As I've been reflecting on the retreat and the last three posts summarizing the bulk of our discussion that Saturday night, I've found some application in a hobby of mine. I like edible landscaping. This is exactly what it sounds like, you landscape with plants that produce edible food. I like edible landscaping because it's both practical and efficient. The plants you invest time in serve two purposes of decorating your yard, and feeding you, giving you a return on your time.
If you were to go to my house you would see fruit trees and berry bushes around my yard. Every plant I have put in is an edible. My front yard has apple, plum, peach and pawpaw trees, and a mulberry to feed the birds so they leave the rest of my stuff alone. I also have rapsberries, blueberries, and gogi berries. In the back yard I have strawberries, cranberries, and pineberries. There is also my garden bed which needs so much work, and a spot I used for herbs but my dog keeps digging it up, so right now it's full of weeds.
Edible landscaping is a lot like this journey we are on. It takes intentionality. Plants need a lot of work. They have to be pruned, feed, and weeded in order to produce.
Edible landscaping doesn't happen by accident. You have to plan where to plant things for sun light and water drainage. You have to select the right pollinators and take precautions against the wild life.
Edible landscaping serves as an outpouring of blessing. I prefer to plant edibles over decorative plants because I get a direct return. I don't buy berries, I pick them. I made a one time purchase that saves me money in the long run.
I find that God speaks to us in the things we are passionate about, making direct correlations to them. God is deeply personal, and created each of us as unique individuals with passions, interests, and gifts specific to us. With the proper care and development, these things can result in a fruitful harvest, and blessing for others.
This year we are focused on discipline and development, resulting in healing and fruitfulness, and it is a journey we are on together. In my yard are two plum trees. One is alive but not producing, and one is dead. The dead one is the result of my own error, I planted it too close to low spot in my yard, and the roots are too wet. The live one is barren because it needs the dead one to pollinate it. When each of us is growing and developing, when each of us is diligent to help each other pull the weeds that try to choke us out, and be properly fed, fruit is able to be produced.
I keep thinking of the parable of sower found in Matthew 13.3-9:
"And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, 'Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.'"
There are so many things in this world trying to keep us from developing and producing the harvest, just like there are so many factors working against my landscape. This is why we have our fellowship, but the fellowship only works if each one of us is committed to our own growth, and investing in each other.
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Growth is not an accident, by Jeremy
One of the things I believe is so common today is the belief that life will just happen to me, for me. By that I mean that I get the opportunity to sit back and enjoy life with minimal effort and everything will happen to my benefit in my life without me having to do anything. Now, that is a extreme way of stating it, and I am sure most people would inherently disagree with me, but then again, how often do you organize your life with a plan in mind? How often have you thought about who you want to be and have established goals that you are working towards? Let me put this a slightly different way. Right now, do you have simple goals that you are working towards or are you living passively without either a purpose or a plan? I am not the type of guy that has a 10 year plan or even a 5 year plan. I have had an idea of what I wanted to do in life and have tried to take steps towards that direction, but I have always felt God's hand leading elsewhere. I am glad I have not had such a strict plan for my life because I have had opportunities to step out and do things I otherwise would never have wanted to do or either would not have been able to do. However, I have still lived with some sort of goal, desire, or pursuit.
Here is my belief, or at least my opinion: God has given us wisdom. He does guide us and bring us opportunities. He has also put dreams and passions and abilities inside of us that He expects us to unwrap and then proceed to use and develop. He will not do that for us. He expects us to steward our lives with what He has placed within us (think the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). Ultimately, if we live passively never pursuing any dream or desire or never pursuing goals to grow and develop who we are we will never reach our full potential or we will miss opportunities because we lived passively never pursuing ways we could develop what God has given us. For example, if it has been dream to write and you aren't finding ways to write or taking classes to help refine and develop that as a skill then are you really stewarding what God has given you.
There is a fine line to thinking we have to do it all ourselves or believe God will do it all for us. I don't want to make it sound like it is all up to us to make ourselves who we need to be. However, I do believe that part of the reason we see so many passionless, passive christians today is because we have never connected with the passionate God who has Himself placed passions within us to pursue. We have sometimes felt that passion can be a negative thing and we need to calm down, be rational, use wisdom, either set up a 10 year plan so you know where You are going (with no room for God to interrupt) or don't worry about it God has everything under control and He will do it (because He definitely never uses people to accomplish His plan). Well try holding that argument up against the life of either Jesus or Paul, who were both very passionate people who lived very single-minded, very much pursuing the passions in their own hearts which were in fact God given. It says of Jesus specifically that He grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. He did it. That doesn't sound very passive to me. it doesn't say God did it for Him.
