The Illusions of Discipleship by Wayne Fox

The Christian Addiction to Control

Which kind of a relationship would you rather live with...?

     a. one governed by law or

     b. one governed by freedom & grace

Be careful how you answer this question!

The feeling of being in control is probably the greatest addiction that we are feeding without needles. There is hardly no convenience that is sold to us that is not a fix to feed our need to be in control. We even give some of these commodities names...remote control, thermostat controls, control panel, AC controls, weight control, control knobs, etc-etc. These controls are marketed to us to make our environment more comfortable, more convenient and less painful by having more control. Take an aspirin to get rid of a headache. Buy a cell phone and computer to be more productive. Download MPEG.s and put it on your iPOD to have any song you want at any time you want it. Program your thermostat to control temperature to tenths of a degree so you won.t have to feel too cold or hot. What do you want to eat? Go to the local market and you can have whatever you want whenever you want it.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

We have injected the drug of control in every aspect of our life, we don.t even know we are addicted to such a feeling. At least, until our life is out of control. So, we bring the same way of living into our Christian life. What would feel more comfortable to you; what would you rather do?

        a. Follow someone or

        b. Try to make it happen yourself...

I don.t know about you, but I have a hard time following. Which lane do you find yourself migrating towards when one turn lane or exit lane has a long line of cars, but the other lane is open? What are you feeling when you go in a store, find what you want, only to find every cash register has a long line in front of you knowing that you have a twenty minute wait before you can check out? How do you feel you are behind a line of cars on the expressway in the middle of work traffic?

I sure like the feeling much better when I am out of town, out from behind a slower car, not having to follow trucks, but rather get out in front with no one in sight and push the cruise control to on. Without us realizing it, none is out front leading and in control without following something or someone as a path to where they are going. The question is not, Do you want to follow?...rather.Who, what and why are you following what you are?

But, Christ is inviting you and I to a relationship of following Him, not to a religion of trying to become. As someone told me recently, How do you go about following someone you never have seen?

Read: Mark 1:1-20…

If you are invited to a relationship of "Follow Me"....

WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?...

In our Christian world, are you following a man--a person with the right image who teaches truth to your head and tells you what to do /how to do it? OR  Are you following God's Spirit -- an encourager with the right message who reveals His truth to your heart leading you to take steps of trust and repentance?

Why did God have John the Baptist, a man who lived out in the desert, wore camel.s hair loin cloth and ate wild locusts, be the introducer of the God of the Universe.? How motivated would you have been to follow him? If you had a choice to belong to his church or one that was a mega-church with all the top facilities and top programs pastored by a world renown pastor who looks and dresses like a model out of GQ, which would you join?

Under the ACHIEVING SYSTEM (living under law trying to performing up to God's standard or trying to become to gain acceptance) I want to depend upon someone who looks like they have it together or is in control. It is much more insecure to get behind someone and follow them when they don't portray the image of success I want as the end result in my life. I become addicted to following what I want to become. So, churches all over America are looking for Saul's to be their pastors...finding a person with an image to draw people to following a person and not to God. But, God is not leading me to become successful, He is leading me to realize I am sick. It is not they who are well who need a physician, it is they who are sick. I chose to follow a man to get well (because man teaches us how to become better). But, God is wanting us to chose to follow Him (because His Spirit will lead us to see we can't become better). Then, we begin the journey of spiritual rehab, letting go of the addiction of control--trying to become through ACHIEVING to get a life of comfort and convenience; and find recovery in a relationship of allowing Him to be in control--following Him to RECEIVE what He alone can do to make us become.

WHAT ARE YOU FOLLOWING?...

Trying to become keeps me in control or Following feels out of control but it is the only way I can become…In achieving something in our lives, someone has said...

        1. Develop a goal of what you want to do

        2. Develop a plan to accomplish the goal

        3. Throw away the goal

        4. Become enthusiastic about the plan

In Christ.s invitation...Follow Me, I will make you become fishers of men, what is the plan and what is the goal? What is my responsibility in this relationship? What is God.s responsibility? What should I get my focus off of and what should I become enthusiastic about? The Christian addict is focused on the goal of trying to become. It is where I can use the "apple of the knowledge of good and evil" to control my life to get what I want. I know I have a problem and my life is out of control. But, if I can only learn God's good knowledge and apply it to my life and if I can only know what is bad for my life and discipline myself to stay away from it, then I will get the blessings which brings a blissful life and I will avoid the curses which brings a painful life. There is one problem with biting into this apple. IT DOESN'T WORK!!! And, God knew that.

