news has become old news, and the miraculous seems ordinary. How do you rekindle the old flame?
When a married couple’s feelings have started to fade, the best thing they can do is to start pursuing each other the way they used to. He buys her flowers; she writes him love letters. She dresses up for him; he takes her out on dates. As they come after each other with extravagant and sacrificial acts of love and devotion, the feelings and passion will start to return.
That’s a great place to start in your relationship with Christ. Confess your spiritual apathy; then start doing the things you did at first. John’s revelation from Jesus issues a loving warning for us. If you’ve forsaken your first love (see Revelation 2:4-5), if you’re feeling ho-hum or even somewhat bored in your pursuit of Jesus, it’s time to stir up the passion.

Pursuing Today
Does this ring true for you? Decide this minute to do something about it. Get on your knees next to your bed and talk to God about your day. Turn on some worship music in your car and sing along. Grab a one-year Bible and start reading. Go back to your local church and surround yourself with passionate followers. Find a place to serve. “Repent and do the things you did at first” (Revelation 2:5).

Our Present Sufferings

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
-Romans 8:18-

Chronic pain. Unrelenting poverty. Sheer loneliness. Unremitting anxieties. What if this present suffering, whatever it may be, goes on for the rest of your life? How will you handle it? Should you continue to fight against every discomfort, unfairness, and heartache? Will it ever end?
We already know this life isn’t going to be easy, but heaven puts everything into perspective. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
It may be hard to imagine, but once you are in heaven, your current sufferings won’t matter to you anymore. What will a mere 72 years of sorrow and pain look like after you have spent a million years in the presence of God Himself? Once you are with Him, you will have no more mourning. No kind of pain — not physical or emotional or spiritual or relational. No sickness at all. Not even a single tear. As Teresa of Avila said, “In the light of heaven, the worst sufferings on this earth will be seen to be no more serious than one night in an inconvenient hotel.”
Pursuing Jesus happens best when we keep our eyes fixed on the end goal. The apostle Paul suffered much in his life, but he had this focused perspective: “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
I am not trying to provide a pat, “religious” answer to whatever issue looms largest in your life at the moment. Nor am I trying to convince you that your situation should feel easy in comparison to someone else’s staggering circumstances. It’s just that if you want to receive genuine hope and perseverance from God, the quickest way to be strengthened by His grace is to look straight into His glory.

Pursuing Today
Go ahead and identify your present suffering(s). Don’t discount it or compare it to others; just acknowledge what you are “straining” through now. Now read Revelation 21:1-5. Receive God’s “trustworthy and true” promise for those who trust in Him. Hold your present suffering up into the blinding, pain-alleviating, refining light of heaven. Can you see it anymore?

True Lies

“Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”-Matthew 19:30-

There are certain lies we live by. If we knew they were lies, we certainly wouldn’t live by them. But there are lies that we have believed to be true, and the truth is that lies we believe to be true can have power over us as if they were true.

For example, we eat carrots and we encourage our kids to eat carrots because — as everyone knows — carrots improve your . . . ? Yeah, carrots improve your vision. Except that they don’t. This lie is actually rooted in World War II propaganda. I know that many of you reading this right now don’t believe me, but it’s true. Now, millions of children and adults eat carrots in hopes of improving their vision. It’s not true, but because we believe it is, we end up living by the lie. Or how about this one: Many of us were told as children that we couldn’t go swimming right after we ate. I remember very well getting out of the pool, going in for a snack, and then being told I had to wait at least a half hour or sometimes an hour before swimming again. My parents explained to me that swimming after eating is dangerous because it increases your risk of muscle cramps. Yeah, except that it doesn’t. That’s simply not true.
Sometimes we believe these statements because they have been so widely accepted. Nearly everyone you know believes it is true, so it must be true. Or you’ve believed it for such a long time, you can’t imagine it could be false. You likely heard it for the first time when you were a kid, and the longer you believe something, the truer it seems.
The Bible is full of widely held beliefs that Jesus turns completely upside down. For example, you want to find real life? Then be willing to lose yours (Luke 9:23-25). You want to experience complete freedom? Then choose a life of submission (Romans 6:19). Greatness? It’s found in humbly serving others (Matthew 20:26-28). True riches? They’re not accumulated in this life (Matthew 6:19-20). Somehow, you can rejoice in suffering (1 Peter 4:13); you can have nothing yet possess everything (2 Corinthians 6:10).
The way of Jesus may seem counterintuitive. It might feel upside down. But you can always count on the One who is Truth.

Pursuing Today
Look up the following verses:
Luke 6:27-28; Acts 20:35; Romans 12:17, 19; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:7-8; James 1:2-4.
Write down the upside-down ways of Jesus that you observe. Underline one or two that you will live out today. If you have more time, read the other passages referenced in today’s devotion.

I Believe

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?”-James 2:14-

Anyone who works out at a gym several times a week will have noticed the “gym rats” — the ones who always seem to be there. You can typically spot them walking aimlessly around the weight room and staring at themselves in the mirror. But I’ve noticed something about these guys. They tend to have huge, well-developed upper bodies and puny little legs. This is because they spend hours working on their chests, biceps, and triceps but for the most part, they ignore their calves and thighs. They look like they’re completely out of balance, like they might tip over on uneven terrain. It’s what I call (not to their faces, of course) the “Pee-Wee Schwarzenegger” effect. They have a Schwarzenegger upper body and a Pee-Wee lower body.
Some churches (and Christians) have this same unbalanced approach when it comes to discipleship. We spend too much of our time and effort bringing people to a point of belief without clearly helping them to follow. Too often, we have written BELIEVE in big, bold capital letters. And then everything that has to do with living for Jesus and being a disciple has been put in small print: follow.
As a result, many people have made a very real decision to believe in Jesus, but they have never made a commitment to follow Him. They don’t know how to engage in a daily pursuit of Christ. They give a puzzled look when you describe “missional living” or “walking as Jesus walked.” Unless somebody tells them, they may never know that Christian belief is more than just accepting something as fact in your mind or raising your hand and repeating the right words during an altar call.
Jesus’ own brother, James, discussed this balance in his book in the New Testament. He asks the question above — “What good is it?” — and the answer seems obvious: It’s not much good at all! But in case you didn’t come to the same conclusion, he states it even more clearly: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Believing Jesus implies movement and action.
Of course, biblical belief is the acceptance of something as real and true. But it is so much more than that. Beyond intellectual assent and heartfelt acknowledgement comes the decision to follow, and that will change the way you live the rest of your life.

