The Wheel – 3rd Spoke “Fellowship”

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;”   James 2:8 

I have come to a critical juncture in my discipleship training…fellowship.

I think I’ve admitted once before, I’m kind of a loner.   I could hang out in the mountains (or anywhere else with solitude) with my family and really be okay for quite some time.  But it has been brought to my attention that no man is an island, and the Lord intended communion with others.  The Lord had fellowship with Adam in the garden.  He also saw that Adam was “alone” and created Eve.  Loneliness was the first thing God ever deemed “not good.”  Now I have to deal with crucial aspects of my own heart.  Things I’ve put off because “well, that’s just me.”  That’s not going to fly anymore.

I’m trying to get down to the core as to why I push people away.  Or maybe not push away, but take on a nonchalant attitude about them.  Is it just easier?  Am I afraid of getting hurt?  Is it me, me, me?  Or have I finally just come to the point to where I have to admit I’m more selfish than I am loving?  Maybe I’ve put a wall up for so long that I just don’t care.  I’ve only cared about me and what’s on my side of the wall (family, close friends, my interests) and have made some kind of conscience decision somewhere just not to get involved with anyone on the other side of the wall I’ve put between them and me.  Even fellow believers are on the other side.  The Lord has tugged at my heart all day since yesterday about this. 

Pastor’s sermon was on ”What’s the desire of your heart?”  Sunday morning.  He asked us to make a mental list of about 10 things that we had on our top most desired list.  I jotted down 5 real quick, thinking this was going to be a “God giving the desires of your heart” sermon.  What was on mine?  Well, let me just share the first 5 with you and see if you can guess where my heart was.

1.  A good, well built, clean, house that’s not been torn up by termites

2.  Poison Ivy that has festered all over my right foot to be healed and just GO AWAY!

3.  To be debt free.

4.  Go on vacation w/out worrying about money

5.  To go to India w/out worrying about money   

Sounds bad doesn’t it?  Paul’s heart’s desire was that Israel might be saved.  Mine was, well…

I took notes on the rest of the sermon and planned on going over them all day long today, but something always got in the way.  I always found something better to do than focus on this problem I have within myself.  I must learn to love people the way I love myself, and Pastor Steve gave some tips on how to do that in his sermon.  Over the next few blogs I’m going to go over those tips and write a little bit as to how they apply to my life.  Maybe as I write them down I’ll start to see that somehow the Lord through His Spirit will start providing a new love for just people in general, believers and non believers alike.  Because I really believe that is the root of the problem, just not loving people in general, and being too wrapped up in my own life.  Comments always welcome.  God bless.

The Wheel – The Second Spoke “Prayer”

Very recently I’ve been what I would have to say “cautiously optimistic” about my prayer life. 

I have tried to incorporate the teachings of Dawson Trotman’s illustration into my own life as I train in a life of discipleship in Christ Jesus.  Prayer has never been a strong point in my life, despite my own efforts and desire.  Personally I’m not sure that I really understood the need for it.  I always believed it to be a request for resources, rather than a need for communication between me and the Lord.  Many times I felt unworthy…after all, EVERY SINGLE TIME I knelt in prayer I was asking for something.  So what’s the point? 

Even further study has revealed there is so much more that happens through prayer than a request for resouces.  More than I have ever realized.  I’m viewing prayer now as “a battlefield.”  I’m sure more insight will come later on, but my reasons for seeing it this way are two fold (for now).  First, I can’t be everywhere at the same time.  Physically my body MUST be in one space at any given time and I can only do so much for any other person.  But God is everywhere, sees everyone, and can do anything.  If I pray for someone’s health in India – God can meet the need.  If I pray for the Holy Spirit to move in Henryetta, OK – God can meet the need – even if I can’t.  Secondly, God is depended upon wholly in prayer.  Think about it – if he’s not depended upon – why bother?

The whole reason for prayer is to ask God to move in some way shape or form.  The very act of praying means that I am acknowledging there is a God out there and He is capable of anything asked (as long as I am not asking amiss).  I have faith God can do what He says in His Word (remember the first spoke), so I speak to Him.  Not asking resources for MY life, but in most cases lately, asking resources for OTHERS!  

As long as I am praying His Word, I know I am praying His will.  In praying his will I can be praying expectantly.  Yes – this certainly is a new attitude and fire I have found thanks to the grace of God, and I plan on it changing my life.  I have more thoughts on praying God’s Word from the Bible that I’ll write later on.  God bless everyone.

