Continuing Thoughts

A little more than five years ago (October 3, 2010), I started this blog. In the last month I have lost the desire to continue it as it was going. At one point I had considered this as an outlet for personal thoughts on a variety of subjects as they surfaced in my life. Somehow that morphed into a stream of “how to” additions that left me empty and feeling like I was saying nothing. With so many experts already in the field where I was writing, I decided I was wasting my time and that of any readers.

After a hiatus of more than a month, it is time for me to start writing again. This time it will be less regimented as to publishing date. Gone is the constraint of writing every Wednesday. It will be less didactical and simply more self-revelatory. The one thing I will continue is to show how my thoughts and development have their roots in the words of the Holy Bible, the word of God.

King Solomon is described as writing thousands of proverbs springing out of his wisdom. He found insight as he watched people and studied nature. Life itself was his teacher. This increase in wisdom came about because he opened his eyes and ears to the world and his spirit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit of God.

To get the most from this brief existence we call life in this world, we must all do the same. It begins when you are born, and it doesn’t end until you die. We learn from what we take in through our five physical senses and just as much from what we allow to touch our spiritual beings. If we cannot put that in a test tube or under a microscope, that doesn’t mean we are not learning just as much. Perhaps in one sense we are learning the more important lessons of life when we are learning through our hearts rather than through our minds.

Jesus said:

Mat 11:28-30 "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light."

This journey I began at conception more than six decades ago has been filled with lessons. Many I have missed and will never know what I could have been had I been more sensitive to their presence. Today I am what I am because of the lessons I learned or failed to learn. I am probably richer because of both, not necessarily better, just richer.

Through all that time my greatest teacher has been my Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes he spoke to me through his written word, the Bible. Often he spoke through those Christian saints who have already lived out their years in this mortal life. At times he has led me to see his lessons in the natural world when I was sensitive enough to let those experiences be interpreted through the nature of God.

In the future this blog will take a different form. For any who would take the time to read it, you will see the lessons I have learned and am learning under the tutelage of the Master Teacher. May God bless us both.

Ministers to Each Other

Neil Diamond, an American songwriter, wrote a song entitled “He Ain’t Heavy… He’s My Brother” containing these lyrics,

His welfare is my concern

No burden is he, to bear

We’ll get there

For I know

He would not encumber me

He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

Caring for our brothers, or sisters, or our neighbors, is fundamental to a civilized society. For a social network based upon the teachings of the New Testament and particularly those of Jesus, caring for those we consider family is critical for our relationship with God himself.

Jesus emphasized our responsibility to care for others in scripture.

Mat 22:37-40 Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and the most important commandment. The second most important commandment is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' The whole Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Mat 25:35-40 I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.' The righteous will then answer him, 'When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we ever see you a stranger and welcome you in our homes, or naked and clothe you? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!

The Apostle Paul added these directions for his readers among the churches in Galatia:

Gal 6:9 So let us not become tired of doing good; for if we do not give up, the time will come when we will reap the harvest. So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith.

Within the context of the Bible study small group, such ministry is eminently possible. Members get to know each other in ways a large group in worship or elsewhere never would. Through sharing prayer requests and life experiences, members learn the special needs of others within this developing spiritual family. With this knowledge they seek ways to meet those needs.

The physical needs are most obvious. They may not, however, be the most serious. The pain of surgery is real. Just as real is the pain of a damaged or broken relationship. There is pain in crushed dreams and unrealized expectations. There is pain when a personal value or idea is dragged through criticism as well meaning as that criticism might have been.

The members of the small group family have many paths by which they may be ministers to each other. Different needs call for different skills and different resources. Physical resources may be provided by members as needed. Symbols of encouragement can come in a variety of forms. The most important thing is for the class to remember they have a responsibility to minister to each in the name of Christ.

In times of sickness, meals for the individual and family remove one more thing others in the family need not have as a concern. Sitters allow the family caregiver a chance to get out of the house for a while. An individual or group who is willing to give the time to do chores around the house help the family retain some sense of normalcy.

Nothing is more powerful than the gift of presence. Giving of personal time to be with someone else says simply, “I remember you and I care.” When words are insufficient and material needs do not exist, the presence of an individual who shares compassion can make all the difference in the world.

The small group above all else allows us to minister to one another.

Small Group Prayer Power

 Jesus assured his followers of his presence and the power that would mean as they met together.

Mat 18:20 “For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them."

In the previous verse Jesus had emphasized the power of agreement in prayer. This is also a great promise, but one that is often abused. There is so much more to effective prayer than a handful of sinful believers agreeing on what they think should happen.

Mat 18:19 "And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”

Jesus tells us so much more about what is necessary for effective prayer. His words are expanded in the teachings of the writers of the early letters in the New Testament. It is enough to know at this point that Jesus seeks unity among his followers so that their prayers will have the power to fight evil in this world.

