Go

Matthew 28:18-20 ^“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

 

In the ministry I am in Christian Mentors Network I have many opportunities to work with many men who all have unique personalities and gifts. God has and continues to do some pretty amazing things in the lives of men, real heart transformation. In this ministry one of the really awesome things God has done is He has allowed a group of men from different churches to be put together. These are just men of all different ages that have stepped up to lead the mentoring at their church and this group continues to grow. It’s really been a blessing to work with these men and see God move in this group as it grows. This is a special thing God is doing these are just men in His church the body of Christ that chose to be faithful to what God has placed on their heart. They are 2 Timothy 2:2 men, “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” One of the reasons God put this together is to support and encourage each other to stay focused on the vision, purpose, mission of CMN and the Great Commission. In leading this and being apart of many other things with men God recently led or stirred in me to look at the word go in this scripture. Now a few weeks later as things play out I have more understanding why He done this. What God can do in a person’s heart and in the lives of others and His church when we go on this journey the great commission and disciple each other. This is what the blue letter bible says of go in this scripture.

 

     to lead over, carry over, transfer

     to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey

     to depart from life

     to follow one, that is: become his adherent

     to lead or order one's life

     a trial, experience, attempt

     to attempt a thing, to make trial of a thing or of a person

     to have a trial of a thing

     to experience, learn to know by experience

      beyond, on the other side

Being a disciple of Christ, following Christ or being connected to the true vine or abiding in Him would mean that you understand this command and try to live in obedience to it. Teaching and understanding this command is a big part of this and going is also a part. I think there is many ways this plays out in God’s kingdom and the body of Christ. Going does not mean every disciple is going to go to seminary and preach from the pulpit or be a missionary and go to another country. I think God will lead a person to what and how on the journey and everyone’s is different. I think you take and use what God allows you to take or have but a big part of the journey, trial, or experience is learning more about God and how He will provide in the areas of need or weakness. This process helps us become more like Christ, learn to trust Him and build our faith in Him. I think this can be a beautiful journey with a lot of joy but can also be a battle, hard and messy. The fruit that can be produced in our lives for going on this journey is to bring glory to God. John 15:8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” One of the great ways God takes care of us is He puts brothers in our path to help us in a very timely manner, His time. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A scripture in the old testament really speaks to me or sort of parallels with this in a way. God was leading His people to the promise land He made for them. This was a very fruitful land that God made for his people. Deuteronomy 1:6-8, 20-25 “The Lord our God spoke to us in Horeb, saying: ‘You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.  Turn and take your journey, and go to the mountains of the Amorites, to all the neighboring places in the plain, in the mountains and in the lowland, in the South and on the seacoast, to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great river, the River Euphrates.  See, I have set the land before you; go in and possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—to give to them and their descendants after them.’ And I said to you, ‘You have come to the mountains of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.’  “And every one of you came near to me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, and let them search out the land for us, and bring back word to us of the way by which we should go up, and of the cities into which we shall come.’  “The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.  And they departed and went up into the mountains, and came to the Valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. They also took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought back word to us, saying, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us.’  “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God;”

They sent 12 leaders to spy out the land. While there they brought back a grape cluster and other fruit so big it had to be carried on a pole between them. They also seen giants in the land they would have to fight in battle and chose not to go and fight for the land God commanded them to go and take that was theirs. By choosing not to fight this battle against these giants they wandered for 40 years until being able to enter the promise land again.

I think our promise land would be Jesus and walking with Him, the journey He has for each of us, His will for our life that will bring glory to Him. Eternal life that is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord and savior. I think walking with Jesus and going on the journey He has for us and obeying the great commission is a challenge for everyone and like in the old testament when they went into the promise land they had to fight giants. We will also have battles, struggles, things each of us has to face and that’s where we learn more about the great God we serve. John 10:9-11 ^“Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.  “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

 

 

 

 

1 Corinthians 3:11

A few months ago the Lord kind of took me to this verse in a way. I went in to a two week time with not much going on. I had no agenda or reading plan or meetings just open to what ever God wanted to show or tell me. I think some of it was a reminder or confirmation and also some new things for me I think for where He is leading me. I wasn’t reading in 1^st Corinthians it just came to me in my time with Him.

