Christ wants everything...not just what yout think you should give...everything!

Dang it, I keep seeing this theme of giving it all to Christ. To count my life as nothing and give everything I have. I'll present the evidence and you can decide for yourself.

Matthew 13:44-46

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Matthew 16:24-28

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Luke 14:25-28

The Cost of Discipleship

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Philippians 3:7-9

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—

Well, there it is. What did you decide? I'll tell you what I think though. As much as I would just rather live for myself and what I want, the Bible says otherwise.

Christ is a treasure and a pearl and the people in the parable sold everything that they had to attain it. Not just some or part of it, but everything they had to attain what they had found. They put their complete trust in Christ and they he would take care of the rest.

I think that Matthew 16:24-28 says it pretty well. You must deny yourself, take up your cross, and then follow him. I don't want to be one that gains the whole world and have my soul be forfeit. You cannot give 100 percent if you don't deny your life. How can I give 100 percent if I love my life more than what Christ has done for me, which is what Luke 14:25-28 says.


While at Faithwalkers, there was a person on my team where they realized how worthy Christ is of everything I am. And I just have to say that I completely agree. Christ is completely worthy of my whole life because of what he did for me. My prayer is to be more like Paul in Philippians 3:7-9.

Amen!

The Parable of the Sower

We have all heard this story many, many times. I probably cannot count on all of my fingers and toes how many times I have heard it and read it. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear."

"Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

 Wow, now that is quiet a parable. Jesus tells us the crowds the parable and then later on his disciples ask him what it means and he tells them. It seems to be laid out pretty well. I think this is a great parable and I have seen every single type of seed Jesus talks about. But what I want to talk about here is the seed that was sown on good soil.


The very last part was pretty convicting to me. Jesus says that the seed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and another thirty. I had to stop and think about it, what do I yield? Twenty, fifty-five, eighty? I sure hope that I am one of the cases that produce a hundredfold. I want my life to count for something more than just living for this world.


What seed are you, and how much to you bear fruit and yield?

What do you think?

I was reading in Matthew and I read these verses and I completely love them, but I want to know what other people think about them.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

So what do you think about this set of verses?

A few Christmas things to catch up on

Silence and Solitude Part 5

Here is the last part to this series, please refer back to Part 1 before you go on to read this section.

~~~~~~~

Part 5

Journaling
The following is a copy of the template I created for myself to organize my days of silence and solitude for the purpose of journaling. I offer it knowing that you can and should chande it to fin your life. This is not Scripture, it's not perfect, and I don't claim it is. Rather, it is a simple tool for you to adapt as you need. For me, I keep notes in my Moleskine throughout the week, and sit down to answer these questions on my laptop in a Word document. This keeps it simple for me and allows me to see God's work in my life over time.

Ideally, every Christina would do a modified version of this plan every week as an act of worship, taking around an hour to answer a few questions that are most pressing for them. In addition, it is wise to take at least one full day a month in silence and solitude to answer all the questions without being rushed, leaving time to open your Bible, pray, repent, worship, and ponder.

Silence and Solitude Journaling Template
"... the report about him [Jesus] went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray."--Luke 5:15-16

Date:
Modified or Full Plan:
Note: Here I am making note if it's one hour or one day for silence and solitude.
Place and Conditions:
Note: I am someone for whom space deeply matters. On a nice day I sit outside by a river or at a beach in a beautiful spot. I don't like coffee shops (too noisy and crowded) or the office (too much distraction). I like to be up high with a view, crave fresh air, love the sun, and cannot relax where it's loud, busy, ugly, stinky, disorganized, poorly designed, uncomfortable, or too hot or cold, and yes, I am picky. So, I note where I was and that helps me keep a record of nice spots for silence and solitude days. I borrow friends' vacation homes, have spots I like outside of town in the mountains, and so forth.

Part 1 - Recent Evidences of God's Grace

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word."--2 Thess. 2:16-17


Note; To have good words and works, we need hope and comfort by seeing and savoring evidences of God's grace. I start with this topic to get me into a mode of worship. I can be quiet a gloomy and moody person, so this gets me going in the right direction for my time with God. I often take an hour on this topic alone and make a long list, thanking God and praying as I go.

Part 2 - Deep Questions
 
"The purpose in a man's mind is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out."--Prov. 20:5 (RSV)


Note: These are my questions and you can make your own or change mine. I don't include Bible reading and study because they are like breathing to me, but you may want to add them. In question four I'm talking about my wife, Grace. I list each of my kids in question five because with a big family it's too easy to treat the kids as a herd rather than knowing and pastoring each one. I put my owrk last, figuring that if the rest of my life is in order, work will go well. I rate every question on a scale so that I can be honest about how I'm doing and track progress over time. The prayer points are things I pray about as I'm journaling and things to put on my prayer list that week. The action items go on my calendar. Lastly, I share a lot of this with my wife, friends, and others, and a lot of my blogs and ministry training are simply sharing what comes out my journaling on days of silence and solitude.


1. How accurate is my view of God lately?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items


2. How are my joy in the Holy Spirit and corresponding hope?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

3. What temptations and sins are mosst ensnaring?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

4. How is my connection with my wife?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

5. How is my connection with each of my children?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

6. How is my health (e.g., weight, diet, exercise)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

7. How is my sleep (e.g., bed time, quality of sleep, length of sleep)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

8. How is my energy level?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

9. How is my dominion over my technology (e.g., cell phone, laptop, email, text)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

10. How is the stewardship of my wealth (e.g., finances, possessions, property, investments)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

11. Hos is my social life with friends and extended family?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

12. Who or what is filling my tank lately?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

13. Who or what is draining my tank lately?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

14. Who has sinned against me and how am I responding?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

15. Who do I need to confide in and where should I seek wisdom?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

16. Are there any warning signs that I am burning out?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

17. Am I successfully getting our of the river onto the bank enough through silence, solitude, study, and Sabbath?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

18. What do I need to stop doing, do less of, or hand off to someone else?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

19. How are my self-deception and truth suppression?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

20. How is my writing (e.g., books, blogs, papers)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items

21. How is my preaching (preparation and results, in and out of Mars Hill)?
+Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
+Prayer Points
+Action Items


