day 1

entry #1–On “Training”

video link of the day: http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=DW76GNNX

Rationale:
Why create a blog? I guess it is part of a sense that the Lord wants me to be contributing to the Work of his Kingdom. Maybe this blog is also motivated out of a sense that I will grow as well. I could use a little more effort, training, and discipline. I am reminded that an athlete must run even when it is not race day. He must get up early in the morning, sometimes in the cold or the dark, because he wants to be prepared when the day of his race comes. But perhaps more importantly, he knows that it is not even about one race. He trains because he wants fitness to be a part of who he is. He may win the race only if he becomes a fast runner who is well developed. A fat, lazy man cannot suddenly become a winner on race day. In the same way, spiritually speaking the analogy is similar. Preparing for a future event such as a sermon or an opportunity to witness is not the point. The point is to become more mature as Christ develops in me. Otherwise, the day will come when I have to say something to someone, and I will have nothing to say. Not because God doesn’t want to use me, or because its not my gifting, but because I have become fat and lazy. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Too many times I have had nothing to say. I am hoping to work on this area in my life. I want to experience Christ’s presence as I seek him through this journal. Is that presumptuous? I know that if I seek, He will be found by me. Not because I have a handle to control God’s workings, but because he is willing found by those who seek Him with all their heart and strength. This is part of my obedience to love God with all my strength.
Our lives impact the lives of those around us. As we are ready, others will benefit. This is my attempt to prepare myself for action and battle, for encouragement and edification, for discernment. I am attempting to learn to wield the sword in faith, tenacity, boldness, and tender love.
2 Tim 4:2-3 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season ; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction.
What would it look like if all followers of Christ believed they were pastors? If they came to church prepared to give a sermon. Instead of saying, “This church should reach out more to visitors,” to in fact be the hand that does so. If any man comes to Christ for salvation, God also begins to restore His purpose for that person. As little “Christs,” he will do and work in us the same DNA that was in Christ. We were made to be administrators, workers, builders of the kingdom. Not everyone has the same gift, yet all believers in Christ are priests! (See I Peter 2:9) There should be no passive Christians. I think part of the spiritual passivity in our culture today is not because the pastors are not working hard enough. Its because we the congregation are in sleeping mode, leaving the work for the professional to do, assuming that we are off the hook. We show up to church lazy, unprepared to lead. We are prepared to sit back in the pew and receive. Somehow, though, faith pushes towards an active pursuit. Passivity threatens to woo us into slumber.
The truth is that we do not know how many people have needed us when we slacked off and didn’t produce fruit.