I built the first 38 years of my life on the wrong foundation. While some of the things in my life were good per say they did not last or hold up. Definitely glad for this finally happening in my life so I could receive the true eternal foundation in Jesus Christ that never fails. Isaiah 28:16 “Therefore the Lord GOD said:" Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.” Before you can build anything of eternal value you must have the right foundation Jesus Christ. Praise God for His plan, the Holy Spirit, sending Jesus, His kingdom, and being able to have eternal life in Heaven where we will walk with God. Praise God for the prophets, the apostles who started the church and His Word, the bible.

The thing that spoke to me in this time is 1 Corinthians 3:10 “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” God took me to but let each one take heed how he builds on it. We need to take heed because like it says our work will be tested with fire. Fire separates and tests the value of our works. Will it have value and bring glory to God. So it is very important for a man to take heed how and what he uses to build with. What gifts, talents, abilities time, and resources, etc. has God given but above all to know how special and loved we are by God so we can love and bless others. It has been my experience that every person has been given much from the Lord it just needs to be discovered , understood, nurtured, an opportunity, and available or willing. Each person is responsible for what they have been given. Matthew 25:14-30 is a good scripture to read to help us understand that there is a responsibility to use what we have been given. This is how the blue letter bible defines heed in the Greek word βλέπω blepō 991.

1) to see, discern, of the bodily eye

    a) with the bodily eye: to be possessed of sight, have the power of seeing

    b) perceive by the use of the eyes: to see, look descry

    c) to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at

   d) to perceive by the senses, to feel

   e) to discover by use, to know by experience

   2) metaph. to see with the mind's eye

   a) to have (the power of) understanding

   b) to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand

   c) to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine

   3) in a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it.

When a person accepts Christ they are reborn spiritually and receive the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus is inside you. There are scriptures that teach us this, John 1:12-13 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13-14, Colossians 1:27. Being reborn and having the Holy Spirit helps us to have a mind like Christ. See things not from a worldly perspective or worldly wisdom but God’s way and understanding or wisdom from God. Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I really like this verse in the ESV because it says that by testing you may discern what is the will of God.

I can only write what God is speaking to me. Someone else may have a different view because of who they are. Having the Holy Spirit and hearing and reading God’s word is what changes us and helps us understand God’s will and who we are in the Lord. But I also know it is the journey or experience or testing that is a big part of helping us know who we are in Christ and how he wants us to build in his kingdom. I think for me and most men I know or have spent time with this does not happen only in meetings and is not easy, it happens on a journey with your master. Being taught over and over and taking spiritual gift test are helpful but also being led, the journey, experience walking with the Lord, failures, help us discover and have understanding what God wants to do through us. God has shown me that even my life before I knew Him from when I was a kid and experiences plays a part and is used in discovering his will and how he wants to use me. 

     In a geographical sense of places, mountains, buildings, etc. turning towards any quarter, as it were, facing it. Becoming like Christ, God’s timing, learning, waiting, maturing and having more understanding and wisdom. I also think there is time when you go and take your journey, you turn toward the place or area He wants you to be in and you take the word of God your sword, gifts, talents, and experiences and use them for his glory and Kingdom. I really try to seek the Lord and discover as I walk with Him. I think this is a pretty special process that takes place in a person’s relationship with the Lord. I can remember when I first started to discover and learn more of who I am in the Lord. It is really hard to put that time into words but it was and still is a very special intimate thing that happens in my relationship with the Lord. I know the ministry Christian Mentors Network that I am in can really help a person in this process. Anytime you have a mentor or brother to walk with you to help you have a deeper relationship with the Lord and apply the Word of God to your life will help discover on your journey. I have an opportunity to work with men which is a huge help in my own growth in the Lord. I also get to watch God transform men’s hearts and help them discover who they are in the Lord. To watch a man have an opportunity, vision, plan, purpose, and the tools to go on the journey to further God’s Kingdom and invest in others is very special to me and continues to be for men. To watch a man change before your eyes and then be used by God to bless others regardless of age, personality, or what they have been through is a very cool God thing. To reap we have to sow.

Matthew 28:18-20 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”