Being Disciples So We Can Make Disciples

COVID-19. USA elections 2020. Just reading/hearing/typing those words brings all kinds of thoughts to the troubled minds of most of us trying to navigate the changes and havoc it has brought into our lives. Rather than keep asking God “Why?” and imploring Him to make it go away, what if we asked the questions, “What do you want to do with this, God?” and “What do you want me to do as a result of this, God?” Maybe it is time to let our minds run free and let God reposition us to fulfill His command to “Go and make disciples.”

I recently listened to Dr. Lucas Leys' talk about the learning and teaching process as it relates to our churches and teaching/discipling believers. He noted that church-going Christians average listening to 50 sermons a year in our churches. But research shows us that the daily life of Christians who attend church vs. people in general is very similar – only a couple percentage points difference. This would indicate that most of us are not absorbing/learning what is being taught in our churches – or what is being taught is not transformational. We accept the salvation through Jesus Christ, but don’t submit ourselves to His lordship in our lives. We refuse to be discipled and transformed by the Gospel that saves us!

James tells us, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” James 1:22-25 NLT (my emphasis).

This is not just a New Testament teaching. This morning, I found this nugget tucked in II Chronicles 24:20 NLT. “This is what God says: Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands and keep yourselves from prospering? You have abandoned the Lord, and now he has abandoned you!” I wondered about the full meaning of the word translated as “prospering.” It is a rich word as many Hebrew words are, and it takes many English words to translate the full meaning of it. Here is what Strong’s Definitions says about the word: “to push forward, in various senses (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):—break out, come (mightily), go over, be good, be meet, be profitable, (cause to, effect, make to, send) prosper(-ity, -ous, -ously).”

As I read that passage, I found myself weeping and mourning at the state of the nation of Judah. They had come through and era where the king listened to a priest and had brought the country into a time of peace and prosperity. But when the priest died, King Joash began to listen to other people and opened up the kingdom to worshiping other gods and in the end, stoned Zechariah for prophesying those words. I pondered the parallels of our nation as we have watched Christians go from making Jesus Lord to making politics lord in their lives. Christians who try to speak out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ are frequently “stoned” verbally even by other Christians. And I weep as I realize that few people are allowing the “Lord’s commands” to dwell deeply in us and transform us to be Christ-like in our attitudes, words, and behaviors.

I continue to ponder this and wonder if the problem is that we don’t read and respect the “owner’s manual” that came from the Creator of the world. It starts from a place of believing that God created the world and everything in it. If He created it, it would stand to reason that He knows best how it should operate and what makes it operate smoothly. He gave us annotated instructions and as Zechariah the priest said, when we disobey the Lord’s commands (instructions) we keep ourselves from prospering – moving forward, breaking out, coming mightily, being profitable, prospering!

Oh Lord! I confess that we do not read, learn from and follow your words of wisdom and instruction you have given us. And now we find ourselves in a huge mess! Lord, create in us a hunger for you that leads us to your Word. Change us! Remake us from the mess we have made with ourselves into the disciples you desire for us to be – so we can run smoothly, operate as we are designed to operate, and prosper in the world you created for us and in which you placed us. It is not just about our nation, but about our very souls. Meet with us and change us for your Kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven! Amen.

 

COVID-19 and Genesis 19

Usually, I blog based on my morning reading in the Bible. But this morning, I did not even get to the reading of the Bible and the Lord began speaking into me. You see, like many around me, in this day of COVID-19 terrorizing us, I find myself grieving. We are used to a few people here and there grieving loss, but this is different. Nearly every person on the planet is grieving – even if they don’t recognize it. How in the world do we deal with all the unwelcome changes, the isolation, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the virus itself, the fear for the economy, the fear for the safety of our families?

And of all things, the Lord brought Lot and his family to mind. In Genesis 19, we are told that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. Lot and his family had been walked out by the angels and sent away from the destruction. They were living life as usual and were seemingly not bothered by the sin all around them. When they were told to leave, they resisted. The angels had to literally grasp their hands and lead them out of the city.

At that point, I am certain they were experiencing shock and instant grief. Everything they had worked for was left behind. They only had their lives. They were to not look back, but Lot’s wife did and became a pillar of salt. Lot begged to go to a nearby town rather than flee to the mountains as he had been instructed. But after he saw the total destruction of everything he loved, he and his daughters did flee to the mountains and lived in a cave.

