Our Story is meant for God's Glory

James 1English Standard Version (ESV)Greeting1 James, a servant[a] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 5:14-20English Standard Version (ESV)

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 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.

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The past 40 days I have been reading a book with 5 other men.  A book that would bring us together to discuss, text and especially to be in community with each other.  The ages of these 5 men ranged from 25 to 60 and I am in the 2nd oldest range of all 5 of us.  My Elder Brother and I were the oldest and two Elders that are equally yoked in Ministry and God's story.  It has been both humbling and challenging to listen to, watch and see these brothers walk out their salvation with fear and trembling.

I am amazed at how each of us has our own story to tell and if we are really open about the power of God in our lives, just how amazing it is to watch His Spirit move through our lives and see Jesus through the love of others.  The thing about these 4 brothers - they challenge me in being honest, being truthful and confessing when things don't always add up.  It is not about a checklist or doing the things that make us look good and then deep down inside missing the whole point of God's Glory - The Word of God Changes Lives.

When we sit honestly and meditate on His Word then we realize that we are free - free indeed to be the me that God intended for each of our lives.  I can never do good enough to earn the Salvation that Jesus gave us by His death and resurrection.  God, our Father, gave His only Son to die for our sins - WOW!  Let that marinate in your brain for a while!  Think on that, pray on that and rest in his loving Grace.

The Word of God changes lives.  What is your fruit.  When others see you, hear you, listen to you and do community of you - when they are left to reflect on you - do they see Jesus in your life?

Our story is meant for God's Glory.

I was once lost, but now am found.

I was once dead (to sin) and now am a new creation in Jesus (i have been given a new life)

I am now adopted into his glorious family.

That is love.

That is something that I can wrap my head around and praise Him, serve Him and thank Him for all that is in my life - both the good and the bad.  The trials and the tribulations.  The pain and the suffering.  Whether I know the reason this side of earth is not up to me to judge.  There is only one great Judge!

Blessings,

Dante

PS - I was so moved by this 40 day process that I bought 3 more books and gave them to the men in my small group (come Holy Spirit come)

The Unholy trinity

Left to our own devices, what hope of eternity with God do we have?  Left by ourselves, what is the likelihood that we may slip?  Left by ourselves, what could possibly go wrong?  In Romans we read that "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  In Psalms we read that we were brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.  In Mark, we read Jesus telling us that from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, fornication, thefts, murders and adulteries.  In Jeremiah, we read that the heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.  Who can understand it?2 Timothy 3:2-4For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."

In all that we do, we have to acknowledge that we were built and made for community.  The Holy Trinity is the perfect and flawless example of this:  God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  They are the perfect community.  They gave us an example of what perfect community is like.

So many men go the opposite ways of what God intended for us:

• Samson - he was one of the judges that God set forth for Israel.  The only community that he had been those that opposed God's will around him  He did not listen to his parents on who he should marry.  He hung out with the wrong crowds who wanted to use him and others in his life to find the very essence of his strength.  He never reasoned to common sense or to God's will for our life.  Instead he reasoned with himself and what he wanted in that of immediate gratification.  It was not until he was stripped of everything, eyes dug out from his head and chained to the enemy's pillars, did he realize how much he needed God for his strength.   Imagine if Samson was surrounded by friends who were truly in community with him  Telling him the way that it really is and being able to have permission to speak truth into his life when he veered to places he had no business going.  Imagine if his parents rebuked and corrected his waywardness.  What more do you think God would have done in this man's life.
• King David:   We read early of a shepherd boy who has the heart of God.  We read of a boy challenging a giant of the enemy who profaned the name of the Lord.  We read about a boy (who would be anointed King) that began a friendship with the existing king's son (named Jonathon who was the rightful heir to the throne, but he was a prince that honored God's will instead of man).  Jonathon was more than a fried to David, he was a brother.  He kept him safe and alive when David wandered from the truth.  He saved David from his own father, King Saul, and hid him from this danger.   He gave David whatever needed.  When this friend died with his dad in battle, David never found this accountability with other men (Yes, he did have the 400 might men of valor and they kept him somewhat accountable, but not in the way of biblical community and accountability that we need).  We read at one point when Kings should be off to war, that David wasn't and because of that, he wondered from God and lusted for a woman on the rooftop and his life changed forever more.  There was a great sin that kept getting worse and worse until God sent Nathan to call him out.  Can you imagine being Nathan?  Whoa, that would not be my first choice.  All this to be said, what if Jonathon were still there or a brother (in Christ) that was there?  Do you think David would be left behind or would he be in community with this trusted friend(s) and off to battle with them to where God wanted him to be?
• Job- was a man who God told Satan that there was no other man like this man of faith in all the earth.  Job was a mighty man who prayed for his kids diligently and did all that was right in the eyes of the Lord.  When he was tested and tried by the Devil we find that he lacked true community.  His friends were not there for him in the way that God intends us to be with our brothers in Christ.  They did the first thing right with him in that they sat quietly beside them.  But then, like many of us, they tried to find all the "specks in Job's eyes" that had to be there for all these terrible things that happened to Job.  Instead of treating him like he needed to be treated:  To comfort, encourage and urge him to life a life worthy of God.  Can you imagine with me if he had friends that sat beside him, allowed him to mourn the loss and didn't judge him.  Can you imagine if he was surrounded by men of faith that truly cared for him and could not explain God to him, but instead trusted that God would see him through this and that they would be there through thick and thin because they loved him without condition?  I mean, his own wife said to him, "why don't you curse God and die!"  Really?  Just imagine if they all said, "we are not sure why this is happening to you and I but come let us pray to God and seek his answers and know that we got your back?"

