Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. - NLT

Proverbs 14:26 Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. - NLT

Psalm 115:14 May the LORD give you increase, you and your children!
15May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth! - ESV

This blog will be most helpful for current parents. However, I believe in a, “dig your well before your thirsty” philosophy. If you are not a parent, begin to think through the discipleship your future children.

The primary disciplers for children should be their parents. Some of you are new parents. Others have been at it for awhile. If you have not laid a foundation for family worship, now is the time. So, what do you do next?

On the way to work this morning I heard a local pastor encourage the radio listeners to “try church”. That got me to thinking about a related topic - does one “try” following Christ?

Unfortunately, the “easy believism” often espoused by the traditional contemporary church lends itself to this mindset that one can “try” being a Christian. Simply walk down this aisle and say this prayer. Try Christ and see if your life doesn’t get better. No wonder there are multitudes of present-day “Christians” abandoning the faith.

As the New Year has begun, invest time in private worship. Joe Thorn has written a great series on Quiet Time. The following is an exerpt from his “What is it good for?” blog.

www.joethorn.net/2006/12/26/the-quiet-time-what-is-it-good-for

“Why is one’s ’quiet time’ important? In his Systematic Theology Wayne Grudem says that sanctification is “a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives.” That sanctification is God’s work, not ours, is demonstrated through Jesus’ prayer for his people in Jn. 17 when he prays that the Father would sanctify us. More specifically we understand that it is the Holy Spirit using the word of God to bring about real conformity to the image of Christ, the restoration of the imago dei in men (Jn. 17:17; 2 Thess. 2:13). We yearn for this change, or growth, because in a way it is a returning home…

Many Christians mistakenly believe they aren’t qualified to serve God – or that service is best left to trained full-time ministers. Big mistake. None of the original Apostles, with the exception of Saul of Tarsus, came from the ruling religious hierarchy of the day. They were ordinary “unschooled” men, called and transformed by Christ (Acts 4:13.)

In Paul’s closing words to the church at Rome, he salutes a number of men and women effectively serving in the early church at Rome (Rom 16:1-15.) The list is remarkable in its’ commonality ….. these were ordinary people accomplishing exceptional things for the kingdom of God. In Christ, the ordinary becomes extraordinary (2 Cor 5:17), empowered to do mighty things for God (Philippians 4:13.) Such was the early church that turned the known world upside down (Acts 17:6) without the convenience of instant telecommunications, the internet, mass media, and modern travel. Let us not leave the crucial task of proclaiming the gospel to the “professionals” – it is the calling of all those who follow Christ.

Check out this short video from Voice of the Martyrs’ founder, pastor Richard Wurmbrand.

http://www.persecution.com/images/mediaRoomContent/ACF6C.wmv

Their website, www.persecution.com, states that Wurmbrand “spent 14 years in prison because he refused to stop preaching the gospel to Soviet communist soldiers occupying Romania after World War II. He spent three of those 14 years in total darkness, 30 feet underground in solitary confinement. Wurmbrand and his fellow Christian prisoners were often ridiculed and tortured because of their faith in Christ.”

The following is what Christ-followers in some countries face (also from persecution.com):

Since my bicycle accident 2 weeks ago, during which I landed flat on my face, God’s been up to some pretty cool stuff in my life that I think is so important in the life of our church. I’ve discovered how hard it is for me to allow myself to be served by others. I mean, theres certainly a reason for this independence in my life I live by myself, and out of necessity have had to learn how to do most things for myself. I am a self-diagnosed independent woman, and proud of it!!! But there are several ways that this independence can be a problem.

The first problem that independence causes is in my relationship with God. God created us to be dependent on Him, and to me there’s no better example of this than in our bodies. One of the most amazing things I learned during my medical training is how incredibly small, insignificant problems in the chemistry of our bodies can lead to serious health issues, or even death! This is just one small example of how dependent we are on God to keep us ticking. In my independence, I don’t intentionally snub God, but I tend to go around doing things, making my own decisions, and, because of my independence, end up doing many things without involving Him at all. I am dependent on Him whether I realize it or not, and whether I acknowledge it or not in practical ways in my life. Living in dependence on Him is the way God created us to live, and life is much more full (John 10:10) when we live it that way.

Holistic. That is a loaded word. Many people associate it with health food stores and yoga instructors. Jetta owners?

Break it down. It means whole, not partial. Here is Webster’s take:

2 : relating to or concerned with wholes or with complete systems rather than with the analysis of, treatment of, or dissection into parts

I speak a lot about Holistic Health. But the basis for this is not America’s assimilation of New Age praxis. Rather, I am compelled by Jesus’ very words. Mark chapter twelve records a conversation Jesus had with some Jewish teachers. In this dialogue, Jesus points to what has been called the Great Commandment:

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ’Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”

Jesus said that our love for God should extend past our spirits and include our mind, emotions, will, desires and energy. This was Jesus’ way of including everything. We are to worship Christ in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31). We should, therefore, desire to be healthy in everything as well. This is no promise of prosperity, nor is it an excuse for vanity. But it points us to God’s interest in our entire lives: relationships, career, dreams, motivation, ethics, failures.

What would happen if we embraced God’s design for our lives? What would it look like if we lived out our destiny to pursue God’s mission (Missio Dei)? What would change if we knew that all of Christ’s disciples (including you) were ministers and ministers in a special part of the marketplace? What if we treated all areas of life as sacred instead of only church, prayer and worship in that category.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).”

Rethink discipleship. Rethink Life.