That is why He drove man out of the garden and implemented what we call CURSES, but are actually BLESSINGS. God, in His love for us told us that we would find pain in life from this point forward...the pain of work, the pain of raising children, the pain of disease, the pain of death, the pain of husband-wife relationships. And, what is man's way of solving these problems...discover knowledge and apply it to get rid of the problem. That is exactly what God DID NOT WANT US to do. That is why He tried to protect man from eating the TREE of LIFE...because He would be stuck in this cycle of trying to solve his problems without having to depend upon God. The greatest gift God has given us is the blessing of PAIN. For, when we discover that we have problems in our marriage, in our homes, in our work, in our physical realms, these PAINS are what God wants us to seek HIM and re-initiate the Dependant FOLLOW ME relationship which He designed in the garden before the fall.

The spiritual addict does not try to find and implement a solution for his painful life (that is shooting up with a human anesthetic), but rather he gives up trying to ACHIEVE the goal and begins  focusing on the plan. I have a problem and my life is out of control; I need to seek help and guidance outside of my control and begin to trust and follow God, who alone can bring healing to my life. Maybe we as Christian addicts, addicted to trying to seek God's truth as a means to bring control to our lives, need to find the wisdom of the first two steps in any "ANONYMOUS" recovery program. A Christian addict begins the road to recovery when he stops focusing the goal of trying to become and starts focusing on the plan...learning to Follow God, who alone can lead us to become.

WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING...

I want to avoid pain which is the consequence of being out of control or I will follow even through pain because of the benefits that come from God being in control.

What cost would you have paid if you chose to follow Christ at the time of this passage in Mark 1. Read Mark 6 to determine what the results were in John the Baptist.s life since he was a threat to the religious and political systems of the day. How popular would it have been to identify with John the Baptist.s message. He was in jail and was in jeopardy of having his head cut off. Following anything related to John was not the popular thing to do. Following under these circumstances would mean there would be a HUGE COST!!! 

Why do you chose to follow what you follow? How does the benefit vs. the cost weigh into that decision? There is a cost to every decision we make. Why do we sacrifice the greater benefit, when we chose to follow what is more convenient in the short-term (i.e. Why do we buy things on credit when we don.t have the ability to repay?). We tend to focus on the price paid. I want to get the most for the least cost. So, we are sold the illusion that credit is a good thing...until the bills come and the creditors call. God's FOLLOW ME discipleship process is not sold this way. Yes, there is a HUGE COST...it will mean, "If you want to follow Me, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Me!!" Why would I even entertain paying such a cost? Try changing your focus from the addict's way of deciding. We see the demons in scripture portraying this same addictive behavior of wanting pleasure in the short term even though it meant postponing the pain that was to come. They said to Christ, "Don't cause us pain before the time!! If you are going to cast us out of human flesh, at least put us in pig flesh!!" What were they saying? The demons knew that in the future they would be judged and cast into the eternal pain of hell, but in the present they were enjoying their freedom by inhabiting human flesh.

Now, what does that do for a spirit being who has more power than we do? Spirit beings are spirit only beings. They do not have physical flesh. What does physical flesh do for us and what kind of pleasures do we experience that they would not without living in it? Think of your senses...see, touch, hear, taste, and smell. How much pleasure do we gain from these? And, how much do we chose to avoid the pain that these can bring? I seek to see beautiful women, but close my eyes to the ugly ones. I love the feel of a soft, cosey bed at night; but won't sleep on the hard ground if I can avoid it. I relish a five star five -course dinner; but I hate the taste of Cod Liver oil. The smell of roses sooths my soul, but the stinch of a pit toilet turns my stomach.

So, could it be as comfortable Americans, we also have become comfortable Christians. I want what the demons want at all cost...give me pleasure now, I don't care about the pain later. But, isn't that what an addict is...I want pleasure now that covers up the pain that will come later after the drug wears off. I will never engage in God's discipleship process if that is what my focus is on the price paid. But, Christ calls us to focus on the benefits received..."For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world (or get whatever gives you security or significance) and loses his own soul." How much is what you become as a person worth? How would you measure whatever pleasure you want out of life against losing or messing up your personhood-who you become? Because just like an addict becomes screwed up in the way he makes decisions, ultimately his soul becomes so twisted that he can no longer have hope of "becoming" until he goes through a rehab program.