The Wheel Part 1 “Christ the Hub” cont.

After more in depth study, I have somewhat to add to my own thoughts on Christ being our hub.  That is, Jesus being the center of the Christian’s life.  Let me emphasize, he should be the center of ALL Christians life. 

Jesus should be the motivation for any and all choices of life that we as God’s children can possibly make; yet that alone could not possibly be enough.  If motivation was all it took we would all fail miserably.  I’m afraid I myself have learned this the hard way.  Most Christians would LOVE to do well by Christ.  They WANT to share their faith, they WANT to serve the Lord, Christ IS their motivation and they set out to do what they are motivated to do because of Jesus Christ, yet they come up short, they get discouraged and they quit. 

Even now I’m watching a movie on television starring Anthony Hopkins who played the apostle Paul, in “Peter and Paul.”  John Mark just admitted to Paul he “wants to go home,” so he does, heartbroken that he just didn’t have what it takes.  How many of us feel the same way?!  We have a strong burning desire to do a God size task and we go about it only with Christ as our motivation, but that’s all. 

Jesus cannot JUST BE the center of our actions, he also must be the center of our strength!  And there is plenty for both, motivation or source but also our strength.  Without the strength of Jesus, the endurance and patience he has, it is impossible to do anything concerning Christ without Him (and be successful).  Jesus Christ said it Himself, “Without me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5)  How do we make Him our strength?  Stop depending on yourself, admit the tasks that God has given you are too big for you and just do them knowing God will take care of whatever need you might have in the midst of His work. 

When I was in India last year, speaking to a room full of pastors who were taking notes and paying far more attention than what I thought the teaching I was giving would be worth; I was struck (nearly every time) with a fear I can’t begin to describe.  I wanted to quit, I wanted to go right up to pastor and tell him “I can’t.”  Yet I realized something, I was at this time completely helpless, I got on my knees and prayed to God and told Him I wanted to quit, I couldn’t take any more and I was ready to go home.  You know what answer I got….nada.  So I taught anyway, afraid and depending on God the whole time.  Knowing that “His Word would never return void.”  I realized then that God was my source of strength.  Yet one more way in which I was making Him the “Hub of my wheel,” the center of my life. 

Who is your motivation?  Who is your strength?  Who helps you get through?  Wife?  Husband?  Kids?  Friends?  Is it Christ?  I pray it is…God Bless.

The Wheel Part 1 “Christ the Hub”

We’ve heard it before….

“It is absolutely essential that Christ is the center of our lives.”  Yes, we know that, we acknowledge it, we may even say it is the absolute essential truth in our lives…but do we believe it?  I read a quote from TallyHo, the Fox! by Herb Hodges not long ago, it simply stated “you behave what you believe.”  Think about it.  You believe a semi truck is going to kill you when you stand on the freeway - what do you do?  You move off the freeway!  Life is the same way, even in all it’s subtleties.  The question is, what’s your motivation?  What keeps your wheel rolling?  What or rather, ”who” is the hub of your wheel?  Is your hub Jesus Christ?

My first car was a 1981 Buick Regal.  I drove that car for years, I wrecked it 2 or 3 times, nearly turned it on its side; it refused to die!  It was far from perfect condition before I was though with it.  In fact, one of the imperfections, was a faulty wheel.  There were several times I was told by family and friends that the wheel appeared to “wobble” as I drove down the road, and it wasn’t just when I was speeding down the highway, it “wobbled” as I pulled out of the drive!  What was the problem?  The wheel wasn’t centered on the hub.  A couple of lugnuts were missing and caused the tire to be WAY off where it should’ve been.  I was lucky I didn’t kill myself driving around like that.  Such is the Christian life if it is not “centered” or ”mounted and balanced” on Jesus Christ himself.

Paul said, “For me to live IS Christ….” (Philippians 1:21)  What did he mean?  Every single day of his life, every moment of his life was built around and for Jesus!  What he ate depended on the grace of Christ (Paul was a devout Jew who enjoyed a ham sandwich with Gentile convert buddies).  When he chastised His disciples, it was for Christ.  When he was persecuted, beaten, shipwrecked, bitten, stoned and thrown over a cliff it was because of Christ; and Paul couldn’t be happier.  Paul was so devoted to Jesus and the mission that the risen Savior had given him every decision he made was a reflection upon Jesus.  Are we this way?  Is Christ the motivation for our decisions?  Do we live for His glory?  How can we?  Here’s a few examples in my own life lately….

