Discipleship…
This week is crazy. Next month is crazier. So far, I have three speaking engagements, one being in Fort Defiance AZ – we still have no idea how we’re going to get there – we’re hoping to be able to get a car by then. (July 19-21) In the meantime….?
Last night we went to see a friend Tony graduate from Masters Commission at Angelus Temple (Dream Center). It’s a great discipleship program and a real accomplishment. He shared his testimony of how he has been struggling with homosexuality all his life, and how Jesus delivered him while he was going through MC. There is freedom in confession, bringing things to the light – the enemy uses our secrets against us – but once they’re brought in the light and exposed – Jesus can heal us and set us free!
Quite a few of the young people who shared their stories had this in common – they were all raised in Christian homes and they all lived ‘double lives’. They played Christian and went to church and acted a certain way around friends and church family – but had another life on the side – doing drugs, drinking, having sex – one girl was anorexic/bulemic and another was just a people pleaser who just would do anything to be accepted.
They shared how they didn’t have their identity in Christ, and although they grew up in the church – the didn’t KNOW Him, until they came to Masters Commission. It was very touching – and just made me realize how important it is that we have our identity in Christ, that we know who we are in Him, and that we know how God sees us, not how the world sees us, or how we see ourselves. So many people just ‘play’ Christian but they don’t even know the real Jesus.
Masters Commission, like some of the other more ‘hard core’ discipleship programs – almost ‘force’ growth and a relationship with Christ – because it’s almost impossible to fake your way through it. It causes a person to cry out to God and develop a relationship not only with Him, but also with those around you. In MC the kids are required scripture memorization and bible reading (I think they have to memorize over 400 scriptures in a ten month period and recite all 400+ verses before they graduate) along with work and outreaches, serving the community and performing dance and drama.
It was great yesterday. We were able to spend time with our ‘extended family’ from Utah also – they were there to see Tony graduate. Tony’s dad was there too – and he isn’t a believer yet – by the time the graduation was over he was in tears. Please pray that he gets saved soon! We know that God totally touched him – the whole graduation was so powerful, and you could feel the Holy Spirit moving so strong.
It would be so awesome if everyone who gets saved went through a discipleship program like MC or the one I went through (BADD – Born Again Delivered Disciples -spiritual bootcamp) – I am SO forever grateful that I went through discipleship. We western Christians are such wimpy spoiled brats. If you read something like “The Heavenly Man” or “Jesus Freaks” or stories about missionaries in foreign countries like China or India – I realize how spoiled I am.
How lazy and comfortable and how easy I’ve got it here in America. In the Heavenly Man – this Chinese Missionary Brother Yun – had a discipleship program – and his requirements to join his discipleship were to memorize one of the gospels (THE WHOLE GOSPEL) lead at least 5 people to Jesus and BE WILLING TO DIE for Christ. Their missionary training includes subjects like “How to suffer and DIE for the Lord” – “How to witness for the Lord” (in any circumstance, on trains, buses, even in the back of a police van on the way to the execution ground) and “How to escape for the Lord” (how to free themselves from handcuffs, how to jump from second story windows without hurting themselves)…
In America there are so many Christians who are all about faith and prosperity, health, wealth – it seems we’re so concerned about how WE are doing more so than about how other people are doing. I’m convicted when I complain about all my aches and pains – when things could be SO MUCH WORSE if I was living somewhere else besides America. At least I still have running (and hot) water – at least I can share Jesus wherever I want without getting thrown into jail, at least I can eat whatever I want – I don’t have to eat rice or bugs or whatever I can scrounge up in the trash…
I truly wonder how many of us would survive if something really terrible were to happen – like if our country was bombed and taken over or something crazy like that – how many of us would stay true to God and what He’s called us to do? Or if Terrorists took over our land and were making us deny Christ or else they’d kill us? How many of us would still stand for Christ? It’s gonna happen one of these days you know. Maybe not in our lifetime, but it WILL happen one day… Personally, I believe it will happen in our lifetime. There’s no doubt in my mind that we are living in the last days.
Muslims and people of many other faiths are willing to DIE for what they believe – they are willing to die for a LIE – are we willing to die for the TRUTH? I praise God for trials and suffering, even though I don’t like it – because if we never go through anything – how do we grow? It’s not fun to be STRETCHED or to go through the refining FIRE – but oh how sweet it is when we get through to the other side, without resisting and fighting – but submitting to God, DYING (to self) and allowing God to teach us valuable lessons we can only learn by going through trials.
PRAISE GOD FOR TRIALS! “Consider it pure joy my brothers, whenever you you go through trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance…” James1:2-3
