Men of Faith

I have been leading our Men's Ministry, called Men of Faith, since 2007.  I continue to learn and continue to be amazed at what the Word of God can do to a group of men.  I can watch someone who is raw and beginning in their faith (regardless of age) or talk to someone who has been walking many years with God and in either find myself amazed at God's good, good Grace.

God is patient and kind and full of mercy, love and grace.  He is a good, good Father.  Who is man, oh God, that you are so mindful of Him?  You are perfect in all of your ways to us, dear Lord.

James 5:16-20English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[a] 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.  19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

One of our worship leaders, Dan, took this picture this morning and tagged myself and another brother who leads worship in Men of Faith.  I love this picture.  I love this picture because when I continue to look on it, reflect on it and pray for these men, I am left with the sense and truth that the Word of God changes men's lives.  The Word of God is powerful and it is truth.

Years ago, this worship leader named Jim, told me that we needed more than just a boom box and some songs that men try to sing to, he said that we needed live worship.  At that time, he was already leading another ministry called Celebrate Recovery.  I know this leader and I know that he wanted to take the lead on this and I gave it to him.  He has blessed me in this in so many ways.  For one, I get to sing with them every Saturday.  Secondly, I get the privilege to look at all the men facing us and watching them sing (not to us) but to God in worship!  I also get to watch this leader bring in other leaders and band members and singers and coordinate a really good morning of prayer and worship.

• Our morning is really simple:Band members show up at 5:30am to set up and practice until 6:25am
• TAG Team gets everything up and running
• Facilitators (those who lead each week in our large group make the coffee)
• Donuts and Coffee are made (donuts bought - we make the coffee)
• 6:30am begins worship
• 6:50am to 7:20 am - is a large group.  Facilitator leads the large group in discussion.  This could be what he is reading in Scripture, a thought, a theme, even a testimony and then some challenge questions for our small group.
• 7:20am to 8:30am - small groups break out and go to their designated spots around our church.  We share and we talk about our daily lives.  Our struggles and sometimes are victories.  There is no one who is a know it all.  There is no one who shows others up on being a know-it-all.  There is truth and there is honesty.  There is prayer.  There is a community of brothers who truly care for others and our willing to share their life experiences (failures, successes and often our trials and tribulations with each other.
• 8:30am to 9:45am - some of us go out for breakfast.  Some go to work.  The key for all of us is not to detract from the family, but to build the family up.

We have one rule and only one rule in small group:  What's said in there, STAYS in there!  There is no discussion outside of Men of Faith that is to be shared with anyone else UNLESS the brother who is sharing gives us permission to share with the world.

My prayer for you who are reading this is that each and every one of you have the opportunity to be in such a special group.   My prayer is that if you don't have this group, then you make a commitment to God to be intentional in His Word.  To be intentional in prayer and in your spiritual growth.  If you don't have a special group like this, then my prayer is that you will grab a couple other men in your church who are committed to going deeper.  Whether it's through a wide gate (planning activities to congregate with other men:  Hunting, Fishing, Shooting, Archery, Sporting Games and the like) or whether it is truly a commitment to wrap yourself with other men in the Word and in prayer and to be real with each other.

Don't make the group about numbers, never do that.  Make the group a commitment with a few other brothers to grow, to share, to be accountable (not just a pat on the back, but to go deeper in your walk with where you are, where you come from and where you want to go in your walk.  Be honest, be real.  Have these guidelines to help you in your men's group:

I am not sure where you are at today, in your walks, but trust me and make a commitment to get in a group of men like this - IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE.  Don't wait, don't over think it.  If you cannot find one, then ask an Elder in your church or a spiritually mature man to walk with you and begin one.  Read Colossians 3 and Romans 12 and talk about real life with real men.

You will not be let down, regardless of how other men respond.  The Word of God never returns empty - it changes lives.

Blessings,

Dante

Hate your brother?

1 John 4:7-21New International Version (NIV)God’s Love and Ours7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

1 John 3:11-24New International Version (NIV)

More on Love and Hatred11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

---

First, let me be perfectly honest here and say that I thank God for His faithfulness, love, grace and mercy.  Because without it, I would be a lost cause.  However, because of the gift of His Son, I have hope eternal.

I would be a liar if I told you that I didn't struggle with pride and lust and anger.  I would be lying to you if I told you that I didn't struggle with Anger and wrath driving every day to and from the city and/or looking at social media and seeing the venom that people put forth on both sides of the aisle.  All this to bring up our walk as a Christ follower.  The Scripture above is very clear on anyone who hates a brother or sister is not only a liar, but a murderer.

