Last summer, our precious grand-daughter, Emma, decided to go fishing. She went alone. She tried and tried. She was … patient. She finally used the right bait. Emma caught her first fish – it was little and a ‘throw back’ but her first fish!!! She will never forget it! She was so excited she talked about it for days.
Just last week, Emma caught a 14” trout. We didn’t get a picture but she, once again, was thrilled. The fight was fun and the prize was worth it!!! This is a “Jesus picture” of what He meant to be our life’s-joy . . . following Him and allowing Him to make us “Fisher’s of Men!”
Following Jesus is at the core of Missional Living
“Follow”: to get behind; to get in back of; to be in the same way; going in the same way; signifying a likeness, companion or union.
To follow someone means not taking the initiative, not suggesting a certain path and not challenging the direction you’re going.
1. To follow Jesus means reaching out to people! Matthew 4:19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
2. To follow Jesus means discarding dead ways. Matthew 8:22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
3. To follow Jesus means not hesitating. Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."
4. To follow Jesus means to deny yourself. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
5. To follow Jesus means to let go of materialism. Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
6. To follow Jesus means to listen. John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
7. To follow Jesus means to sacrificially serve Him. John 12:25-26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Service means sacrifice!!! By the death of personal desire and personal ambition a man becomes a servant of God. Only by spending your life do you keep it!!
LOYALTY is what Jesus is talking about!!! We have only to think of what this world would have lost if there had not been men prepared to forget their personal safety, security, selfish gain and selfish advancement. The world owes everything to people who recklessly spent their strength and gave themselves to God and to others. No doubt we will exist longer if we take things easily, if we avoid all strain, if we sit at the fire and enjoy life, if we look after ourselves as a hypochondriac looks after his health. No doubt we will exist longer--but we will never live.
Playing it safe is not a part of being a follower! Being a follower is risky business! It means loyal service to our Master no matter what He asks or where He leads!!
8. To follow Jesus means to follow Him without getting distracted by other things or other people! John 21:15-22 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
“Being” before “doing” is God’s order in successful Missional Living!
Step #1 in reaching our co-workers, neighbors, friendship groups, fellow-students, etc, with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ is simple to say but the challenge-of-a-lifetime for the committed Christ-follower: It’s all about ‘being’ not ‘doing’; it’s being ‘right’ with our Savior one minute at a time; it’s being in fellowship with the Lord all the time; it’s being a man or woman who makes Jesus the Lord each day; it’s being filled with the Holy Spirit; it’s just ‘being’ in the presence of God – walking with God! (1 John 1:5-10)
I must confess that ‘doing’ is much easier than ‘being!’ It takes daily, moment-by-moment discipline to ‘be’ all God wants me to ‘be’ on the inside – and that’s hard! Our battle is against the flesh and against the enemy who does not want us to be in constant relationship with Christ. The devils intent is to destroy that sweet relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 10:10).
Before we can become a ‘doer of the Word’ we must strive each day just to ‘be a child of God in right relationship with our Heavenly Father ’.
For me, it means starting the day by talking to the Lord in prayer and worship. I use the “Lord’s Prayer” as an outline for my daily prayer and sing songs of worship and praise during my prayer time. This intimate time also includes confession, repentance, and seeking the control of the Holy Spirit.
When I was working at Bellevue Honda, I would use the 35-minute commute to have this special prayer/worship time with the Lord.
Unless we are walking with God in the ‘inner person’ we will not be able to ‘shine for Jesus’ as a missionary at our workplace! Our goal must be that when we walk into the job (school, gym, etc) it is obvious that we have been with Jesus because the ‘shine’ of joy, peace & love’ is all over us! This will draw people to Jesus through us!
I KNOW this is true, because when I fail to discipline myself and ‘be’ the man of God, my attitude and countenance shows it and people say, “What’s the matter with you, Ken?”
My dear friend for 19 years, Jim Quayle, is my living example of ‘being’ before ‘doing!’ His is a true “Missional Liver” and God used him at his workplace for 28 years in the lives of countless men and women! Jim sees the vision and he and his wife, Jan, are faithful team-mates in prayer and financial support.
