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Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 4:17pm not a fan. Well this isn’t quite next week as my previous blog stated, but more like next month! OOPS! Anyway, we are continuing on our journey through, A Call To Die. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord reveals Himself to us and speaks to us concerning where He wants us! Just before I started blogging for the church’s new website I was studying in Luke. I came upon chapter nine verse twenty-three and the words seemed to jump out at me. I took it before the Lord, searched my heart and considered whether I was denying myself, taking up the cross and truly following Him in every aspect of my life. I wrote the verse on a post-it note and stuck it on my computer screen. When the opportunity came for me to blog, the Lord directed to me use my thoughts and journaling from the book that I had read, “A Call to Die” by David Nassar. My memory was refreshed skimming through the book again. While reading through my journal, I had logged that same verse during the time I went through the book. The theme of self denial continued throughout the pages of the book and my journal. Just recently my wife and I had the privilege of meeting Kevin and Marcy Bryan. Their fulltime ministry is producing and editing for City On A Hill Productions based out of Louisville, Ky. We were privileged to see their presentation, but Kevin also shared with us a recent sermon series from their church, Southeast Christian in Louisville, pastored by Dave Stone, entitled, “not a fan.” The sermon series had quite an impact on the congregation. It was the most viewed sermon on their website over any sermon or series. City On A Hill took the theme and the message and created a powerful ministry resource. It just so happens, Luke 9:23 is a part of this message: not just being a fan of Jesus, but a true committed follower. I could never give it justice to adequately express it to you, so I invite you to log onto www.notafan.com and watch the three or four minute trailer by Kyle Idleman and checkout the website! I have been asking myself lately, am I fan or a follower! All 4Him, PD Thursday, May 7, 2009, 12:39pm  TAKE
UP YOUR CROSSLast week we talked about self denial. So, if we’re asked to deny ourselves and say no, then what’s left? What does taking up our cross mean? Walking from town to town in Jesus’ days, one would occasionally pass by dying men hanging on crosses as a punishment under the Roman Empire. It would seem rather extreme to hear Jesus say, “Take up your cross.” The disciples would come to understand later what He meant as they saw Jesus carry out the Father’s plan of enduring His own cross to be completely obedient to the Father. His commitment to obey His Father was much greater than His desire for comfort and approval or to have His way. This is what it means for me and you too! To obey God no matter what He calls us to and no matter how much we don’t want to do it. Everyday of our life we get to say yes to our Father by: *Valuing what God says is important and pushing aside the things that are not. *Being loyal to Him because of His love for us. *Obeying Him and joining Him whenever and however He leads. *Finding complete satisfaction in knowing that He is honored by our obedience. Next week we will talk more specifically about how “Yes” vs. “No” is played out in our everyday lives! All 4Him, PD Thursday, April 30, 2009, 9:23am  WHAT
DID HE SAY?The words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 16:24 give us our first glimpse of what it means to respond to the call to die. He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” We are reminded that this decision is our choice with Jesus’ use of the word if. His invitation stands for you to respond to this journey with all of its highs and lows, smooth roads and pot holes, victories and defeats. He will never force anyone into this decision. Some have decided the price is too high. A Michael English song puts it this way, “There’s not a victory without a fight, there’s not a sunrise without a night, there’s not a purchase without a cost and there’s not a crown without a cross.” Self denial is a significant component in the call to die. But what does it mean to deny? Think of your selfishness as a hungry wolf that consumes anything and everything it can eat. To deny it means: don’t feed it! Simply identify the sources that feed your selfishness and stray away or abstain completely from those things. They are different for each of us, but here are a few suggestions. *Deny reading books or magazines that stimulate those thoughts. *Deny daydreaming about having more or controlling more. *Deny watching movies or television shows that feed those impulses. *Deny listening to music that makes selfishness seem normal. *Deny hanging out with people who drag you down. *Deny talking about people or things or yourself in negative ways. Are you ready and willing to deny yourself? Starve “self” and take up your cross? This may seem like a list of things we have to say no to, but next week we will look at taking up our cross and the things we get to say YES to! All 4Him, PD Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 5:17pm  THE
BLOG OF DEATHDeitrich Bonhoeffer once said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Die . . . death . . . dying . . . no one really likes to think of death. It is so morbid that we do everything we can to refrain from talking about it, watching it, let alone the thoughts of experiencing it. When Christ calls a man the reference is not to a physical death it is spiritual death, a journey and as you embark on the adventure you discover layers after layer of yourself that needs to be stripped away to become more like Him. Paul says in Romans 6:11, “Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” In Galatians 2:20 he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” This sounds like a paradox, huh!?! But wait there’s more . . . *We must become less so He can become more. *We must become a slave to righteousness so we can be set free. *God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. This is basically a life emptied of ourselves and filled with all of who He is. The journey will be very different for all of us, but it is open for everyone who names the name of Jesus to follow Him on this adventure. Just know that He won’t leave you hanging or sell you short. “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 Over the next few weeks we look at the call to die. We will be using a 40 day journal, A Call to Die, David Nassar that I have used in the past as a guide for our road trip. We will also glean from God’s Word because it is truth and . . . “as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) God’s Word is living and powerful. It will ignite change in your life and set you on a course of death to yourself and life unto Christ. Next week will talk about fasting, self denial and serious introspection as we look at decreasing the Me, Myself and I Syndrome that our culture has infected us with and we will began preparing our hearts to be surrendered to Christlikeness. Join me as we accept the invitation to come and die and truly live! All 4Him, PD |
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