And, that is exactly what the FOLLOW ME discipleship process is...rehabbing us from the addiction of trying to become in order for us to get God to make our life more comfortable and convenient (The ACHIEVING mentality) to learning to Follow Him for God to lead me to become someone who will have an eternal impact on others around me by taking me through painful circumstances that will cause me to see my need to let go of control, to look up and seek Him and allow Him to reveal and tear down my sinful flesh patterns. (The RECEIVING SYSTEM). Why am I following...not to get God to change my circumstances, but for God to change me through my circumstances? If i allow God to rehab my focus, and as I learn to trust Him (Who are You?...experiencing the power of His resurrection to bring life to my spirit), then i should be becoming in a way that I will be willing to pay the cost because the value or benefit of what I become is worth it (How Do I Follow?...experiencing the fellowship of His sufferings to bring death to my flesh)

CHECK OUT THIS EXAMPLE...How Did This Work In Moses Life...

Read: Hebrews 11:23-29 How did Moses face these issues of .Who, What and Why are you following. when he was faced with following the life of leisure and position with Pharaoh or following the uncertainties of following God?

WHAT IS Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship ALL ABOUT...

• Based upon the discipleship process formulated by Christ with His disciples.

• Changing one's focus from "trying to become"   a better Christian life to "following Christ" so    that He might "make us become..."

• Transitioning a person from performance-based acceptance under the LAW to how to    live in grace-based acceptance under LIBERTY

• Establishing ears to listen and respond to    God's Spirit rather that to learn and apply God's Truth _____________________________________________________________________________________

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

The Illusion That Death Brings Life

Ingraining Christ's "Follow Me" discipleship process into our lives causes us to deal with many confusing illusions. When we look at an illusion picture, we always see the same picture first. It is through the failure of not seeing it and with the guidance of a trained eye and continued repitition over a long period of time that I begin to focus on the opposite perspective.

What do you see when examining the picture to the right. Is it a small cube or box in the left hand corner of a room? That is what most people see immediately. But, refocus and make the light green floor, on which the smaller cubes sits, the bottom plane of a box skewed upward and toward the right. The back wall becomes the front face of this box. The small cube "sitting in the corner" becomes a cube cut out of the front, lower left corner of the box. Now, don't let me mess with your mind, but there is a third view in this illusion...the small cube facing down and skewed to the left in front of the larger box facing up and to the right!! The problem is that you can get your focus on two of the three for a little time, but you brain keeps wanting to go back to see the one you first viewed initially.

So it is in changing some of my perspectives about what Christianity is all about in my life. Through this "follow Me" process, many illusions become exposed and changed, but not without the struggle of continuing to hold on to the old and shifting to the new with much failure, repitition and guidance.

What have some of these illusions been...

    a. I become through following...not I follow through becoming

    b. Following is through listening and responding in trust & repentance...not through
           learning and applying through effort and motivation.

    c. I succeed through failure...not I succeed by trying not to fail.

    d. I am trusting to be restored in my soul through whatever circumstances He brings
           in my life...not I am trusting to get relief in my flesh from my circumstances.

    e. My job is to follow His Spirit and respond to the one area He is revealing to me,
           ...not my job is to learn His truth and follow it through discipline and hard work.

    f. I am a renter, God is owner of it all...not I own it, I give to God His portion.

    g. I am to develop a heart that is sensitive to listening to God speaking to me...not

           I develop a heart that enjoys listening to and following a man.

    h. I am seeing more and more areas of my flesh where I am "sick" and need God
           to restore me...I am sensing how "well" I am and need to restore others to

           become "well."

    i. God is leading me to crucify my flesh and respond in trust & repentance..Man is
           leading me to strengthen my flesh and respond in discipline and performance.

    j. God speaks to the spirit to change me on the inside...Man educated the head to
           get external results.

    k. My significane is based upon what God thinks about me...not based upon what

           others think about me

    l. Fear is to lead me to faith...not conquer fear because it is the opposite of faith.

  m. God is leading me to bring my behavior in line with my identity (you are acceptable
            in spite of how you perform)...not I establish my identity through my behavior

            (You are acceptable because you perform)

Death brings life...not life comes through avoiding death

Another difficult illusion for us to follow in disciplehsip is "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it can NOT bring forth fruit. Life comes through death. "Unless a man lose's his life for my sake, he will not gain it. And, if he wants to gain his life, he must lose it." The way up in God's process is down!!.

