A Desirous Calling

I was so excited about the idea of starting bible study that I hardly considered what obligations were involved. How hard can it really be to share fellowship and study God’s Word together. Not hard, until you are the person who is the leader. It seems like a desirous calling. Being able to show my love for God and my commitment to showing love for fellow believers, right?

And yet when considering the idea in the beginning, I didn’t question for one moment it was right for me. That was until the first bible study. I wasn’t prepared for the questions that would arise. I wasn’t prepared for answering the urgent needs that met me through the struggles that these women faced. That first bible study revealed my vulnerability and my incompetence as a leader. There are such complexities that each of us face that the only way to solve them is by seeking God through prayer. What I thought would be simply reading and sharing, became a time in which these women were searching for quick easy answers, and yet not realizing that sometimes it takes considerable kneeling before God that a bible study is just ineffective at curing.

Bible study is designed to become better acquainted with His Word, it's an informal way to really discuss how it applies to one's life and gives a springboard for how we can develop a practical way of applying the Bible's examples to our lives. It isn't meant to replace the depth of ministry that one gets when they visit the House of God or request time to counsel with the pastor.

And though a leader of bible study isn't meant to replace those who are pastors or leaders of the church, he or she must still have a ready answer in the event that the study reveals the need for deeper revelation. Yes, being a leader in any capacity of ministry is a position that requires dedication,submission to the Spirit and requires many hours of study and prayer. It requires those who desire to lead, to in fact be followers of Christ, have their own lives under submission, to have a servant’s heart and above all to remain close to God and ready to put down any vain imagination, ready to deny place for personal sin or behaviors that contradict a life that is marked by the Spirit of God. This responsibility isn't for the faint of heart. This kind of calling will reveal where one stands in their faith and will reveal ones own human weaknesses when the Word of God stands as a balance weighing the life of one who chooses to lead or minister truth.

Although it is desirous to want to serve God in the area of ministry it is an important role, too important to take lightly. Let us be found deserving of any call that requires us to touch other's lives as Christ's ambassadors by having our own lives under personal scrutiny and ready to put off anything that would disqualify us as Christ's example.

Authentic Living

I like how Chip Ingram refers to Christ's ascension and reign over sin and death once and for all. Chip was referring to a scripture in Eph 4 about Christ ascending into Heaven after putting powers to shame, taking the keys to death and putting an end to eternal damnation through His death and resurection. In understanding what we really recieved from this victory, Chip goes into great detail in his series on "The Miracle Of Life Change." a 10 part series in finding authetic relationships with other believers, restoration with God and being spirtually transformed.

Many of us read a bit of gospel prior to our rush into morning traffic, and perhaps if we're lucky we'll read a five minute devotional before bedtime. And yet what we lack on a grand scale as believers collectively is a true "relational relationship". And if we did have this relational authenticate relationship with God and even other believers, we would as christians act and live much differntly than we currently do.
For relationships provide wisdom, growth, accountability and even edificaion.

While studying Eph 4 I especially was struck by the passage of what Christ did after leaving and ascendig into heaven. Even before Chip commented on it. It was like, "WOW!" I had never read it in that manner before. Chip really clarified in great detail facts that I couldn't possibly be privy to lest I attended seminary. Chip was referring to the scripture in Ephesians 4:8 "when Christ returned triumphantly to heaven His resurrection and victory over Satan, He gave generous gifts to men." To get the full impact of this passage one would be aquainted with how battles went in the Old Testament. For in Psalm 67:18 we have a glimpse into an ancient battle that took place between men and kindgoms on earth. And in those battles prisoners of war were paraded through the streets of the conquering city so that the people could see their captives shamed and disgraced. Behind the prisoners would be the loot (gold, cattle, oxen, jewlery, spices, anything of value) and these were the gifts that the King presented to the people in the city.

As Christ conquered darkness,principalites, powers in high places He conquered their powers forever and took the keys of death back, He ascended into the Heavens. And as a result He gave men gifts. He overcame evil with good,and then gave those of us who love Him gifts that would edifty one another, the body of believers and also reach out to those in the world that needed to see the hand of Christ who would no longer be present with us and therefore would see Christ through each believer.

Imagine christians without these gifts He speaks of. Gifts that are clearly of heaven origin. The ability to love others without hypocrisy or want of anything. The ability to have a renewed mind or a heart of peace that you could minister to another who was hopeless. The gift of healing, prophecy, teaching, and many other gifts, such as music ministry, writing. There are so many gifts that were given to us if only we would operate in them. We don't need Him physically present to operate in those gifts for He freely gave them to us after ascension. And I think that this is what Chip was talking about in his series, "The Miracle Of Life Change." I really have enjoyed the beginning of the series. There are 8 series left and I am looking forward to watching each one.