The Bible study group, the Sunday School class, must teach its participants the importance of prayer. This is done through Bible study. It is also done through practice. We were not called to study prayer as necessary as that may be. We were called to practice prayer, use prayer, and communicate with our heavenly Father through prayer. Prayer is the lifeline between child and Father, servant and Master.

In the small group the participants can learn to trust one another. Trust is the foundation for honest and vulnerable prayer. In our times of solitary prayer, no one hears but God. In a time of sharing with one other individual, the intimacy is held between just two people. In a small group setting there are more minds listening. There is a great variety of background experiences through which we see the prayer concerns of others.

These background experiences will shape how we respond to the revelations in our group. We must be sympathetic and compassionate. We may be tempted to be judgmental and critical. We can never let this happen as we are all sinners in need of God’s grace. In a spirit of supportive prayer, the members of a small group must be willing to listen and seek the will of the Spirit of God and not an answer according to a personal agenda.

As this openness and vulnerability are practiced within the group, trust is developed. Every individual is seen to be equal in light of their need for God’s intervention through strength and forgiveness. Joining together in group prayer creates a bond among the members as all realize we stand equal before God.

In group prayer praise becomes a corporate activity. The people of God become worshippers through their praise of who God is and how he has revealed himself in creation and especially through his Son Jesus Christ. The group uses prayer to praise God for what he has done in the life of each individual and for the Body of Christ, the Church.

The Bible study group intercedes for each individual member through the use of corporate prayer. One person’s need is lifted up by multiple individuals. Prayer for the individual takes on an added dimension as others reveal they have the same need. God’s intervention is sought for all with a particular concern.

Though more is needed to make prayer in unity effective, that unity is vital. Members of the group all seek the will of God through humbled and vulnerable hearts. The group confesses its own weakness to meet the needs of others. The group seeks the wisdom of God, the strength of God, and the grace of God.

In all this the individual sees the need for a dependency upon the power of God to face each day and everything that day may bring. When the group confesses the need for prayer, the individual sees the need on a personal level. Then the power of prayer becomes more effective for all.

Making Disciples Who Make Disciples

The Great Commission is the driving force behind our actions as citizens of the Kingdom of God. It is a command that supersedes all human law. There is a right way to carry out this command. That way honors God and brings him glory. There are wrong ways to attempt to carry out this Commission. These grieve God and dishonor him before the world.

Mat 28:18-20 Jesus drew near and said to them, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."

If you have been in an evangelical church for any length of time, you have heard this passage of scripture explained and promoted many times. Jesus speaks here to his disciples just before he ascends into heaven.

Jesus reveals the foundation for the Commission in the first statement. After that he sets forth the pattern of ministry for his followers. As he has shared with them, they are now to duplicate his work out in the world. They are to be his Body at work until he comes again.

Since all authority is in the hands of Christ, his commands carry the force of heaven itself. What he rejected when Satan offered it during the wilderness temptations, he has gained through obedient suffering on the cross. Jesus has full authority to set the path for his followers and to expect obedience from them.

Making disciples of others must be a part of our daily lives. Jesus expects us to allow his Spirit to work through us during each day. Whether we are at home, at our jobs, or relating to our communities, we should be aware of the need to help others learn of Jesus and grow in their knowledge and obedience.

Through baptism an individual identifies with the Risen Lord Jesus. Baptism does not save an individual. Only faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit can do that. Baptism, however, serves the purpose of a public testimony indicating the person is not ashamed to be called a Christian. In today’s world once again this has become a dangerous stand to take.

The Risen Lord is emphatic we are to teach other to be obedient to what he has taught us. Making a disciple is far more than sharing knowledge. It must be more than recognizing who Jesus is as the Son of God and his authority as part of the Trinity. Knowledge is not the same as recognizing Lordship.

Jas 2:19 Do you believe that there is only one God? Good! The demons also believe---and tremble with fear.

Obedience comes from a willingness to submit to leadership and authority. James tells us even the demons recognize the truth about the nature of God and through him Christ, but they are not submissive to his Lordship. We must learn what Jesus taught and then we must be obedient to it. We must teach others the same. Salvation comes through faith, not knowledge. To make faithful followers we must teach them the necessity of obedience through faith.

Finally we make disciples by helping them to see they have the ongoing presence of Jesus with them. His promise to be by our sides at all times until he returns to take us home is as old as God’s relationship with man. The Psalmist in the Old Testament took comfort and gained strength through that assurance.

Psa 73:23-25 Yet I always stay close to you, and you hold me by the hand. You guide me with your instruction and at the end you will receive me with honor. What else do I have in heaven but you? Since I have you, what else could I want on earth?

Making more disciples is every disciple’s job. It is a basic part of the responsibility of the Bible study group.