When you see the golden arches what do you think of?  McDonalds.  The golden arches are a symbol of fast food.  You know what you are going to get no matter where you are in the world when you see those arches.  They identify the place as McDonalds.

So, in baptism we are identified with Christ’s death and resurrection.  Baptism is symbolic.  It tells the world that we have decided to follow Jesus.  We are His.  It reminds us that we are dead to the power of sin and alive to the Spirit of God living within us.  Baptism symbolizes to us that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us.  Praise God!!  What power!

Baptism gives us a new identity – we are “in Christ.”  Just read the Epistles and see how many times you see these words describing us as in Christ.  This is a position in which we have been placed as disciples – a place of security, responsibility and power.

Before Christ’s baptism, baptism was an initiation into the community.  If people from other nations or religions wanted to join the Jewish community they had to be baptized to signify their cleansing from their old affiliation and their belonging to the Jewish faith.  So, water baptism is an initiation into the body of Christ and the Kingdom of God.  While the spiritual birth into the body of Christ happened at salvation, the baptism is an outward sign that this has happened.  We belong to one another as believers.

Baptism is a sign.  Just as circumcision was a sign in the Old Testament that a person was a Jew, so water baptism is a sign that we are participating in the New Covenant of Christ’s grace.

While we were redeemed, adopted, justified, sanctified, and reborn at the moment of committing our life to Christ, baptism is a sign, symbol, identification and initiation into a life of ongoing transformation into the likeness of Christ.

Few of us truly understand the significance water baptism had in the first century and should have in our lives today.  It is a radical first step of obedience for the disciple.  What is keeping you from being Baptized?

In 1992 I was invited to attend a spiritual retreat.  I had no idea what to expect.  Was I in for a surprise!  It was my understanding that people from many different faiths would be there.  We sat around tables as we listened to talks and then discussed them. I quickly noticed that I was the only one with a Bible at my table except the leader. That seemed strange to me.

It was a very eye opening. The teaching was painfully basic for me but others were drinking it in.   That weekend, while out of my comfortable church environment, my eyes were opened to the spiritual condition of the church as a whole.  Simply put, they were Biblically illiterate with a shallow relationship with Christ at best.  My heart was broken as I listened to their conversations.  I had taken for granted my rich inheritance and the wealthy deposit of God’s Word in my heart over the years.

On Sunday morning after breakfast I just couldn’t stand the burden in my heart so I retreated to the chapel to pray.  I failed at trying to hold back the groans of pain in the spirit as I pleaded for His people – the church. I felt His grief, His pain, His burden for the church and it was overwhelming.

During that experience the Lord gave me a vision of the church its inability to face the coming tide of evil.  Their need for knowing the Word and experiencing a deep relationship with him was painfully apparent.  Thus the passion for discipleship was ignited in my heart.

That passion still burns deeply but it has been like swimming upstream to get the message across to the body of Christ – the need to have an intimate relationship instead of just fire insurance.  There is so much more God wants us to experience than just coming to church on Sunday and serving in the nursery.  Those are good but He wants us to really know and experience Him and then pass it on.

Today Jess asked on Facebook, “What do you want to leave behind?”  I want to leave disciples passionately in love with Jesus carrying the torch for His Word and knowing Him.  Disciples, who are living, dynamic examples of the transforming power of Christ to be whole, igniting the passion in others just as I have.

An old song says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going …”   Let’s be the spark.

Lord, give us a passion to be fully devoted disciples who are so dynamic others will want what we have in You.  Give us the vision to pass it on by making disciples.

Jess appropriately said, “If you get worship wrong then you get discipleship wrong.”  Boy is that true!  We usually think of worship as what you do before the preacher gets up to speak.  It’s preparation for the main event – the Word.  Wrong!  Maybe that’s why we have discipleship wrong – something the pastors do because we pay them.

A few years ago I asked my worship team “when was the last time you worshipped and how were you doing it?”  They invariably gave me the last time they played or sang in church or had their devotions.  If the worship team has it wrong, surely most of us sitting in the pew might.

Worship is so much more than singing a song or giving our offering.  The Message makes it crystal clear in Romans 12:1 “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.”  Worship is a mindset that shapes our everyday lifestyle. 

Worship is how we treat our spouse and others, spend our money, perform at work, honor our body and every other area of our lives.  Choosing to control my impulses is an act of worship.  Choosing to respond in kindness instead of revenge is an act of worship.  Choosing to be on time at work or for an appointment is an act of worship.  We compartmentalize our spirituality to the point that we negate its power to change our everyday practices.

Worship is taking who we are, our passion, gifts, talents and interests and offering them as a gift to glorify God instead of ourselves. It’s moment by moment being consciously aware of His presence in us wanting to be expressed through our personality in our everyday activities – not just church activities, devotions, singing.

Being and making disciples are acts of worship.  Discipleship is receiving God’s transforming love and then sharing it with others in our community.  Discipleship will require time, vulnerability, energy and accountability.  But if we are relating with God in worship it should naturally overflow into wanting to disciple.