How is this described in 2 Chronicles 7:13, 14...What is God trying to produce and change in me (v. 14)? And, how does He accomplish this as described in verse 13?

How is this idea reflected in physical nature? Every plant goes through a cycle of life and death each season. A tree grows and matures each spring and summer, forming new growth each year which produces the end product of seeds. Then tree submits to be taken through a death cycle every year. It drops seeds through the hardship of enduring the fall and winter. When it begins to die, the seed begin to drop. If a plant never gets to the fruit production stage and doesn't not die, what happens to its reproductive capibilities? No seeds means no multiplication of itself. What happens to the food source we use and how does this food source produce life in us? If a plant doesn't give up its fruit through death, then no benefit of life is gained by us.

How is this spiritual process reflected in Romans 8:12? What needs to happen to my flesh in order to bring resurrection life (a new way of living)? How does facing of physical death cause a change in perspective to the way we view life...talk to someone who recently found out they have terminal cancer! What begins to happen which actually brings "life" as one walks through the "valley of the shadow of death?"

Christ is focusing on an issue for the disciples that is critical in maintaing the right focus and continuing the "follow Me" process in their lives. He was changing their focus on what was truly important...this relationship is not about educating the head and doing right, it is about reaching the heart and becoming a different person. It is not about what I do for God, it is about what God is doing in me and then through me.

Often times, the disciples struggle to see these illusions clearly. So, they go back to focusing on what was comfortable for them.  In Mark 12, Christ describes the illusion of how a woman gave more in her one cent offering than all the rich dudes gave of their surplus. But, the disciples response was, "Hey, what about these buildings and wonderful stones we have built..do they count for anything?" Christ's answer is that there will come a time when what you think is important will change.

In these times which Christ orchestrates and brings into our lives, will we see life from a renewed perspective to keep our focus on what truly is important? For as He warned the Israelites after their stretch in the wilderness, that when He gave them the promised land..."don't get too comfortable and forget!!" Guess what, God knew this was going to happen. And He didn't say it to keep it from happening... but, rather, for them to realize that when the "desert, death" circumstance came into their life, it was there to cause them to refocus.

So, he explains to them. "Don't be mislead, don't loose your focus, don't fall asleep, be on alert...because there is coming a time when life will no longer be focused on "success, significance or security" but rather "sheer survival." It is in these times "death brings life" and the life it produces is essential to me "becoming" through His leading me though them. Truly I will become...  if I will submit to what God leads and I will follow Him--whether that is through life experiences (building my spirit to trust in His miraculous power) or through death experiences (tearing down my flesh in the fellowship of His sufferings).

Will I alllow myself to be like a tree? Will I allow God to take me through death (the fall and wnter season of life) to produce life (the spring and summer season of life). Remember, Christ says in the parable of the mustard seed, discipleship will start out as just a seed, one truth He wants me to respond to in my life, implanted there for me to RECEIVE that which He is doing to unravel my flesh, build up my spirit and restore my soul (James 1:20,21).

But, if I follow Him through the life cycles that lead to death and the death cycles that lead to life, just like that seed, it will bring new growth each season. And, lo and behold, as I follow Him through such seasons of my life, I will see huge growth and benefits that will bring about the results of a firmly established tree. And that tree will bring benefits to those who come and rest in its shade and light on it branches. You may not believe it...like the illusion, you may not see it now, but if you do follow Him through these life cycles, He will make you become... For, the illusion is that it takes FOLLOWING HIM through both life (the times of trusting Him and seeing the power of His resurrection) and death (the times of allowing Him to lead me to repentance and experience the fellowship of His sufferings) FOR HIM TO MAKE ME BECOME....!!!. Stop focusing on trying to become in order to indicate that you are following Him. You are looking at the illusion backwards. Allow Him to produce life out of death!!

READ ALL ABOUT IT....NEWS at Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship, Inc.

News AUG. - SEPT. 2006...Read All About These Issues:
   1. Met Dr. Larry Crabb at Dallas Church...learn more
   2. Materials to Publisher...learn more
   3. Listen to What a Church Deacon Says About How the Follow Me Process is Impacting
         Him Personally as well as Rippling to the Whole of His Church...learn more

  News JAN. - DEC. 2006...Read All About These Issues:
   1. Discipling a Church Staff...learn more
   2. Nina Leads Discipleship Retreat...learn more
   3. What is the Exchanged Death in Our Christian Life?...learn more
   4. The Disciple Code book is coming!!...learn more

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

On What Wall is My Ladder Leaning?