Scripture tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  After re-reading these two Scriptures in 1 John, it can be very sobering truth for us to work this out.  It is not only a warning but a stark reality that we have to remove and put to death our old ways.

Soul Searching exercises:

• Read the book of 1st John
• Pray to God (ask him to reveal to you things that you have to let go of, people that you have to forgive and even people who you have to ask for forgiveness from).
• Look at Social Media differently (if it causes you to sin - remove it from your daily life)
• Pray for those who afflict you
• Set healthy boundaries around those you know who are always angry
• Forgive as you have been forgiven.

Blessings,

D

The marks of a disicple

Often you have read and heard from Lance and I not to just be a follower of Jesus, but to dare to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Some may say, "Are you saying that if I am saved then I am not automatically a disciple of Jesus Christ?"  or some say, "If I am saved then I am already a disciple of Christ", while others say, "to be a disciple, your life has to bear the marks of a disciple."  So you find yourself asking where does Legacy Dad stand on this.  My answer is:  Look to the New Testament!  If you read and reread and study and meditate on the Word of God, then you cannot help but understand what a disciple of Christ must do,  must look like and what fruit he/she should be bearing.Jesus, in Matthew 7, tells us what disciples look like:

True and False Disciples21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Jesus in Matthew 28 doesn't just tell us to go out and reach the lost and save them.  He takes it one step further:

The Great Commission18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus also goes on to say that if you hold onto (never let go of) his teaching, then you are a disciple.  If you follow him (that is, to say, not just believing in Him), If you teach the truths to other trustworthy people so that they can multiply God's plan for His believers.  In Luke 6:40, "A disciple is not greater than his teacher, but everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher."  Luke 9:23 says, "whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."  Jesus and His New Testament have so much to say on what a disciple must be, must do and must follow in order to be called His disciple.

Marks of A Disciple

A disciple must(s):

• Know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:  Romans 10:9-11 "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a]
• Renew his mind:  Romans 12: A Living Sacrifice 12:  1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
• Knows and Studies God's Word:  1 John 2:3-11 - "Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers, 3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. 7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b] is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them."
• Let the Word have authority over their lives:  Colossians 3:15-17 "15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
• Be Humble:  James 4:10, "10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
• Be not just hearers of the word BUT doers:  James 1:22, "22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
• Bear God's Fruit (you simply cannot help but bear His fruit if you are his disciple):  Galatians 5:22-26, "22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
• Die to self:  Romans 6:8, "⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."  This simply means let go and let God in all that you do.
• Be a good steward:  A good steward is someone who understands that God is all, above all and over all.  That is, to say, that God has dominion over my finances, my choices, my daily life and my gifts.  All that I do should point others to Christ.

There is so much more to say on being and daring to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (more to follow on this topic).  That being said, understand that none of us are perfect nor could ever be.  We are called to live content and humble lives.  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and understand God's call to worship together in community, in family.  To lift each other up and to supply the needs of the body.  In doing so, you will lay up treasure in Heaven where it is so much more important than the matters of a life down here on earth.  For we are but a mist and before we know it, our lives will be ending and our eternity approaching.

What are you going to choose to do?  Serve yourself?  Or serve God?

Blessings,

D

The only way to find your life is to lay your own life life down

Andrew Peterson is one of my favorite songwriters who was actually introduced to me by my brother, Lance, who posted a video with the song "Family Man".  I also learned and went to see Andrew and met him with the Director of Worship from our church who is a big fan of Andrew's.  This morning I woke up and was listening to a collection of songs from Andrew and he has this one song, Dancing in the Minefields (lyrics here) and the line, "'Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down, and I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found."  That is a profound statement and we know that resembles the Truth because we read something like this in Scripture, "13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13, NIV).Jesus turned the religious world upside down when He came to this earth to serve instead of being served.  He exemplifies this when He washes his disciples' feet.  We read so much truth in Scripture about marriage and how we are to serve one another:

• Ephesians 5:  " 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[c] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."
• 1 Peter 3:  "7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
• 1 Corinthians 13:  "4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Marriage done God's way is not a 50/50 relationship.  That is, to say, that you don't just give 50% and wait for your spouse to give 50% and believe that equals 100%, because this is not God's math this is the world's view - What's in it for me?  When we put Jesus at the center, where He belongs, then the true equation equals 100%.  Regardless of good or bad, sickness and in health, seasons of trials and tribulations - I am going to give 100%!  When I don't I am going to express my true feelings and no matter what, I will not hold back love.

Love is patient - it waits and it does not hold back.