Remember, Jesus said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”  Following Christ is worship; being a fisher of men is discipleship and worship.  Worship prepares us to be a disciple maker.

When Jesus sends us out with a mission, He also gives us the authority or power to complete the mission.   Matthew 10 :1 tells us “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.?

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus tells his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”   Jesus gives them their marching orders but also gives them the weight of His authority and power to go with them. 

In Acts 1 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…”  This was the authority and power they needed to fulfill the mission.  All the weight of the glory of God would reside inside of them giving them great influence in their sphere.  Those same disciples would turn the world upside down in the first century.

We like authority, power, position and titles.  So why, when we have been promised this power and authority, do we not use it to influence our culture?  We have the “last word” but we cower from sharing our testimony.  It just doesn’t make sense. 

Could it be because our life isn’t aligned with the Life Giver?  Do we fear what men will think?  Are we so interested in being politically correct that we have been silenced? God forbid.

In this Twenty-first century we need to repent of giving away our authority and take it back.  We need to put on the full armor of God, pray and stand firm until our mission on earth is completed.  We have all the power we need.  What are we waiting for?

Lord, forgive us for giving away our authority.  Give us the courage to take up our cross and march forward against the gates of hell, snatching sinners from the fire and making passionate disciples for your Kingdom.

Salt, to be effective, must be applied to food to bring out the flavor.  When Salt is applied to manure it breaks down the manure and makes fertilizer.  Like Miracle Gro the salt must be applied.

I have a package of Miracle Gro which I used on my flowers this past spring.  I’m supposed to use it every two weeks but I became too busy this summer.  Needless to say, my flowers didn’t flourish like they did the year before.  I had smaller plants and less blooms.  I knew what I had done but it just wasn’t a priority.

As disciples of Christ, to be effective, we need to interact with our culture in order to influence dynamic change and growth in others.   We can’t do it in our pews or within the walls of the church.  All our meetings and Bible studies among other disciples doesn’t impact the culture by itself.  We have to take what we are learning and put it into practice with the people of our culture.  We need to share our lives with unbelievers instead of staying away from them for fear that their unbelief will rub off on us. 

The Great Commission tells us to “go” and doesn’t ask the unbeliever to “come”.  Visiting neighbors, having lunch with co-workers, interacting during break times, inviting the unbeliever into our circle of influence are small things we can do to interact with our culture.

Unfortunately, many Christians shun the unsaved for fear the unbeliever will influence them. They don’t apply the Miracle Gro. Disciples with godly character are dynamic and contagious and have a positive influence on the unbeliever.   We are to be change agents in the world. Let us resolve to make being salt and light a priority.

Lord, give us the courage to be light and salt in our world.   

“Yea!  Hip Hip Hooray!  Praise God we’re being persecuted.”
I know you think I’m crazy but that’s what Matthew 5:11-12 is telling us.  Rejoice and be glad in the face of insults, false reports, intimidation, and all kinds of persecution because great will be your reward in heaven.

The rewards in heaven cannot be stolen by thieves, tarnished by the weather or diminished by our economy.  Those rewards are safe and sure.  Jess says, “the most important wealth to accumulate on earth will be received in heaven.”Americans aren’t the best at waiting for rewards.  As parents we know that we must reward our children quickly for their good attitudes or behavior. 

However, the reward of joy, peace of mind, and the blessing of God’s favor are the rewards we receive daily as we impact our culture with godly character.Our attitude should not be one of anger at the injustice of persecution, or dread of the affects of persecution, but joyful anticipation of what is coming next.  It is our privilege to endure persecution for the Kingdom of God.

Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing.  Enduring persecution can be convicting to unbelievers.  Suffering persecution identifies us with the cloud of witnesses talked about in Hebrews 12 and with Jesus.  We’re in good company when we are persecuted.  Smile, no matter how badly the persecution becomes, we know the end of the story.

Lord, give us grace for persevering joyfully through all forms of persecution.  Let us not be intimidated but empowered and encouraged to keep on doing good works for you.

Sometimes I think we American Christians are wimps.  We don’t really know what persecution is compared to the early Christians or those in third world countries. 

The type of persecution we undergo seems to be different than that of the early Christians. Theirs was outright pursuit to kill.  For us it seems unbelievers are trying to silence our voice.  Intimidation, ridicule, belittling, badgering, mocking are all part of the enemies strategy to negate our message or credibility. 

For years there has been a systematic belittling or discrediting of Christians by the movies and TV shows.  Christians are portrayed as hypocrites, ignorant, extremists and in the poorest light possible in the movies and TV shows.  It’s enough to make an unbeliever not want to identify with us.

Every incidence of extreme evangelicalism has been portrayed as the norm.  The abortion clinic bombers, killers of the abortion doctors or wild, off shoot groups are pictured as typical Christianity.  This is persecution in its most insidious form.  It discredits true disciples of Christ and undermines their message before anyone even hears the truth.

The normal disciple fears opening his mouth in public for fear that he will offend or get in trouble.  The words of some trusted evangelical public figures are twisted or edited to put them in the worst light.  Misunderstood by unbelievers who cannot understand Kingdom principles, we are persecuted and made fun of on a regular basis.

