Mar 31, 2016
This past weekend I was able to go to a Women’s Conference. The theme of the conference was “Take your Jericho”. The Keynote speaker shared stories from her own experiences and testimony to demonstrate her points. The passage she shared from was Joshua 6-8; the Israelites had to keep walking and trusting God even when they were tired and wanted to give up. They wouldn’t have defeated Jericho after only six times around the wall, they had to walk the seventh time around. There are many times when I’ve wanted to give up the battle and go the easy way. How can we keep from the discouragement that causes us to give up?
The speaker shared three ways for us to fight our battle. The one I want to point out is the second one because it is the most important to me at this time. Self-confidence is a big way that causes us to lose our battles. In Joshua 7, Joshua is ready to fight another battle after watching God defeat Jericho before them. He doesn’t realize God isn’t with them anymore because of disobedience in their camp. They go up to battle against the smaller army of Ai and are defeated. Then Joshua falls on his knees and cries out to God.
Suddenly I realize I am like this so often. I go forward confident that I can do it and I will come through okay. Only to fall on my knees, moments later in complete defeat.
God commands Joshua to get up and cleanse the sin from their midst, only then will they have victory. It’s the areas where I am disobeying the command of God, that cause me to fall in defeat, but when I come before God asking Him to show me my sin and cleanse me from it, I then can go forward in His strength.
And the Israelites attacked again the city of Ai and this time they defeated it because they obeyed the command of God. It’s in obedience and humility that the toughest battles are won.
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 30, 2016
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jer. 29:13
“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you.” Isa. 26:8-9
This past month God has been teaching me what it really means to seek after Him, not for what I can gain but for Him alone.
So often the time I spend with God each day is only to bring to Him all of my wants and needs.
Yes, God desires to meet my needs and hear about my struggles but he also longs for true fellowship with me.
God wants to share His heart with me. Just as He knows my thoughts, desires, hopes, and dreams, He also wants to reveal to me who He really is.
A truly close and intimate relationship is one in which both people involved are willing to give of themselves, holding nothing back from each other.
If I am only concerned with my own wants and need I will never fully experience a close fellowship with Jesus.
I must be willing to humble enter into His presence and just be still before Him allowing Him to speak to my heart. My whole being should be devoted to knowing all that He is and what He desires for me to be.
To pursue means to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish a goal.
“God, teach me how to pursue You and You alone with my whole heart and life. Let my only goal be to seek your presence.”
May the following words become my desire as I learn to follow after Christ
Strip everything away till all I have is You
Undo the veils till all I see is You
I will pursue You
I will Pursue Your presence
I’m pressing in to You
so do not pass me by
I’m breaking through the boundaries
I will not be denied.
Open my eyes, search me inside
I can’t live without Your presence
—Pursuit by Daniel Bashta
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 29, 2016
How am I to live? (This is a question I have often asked myself.)
We can sum it up in one sentence…
I am to live as Jesus lived.
So the more important question is how did Jesus live here on earth?
Jesus by His birth, life, and death represented the very definition of humility.
He lived in such a way that no one felt intimidated by Him. Friend or foe approached Him freely. He lived in a way that He had no reputation; if you would have passed Him on the street you probably wouldn’t have recognized Him unless someone pointed Him out to you.
Jesus being fully God and also fully human faced every temptation that we face today. Being fully God He was perfect and did not sin. Jesus as human let Himself be touched by people and He reached out to them too. The children, the lepers, and many others felt the warmth of His hands.
Nothing Jesus did on earth was for His personal gain or selfish ambition. He had many opportunities to use people for His advantage. The crowd that followed Him were ready to make Him king. Jesus could have influenced the rich and intelligent that came to Him in a way that would have pleased them so that they would have willingly helped Him succeed. That is not why He came to earth, He came to redeem mankind.
Jesus was obedient to His father in everything, even in death. He prayed “not my will but Thine be done.” He did only what He saw the Father do.
Now Jesus commands all those who believe in Him to live as He Lived. We must be willing to live in complete humility. As a pilgrim, walking through this life; not working towards fame and fortune. We must be willing to sacrifice our very lives for the sake of the gospel — to take our eyes off of ourselves and focus on the needs of others.
Just as no one was intimidated by Jesus so we should not live in a way that would hinder others from approaching us. Jesus lived a completely transparent life, not hiding any emotions from His followers. We are also called to live in complete transparency, so that the sinner looking on can see Jesus working in us and give glory to the Father. Most of all we are called to love as Jesus loved. The world will know if we are true disciples of Jesus by the love we have for one another.
Looking at life through Jesus’ life style I realize how wrongly my view on life has been. I see now to truly live is, to live as Christ.
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 28, 2016
Just a few weeks ago, I heard the song of a robin for the first time this year and I saw new life beginning to poke out of the ground. It just amazes me how God created His masterpiece so perfectly. How is it that plants, know when it is safe to poke their little heads out of the earth, or hibernating animals know when to wake up from their winter sleep? Or, how about the thought: of how birds know when it is time to come to their summer home.
Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”
Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind-livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened.
God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.
—Genesis 1: 20, 24-25
As I ponder this season of new life I also can’t help but be in awe of the New Life we are offered through the suffering of our Lord and Saviour. How precious this gift is and how He delights to give it to His children.
Let’s embrace this promise given to us!
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
—John 10:10
—School of Discipleship student
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Mar 27, 2016
Why do you celebrate Easter or is it Resurrection Sunday?
Good Friday and Easter Sunday can mean something different for me then is does for you. The fresh air of spring, warm sunshine and flowers coming up are all signs of spring. But is that all there is to Easter? There are people that look forward to painting eggs and hunting for them after; but is there more meaning behind this day than what we think? Easter may mean nothing more than another holiday to possibly go to church for some. But to me, this day stands for much more than that.
The real reason for Good Friday and Easter is Jesus’ Death and Resurrection!
Now before you say, what is so exciting about a death and how could that be better than the excitement of spring, colourful Easter eggs and chocolate?? Don’t get me wrong I like spring to and the beautiful weather and flowers. Let me tell you about something that is more exciting than that! It is about Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. The death of Christ is what brings joy and meaning to this season. What is so exciting about a death? This wasn’t just any death; it was the death of Jesus Christ! But he didn’t stay dead, he rose victoriously! To give eternal life to anyone that would believe and accept his gift.
Jesus died to give us Eternal life. This is wonderful news, which should cause us great excitement! Good Friday may have ended sad; but Resurrection Sunday changed everything! Jesus lived a perfect life so that he could pay the price for our sins. To be able to celebrate the Resurrection should bring us great joy and peace. Our sins have been forgiven; we have been made right with God the Father. HALLELUJAH!
To have heard him say “IT IS FINISHED” on the cross and die; but praise God he did not stay dead, he arose! Jesus was willing to go through all that because of the great love he has for us. Now we may hear him say “come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matt 11:28. What glorious words!
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” 1 Peter 1:3
—School of Discipleship student
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This past weekend I was able to go to a Women’s Conference. The theme of the conference was “Take your Jericho”. The Keynote speaker shared stories from her own experiences and testimony to demonstrate her points. The passage she shared from was Joshua 6-8; the Israelites had to keep walking and trusting God even when they were tired and wanted to give up. They wouldn’t have defeated Jericho after only six times around the wall, they had to walk the seventh time around. There are many times when I’ve wanted to give up the battle and go the easy way. How can we keep from the discouragement that causes us to give up?
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