Love is kind - don't be rude

It does not envy - trust implicitly

It does not boast - it is given without holding back and it is humble

It is not easily angered - think about this one (take the "I" out of "we" because there is no "I" in "We"

It keeps no record of wrongs - stop keeping score - forgive as you have been forgiven.

Love always protects!  Always trusts! Always hopes and no matter what - it does not quit - it always perseveres!!!

What's holding you back from trusting God and getting the "I" out of your relationship:  1 John 2: "On Not Loving the World -'15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Look back at your life and your relationships and refer to Galatians 5 and ask yourself which fruit is more evident in my life:  The Fruit of the Spirit or the Fruit of the Sinful Nature?  If there is more Sinful Nature stuff, then repent and serve 100% in those that God called you to love.  Don't hold back!  Pray continually and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in those broken and/or fractured relationships.  Some of us may need professional biblical counseling.  All of us need accountability partners and groups (Community) to walk with us and love on us and to comfort, encourage and urge us to live a life worthy of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ did not come to be served, but to serve.  Jesus tells us to forgive as we have been forgiven.  Can you truly call yourself a CHRISTian if you hold back love and forgiveness.  Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

What's holding you back from God's love and plan for your marriage, your relationships, your friendships that need love?

You can do this!  You can do this because when you let go and let God, then you can be sure that He has got this!

Blessings,Dante

F E A R

fear[feer]

noun1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm.Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling:an abnormal fear of heights.Synonyms: phobia, aversion; bête noire, bogy, bogey, bugbear.Antonyms: liking, fondness, penchant, predilection.3. concern or anxiety; solicitude:a fear for someone's safety.4. reverential awe, especially toward God:the fear of God.Synonyms: awe, respect, reverence, veneration.5. something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of:Cancer is a common fear.6. anticipation of the possibility that something unpleasant will occur:Having grown up during the Great Depression, he had a constant fear of running out of money.

Fear is a real feeling (emotion) that has been given to us by God.    Research from the University of Glasgow has challenged the established view that there are six basic emotions: anger, fear, surprise, disgust, happiness and sadness.  They pontificate that there are just four basic emotions.  The theory is that there are four biologically basic emotions–anger, fear, happiness and sadness–on top of which have evolved much more complex varieties of emotion over the millennia.

There is real fear and then there is the outcome of the unknown.  That is, to say, whether the fear is real or perceived real it still gives us a natural response.  The question is how should we respond to both types of fears as a Christian.  Each one of us are fearfully and wonderfully made as Scripture tells us so.  Because of this, each one of us are different and will respond differently to all types of circumstances.

The word "fear" is found 353 times in 340 verses in the ESV Bible translation.  Do you think the Bible has some things to teach us about fear?  I sure do.

Fear in the Bible (Various Passages):

• Genesis 9:2  The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.
• Deut. 6:2 that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.
• Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• Matthew 10:28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[fn]
• 2 Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

The Bible gives us a Road Map on facing fears (source:  www.belief.net  :

• I Will Fear No Evil:  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)
• I will help You:  For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)
• Of Whom Shall I Be Afraid?   The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
• We Say With Confidence  "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
• Peace I Leave With You  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)

Tell Your Story

I gave my life to Jesus Christ on November 7, 1976 in a fundamental, independent Baptist Church.  The pastor was a humble and intelligent man named Reverend Donald G. Humbert.  He was a godly man who believed in the Bible word for word.  I grew up Catholic, meaning I grew up in a tradition and religion rather than a genuine faith and friendship with our Creator.  That is, to say, that I was not connected to God's word, His truth, nor did I have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  My sister started attending this church and eventually got my mom and I to start attending this church.  After several months, I remember one Sunday evening (11/7/1976) that I was so convicted by the Holy Spirit that I stood up during the "alter call" and gave my life to the Lord.I cannot tell you that I always followed the road to biblical discipleship (read more:  Here), but the Lord never gave up on me even at my most darkest of times.  During my late adaloscent years and even into my early teens I was on fire for the Lord.  I was President of my youth group and CEO of our high school ministry.  I loved the Lord with every part of my being.  And then I met high school football and the like and turned away from God and toward earthly idols.  My youth Pastor, and my friend, noticed a dramatic change and wrote me a letter about this (I still have this today) and called me out (or tried to) in being raw and honest with his walk.  I really always love and respect that man for his truth in love.  As a result, I walked away from my relationship with God for over a decade (again see the post above).  It was not until I went to a friend's wedding and met his wife's best friend did my life begin to change.