We have all heard of the business man who spent all of his life "climbing the corporate ladder," only to find when he got to the top, it was leaning against the wrong wall. We are all "climbing ladders" in many different ways in our lives. It is not hard to realize the top is the goal you need to reach when we are toward the bottom looking up. We all have no problem writing out a "what do I want to become" statement, because we know there is still much work to be done.--there are still challenges ahead of us. After studying the Bible, we are aware of the areas we still do not measure up to.

So, even in our Christian lives, we are being led to "climb certain ladders" toward what we need to and want to become. But, the problem seems to be there are so many insurmountable rungs in this "Christian" ladder to climb:

        a. Parents who have the charge to "train" up the children in the way of the Lord
        b. A husband and wife who are to reflect a united love relationship
        c. A person who has the responsibility to lead and provide for their home
        d. A person whom the church expects to grow in maturity and take leadership in
              ministry responsibilities
        e. A person whom has responsibilities to fulfill in a godly way at work
        f. A person who is to be a witness in all of their worlds
        g. A person who is to read my Bible daily and pray continually
        h. A person who is to...

The rungs of the ladder that seem right to climb are the ones that teach us "how to" fulfill all these   responsibilities. So, in the past decades, we have been conditioned to climb the ladder of Christian "education." We struggle in our daily routines and feel we need the "practical" solutions to these tasks. As a result, specialty programs have been established for every topic under the sun. So I sign up to take the latest seminar on the steps of raising godly kids, read the newest book on the principles of becoming a more godly spouse, order the most creative materials to establish effective devotions for the family, take the most recent course on "how to become a more effective witness", etc. And when these don't seem to be getting me closer to the top, I go back and try to review the basics of my Christian faith, checking off whether I am doing these things or not. Maybe, I am not progressing up this ladder because I am not journaling or not having daily devotions or not establishing accountability relationships or not going to enough church programs or NOT....

After climbing up the rungs of all these processes, I realize I have a stack of principles, steps, how tos, ideas, truths that are impossible to consume and apply consistently. I feel like I need to have all these resources on my shelf and when I come up against the next test, I need to pull of the manual for that subject and review the "6 steps in handling...." (whatever the situation is). Somewhere in the New Testament I remember a person who wrote about this same struggle, "For what I know to do, I find myself not doing...and what I don't want to do, I find myself doing."

I wonder...maybe the ladder of Christianity today is leaning too much on the wall of "outward performance" and the need to ACHIEVE for acceptance. Does it not say in the Bible, "Man looks on ( and establishes programs to change) outward appearance, but God looks on (is interested to change) the heart." Can these be two different walls? And how do I get my ladder off the wall of outward appearance--the wall of becoming and onto the wall of the inner person--the wall of following Christ in my spirit?

Remember a man called Columbus? He swam upstream for nineteen years trying to gain support for  people to believe that they should take there ladder off of the wall of a "flat world mindset" and lean it on the wall of a "round world." Leaning our ladder on to this wall has transformed the way we live. Recall centuries ago concerning a spiritual issue, there was a man named Martin Luther. He fought the battle of pushing the ladder of salvation off the wall of works and leaning it onto the wall of repentance and faith. So, as followers of this truth, we each have benefited from responding in our heart through repentance and faith to establish a relationship with God. "For by grace we have been saved through faith, not of work lest any man should boast."

That scripture had been there from the 1st century. But, in the midst of the traditions of centuries, the church lost proclaiming the reality of these truths. The ladder somehow got shoved over on the wall of works. Even though it meant some pain, misunderstanding and ridicule for Martin Luther, God used him to shift the ladder back over to the wall of faith. Could it be that the same problem has occurred in the realm of sanctification (not the process of becoming a Christian, but the process of living as a Christian)? Has the ladder of spiritual growth shifted over to the wall of working out our own maturity? Have we adopted the methods of man--education is the way to bring about change? Yes, a person's behavior in business is controlled to be more productive by education, training, accountability, rewards vs. penalties, promotions etc. But, there are two distinct different walls in the physical realm and the spiritual realm. What works in the physical realm will not work in the spiritual realm. Is this not what is said, when the scripture records, "God's ways are not man's ways?" The way to supernatural change is not ACHIEVED through education-not even educating people through how to perform God's good truth. Christ specifically told us this kind of change is RECEIVED through abiding in Him, the vine--it is in FOLLOWING HIM that HE WILL MAKE US BECOME...