Those are my thoughts behind why I think it is so important to live intentionally. I think it is so powerful, not to mention fun, when we begin connecting with what God has placed inside of us, no matter how seemingly childish it is, for the intention of growing with Him, coming to know Him and ourselves better, and connecting with the passions and desires internally in order that we can grow, mature and develop into the people we are created to be. It can be as simple as reading a book a month to learning how to sword fight with a Katana (for a friend, not me), simply because it connects us with who we are. If done with the Lord and allowing HIm to lead, change, reorganize those things it can be a wonderful journey of discovering how He created us and what He thinks of us and pushes us to live pro-actively in a passive, reactive culture, which will never honestly accomplish anything
Here is my belief, or at least my opinion: God has given us wisdom. He does guide us and bring us opportunities. He has also put dreams and passions and abilities inside of us that He expects us to unwrap and then proceed to use and develop. He will not do that for us. He expects us to steward our lives with what He has placed within us (think the parable of the talents in Matthew 25). Ultimately, if we live passively never pursuing any dream or desire or never pursuing goals to grow and develop who we are we will never reach our full potential or we will miss opportunities because we lived passively never pursuing ways we could develop what God has given us. For example, if it has been dream to write and you aren't finding ways to write or taking classes to help refine and develop that as a skill then are you really stewarding what God has given you.
There is a fine line to thinking we have to do it all ourselves or believe God will do it all for us. I don't want to make it sound like it is all up to us to make ourselves who we need to be. However, I do believe that part of the reason we see so many passionless, passive christians today is because we have never connected with the passionate God who has Himself placed passions within us to pursue. We have sometimes felt that passion can be a negative thing and we need to calm down, be rational, use wisdom, either set up a 10 year plan so you know where You are going (with no room for God to interrupt) or don't worry about it God has everything under control and He will do it (because He definitely never uses people to accomplish His plan). Well try holding that argument up against the life of either Jesus or Paul, who were both very passionate people who lived very single-minded, very much pursuing the passions in their own hearts which were in fact God given. It says of Jesus specifically that He grew in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. He did it. That doesn't sound very passive to me. it doesn't say God did it for Him.
Those are my thoughts behind why I think it is so important to live intentionally. I think it is so powerful, not to mention fun, when we begin connecting with what God has placed inside of us, no matter how seemingly childish it is, for the intention of growing with Him, coming to know Him and ourselves better, and connecting with the passions and desires internally in order that we can grow, mature and develop into the people we are created to be. It can be as simple as reading a book a month to learning how to sword fight with a Katana (for a friend, not me), simply because it connects us with who we are. If done with the Lord and allowing HIm to lead, change, reorganize those things it can be a wonderful journey of discovering how He created us and what He thinks of us and pushes us to live pro-actively in a passive, reactive culture, which will never honestly accomplish anything
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Wounded Warrior, by TY
Lecrae said, We some broken people, came from homes, broken hearts inside of a broken soul. The truth is I'm broken, you're broken, and that person over there is broken. How? Why? To theologically unpack it, the first Adam fell and sin entered the world, to unpack it on the street level, well … review your life and see for yourself. As men, to rise to the stage of the Warrior, we have to grapple with the shadow propagated by the wound.
Nine men around a campfire after a day of rock climbing, poured out their hearts to one another, and without explicitly saying it, we could relate to the other, and the fact that we were wounded. Guys shared some current struggles, and it was good to just go there to that place of vulnerability with your brothers, who you know won't judge you, but will sit with you.
In John Eldridge's The Way of the Wild Heart (a central element to our brotherhood's annual retreats), Eldridge specifically addressed what wounds the warrior inside. The heart of the warrior is wounded when:
- He is told aggression is wrong or unChristian, niceness equals godliness
- he has no one to train him, no King to give his allegiance to, or no purpose
- his attempts to rise up as a warrior are mocked or crushed (shamed)
- he is constantly coming across setbacks
I carry similar wounds everyday. For many years, I felt purposeless and at the very core of who I am, I ran to thing after thing looking for a purpose, only to find the hollow truth that a purpose that has self as the end is not a purpose at all. When I was younger it was school and academic prowess, then it was basketball, then it was women or being funny or cool, then it was ministry. Each faulty attempt to find purpose left me without one.