****If you or someone you know would like to lead a bible study group and know "The Miracle of Life Change" Chip Ingram is providing his series free of charge because his goal is to touch the lives of believers who really want to have an authentic relationship with Christ. If you are interested you can go to www.lote.org and then click on the Living On The Edge DVD series "The Miracle Of Life Change." The DVD series takes about two weeks to arrive. The series is beautifully bound, and very doctrinally sound as Chip Ingram pulls from the Word Of God and a style of simplicity. The Leader's guide and study guides you can order after you recieve the series. If you are truly serious about sharing a new way of living and renewing, please order the DVDs and hold a bible study with your friends. You won't regret it.

When We Pray

I am reminded of how David prayed such heartfelt prayers and I am thankful that he left behind his signature in the book of Psalms. For what other book is greater than the Psalms that gives us such confidence concerning prayer to God and shows us that when we spend time reaching out to God, that indeed it is that devotion to prayer that brings answers we long for.
David began some prayers in agony. At times he was overwhelmed with grief and fear. And yet in his prayers we always see the reflection of hope as he reminds himself of God's promises and encourages himself that God indeed will answer, even in seasons that He seems to be silent, if we wait, patiently, He will respond.
Sometimes I feel like David felt when he would lay out his petiton before God and yet feel that God was hidden. But one thing I honor about David, a man after God's own heart, is that he always let his fears, his joys, his doubts be known to his God. And I have been encouraged to do the same; to be honest with God about how I truly appraise things, even if I am wrong in how I see life or circumstances, being honest is one way that I know that I can be heard. God would rather we be honest with Him than to sugar-coat our prayers to Him.
Some of my favorite verses include the following from David, "Bend down and hear my prayer, O Lord, and answer me..." Ps. 86:1......"Listen Closely to my prayer."O Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have wept before you day and night. Now hear my prayers; oh listen to my cry..."Ps. 88:1.
David was never afraid to petition God for answers. He was never afraid to ask that God hear and listen and respond. He went bodly to God in prayer, believing that God would hear, and answer and would never cease to remind God of what He promised. Such boldness indeed lends proof that when we love God and are obidient we have nothing to fear when we need an answer.
From David's example, I know that I have this same priviledge of going to God in prayer. I am not afraid to ask God for my needs and also to remind God of His promises concerning me. David proved that you can go to God and lay out every thing before Him and to be confident that God is a tender Father who delights in restoring us. This is of great value to know, especially in times of despair, calamity, sorrow, suffering and fear. Yes, we can petition God. And God will hear. When we pray, let us consider David's prayer life and even the examples that he set forth through his Psalms. Psalms is a wonderful example of proof that we can be confident that God is ready and willing to hear us when we cry out to Him.

God Can Turn Suffering Into Glory

There are many circumstances in our lives which are unfortunate. Many circumstances are ones we may feel that we have little to no control over. Unkind words spoken to us, unheard of cruelties that have made our lives a shame to those who question why we have faced such loss and personal pain. Even biblical characters like Job's suffering was laid open before the pulic forum to judge. And even Job's friends believed that his own personal sin had brought on a heap of judgement. Sometimes suffering is just an indication that we are alive. Sometimes suffering is due to our negligence. Whatever the case may be suffering is rarely a cause for flippant dismisal. And so the exmaination process of suffering begins.

The first response may disbelief or denial; the second may be regret. "If only I had made a different decision", or "I wish I hadn't trusted that person." we might say to ourselves. However, life isn't a experience you map out in the beginning. And you certainly might never imagine where the course of suffering will take you. Or choices for that matter. But what you can be certain of is that nothing that has happend to you will be purposeless. Yes, regardless of the circumstaces you have faced, it is encouraging to know that God can take a painful experience and turn it into glory. In fact, many who have faced hardships in life have an expectancy of hope. And this expectancy gives them the mobility to careen through life's hardest trials without giving up.

This is exactly what happend to Joseph, a young boy in the bible who had made the decision to brag about his dreams to his older brothers. His brothers had already tolerated his being their father's favorite son, but having him also tell about his grand visions and dreams was just too much. And so they plotted to get rid of him.
Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. Thinking that they would silence him forever. As the years passed Joseph would endure his punishment for alienating his brothers. He would live under the hardships and cruel lifestyle of slavery. Sold yet not forgotten. And God would pay a ransom for him despite his foolish mistake, when He would cause Joseph to be appointed to a position of authority. The long years of enduring suffering now seemed light in comparison to the blessing in the end. Joseph had become the type of person that suffering when examined produces a heart that is willing to be changed and molded for glory.

God would use Joseph to deliver the very brothers who had sold him into slavery from a hardship of drought that would devistate all of Egypt. And he would recieve and be recieved by his brothers once again. Reunited at last, though the beginning would never hint of such a wonderful ending.

We may not see the end from the beginning. Rarely will we taste the victory without having paid a price to do so. Yet in enduring, time will reveal a tested, and tried vessel worthy of honor when proven honorable in the end. It doesn't matter how your beginning started out. Whether mistakes, bad choices, other people's bad choices landed you in your current circumstance, learn to be faithful while enduring it.

For who knows if this circumstance isn't one that will be to the greater good of others. And who knows if God hasn't determined to make you a vessel of honor just like Joseph and change an entire nation because of God's wisdom in your life?