What time do I go to bed?  Ouch, well, lately it hasn’t been so great, but I’m working on it.  I’m kind of convicted about it.  Why you ask?  Because when I go to bed at midnight thirty, I am NOT going to wake up at 6:30am to have my quiet time with the Lord.  That’s soooo important in my life as a Christian who loves Christ.

What do I eat?  Whether we like it or not, food effects mood.  Eat junk food, you don’t feel as well, you are tired, and more often than not, easily pushed over the edge.  All I need is to offend someone who knows I’m a Christian and there goes my testimony…and possibly other Christians as well…and what in the world does that say about Jesus.

What do I talk about?  My neighbor?  My things?  Whoa, I HAVE TO KEEP A BRIDLE ON MY TONGUE!  That’s not always an easy thing to do, (especially when you are tired and unaware of what you are saying…do you get the picture I’m not a morning person?) 

All of these, as well as several others, are decisions that can be made because to live IS Christ!  I think throughout the week I will share some daily examples of how I made decisions because I endeavor for Jesus to be my “hub”.  I encourage all who read to leave some comments on how they have made decisions because Christ is their hub.  Little decisions, or big ones, doesn’t matter.  I look forward to hearing all who will contribute.

 God bless.

The Christian, The Wheel, and The Life

“Giving Life Abundantly;” only Christ Jesus can do that…

The question is, “Will you accept this life?”  Christ has given us His life, not only through His death, but also through his ressurection and now, calls those who believe in Him to an ultimate form of life that only He can provide through His Spirit.  “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  Jesus said (John 10:10).  There is no question as to why he came…the question is, “will you accept this life?”  In the same verse Jesus Christ contrasts what is not the life, “The thief does not come but to steal, and to kill and to destroy…”  Some would say there’s has to be some kind of middle ground there, where the thief is not stealing, and the Life is not being given.  My question is, “Why would you want it?”  Why want a little when you can have ABUNDANT life.  Abundant is a relative term….right?  It’s Jesus’ term, and who else’s “relative” view of “abundant” do you need?  I’m calling any interested first to Christ, He IS the life.  If you have no relationship with him…it’s time.  If you do have a relationship with our Lord…

Examine with me the Life through the eyes and concepts of a man named Dawson Trottman, a man who understood God is a BIG God, and that He keeps his promises, so Dawson Trottman believed he could make a difference claiming the promise of Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call unto me, and I will answer you, and I will show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”  (Good verse to memorize, go ahead try it!)  Dawson came up with a new illustration, which described the Christain disciples life (or those aspiring to get the Christian disciples’ life!)  And nearly 50 years after his death people are still using his material and ideas in order to train men and women in Christ who love the Lord and want nothing short of what He wants.  The Wheel is something I am studying with Pastor Steve in order to begin and continue our lives of discipleship under Christ.  Not long, and I will start with my own “Timothy” or perhaps a few.  That’s what this blog is all about.  Helping others in their walk with Christ.  Following the path that he personally took with his disciples and going through “the Wheel.” 

Just think of a wheel for a few moments…what’s its purpose?  It certainly is used on just about every vehicle known to man.  It has a use, it is not a device which was invented for itself.  The wheel has purpose, it was designed for a purpose, and that purpose is to arrive at it’s destination.  The wheel’s sole purpose is to be moving in the direction the driver intends so the driver may end at a particular destination.  This destination is ”God’s final marching orders” for those who seen, touched, listened, loved, lived side by side, and confirmed even the resurrection our Master.  The Great Commission was for them, and for us, products of their eyewitness.  We’re to “go”and make disciples.  By the way, the word “go” means “as you are going!”  Jesus Christ assumed that if you know Him you will be going…wherever you go…making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).  The final destination of Jesus Christ (the driver), is total world impact, and wheels (our lives) are to go towards that destination. 

Our lives as wheels are going to start taking very specific and definitive shapes, and a well rounded wheel (with all it’s particular mechanical parts) are going to be rolling with a purpose.  Who is the driver?  The true driver?  Who is the hub of the wheel?  Is it Christ?  Is Christ the center driving point of all you are?  Of all you would be?  Does he dominate your hopes and dreams?  I pray to the Father He will. 

I pray you’ll continue to read, one day at a time…