This woman, who would later be called my wife, introduced me to another Bible Church in her hometown.  She even had me waking up at 6am in the morning to drive out to her church in the western suburbs of Chicago to help her lead a 2 and 3 year old class.   At the time that we officially started dating, we were on a double date downtown for her birthday and I found out from my dad that that early morning my mother had a massive heart attack.  She was given 6 months to live and my dad had just lost his brother.  Needless to say, I got a second opinion and my mom lived 10 years past the original 6 month diagnosis.  After my mom had her open heart surgery, she woke up and asked me to make her a promise (i said of course) and she asked me to go to church again and to start reading my bible again.

That begin a long road to recovery (sin nature stuff takes some time to work through the carnage and scars), but my wife said to me during this process of early marriage, "do something about it" (she was referring to my walk and what I needed).  This began to formulate my walk with other brothers and to truly grasp what Galatians 6:1-2 says (click here).  So I started walking with other brothers and started to repent of all the justifications (that were sin) in my life and confess to a Holy God that which I did and was repenting of.

What do I believe (in) today:

• I am a work in progress.
• I am going to finish well.
• I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and my friend.
• I believe that God is the authority over my entire life.
• I believe that God calls us in to community and to walk with each other.
• I believe that He has given me a story, my story, to tell others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What I am asking you to do today:

• Take a hard look at your life and ask yourself if there is any sin nature stuff in your life that needs to be repented of
• Pray continually
• Ask God to lead you
• Examine yourself daily (in and through the word of God)
• Let God be the authority of your entire life
• Walk with other brothers (if you are a man) and other sisters (if you are a woman) - confess your sins to one another!
• Finally, I ask you to tell your Gospel story of your life to others in your circles of life.

To God be the Glory,D

Always Prepared

https://vimeo.com/191235112List of items and brands we use:

Ultralight Tent - Sierra Designs

Backpacks - Deuter, Lowe Alpine, Tactical Tailor

Sleeping Bags - Kelty, Marmot

Sleeping Pads/Pillows - Exped, Nemo

Camp Stove - MSR, Soto, Snow Peak

Water Purification - Katadyn

Cooking Sets/Utensils - GSI Outdooors

Medical - Adventure Medical Kits

Base Layer Clothing - Polartec Silkweight

Clothing - Kuhl, Mountain Hardwear, Prana, Five Brothers, TruSpec, Vertx

Jackets - Mountain Hardwear

Rain Gear - Gen III ECWCS Level 6 , Outdoor Research

Boots - Asolo

Knives - Gerber, SOG, Benchmade

Handsaw - Bahco, Silky

Hatchet - Schrade

I hope you guys enjoyed our little adventure, and don't mind this off-topic post!

-Lance

Discipleship

As you have read many posts and listened to both Lance and I blog about various topics ranging from modern day issues to relational topics through a biblical lens, we hope that you realize our heart is that you grow in your faith, strengthen your walks (and relationships) and be able to call God your true friend.  All that being said, leads me to this post in building true discipleship in your life.Job 28:28 “The fear of the Lord –that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding”. 1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

We believe in order to be an effective disciple you have to be serious about biblical purity and biblical stewardship in order to be the disciple that God wants us to be.  That being said, we are not saying that you have to be perfect in purity and stewardship - because we cannot.  But we are saying that you can no longer be the authority in your life if you call yourself a true Christian.  God is the ultimate authority!  We have to be in submission to Him.  When we begin our walk humbling ourselves before a Holy God, then we began to understand Proverbs when it says the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Biblical purity is abstaining from any sexual immorality outside God's covenant of marriage between one man and one woman.  1 Corinthians 6 puts it this way:

1 Corinthians 6:12-20English Standard Version (ESV)

Flee Sexual Immorality12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined[a] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin[b] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Biblical Stewardship is taking care of what belongs to God.  In this stewardship we have to understand that this means that we have to give God an account of our time, talent and treasure. Effective stewardship is working to effectively manage your time, to share your talent in serving God and giving account and tithing on the treasure that God has given you.

Whether we like it or not, the world is watching.  Social media is ruthless and unforgiving as individuals (behind closed doors) can say whatever they want in the confines of closed doors.  They have no authority in their life, because if they did, they would realize that their words will be used against them in God's judgement.  We, as Christians, have to realize that our words and deeds are being watched not just by men, but by Angels.

I think in order for you and I to be an effective disciple, we have to submit to God's will in our lives.  We have to submit to his call for us to be pure and to live a life of good stewardship with our time, our talent and our treasure.  Because when you and I do this - the World is watching and God's changes lives!

To be an effective disciple you have to be rooted in God's word daily.  You have to pray continually and your have to strive to be pure, to be a good steward and then, only then, can you be an effective disciple of Jesus Christ.  Honestly, when you live like that, others will no longer see you - they will see Jesus!

Blessings,

Dante