No more "repeat after me"

Like many, I grew up being taught that the way to share Christ with people and then have them accept that they need Him was through a prayer - on of those "repeat after me". And while I know God can definitely work through those prayers, I wonder where those prayers came from because I don't see that in the Bible.

When you look through the gospels you see Jesus calling out to individuals and asking them to "Follow me." You see Him telling people about their sins and their need for repenting and He's the one to forgive them. So far, I'd say the way I grew up would  give a loud "amen" to the things listed as what is necessary for having people accept Jesus but this is where I'd say that's only part of it.

There were several times when people said they wanted to follow Jesus or have eternal life and what did He tell them? Pray a prayer and you're all set? No. He told them to follow me you'll need to:
Pick up your instrument of execution (Matthew 10:38, 16:24-26; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23-25, 14:27)
Hate your family and friends and your own life in comparison for your love for Me. (Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 14:26-27)
Deny yourself (Matthew 10:39, 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:23-25, 14:33)
Be homeless (Matthew 19-20; Luke 9:57-58)
Sell everything (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-30) 
Love God and love people (Matthew 22:36-40, 25:35-40; Mark 12:29-31, 6:27-36, 10:25-37; John 14:15, 14:21, 14:23, 15:9-10, 15:12)
Be persecuted (Mark 13:11; Luke 21:12, John 15:20, 16:33)
Be hated (Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17-19, John 15:18-19)
Hate the things of this world (Matthew 6:19-21, John 15:23-25)
Leave everything behind (Matthew 4:22, 8:21-22; Mark 1:17-20; Luke 5:10-11, 5:27-28, 9:59-62)
Do the will of God (Matthew 7: 21-27, 12:30,  Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21)
Make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 13:10, 16:15; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21)
(only some of the things He told them)

So why do we stop with repent and say a prayer? How come we don't follow Jesus' example tell them the whole gospel? Once we recognize we need God and need to be saved (and even that needs to be taught better and more fully) there is a necessity to not shrink back from letting others know what it means to follow Christ. It isn't a free ticket to heaven. It's your LIFE. We were bought at a price our life is not our own (1 Cor. 6:19). It isn't for health and wealth. Look at the disciples' lives - they were far from glorious.

Unfortunately with the lack of sharing the whole gospel and teaching people what it means to follow Christ there is a huge deficit in real followers of Christ. I was reading just this morning in Operation World about Lativa (small country in the European Union). Despite the fact that the majority of that country claims to the title Christian the characteristic of their Christianity is dead. Their culture is plagued by "alcohol, drugs, a rapidly growing  sex trade, high abortion rates, the world's fourth highest suicide rate and notable corruption in government." (Operation World, p. 526) As I was reading that multiple things flashed through my mind:
Jesus is the only answer to all these problems and hurts
This sounds like North America
Lack of discipling

Obviously like I said this apathy in life isn't just an "overseas" thing for that description sure sounds a whole lot like North America but my point is not a "here or there" thing but rather Church, The Bride of Christ, we need to stop just trying to add numbers for the sake of our reports, stop living in such a way that we are just the same as any joe shomo off the street! This life isn't about good reports to send home after mission trips or coming back on furlough. It's not about living a morally, safe and comfortable life. Now that those are bad. We want to live moral lives and have people come to truly know Christ. But that is just it! We want them to truly know Him. How did the disciples get to know Him? They lived life with Him. He taught them about His Father and His Father's will.

So we follow His example. We tell them the whole gospel leaving nothing out even if it's uncomfortable. We teach them how to read the Bible and study it. We teach them how to pray. Moms and Dads you teach them how to be godly parents. We teaching them to obey everything! (Matthew 28:19) You live life together. Then they get to see how you have joy in times of trial. They see the love you have for others through hurt and for the least of these. They see that this news is too good to keep to yourself because they see you telling others. They see that you orient everything in your life around this question, "Will this help me spread the gospel?" (1 Cor. 9).

This is why I don't believe the "repeat after me" cuts it. We are selling them short if all we tell them is "say this prayer". The LAST COMMAND Jesus (the one who has ALL authority in Heaven and on earth and who defeated death and saved your life, ya that Jesus) told us "Therefore (based on my authority)  Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19) He told us to make disciples teaching them to obey everything.

"It isn't a option to be considered it is command to be obeyed!"
 (Hudson Taylor)

Not just a November thing

This evening was one of those evenings where my mind was racing. I grabbed my things and went to a familiar space in hopes to get some thoughts out. As I sat pen in one hand and chai in the other I found myself fiercely scribbling all the things on my mind (some of which I'm sure when I read later will make no sense). I stopped to take a breath and as I did I realized the pent up frustration and irritation. In the back of my mind the word "thanksgiving" continued to roll around. So I literally stopped my previous ranting and begun my list of  thanksgiving.

The things I wrote at the beginning of "unloading" my brain are still there to some extent but the view is different.

Don't remove

In a recent post about weeds I wrote about the necessity to remove them otherwise they will take over and then become apart of your every day life... well I learned something new - removing doesn't ultimately clean or heal.
I know that makes no sense. What do you mean "don't remove?" They're weeds what else are you going to do to get rid of them? I understand that logic because I thought that too but let me explain with more landscaping.

As I told you, I work outside and the picture I painted last post of the weeds that had become tree is all true. We finally cleared that whole area. It took our crew a couple of weeks and a couple trips to urgent care due to a really bad case of poison ivy. It cost blood (many cuts and scratches), sweat, and emergency runs but it is done. I left for vacation and upon my return the once cleared area now has new weeds growing quickly already about knee high. We removed the weeds and got poison ivy but for what? More weeds?
Here's the key we didn't replace that area with anything. If we simply remove without replacing weeds will grow back. They may not be the exact same weeds as before but weeds will come.