Pursuing Today
How has your belief in Jesus manifested itself in your pursuit of Him? In other words, what are you doing that demonstrates your belief? You can’t follow and stay where you are at the same time. Our beliefs are validated by our actions. Read the rest of James 2:14-26. Prayerfully look for opportunities today to put your belief into action.

Pull on the Rope

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
-Colossians 3:13-

You may recognize the name ten Boom. As a teenager, I read Corrie ten Boom’s famous autobiography, The Hiding Place. Corrie’s family was instrumental in hiding many Jews in their home during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. But eventually she was captured and imprisoned at the Ravensbruck concentration camp, where she was forced to do backbreaking labor. Years later, after the end of the war and her release, she was greeted by one of her prison guards at the end of a public meeting. With the love of Christ deeply rooted in her, she managed to forgive the guard. She noted, however, that sin, even though it is erased by forgiveness, still has repercussions. She compared it to pulling on the rope in a bell tower. When you stop pulling the rope, the bell still keeps ringing for a while. That’s like the momentum of your emotions when you have been wronged. Over time, God can heal the raw wound, but for a while, you must bear the reminder of it.
You’ve probably heard much about God’s forgiveness — how He sent His Son to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven for our sins. We are fervent believers in receiving forgiveness. We are grateful that we have been forgiven.
But many times we have a hard time extending forgiveness to others. A drunk driver crosses the median, slamming into the bus that was carrying your child. Forgive her? Your spouse betrays and deserts you. Forgive her? Your teenage son sneaks off with your car and wrecks it. Your neighbor takes you to court over a property dispute. Forgive them? What they did seems unforgivable. The wrong you’ve suffered is just too great to bear.
But that’s exactly the point of forgiveness. We’re not meant to carry that burden. We’re not meant to live imprisoned by our own desire to right the wrong. Lack of forgiveness is that “bitter root” that “grows up to cause trouble and defile many” (Hebrews 12:15). I’ve seen it, and it’s not pretty; decades of pain and separation because of stubborn unforgiveness. Families torn apart. Adult children who haven’t talked to their fathers in years.
But I’ve also seen the beauty and freedom that come when we forgive. Marriages restored and even strengthened. Families reunited. Broken teenagers overwhelmed by the patient forgiveness of their loving parents. Oh, you may still feel the effects of the original wrong. You might still hear the bell ringing for a while. But the freedom won by forgiveness is worth it. So, go ahead: Give that rope a pull.

Pursuing Today
As you read today’s devotional, what came to mind that was (or is) hard for you to forgive? Are you still nursing any grudges? Read Jesus’ parable about an unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35. Prayerfully consider the next step you need to take to begin the healing process. Write a note. Make a phone call. Walk across the street or into the next room, and forgive just as you have been forgiven.

In This Together

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”(1 Thessalonians 5:11)

I have a friend who recently participated in a 5-mile mud run. Now, this is not one of those “I have a friend who…” Stories that is meant to hide the fact that I’m secretly referring to me. Honestly, just that first sentence tells you pretty much everything you need to know about why such an event holds no appeal for me. 3 words (or 4, depending on how you count the hyphen): Five-mile. Mud. Run.
I listened as he described the obstacle course: miles of running over muddy terrain (that’s the obvious part), scaling walls, climbing ropes, dragging boulders, heaving sandbags, crawling under barbed-wire fencing, and jumping over a fiery pit at the finish line. All that for a pretty cool medal and a free banana!
It wasn’t necessarily a stretch for me to picture my friend running this race. I know him well: He’s a pretty active guy and in reasonably good shape. He’s fairly athletic, and he’s very competitive. My surprise registered only when he told me he had completed the race right alongside his wife. I also know her well: While he is competitive, she is contented. Where he would enjoy taking a risk, she would prefer going on a retreat. He spent 4-5 days a week training at a gym; she spent $45 on her race outfit. She would not have even signed up without his gentle insistence; and she admitted that she could not have finished without his strong assistance. Along with 2 other married couples, they had run this rugged race and crossed the finish line together.
It occurred to me that maybe that was the whole point of the race. To compete together. To strive together. To celebrate together. And maybe that’s the point of our journey too. The writer of Ecclesiastes wisely recognizes that “two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). We were meant to run life’s race together.

*To encourage each other (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
*To pray for one another (James 5:16).
*To challenge and sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17).
*To share other’s burdens & meet their needs (Galatians 6:2).
*To suffer together & to rejoice together (1 Corinthians 12:26).

The race can get long; obstacles will certainly come. So “let US run with perseverance the race marked out for US, fixing OUR eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:1-2, emphasis added). Pursuing Jesus is always better TOGETHER!

Pursuing Today
Who are the people in your life running alongside you? How do they encourage you or build you up? Who are you pouring your life into, cheering them on along the way? Write down some names, and thank God for your faith community. Consider writing a note of thanks or encouragement to someone on your list. If you find it hard to think of names, begin praying that God would lead you to some life-giving relationships.