Now why did this come to mind in light of COVID-19? As we are experiencing the grief of losing “life as normal” and having to adapt in our families and communities, some people are living in a state of panic, some are depressed, some are hoping to return to normal in a few weeks and disappointed every time the time for social isolation is extended. Some are working but fearing for their health and the health of their families. Some are out of work and income. If we keep looking back on what we have lost and are losing, we will be paralyzed like Lot’s wife. If we refuse to look ahead, we will “live in a cave” of fear and depression and go nowhere.

Times are changing. The Lord is rescuing us from the pace of life that is winding up faster and faster and killing us little by little and He is giving us opportunity to re-evaluate what is important. He is pouring out “new wine” for us to experience. Will we bring out “new wine skins” or will we try to put it into the “old wine skins” of previous habits and schedules?

I really don’t want to go where Lot went. I desire to be open to where God is telling me to go – what He is telling me to do. First, I have to trust Him completely to be in control and to take care of me. Then I need to set aside my fear and desire to look back and look ahead to what He is giving me instead. I believe He is resetting my compass and making sure I am going the right direction. As long as He gives me breath, He has things for me to do and I need to be focused on Him so I receive that direction and can obey it.

Yes, it is hard. But it seems that “hard” is what it takes for God to get our full attention instead of a polite nod in His direction once or twice a week. Let’s move with confidence into the next phase of this journey. God loves us. He is in control. He has a purpose for us. He will lead us. We can trust Him. Take His hand and let Him lead you to safety.

Isolation, Social Distancing, or Sabbath Rest

I have been reading Leviticus (I think I just heard a chorus of groans). It is usually one of my least favorite books in the Bible because it is tedious and full of things that don’t pertain to us now (how to do the sacrifices, what animals are acceptable, etc.). I have also been reading Judges – a long series of leaders that rose up when Israel would forget God and go through the cycle of worshipping idols and then be invaded by another kingdom and be in captivity or made slaves to the invading country and come back to God, be restored to their land, and then soon wonder off again. In light of COVID-19 gaining momentum in our country, these readings have been causing me to ponder.

One of the things God asked the people of Israel to do was let the land rest every 7 years and every 50 years was to be a year of Jubilee when any land that had been sold was to be returned to the original family and people were to return home to their land and their clan. And that was one of the things God addressed with the Israelites when they went into captivity. He told them that because they refused to observe the Sabbath rests for the land, He would give the land its rest while they were in captivity in another country. You see, when God asks us to do something, it is important to Him that we obey.

Now, over 2,000 years after the Messiah came and told us that He was the fulfillment of the Law, we are no longer required to let the land rest every 7 years or return land to the original family every 50 years. But, we are invited to Sabbath rest. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Mark 6:31

As we are ordered to stay home and unable to do business as usual (at least for most of us), I wonder if God is giving us time to ponder who He is and if He is saying, “You have been too busy to take a Sabbath rest, so I will give you a couple months of rest while you wait for the virus to subside.” I feel like He is showing us what is important – time for our children, time to notice His amazing creation all around us, time to build relationship with Him, and He is teaching us the importance of praying. There is a lot more praying going on these days as we find ourselves coming face to face with our mortality!

Just maybe, God is using this time to reset our compasses to due Eternity. Many of us have forgotten why we are here – the purpose God has given us. We fail to worship Him and begin to worship ourselves among other “idols” we have set up for ourselves including our achievements, our financial status, our travels, our entertainments, our friends and acquaintances, or whatever we have put between ourselves and our God. Our churches compete with each other for bigger, better, and more instead of joining together with the purpose of telling others about our Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to take away the sins of the world including taking their sins and giving them His righteousness! We have good news to share and instead many of us gather for entertainment and ritual. Just maybe God is showing us who the Church is – the unified body of Christ - not a building or a program, but the body of Christ! All joined together as one!

And just maybe, if He has gotten our attention and we respond well, He will be able to shorten the time of COVID-19 because it has accomplished its purposes. Yes, Satan meant it for evil, the destruction of many lives, but God can and will use it for good, the building of His church and the saving of many lives for eternity.

Father, we confess we have lost sight of our purposes here and we have a lot of speed-learning to do about what it means to be Your Church. As we have this time of Sabbath Rest, restore our souls and lead us to the green pastures and streams of living water that You have for us. Teach us to keep our hearts, minds and souls focused on eternity that we would serve Your eternal purposes and not get caught up in the world’s near-sighted ways. Heal our land and our people that together we might shout Your praises and bring You glory! In the mighty and powerful name of Jesus, Amen.