We are in good company though.  Jesus was ridiculed, mocked, spat upon, beaten, arrested and hung on a cross.  He was persecuted by the traditional religious leaders of his day.  He withstood much more than any of us have had to withstand.  If we are following Jesus we will be persecuted – that is a guarantee.  But Jesus promises a blessing for persevering in the midst of persecution.

Harassment, maltreatment, bullying, hounding, discrimination are all synonyms for persecution.  We are definitely being discriminated against.  Harassment by the liberals is constant.  Bullying by the constant bombardment of sensual enticement is grievous.  Persecution in the 21^st century may be different from the first century but it is persecution.

Persecution is a sign that our godly character is showing.  Bring it on!

Jess tells us that God’s people should be the best at handling conflict on the planet.  Hmm… that has not been my experience.  We are pretty good at causing a lot of conflict but don’t ask us to confront it.  This is an area the enemy uses against us big time.  Unresolved conflict is like a weight around our necks.

Rumors, gossip, assigning blame, complaining, talking negatively, holding grudges are still alive and well in the body of Christ.  One of the issues I deal with the most in ministry is reluctance or total unwillingness to deal with conflict.  I understand reluctance but outright disobedience to the Word of God is inexcusable for us.

If the Word tells me that being a peacemaker is what distinguishes me as a child of God then it must be pretty important.  We cannot mistake keeping the peace by ignoring it or sweeping it under the rug as peacemaking. 

Ehpesians 6:13:17 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

We are to be ready to bring peace.  Peace between God and man and among one another. The knowledge that we are at peace with God and one another is a weapon against our enemy.

 As disciples we are brothers and sisters in Christ – children of God.  We are to live at peace with one another and to take that peace to our culture.  If we’re at odds with one another, speaking evil of one another then what kind of change agent will we be to the world.  How do we take peace to others when we don’t have peace in the family?

I love the title “child of God.”  If I want the privilege of being God’s child I must take on the responsibility of being a peacemaker.  Whatever God asks us to be, He gives us the grace to accomplish.  I can be a peacemaker because I am the child of God and He is the peacemaker.

The most loving thing we can do for someone is to confront our conflict with them.  I know you think I’ve gone crazy but I know from experience. 

In High School my choir director should have confronted me about how loudly I was singing.  He did not.  Some of my peers made fun at me, and said unkind things.  It hurt me so much that I dropped out of choir for a year until they graduated.  Since singing loudly in church was normal, I sang loudly in school choir.  Of course, when the director indicated that we should sing more softly as a group, I did.  But my soft was medium for others.  If only my choir director had taken me to the side and corrected me gently I could have been saved embarrassing myself and losing a year of choir.

My first year in college my roommate confronted me about something.  It was very painful to hear her criticism.  I felt awful that I had acted in a way that hurt someone else.  I took the criticism, was broken before the Lord and ask for His help.  I then ask forgiveness of the people I had hurt.  While being corrected was difficult to face, it was the most loving thing she could have done for me.  I couldn’t see my fault but she could and was kind enough to let me know I had a blind spot that needed changed. 

It’s like someone telling you that your zipper is down or you have toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe.  While it’s embarrassing to have it brought to your attention, it’s more embarrassing to walk all around without knowing it.  Ignorance is not bliss – it’s embarrassing.

One of God’s attributes is peace.  Jesus came as the Prince of Peace.  Peace is not ignoring problems but confronting them lovingly so they can be resolved.  Jesus did what it took to resolve the debt we owed.  He paid it with his own life.  He is our example.  We have to die to the fear of man, die to our need to be a people pleaser and die to our pride.  Die and deal with conflict between us and others.  

Ignoring or avoiding problems or conflicts can cause them to escalate and allow the devil to get a foothold.   Romans 12:18 tells us, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”   This is not a suggestion; it’s God’s Word for us. 

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Pure means clean, wholesome, unpolluted, unmixed, and undefiled.  It’s difficult to live in our culture without purity of heart being challenged.  In an age of relativism where your truth is different from someone else’s truth, its challenging for people to get a footing on what is true north.  The culture’s moral compass is skewed at best and broken at worst. 

As disciples, following Christ, our hearts are purified by His Word which is active and alive in us.  As we learn and put His Word into action we are purified.  The Word of God is our truth, our compass, the standard by which we model our lives. 

But sometimes we confuse knowing the truth with living the truth.  We need accountability partners with whom to share our lives, our shortcomings, and our challenges.  It doesn’t mean our partner is perfect, but that we are committed to the process of growth and willing to be honest with ourselves and one another. 

The enemy uses secrets to keep us in captivity.  But the moment we confess our secrets to someone else the power is broken.  James 5:16  tells us,   “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”    Our hearts are healed of their wandering, our emotions healed of hurts, as we confess to each other our need for mercy and grace.

Lord, help us to pursue purity of heart by putting your Word into action.  Help us to find someone or ones with whom to be accountable for our growth into your likeness.