We all need to take a hard look at our lives and pray for God to reveal the logs in our own eyes before we try to point to the speck in our brothers eye.  We need to seek purity and righteousness and try to be the men that God calls us to be.

We need to take an honest inventory of our life and write down the fruit of the Spirit that is evident in our life and if not that fruit, then we need to confess the sinful nature stuff in our life and ask God to remove that from us.

We need to put a brotherhood of community in our lives:

• Pray with others
• Be honest with others (that we can trust)
• If we don't have that or are not sure where to look (then we need to pray to God for him to bring them into our lives)
• We need to find a bible study of men where this is going on.
• We need to trust God by being in community with others.

We need to realize that the unholy trinity in our lives (me, myself and I) is not what God has intended for us, but what the enemy of our souls intends for us to do- to gratify our desires by the desires of the flesh and to turn away from God's Truth - HIS WORD!

Repent, confess and go the other way - for there is no other way but to trust and obey!

Blessings,

D

Sensei

Everyone once in a while, you may find yourself in the presence of great men.  Whether they are merchants, cowboys or warriors - you will know that they are great men because of the way they carry themselves.  Usually you will note authority, humility, integrity, character and you will find yourself walking away from them being a better person for the moments that you spent with them.  This is a person that I want to be.  I want to be a great husband, a really good father (a legacy dad) and someone who when others talk to me that they walk away from our conversation feeling comforted, encouraged and urged to live a life worthy of God.For the past three years, I have been taking Kempo Jui Jitsui with my son.  I love martial arts for so many reasons.  This form of martial arts is literally warrior combat.  They do not use this style or allow it in UFC fighting because the opponent would not fare well.  I love this art because, for me, it truly relates to me in the sense of discipleship.  There is so much correlation to it that it makes me giddy just thinking about it and our men's ministry called Men of Faith.

First of all, the term (title) Sensei, literally means, "one who has gone before."  Each of us are on our own journey.  Each of us have purpose and a reason to be than rather to seem (Lance will love this sentence).  For those of  us that are in Christ, each of us have been given gifts and are called to be stewards of what God has given us.  If you are fortunate to have spent time (or are currently spending time) with these great men, then you will reflect on what they have shown you.  Where they are guiding you and what their hope for you is in your walk.

The comparison to martial arts to being a disciple of God, for me, have so many similarities that it is amazing to me in my walk as a disciple and my path to be a black belt in martial arts.  That is, a lot of intentional training are required to achieve these aspirations.  Training (practicing martial arts, learning the flow and motion of the body and the range of motion in movement).  For a disciple (reading God's word, being in the word, committed to the word and to prayer and to walking with other men).  The key to both of these aspirations of mine is that I am not doing this alone.  God never intended that for us to be alone.  When His Son, Jesus Christ, sent the 70 disciples out to share the Gospel, He sent them two by two.

When you practice a sport, and art, a walk with God, there is always a cost = TIME.   There is always a continue flow of motion and body movement - you have to be committed to the practice and training and commitment of time, talent and treasure to be who God wants you to be.  We are called to be stewards of what He has given you and me.

We can try to make martial arts about "me" or "you".  We can try to make discipleship about "me" or "you" or you can watch these sensei' in our lives (Great men) who have gone before us and who are there not to detract us from learning and growing, but to guide us in the path that we should take.

When we commit our ways to these paths, then you can be certain that things will change.  A life that is worth living will be clear and evident in your path.  There will be purpose because you will learn that God calls men to do His will.  You can choose to be a part of it or you can choose to be left alone.

Don't be fooled into thinking that life and training gives you a shortcut (a way to cheat).  After running three marathons, several half marathons and a Super Spartan Race along with training to be an effective martial artist and a legacy dad (a man of God), I can tell you that there is no easy way.  There is a cost - a time commitment and a willingness to go deeper in training and in relationship and in friendship.