Without a battle to fight, the warrior will fall into complacency and passivity. Eldridge unpacks some of the net results of such a void of purpose, such as, not engaging or taking action; he explicitly calls it a "land of capitulation and passivity", surrendering without giving a fifth. "Passivity has no place in the lexicon of manhood", Eldridge passionately claims.
So where are you at? What is your father wound? What moments in life have broken the warrior inside or made us lose fight? What wounds and shadows still linger that quench the warrior inside? What trials are God putting you through to raise the warrior in you?
Y'know just a couple questions to ask yourself or your brother to hone in on that wound. We will heal and we will rise to play the man, the warrior, but we can do nothing apart from God, and we need to also do it in the fellowship of godly people, especially if you have men of valor surrounding you. "Spiritual bravery is cultivated when we take risks of faith." (Eldridge, again, in case you forgot him)
But for a journey that sees us grow into the warrior, we must look behind us, not just reflect, but to find other men we can encourage in the journey. Part of the journey is seeing and contributing to another's journey by way of discipleship. So who are the boys or men in your life that God has intentionally placed in your life to pour into? And how can we cultivate the warrior in younger men in our lives?
The question of who is a big one. For Aaron and Justin, it would definitely be their sons. Perhaps for Kenny and me, it is our nephews. Who's in your church or at your job? Maybe someone you know who has not been walking with the Lord as long as you or young in their faith. The beauty of community is we are surrounded by people that we can encourage in the Lord.
So now the how. Eldridge lays out some great ideas. My favorite was probably risking to ask God something in prayer, and when God doesn't respond, persevere and hold fast and not give up so easily so that enemy can not take him over. Absolutely! The boldness to pray and not give up will keep the spirit of the warrior strong to discouragement and disappointment.
Another good one is wherever the boy is frighten or there is hesitancy, take him there over time. This teaches the boy to fight fear knowing that he is not alone. Helping the boy not to quit and teaching him to rise above heartbreaks and setbacks.
Then there is modeling it. "The boy needs to see his father as a warrior." (Eldridge) How?
Confront the evil one like Jesus did
- Flee when under spiritual attack
- Be encouraged to walk in prayer; Teach them how to cultivate prayer life
- Scripture memorization; Let them see the Word of God in you; Bring up the Word of God in conversation
- Teach the young man how to use his strength
As much as I am still reeling from the loss of my Cavs in the NBA Finals to the Warriors, I will bite their hashtag as an encouragement to us all: DubsStandUp
Judges 6:12-14
Joshua 1:8
Nine men around a campfire after a day of rock climbing, poured out their hearts to one another, and without explicitly saying it, we could relate to the other, and the fact that we were wounded. Guys shared some current struggles, and it was good to just go there to that place of vulnerability with your brothers, who you know won't judge you, but will sit with you.
In John Eldridge's The Way of the Wild Heart (a central element to our brotherhood's annual retreats), Eldridge specifically addressed what wounds the warrior inside. The heart of the warrior is wounded when:
- He is told aggression is wrong or unChristian, niceness equals godliness
- he has no one to train him, no King to give his allegiance to, or no purpose
- his attempts to rise up as a warrior are mocked or crushed (shamed)
- he is constantly coming across setbacks
I carry similar wounds everyday. For many years, I felt purposeless and at the very core of who I am, I ran to thing after thing looking for a purpose, only to find the hollow truth that a purpose that has self as the end is not a purpose at all. When I was younger it was school and academic prowess, then it was basketball, then it was women or being funny or cool, then it was ministry. Each faulty attempt to find purpose left me without one.
Without a battle to fight, the warrior will fall into complacency and passivity. Eldridge unpacks some of the net results of such a void of purpose, such as, not engaging or taking action; he explicitly calls it a "land of capitulation and passivity", surrendering without giving a fifth. "Passivity has no place in the lexicon of manhood", Eldridge passionately claims.
So where are you at? What is your father wound? What moments in life have broken the warrior inside or made us lose fight? What wounds and shadows still linger that quench the warrior inside? What trials are God putting you through to raise the warrior in you?