So we must not just remove but replace. Where there are weeds of lies, replace with truth. Where there are weeds of anger, replace with joy. Whatever weeds are there replace with God - whether it be specifically his love, joy, truth, etc. replace the weeds with Him. 

re·place  

/riˈplās/

Verb Take the place of. Provide or find a substitute for (something that is broken, old, or inoperative).

In order to replace there still has to be removal but it can't stop there. Weeds will come but if you plant truth, lies will be choked out. 

Saying No

I was recently in the running for a pretty great job. The process, though slow was moving right along. I kept passing all the check points. But it was with one phrase that I knowingly removed myself. Why?



This life is not mine.

Vigilant

I work outside pruning trees, mowing, edging, weeding, planting, etc. Recently we have begun a project to clear out an area that has become so overgrown with weeds. Now these are not just get-down-on-your-hands-and-knees kind of weeds but rather they are tree-and-bush-look-a-like-and-therefore-need-a-chainsaw-to-remove-them kind of weeds. Now how in the world do weeds become looking like trees... they go unnoticed. They are simply allowed to grow and grow and grow. No one goes in and weed-whacks them down or gets down on their hands and knees to pull them out when they are small. Whether it be it's too tedious, too annoying, or didn't want or have the time to give it attention, they grew and grew. To the untrained eye they actually do look like bushes and trees but thanks to three years of working with landscaping my eye is recognizes those aren't supposed to be there.

Often times this can be my life. Certain areas are well manicured and taken care of and look great. Yet because of that I spend so much time on those areas I neglect others. Slowly weeds take residence. I see them at a glance but hurry over to the other areas to groom yet again thinking "I'll get to that later. It's not that bad." And it's true they are nothing but little tiny weeds of no importance they even blend into the grass. Time passes, it may not even be long under the right conditions - mid 60s and rain - and these weeds are getting tall. But because of those same conditions everything else is growing like crazy so now busyness sets in. There is so much to do and that area definitely does not take precedent. So once again, it is neglected. By the time I get the rest of the areas under control, I'm exhausted and have no energy to even think about tackling those weeds.
Those perfect conditions come around again or maybe dry spells under which the circumstances require me to water the other areas to keep them alive but now these weeds are so well developed they survive even the drought. Time continues to pass and now I hardly recognize the need for the weeds removal. They have become bushes and trees and they look pretty good, quite natural. So hey.. why the need to put the time and energy in to clear those out; they are a part of my landscape.
Only... I have forgotten that they now completely block the view I had. I used to be able to see across the beautiful waters and enjoy the full picture of my land... now I see bushes and trees. I remember there used to be beautiful flowers here but they have been choked by the weeds but there's even more I became so used to seeing them that I actually believed them to be good - to be trees and bushes, therefore not only forgetting the real view but I thought they were something they weren't.
I miss the beautiful view when I could clearly see across the waters. Only now instead of a couple of hours on my knees to remove some weeds I have to spend days, most likely weeks, cutting down trees and bushes, fighting vines, and itching from poison ivy...all because I decided to neglect those tiny weeds. If only I had taken the time a little each week to clear them...
I'm still working at clearing that view and I'm starting to see the beauty again, it's scared with stumps but while it won't ever be quite the same but there will be new beauty. To retain this beauty will take work. My eyes have to stay sharp on the look out for weeds; especially ones disguised as beautiful plants. Then I have to remove them right away or replay this whole scene again.



Can you relate?
Have you neglected them to the point where you need a chainsaw or can you still get down on your knees and pull them out?
Have they become to natural that you can't recognize their real identity (not good but sin)?
Do you even care that sin is taking over?
Are you being vigilant to keep sin out and keep your eyes clear and focused on Christ?

Aftermath of a Bomb

In college, there was a very familiar routine of moving. You did it to move into the dorms, partially to break between semesters, and then once again for the summer. This routine required mess. The room that had become your space and home had to be teared down. The once nicely organized room (whether neatly or chaotically - whichever was your preference) became the aftermath of a bomb with clothes, books, papers, and random things you didn't even know you acquired sprawled over every inch of your room. No one is surprised by this, people simply remark, "It has to get messy before it gets clean." But how come that saying is the "duh" concept when cleaning a room but when "cleaning" in life we are suddenly so surprised?

I have found myself surprised by the messiness of life currently. I have seen more than two relationships broken in about a month, loved ones in a continuous cycle of being on the outlook for jobs, being a part from loved ones for a long period of time and then only having a short time with them when reunited, experiencing gut wrenching pain (at times literally), being in the limbo of transition, watching friends go-go-go and on the verge of burnout, watching friends leave, trying to have discernment, experiencing the ache of disappointing many, learning immense amounts about myself, listening to friends having to process through a possible permanent separation, and more. Why am I surprised? This.. utter chaos and mess.. this is what has to happen in order for things to get better... right? 

Still the uncertainty of every shakes me. The pain in those around me breaks my heart. What do I do when I keep trying to clean the room but nothing is getting better or worse it just is? 

This has been my overwhelmed state. 

But this morning... 

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

What if there are times instead of seeing a rather immediate clean room we are to just to continue to be diligent in cleaning knowing it might not get better for a long time? Will we rejoice in the hope that someday it will be better? Will we be patient in that mess? Will we be continuously praying?

a burden

This has really been on my heart this week. 
There are still 2 billion plus people who do not know Jesus.
This needs to change.
Matthew 28 was not a option given; it was a command given to all who follow Jesus. 
There is no plan B. The Church is the plan. This is a burden on my heart. Too many do not know...