Discipleship

I went out for a coffee with a friend and brother in the LORD yesterday morning. (For those of you who know me, I don't drink coffee.....but my tea was great). My friend is an older man who attends another church. He is a wise man, full of knowledge and experience. He loves the Lord greatly and it is evident in his words and deeds. We had a great time talking about the things of the Lord, the "spiritual body" awaiting believers at the resurrection, the incredible miracles of Jesus during His earthly ministry which defied the laws of science and some other things that were happening in our personal lives.
It was a time of real fellowship, as our thoughts and conversation rarely diverted away from Jesus, which is to His glory, not ours.
But what I noticed him doing, without saying it or defining it was discipleship. Here he was, an older, seasoned man, taking on the younger, sharing his struggles, prayers, expectations, and love for the Lord Jesus Christ.He reminded me of our mutual Master, the Lord Jesus.......
As Jesus ministered and preached the kingdom of God, He stressed the vital importance of not only sharing the life giving news of the Gospel, but also the need for discipleship.
Jesus knew the need for young Christians to have older, mature, experienced and knowledgeable Christians to help them along in their walk with the Lord and to survive the temptations of this world. 
No loving parent would leave their young children to learn to walk across the street alone, without first modeling and guiding those first experiences to ensure they would be safe and successful. How much more prevalent is this in regards to the spiritual lives of believers?
There is safety in numbers. There is no such thing as a lone ranger Christian.....to travel this world alone, without the accountability and wisdom of teachers and friends is foolhardy, and may be a sign of sinful pride.
Discipleship was the model Jesus used while on the earth. He gathered 12 men to "mentor" under Him, learning from His example and gaining wisdom through His divine teaching. Meanwhile, He also taught and cared for hundreds of others simultaneously.
After Jesus ascended to heaven, the apostles and those early disciples took on the mantra of teachers and mentors. That model has been handed down through the centuries and shouldn't stop just because the Lord is returning soon. I am thankful for the mentors in my life, as I now realize I'm a mentor to those younger and more inexperienced than I.........what a responsibility and privileged as I echo the words of Paul in Philippians "Therefore, my beloved, whom I long to see, my joy and my crown, stand firm in the Lord, my beloved." Philippians 4:1.

I cherish these moments with my friend. A man who knows we all need discipleship, no matter the age and is a great example to us all. A man who looks more and more like Jesus everyday.........

Movie nite friday

Congratulations to the winning teams this quarter. I'll see you all this Friday February 18th for pizza and a movie. I can't wait....especially for the pizza....
See you guys at 6:15 pm
"The name of the LORD is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10

Winter months

I looked out my frost covered window this morning and noticed the quiet stillness of the night. There wasn't a car on our usually busy road. The snow, crisp, the wind, howling. It reminded me of many cold winters in my hometown. I think about all the snow that has fallen in the course of human history. I wonder at how God created it all, including the reserve of snow still to fall on our small blue planet.
God, who lives outside of time, space and matter, creates just those things so that those of us who dwell with the framework of such an existence could live safely and behold such beauty. Even though the world carries the scars of Adam and Eve's selfish decision those many years ago, it still reflects the creativity of the Great Creator. But He doesn't let our minds slip into an amnesic state without reminding us we are not the sum of this plane of being. We are spiritual beings, created to have a relationship with God who is spirit, with a longing, whether acknowledged or not, of heavenly things. We are not avatars created by our minds eye, dwelling in a dream type state, waiting to wake up in another world where there is no evidence of our shortcomings.
God reminds us that each of us are unique and created "Imageo Dei" (created in His image). We are not animals with naturalistic instincts that developed over millions of years through careful naturalistic selection, but people who reflect the mind and Person of God. Creativity, morality, ethics, emotions, a sense of justice give evidence of God's work in each of us who belong to the human race. We each carry a stamp that communicates our Creator's hand in our life, though there are those who reject such notions.
The truth is this, God created snow that I was staring at through my bedroom window. He uses the physical world that He created, moves the wind and the waves at His command, and injects the clouds with each unique and individual snowflake, of which no two are alike.
With all the snow that's fallen just on my front lawn, which has to be in the billions, in combination with the incalculable amount that has fallen since the beginning of life on this planet, I'm led again to wonder at the magnifigence of my God, my Creator and my Redeemer.
I'll never look at a snow flake the same again.........and if you stare at one closely and you'll see a stamp that says "made by God" ;)

SNOWZILLA

With all the hype of the impending blizzard event of the last few years, the Awana club at Ridgeville Bible Chapel has decided to continue to have club as usual tonite.
It seems like the snow will not arrive untill later in the evening or into the overnight hours.

Please drive cautiously if the snow does arrive before the end of club or on your drive home.

I'm keeping sane by reminding myself that golf season is only two months away........I hope.....