Y'know just a couple questions to ask yourself or your brother to hone in on that wound. We will heal and we will rise to play the man, the warrior, but we can do nothing apart from God, and we need to also do it in the fellowship of godly people, especially if you have men of valor surrounding you. "Spiritual bravery is cultivated when we take risks of faith." (Eldridge, again, in case you forgot him)
But for a journey that sees us grow into the warrior, we must look behind us, not just reflect, but to find other men we can encourage in the journey. Part of the journey is seeing and contributing to another's journey by way of discipleship. So who are the boys or men in your life that God has intentionally placed in your life to pour into? And how can we cultivate the warrior in younger men in our lives?
The question of who is a big one. For Aaron and Justin, it would definitely be their sons. Perhaps for Kenny and me, it is our nephews. Who's in your church or at your job? Maybe someone you know who has not been walking with the Lord as long as you or young in their faith. The beauty of community is we are surrounded by people that we can encourage in the Lord.
So now the how. Eldridge lays out some great ideas. My favorite was probably risking to ask God something in prayer, and when God doesn't respond, persevere and hold fast and not give up so easily so that enemy can not take him over. Absolutely! The boldness to pray and not give up will keep the spirit of the warrior strong to discouragement and disappointment.
Another good one is wherever the boy is frighten or there is hesitancy, take him there over time. This teaches the boy to fight fear knowing that he is not alone. Helping the boy not to quit and teaching him to rise above heartbreaks and setbacks.
Then there is modeling it. "The boy needs to see his father as a warrior." (Eldridge) How?
Confront the evil one like Jesus did
- Flee when under spiritual attack
- Be encouraged to walk in prayer; Teach them how to cultivate prayer life
- Scripture memorization; Let them see the Word of God in you; Bring up the Word of God in conversation
- Teach the young man how to use his strength
As much as I am still reeling from the loss of my Cavs in the NBA Finals to the Warriors, I will bite their hashtag as an encouragement to us all: DubsStandUp
Judges 6:12-14
Joshua 1:8
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Intentional Brotherhood, by Aaron
As the nine of us sat around the campfire last Saturday during our retreat, we had a discussion about being intentional about well, each other. As Bill mentioned in the early post we now have nine members of our fellowship of friends. We are all in similar places in life it seems; some of us are married and have children, some are about to have children (again), one of us is about to get married, and some of us are single (but ready to mingle, just kidding, ish). Whether we are married with a family or not there is one main thing we have in common, we are all really busy!!
So I talked to the group about this simple idea I had about being intentional and accountability. Jeremy spoke before me on Saturday and explained that accountability is not just pointing the finger because you have not read the Word or prayed enough. Accountability is encouraging your brother to be a better person and encouraging them to be an imitator of Christ. One easy way to be intentional, in a realistic sense because we all live in different locations is being intentional about praying for each other. We are going to battle for each other.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us”. We want to become imitators of Christ, in everything that we do. To be more like Christ, we have to be in relationship with Him so we know His thoughts and hear His voice. Luckily (in our case), there are nine of us that can assist each other throughout our crazy busy lives. So the idea I had was that since we are going through this initiation period that will last a year, as Bill mentioned in an earlier post; for one month we will all have one person out of our group of nine to focus our pray on. We will be praying to the Lord about multiple things for them including giving that person peace, blessing them, drawing closer to the Father, drawing closer to their families etc.
We are going to battle for our brother for a month. We will not ask the person if they have been reading their bible or how much they have been praying (which don’t get me wrong that is not a bad thing at all). We will be discussing with them what God has laid on our hearts about their lives. We will discuss with them that they are loved and always have a brother to lean on. We will give them words of affirmation throughout the month. We will pray for them to be imitators of God. We will pray that God will refine their skills and draw out their desires (Jeremy may talk about that in a future post). Then the next month we will all have a different person to pray for in the group and do the exact same thing. Honestly, we just want to encourage each other as we go through this crazy life. We are constantly in spiritual warfare each day; why not bring a brother with you to fight?
Peace and God Bless!
So I talked to the group about this simple idea I had about being intentional and accountability. Jeremy spoke before me on Saturday and explained that accountability is not just pointing the finger because you have not read the Word or prayed enough. Accountability is encouraging your brother to be a better person and encouraging them to be an imitator of Christ. One easy way to be intentional, in a realistic sense because we all live in different locations is being intentional about praying for each other. We are going to battle for each other.