I must confess that ‘doing’ is much easier than ‘being!’ It takes daily, moment-by-moment discipline to ‘be’ all God wants me to ‘be’ on the inside – and that’s hard! Our battle is against the flesh and against the enemy who does not want us to be in constant relationship with Christ. The devils intent is to destroy that sweet relationship with God through Jesus Christ (John 10:10).
Before we can become a ‘doer of the Word’ we must strive each day just to ‘be a child of God in right relationship with our Heavenly Father ’.
For me, it means starting the day by talking to the Lord in prayer and worship. I use the “Lord’s Prayer” as an outline for my daily prayer and sing songs of worship and praise during my prayer time. This intimate time also includes confession, repentance, and seeking the control of the Holy Spirit.
When I was working at Bellevue Honda, I would use the 35-minute commute to have this special prayer/worship time with the Lord.
Unless we are walking with God in the ‘inner person’ we will not be able to ‘shine for Jesus’ as a missionary at our workplace! Our goal must be that when we walk into the job (school, gym, etc) it is obvious that we have been with Jesus because the ‘shine’ of joy, peace & love’ is all over us! This will draw people to Jesus through us!
I KNOW this is true, because when I fail to discipline myself and ‘be’ the man of God, my attitude and countenance shows it and people say, “What’s the matter with you, Ken?”
My dear friend for 19 years, Jim Quayle, is my living example of ‘being’ before ‘doing!’ His is a true “Missional Liver” and God used him at his workplace for 28 years in the lives of countless men and women! Jim sees the vision and he and his wife, Jan, are faithful team-mates in prayer and financial support.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Honoring my mother . . .
Today, May 4th, is my precious mother’s (Anna Ramey Carpenter) 82nd birthday and this Sunday is Mother's Day. From childhood my mother has been committed to prayer and reaching the lost. Her father, my grandfather, Ira Myrick, was a ‘crazy’ evangelist. At the end of his life of ministry when he was ‘just to old to get preaching invitations to churches’ he hitch-hiked up and down Highway 101 in California. When he would get a ride, he would bring out his big King James Bible and begin preaching the gospel to everyone in the car! When he couldn't get rides (because he looked so old) he would bring my grandmother, Carrie, with him because people would feel sorry for her. Grandpa Myrick won many people to Christ in their car – others dropped him off as fast as they could!!! One convert was a California Highway Patrol Officer who picked him up for vagrancy. By the time they arrived at the jail, this CHP officer was born again!
My mom’s 1st husband, my dad, Arthur Ramey, was an evangelist/pastor. While my mom was at BIOLA, ‘preparing to be a missionaries/pastor’s wife’ she ran into this loud man standing on a wooden box and preaching the gospel on the sidewalk of Los Angeles. She eventually married that man. They passionately served the Lord until my dad was taken to glory while preaching the gospel message in his church pulpit in 1980 at the age of only 56.
Mom was married a year-and-a-half later to pastor Bob Carpenter. Together they are faithful in their church and pray every day for the lost in their neighborhood and all over the world. They pray for us every day. Dad Bob and mom are behind our “Missional Living” ministry and believe it is a need in the church today.
I honor the life of my dear mother today. I know she is praying for us. My mother has been a "Missional Liver" all of her life!!! O how we need this kind of ‘old school’ commitment today!
My mom’s 1st husband, my dad, Arthur Ramey, was an evangelist/pastor. While my mom was at BIOLA, ‘preparing to be a missionaries/pastor’s wife’ she ran into this loud man standing on a wooden box and preaching the gospel on the sidewalk of Los Angeles. She eventually married that man. They passionately served the Lord until my dad was taken to glory while preaching the gospel message in his church pulpit in 1980 at the age of only 56.
Mom was married a year-and-a-half later to pastor Bob Carpenter. Together they are faithful in their church and pray every day for the lost in their neighborhood and all over the world. They pray for us every day. Dad Bob and mom are behind our “Missional Living” ministry and believe it is a need in the church today.
I honor the life of my dear mother today. I know she is praying for us. My mother has been a "Missional Liver" all of her life!!! O how we need this kind of ‘old school’ commitment today!
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