Having just participated in the ‘Multiply Movement’ webcast put on by Francis Chan and David Platt, I have come away both convicted and encouraged. The event centered on the command of Jesus to go out and make disciples. As the last command given by Jesus before He ascended to Heaven, disciple-making is one of our primary objectives. We are not only to live as disciples ourselves, but we are to multiply that by making other disciples who will make other disciples who will make other disciples. This is how the message of Christ will expand and change our world! The love of Jesus is not something we can keep to ourselves. To be real, love must be shared.
Archives for November 2012
Election Results
As the dust settles on another election in the United States, about half the country is depressed and half is elated. Listening to the radio and various conversations today, it seems that a good number of Christians find themselves deflated, defeated, and depressed. This is the result of putting our hope in earthly governments and finding at least some of our identity in our nationality. As followers of Jesus, we must remember that we are not of this world (John 15:19). We have a higher call to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We are to reflect the light of God’s truth into the dark world around us. Carrying out the mission of Christ remains our commission regardless of who happens to be in residence at the White House.
Preoccupied
I believe most people are sincere in their commitment to follow Christ. We really do want to make Him the Lord of our lives and to put Him before everything else. Satan knows this as well which is why he is constantly looking for ways to discourage and distract us. It’s not the catastrophic failures that tend to doom us; it’s the small, incremental distractions that knock us off course to the point that we one day wonder how we got where we are. So often a bad day finds us looking to anything other than God to salve our frustrations. We seek comfort in mindless entertainment or destructive addictions in hopes of numbing a life that has gone off plan and seemingly has no solution in sight. We neglect our first love (1 John 4:19; Revelation 2:4), and Satan is delighted. No matter what’s going on in your life, you must never let your affliction cloud your affection.
Vote Jesus
Next week is the Presidential election in the United States. The past several months we have been inundated with commercials and news reports extolling the virtues of one candidate while lambasting the other. Religious leaders have made their endorsements, as have the elite of the business, entertainment, and academic worlds. The whole world is watching to see who will be the President of the United States over the next four years. As a citizen of the United States, I feel it is my duty and privilege to vote for the political leaders I believe will best serve the needs of this country in the future. But more importantly, as a servant of the King of the Universe, I realize that whoever wins this election ultimately does not affect my purpose in life or my mission on earth.