Ephesians 5:1-2 says “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us”. We want to become imitators of Christ, in everything that we do. To be more like Christ, we have to be in relationship with Him so we know His thoughts and hear His voice. Luckily (in our case), there are nine of us that can assist each other throughout our crazy busy lives. So the idea I had was that since we are going through this initiation period that will last a year, as Bill mentioned in an earlier post; for one month we will all have one person out of our group of nine to focus our pray on. We will be praying to the Lord about multiple things for them including giving that person peace, blessing them, drawing closer to the Father, drawing closer to their families etc.
We are going to battle for our brother for a month. We will not ask the person if they have been reading their bible or how much they have been praying (which don’t get me wrong that is not a bad thing at all). We will be discussing with them what God has laid on our hearts about their lives. We will discuss with them that they are loved and always have a brother to lean on. We will give them words of affirmation throughout the month. We will pray for them to be imitators of God. We will pray that God will refine their skills and draw out their desires (Jeremy may talk about that in a future post). Then the next month we will all have a different person to pray for in the group and do the exact same thing. Honestly, we just want to encourage each other as we go through this crazy life. We are constantly in spiritual warfare each day; why not bring a brother with you to fight?
Peace and God Bless!
Monday, June 12, 2017
Retreat 2017, by Will
Retreat 2017 has wrapped up, and it was great. Our group has grown from 6 to 9 (welcome Jacob, Justin and Ryan), and the focus of our group and level of connection has deepened. The purpose of these retreats is to set a focus for the upcoming year, acting as a point of reference and vision casting weekend for the next twelve months. We have been looking at The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge, and striving to help each other grow as men. This year we introduced the stage of the Warrior, and how we build on the past foundation that has been set.
This year we are looking at intentional initiation as Warriors. This involves three specific things: Identity, Calling, and Mission.
Identity seeks to answer the question, "Who am I?". During this next year we are seeking who God says we are, the name God has given us.
"After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3.16-17)
At the very beginning of His mission, Jesus was given an identity by God the Father. He is publicly identified as the beloved Son with whom God is well-pleased. This is where everything starts because when everything falls apart this is the solid foundation you have to fall back on. This year we are seeking to hear the voice of God, giving us His name for us, and coming to know, and own, the identity He has in mind when He sees us.
Calling seeks to answer the question, "What am I made of/do I have to offer?". During this next year we are committed to learning and discovering gifts and understanding passions.
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. " (Matthew 4.1-2)
After being given an identity by the Father, the Spirit leads Christ into the wilderness for a time of testing and connecting with God. He is alone in the wilderness, fasting and depending on God. His body, mind, and spirit are pushed to the limits, and He endures and grows closer to God. This is how the journey continues, because we learn what we can handle during trials and hardships. When chaos comes, we learn how to handle it, keep our head, and press on. Learning what we're made of and what we have to offer gives us focus and direction for the rest of our lives.
Mission seeks to answer the question, "What will I do/legacy will I leave?" During this next year we are committed to seeking God on the work He has given us to do, and the impact we make on the world.
"And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."' Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You"; and "On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone."' Jesus said to him, 'On the other hand, it is written, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."' Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."'" (Matthew 4.3-10)
After forty days of intense preparation, Jesus faces battle. Three times He is given an option to do things in a way God has not commanded, and three times He refuses and stands firm. I read once, "The choices Jesus made in the desert inevitably meant the cross, but the cross, just as inevitably meant the final victory." Jesus' role did not end after the final temptation, but the temptations He faced set Him on the path towards His mission and legacy. This is not the end of the journey, but it is a crucial stage because how we respond to this will set the tone for the rest of our lives.
This is what the next year looks like for us. The retreat in 2018 will focus on introducing the next stage, and the next verse of Matthew, but only after celebrating the previous (at this point upcoming) year. This next year we have a plan to journey together, and the next posts will outline this plan in more detail.
Verses for the Warrior:
2 Timothy 2.1-4
1 Peter 5.6-11
James 4.6-7
Ephesians 6.10-18
Exodus 15.1-3
Psalm 16.8
Psalm 62.5-8
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Our group with our two guides, Thomas and Amy, after a day of rock climbing at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Torrent Falls Climbing Adventure was awesome and the guides made it a fantastic experience.
http://torrentfalls.com
This year we are looking at intentional initiation as Warriors. This involves three specific things: Identity, Calling, and Mission.
Identity seeks to answer the question, "Who am I?". During this next year we are seeking who God says we are, the name God has given us.