We have to let go of old ways, stubborn ways.  We have to destroy pride and lust for what we want and learn from these men who have gone before and are willing to show us the way, the truth and the life found in Jesus Christ.

Each and every one of us will have a time and a place that our lives will come to an end.  Whether through natural causes, or through war, or through other events that take us to meet our Creator, there will be two questions that we have to answer at this Judgement Seat of Christ:

1. Do we know God's Son, Jesus Christ, as Savior
2. What did we do with the things that God gave us to steward

If you do not know the answer without certainty for question one (please email Lance or myself now - or ask a pastor at a bible believing/preaching church) and if you are not sure what a steward is or what God has planned and calls for each one of us to do with our time, talent and treasure, then seek the answers through this blog and the Word of God.  I am not going to give them to you right now, remember there is a cost.

Esse Quam Videri - to be rather than to seem!

Blessings,

D

Test God?

First of all,  let me premise this blog by saying that I do not believe in man's definition of "Prosperity Gospel" as defined as "Prosperity theology (sometimes referred to as the prosperity gospel, the health and wealth gospel, or the gospel of success) [A] is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth. It is based on interpretations of the Bible that are traditional to Judaism (with respect to the Hebrew Bible),[1] though less so in Christianity. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity." (Wikipedia).To be a true disciple of God you have to be careful with your exegesis (defined as critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of scripture).  That is, to say, that when you read and interpret Scripture, you are to study it well and true and to understand contextual what the Scripture is saying.  It is important to read the whole text to understand the text completely.  Is it relevant to me now, is it for the time and place that it is written, does the passage transcend time?  All of these things have to carefully weighed and meditated on.  When you read God's word in the way that it is intended to be read, then you will have a humble heart when reading this book.  Let me clear, when this book "reads" you.  The word is active and alive and it is sharper than any two-edged sword.  It is the inerrant word of God.  For a believer, in biblical inerrancy, Holy Scripture is the Word of God, and carries the full authority of God. Every single statement of the Bible calls for instant and unqualified acceptance. Every doctrine of the Bible is the teaching of God and therefore requires a full agreement.

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So where does Scripture ever tell us that we can test God?

Answer, in the only "Italian" Book of the Bible (pronounced "Mell" "Lotch" "Ee")

ESV Version:

Malachi 3:10-11English Standard Version (ESV)

10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke the devourer[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.

NIV Version

Malachi 3:10-11New International Version (NIV)

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty.

NLT Version

Malachi 3:10-11New Living Translation (NLT)

10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Please note that this text tells us a few things:

• We are to Tithe to God (through our church)
• Stop robbing God, by not tithing
• We are to trust God (who He puts in place as leaders of our church) with the tithe that they are doing God's will
• If we trust him completely with our first fruits he will bless us
• He will open the storehouses of blessing

Many take this blessing and have turned it into a sort of religious (man-made) prosperity gospel and try to make it financial blessing (does it say that anywhere in the text?).   This is an abomination and should not be tolerated at all.  If we are to humbly understand the text, then we realize that God says that he wants us to test him.  He wants us to try and out give him and to see if we can match His blessing (note:  We never can, it's not about that, it is about our heart).  When God says that He will open the storehouses of blessing for us what does that mean?  To me, it means different blessings for different people.  (Think of the parable of the talents.  Think of the fruit of the Spirit and think of how each one of God's family members has their own gifts given to them by the Holy Spirit).  All this to be said that it starts with complete trust and faith in God.

He has plans for you and I.  He loves you and I and wants us to rely on Him completely.  It doesn't meant that He doesn't want us to work (Look at Adam and Eve - He gave them work from the beginning).  To each of us, there are things to do, people to serve and a call for purity and for us to seek His righteousness.

He has a plan for each and every one of us.

Do you trust Him?

Do you have complete and child-like faith in Him?

Do you love Him?

Do you call yourself just a fan or are you a true friend to Him?

Then trust Him, by testing Him.

My wife and I (along with training our kids in stewardship) live by the 10/10/80 rule.  That is, that we tithe 10% of our income, we save 10% of our income and we live off 80%.  It's not always easy and when we first began this journey of complete trust and faith in Him, we (I) was not in a position to tithe 10% because of debt and school loans.  That being said, my wife and I made a commitment to each other and to God that we wanted to honor Him with our first fruits and we no longer wanted to be bad stewards (my wife was a good steward - I wasn't) and to honor Him in all that we do.  The first year was tough and we took a financial class at our church.  We read a few books on this (The road map to financial freedom along with Dave Ramsey material) and we got there.  Within the first 3 years of our marriage, we were completely debt free (other than mortgage) and we were tithing God on what rightfully belonged to Him.