~~~~~~~


I have a love/hate relationship with journaling. I love doing it because I can get things out of my head and put it on paper so that I can see it before me instead of trying to keep track of things in my head. I find that when I journal, it is a way of talking with God. I get to think through the things that are going on in my life and here is where the catch is for me. There is so much going on in my life that I just want to keep writing and writing and writing. And I don't really have the time to do such. I think that there are some good things that Mark shared here but I would recommend doing your own thing when journaling. Maybe take a few things that he said but definitely come up with your own plan.

Well, there has been a lot to think on and a lot to chew on from this little discussion. I pray that Mark's thoughts and my thought help you to pursue Christ more as you pray, read the word, and journal.

Silence and Solitude Part 4

It is a new year and I have been busy with family and friends. It almost seems like forever since I posted on here. But to continue on with the silence and solitude series, please refer back to Part 1 before you go on to read this section.

~~~~~~~

 Part 4

Silence and Solitude Stealers

Despite the Bible's exhortation and Jesus' example to enjoy times of silence and solitude, few Christinas regulatly enjoy thses gifts from God. This is because there are some real enemies at work that need to be combated for silence and solitude to be enjoyed. The following are some of the more common silence and solitude stealers that have to be dealt with as an act of repentance:

1. Those people - pushy, needy, demanding, high-drama, inconsiderate people steal your life, joy, health, and time--often in the neame of ministry, when it's really people-pleasing idolatry that allows them to get away with it.
2. Technology - you cannot be a maturing Christian following the example of Jesus Christ if you are always surging the Internet, dinking around on your cell phone, reading emails, texting, tweeting, rocking out, and watching TV. You have to turn them off to tune int ot God. Yes, I have all of the latest technology, and I turn it off so my soul can recharge. Do you really think Jesus would have been checking his buddy's friend request in the Garden of Gethsemane if he had and iPhone?
3. Lack of planning - in Leading On Empty, Wayne Cordeiro shows that in Genesis 1 when the Bible describes days, it says there was first evening then morning. So, bibically, the day begins at night with rest, Sabbath, and silence. That then prepares us for work and conversation. This is like Jesus who spent time alone before beginning his public ministry.
4. Trading busyness for fruitfulness - some people say they are too busy to worship, pray, Sabbath, journal, and so forth, cut they have tragically traded being busy for being godly, obedient, and wise fruitful stewards. Is your busyness truly fruitful or would some plans to organize your world, home, diet, budget, schedule, and life be helpful?
5. Lack of appreciation - the Bible has a great deal to say about the benefits of purposeful silence, including:

• hearing from God (1 Kings 19:11-13)
• waiting patiently for the Lord to act (Lam. 3:25-28)
• worshiping God (Hab. 2:20)
• knowing God better (Ps. 46:10)
• praying effectively (Luke 5:16)

My prayer is that those reading this who are guilty of people and noise addiction would experience the regular gifts of silence and solitude because that is often where God is waiting for us. There was silence before God spoke the world into existence, and silence for forty days before Jesus began his public ministry. May you too enjoy silence and solitude before you attempt to live your life with, for, like, and to God.


~~~~~~~


I have to say that I love number one and two. There are so many people that I love hanging out with and there is so much technology that I love messing around on. I can get distracted by what people and this world has to offer. There are many times that I justify myself in what I do which is not okay. I tell myself that it is okay to go and hang out even though I have not had any time with Jesus that day. I think that your day will be more filled with Christ if you are to dive in each morning and spend time in the word and in prayer. Mark says that night is when it should start, but I think you need something to reguvinate you in your day. Something that you can hold onto and cling to through out your day. So the best time, I think is in the morning before you start anything else in your day.