"After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.'" (Matthew 3.16-17)
At the very beginning of His mission, Jesus was given an identity by God the Father. He is publicly identified as the beloved Son with whom God is well-pleased. This is where everything starts because when everything falls apart this is the solid foundation you have to fall back on. This year we are seeking to hear the voice of God, giving us His name for us, and coming to know, and own, the identity He has in mind when He sees us.
Calling seeks to answer the question, "What am I made of/do I have to offer?". During this next year we are committed to learning and discovering gifts and understanding passions.
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. " (Matthew 4.1-2)
After being given an identity by the Father, the Spirit leads Christ into the wilderness for a time of testing and connecting with God. He is alone in the wilderness, fasting and depending on God. His body, mind, and spirit are pushed to the limits, and He endures and grows closer to God. This is how the journey continues, because we learn what we can handle during trials and hardships. When chaos comes, we learn how to handle it, keep our head, and press on. Learning what we're made of and what we have to offer gives us focus and direction for the rest of our lives.
Mission seeks to answer the question, "What will I do/legacy will I leave?" During this next year we are committed to seeking God on the work He has given us to do, and the impact we make on the world.
"And the tempter came and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.' But He answered and said, 'It is written, "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."' Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, "He will command His angels concerning You"; and "On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone."' Jesus said to him, 'On the other hand, it is written, "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."' Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus said to him, 'Go, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."'" (Matthew 4.3-10)
After forty days of intense preparation, Jesus faces battle. Three times He is given an option to do things in a way God has not commanded, and three times He refuses and stands firm. I read once, "The choices Jesus made in the desert inevitably meant the cross, but the cross, just as inevitably meant the final victory." Jesus' role did not end after the final temptation, but the temptations He faced set Him on the path towards His mission and legacy. This is not the end of the journey, but it is a crucial stage because how we respond to this will set the tone for the rest of our lives.
This is what the next year looks like for us. The retreat in 2018 will focus on introducing the next stage, and the next verse of Matthew, but only after celebrating the previous (at this point upcoming) year. This next year we have a plan to journey together, and the next posts will outline this plan in more detail.
Verses for the Warrior:
2 Timothy 2.1-4
1 Peter 5.6-11
James 4.6-7
Ephesians 6.10-18
Exodus 15.1-3
Psalm 16.8
Psalm 62.5-8
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
Our group with our two guides, Thomas and Amy, after a day of rock climbing at Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Torrent Falls Climbing Adventure was awesome and the guides made it a fantastic experience.
http://torrentfalls.com
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Hello Fear, by Kenny
Me: Fear, fancy seeing you again.
Fear: You, know why I’m here.
Me: You, don’t need to remind me.
Fear: What’s the point? Why even try? What’s the score now? Fear 127 and it looks like you’re in the negative.
Me: I…
Fear cuts you off, not even giving a chance for a response
Fear: Look, I don’t think I need to remind you of your past. But...
Now Fear stands up and walks over to you. Gets in your face. Eye to eye. Nose to nose.
Fear: Know your place. Do not challenge me.
What do you do when you come face to face with the face of fear. How do you respond to fear’s intimidation tactics?
As you analyze your life and look at different encounters that you’ve had with fear:
Times when you deferred to take the game winning shot
Times you decided to go fishing instead of climbing the mountain
Times you decided to take an office chair instead of your place on the battlefield
Times when you decided that the safe way is the easiest way
Times when you decided to take the same path instead of making your own trail
I’m not passing judgment or trying to call anyone out. But at some point in time, we’ve all had the opportunity to respond to fear. What is your response? Do you even have one?
When look in the mirror each morning? What do you see? Do you know that you have what it takes? That you’re more than a conqueror meant to vanquish enemies in foreign lands?
There is an importance in being reminded of, who we are on a daily basis. Being reminded daily:
Romans 8:37, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of sound mind.”
There’s a peace that I have in being reminded that there is nothing to fear. Fear is not in my DNA. Fear is not a response. Fear is a choice. The only question is how will you respond the next time that you come face to face with the enemy.
Will you already have your sword drawn in lieu of the enemy or will you be looking for your sword when the enemy comes?
Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
If God is asking you to join a generation of warriors that are supposed to have their sword drawn as their response, are you willing to accept that challenge? If God is asking you to fight a battle, that only you can fight, do you accept His invitation for His war?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)