Since my wife and I put complete trust in God with our money, my life is completely different.  Please note that I didn't say perfect because it isn't and it never will be until Christ's return.  Occasionally, I have those moments of earthly desires (mine mine mine and want versus need).  But I confess and I turnaround and we move toward what He calls us to do.  I will confess to you that I still struggle with time (The Stewardship of Time).  It is rough and I am a fast brain and active person - I need help and wisdom in this area.

Test God!  See what He has planned for you and your life.

Blessings,

D

Family Devotion Time

This morning I found myself for the third morning in a row waking up an hour before my morning alarm (which is early, really early).   Needless to say, the night before I just simply prayed in my bed and managed to fall asleep for whatever remaining time I had until my morning routine, but this morning was different.  This morning, I jumped up and started the coffee pot before it's early preset time.  I let the dog out.  I read my Bible.  I journaled and I even spent more time in prayer than I normally do.  

As I drove to work, I listened to worship music and prayed for more.   I prayed for the 4 guys that I am walking with.  I prayed for the prayer list that I have been in need to get to.  For some unknown reason, it is 8:00pm and I am still wide awake.  I even went to the dentist this afternoon and had time to finish my afternoon work from home.  Please note: None of this was possible on my time.  Left to my own devices, this day would have been an epic fail.  I even had time to work out for the second day in a row before family time.

Next, family devotion.

My wife and son called me to dinner.  My wife made this excellent chicken stir fry and even my most finicky of children enjoyed the meal.  Therefore, I decided that it was time to kick up another family devotion.  The questions at hand were as follows:

Question #1:  Dad, "What do you think a disicple of Jesus Christ Is? "  (Instruct them to answer youngest to oldest)

Answer:  youngest, "a disciple is someone who doesn't whine and has their own way, but does what is required of them by Jesus"

Answer2:  middle child, "a disciple is someone who is not just a fan of Jesus but a follower, that is, someone who does Jesus' will.

Answer3:  oldest child, "a disciple is someone who follows God's word and does what it says in their entire life"

Answer4:  the wife, "a disciple is a student (a lerner) who follows their teacher"  (note this answerer asked me why I didn't answer.

The next questions was, what did Jesus mean when he said:

Luke 14:25-27New International Version (NIV)

The Cost of Being a Disciple25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

This time I asked them to go from oldest child to youngest child and then wife:

Answer1:  Oldest Child, "it means not to put any one first"

Answer2:  Middle Child, "it means that God doesn't want us to choose anyone or any thing before Him.  He wants to be first in everything we do and how we do it"

Answer3:  Youngest Child, "to me, it means that we have to seek what God wants first and then follow His will first"

Answer4:  Wife, "it means that God doesn't want us to choose anyone before choosing Him."

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As a father, this was both humbling and exciting to watch and listen and see my family respond accurately to the Word of God.

I told them that as parents, their mom and dad want nothing more than for them to have a relationship (a friendship with God).  And that when each of them met their spouse, that our hope and prayer is that they will meet someone who loves Jesus more than them.  Because if they find that spouse, then that spouse will love them how God loves them.

I am not sure what you are thinking or what you think about my family and I at this juncture.  Maybe you are saying, "yeah, that's so nice to read and blog about, but that's not me"  Or maybe you are saying, "Not my family....not my friends".

My answer to you all, is why not?  You only miss 100% of the shots you never take (thank you Wayne Gretzky).

Trust in the Lord in all that you do....

Blessings,

Dante

Top 10 things to remember this Christmas

2016 ChristmasTop things to remember this Christmas

#10 - Don't forget the blessing of family and friends - As you try to catch up by wrapping presents, going to the grocery store, and getting ready to receive company or be the company, be thankful for the family and friends that you have been given

#9 - Remember to enjoy your family - A close friend and love of mine once told me that we don't get to choose our family but we do get to choose our friends.  Whether you are with family or friends or possibly both enjoy this season of giving more than receiving

#8 - Always be thankful - whether you get a gift of time, an expression of love and or an unexpected gift, be thankful that someone else took the time to give you something

#7 - Remember Attitude - We cannot control much, but we can control our own attitude and how we respond to others

#6 - Remember to say thank you- in the busyness of life and the demands of "me" and the cries of others, be kind and considerate to those who work and serve and share with others

#5 - Do for others instead for you first - the blessing is truly understanding that it is better to give than receive

#4 - Serve others - Serve one another in love as Christ has served us

#3 - Remember what God has given you - count your blessings

#2 - Share the Gospel - in whatever and wherever you do.  Give people the hope that we have in Christ alone.

#1 -  What's the gift - In all the hustle and bustle and spending and shopping please do not forget the ultimate gift that God gave us - Sending his Son down to this earth to be born of a virgin, live on this earth, spend time in his ministry, fulfilling every prophecy spoken of Him in Scripture and him drinking the cup of sacrifice for our sins - Jesus paid the price for you and me

Blessings,

Dante

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