There was a very well-meaning, committed religious group in the Bible. They had established extensive, well-defined and well-refined programs to bring about change in a person's life. It was founded upon professional pastors and theologians who took on the role of a "daddy" bringing their followers, their children, into a co-dependant relationship with them. They got their significance from their followers needed them, and the followers got their security from the leaders telling them what to do and how to do it. But, Christ was very specific about the wall on which their ladder was leaning, "This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me!" Maybe we need to tack up the "95 Theses" for living the Christian life the same way Martin Luther did for becoming a Christian. Paul challenged a group of Christians with these words, :"You foolish, Christians...This is the only thing I want to find out from you, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now perfected by the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3)

Oswald Chambers forces us to examine where our ladder is leaning when he wrote,

                          _________________________________________

"What is my vision of God's purpose for me. Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish--His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see "Him walking on the sea" (Mark 6:490. It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God."

                          _________________________________________

On which wall is our ladder of spiritual maturity leaning? The answer can be found in what I am trusting in for my spiritual growth. Am I leaning on "learning truth with my head" or "responding to God with my heart?" Am I leaning on "applying truth to my life" or "admitting that I can not live up to all these principles." Am I "building myself up through self-discipline" or am I allowing God "to tear down even my "good" flesh-in order to build up my spirit through trust and repentance?"

Check your ladder. Are you leaning on the wall of "becoming" or on the wall of "following?" No one wants to get to the top and see it is leaning against the wrong wall.

READ ALL ABOUT IT....NEWS at Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship, Inc.

News AUG. - SEPT. 2006...Read All About These Issues:
   1. Met Dr. Larry Crabb at Dallas Church...learn more
   2. Materials to Publisher...learn more
   3. Listen to What a Church Deacon Says About How the Follow Me Process is Impacting
          Him Personally as well as Rippling to the Whole of His Church...learn more

  News JAN. - DEC. 2006...Read All About These Issues:
   1. Discipling a Church Staff...learn more
   2. Nina Leads Discipleship Retreat...learn more
   3. What is the Exchanged Death in Our Christian Life?...learn more
   4. The Disciple Code book is coming!!...learn more

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

FAITH vs. FLESH-Based Discipleship

Religion is the energy we expend to get God cooperate to provide us what we want to make our life more convenient and comfortable.  -- Dr. Larry Crabb

The ACHIEVING SYSTEM...it is what our flesh wants to live under...a comfortable system of "how tos" that will promise me blessings if I can master myself to do them. Many people as they go through QLD will struggle about what they expect and what QLD is all about. Even the disciples had fleshly expectations about what "following Christ" would do and bring. They wanted to follow for what they thought they were going to get out of the process...i.e. become leaders in his kingdom setting on the right and left.  But, much of that may be because of the ILLUSION ( for more see: http://www.qldinc.org/about_us.htm ) we have bought into about HOW WE ARE to BECOME disciples or more righteous in our actions. And, a lot of what the expectations for discipleship today are based upon training people under th is ACHIEVING SYSTEM.


    Flesh -based Discipleship          vs.           Faith -based Discipleship
  Under the Achieving System                     Under the Receiving System
_____________________________________________________________

a. leads/wants to be in control or             a. follows/submits to  God being in control
     dependant upon someone telling
     them what & how to do

b. focus is on becoming - a religion           b. focus is on following - a relationship
c. develops a mind that is in tune             c. develops a spirit that is in tune to
     to listening to a man, mentor,                  listening to God’s Spirit
     teacher, or pastor 
d. reverts back to customary flesh            d. establishes an endurance that will
      patterns when trials, pain and                 maintain a walk of faith through trials,
      rejection occurs so as to try to              rejection in a way that will allow God   

      meet God-given needs in a way                to be the source to meet one’s
      that is apart from God                            God-given needs.
e. focuses on learning thru how to            e. focuses on living thru how to follow
      perform

f. reaches the mind, emotions and will        f. reaches the spirit by responding
     with principles and accountability                in trust/repentance

       

See: the chart comparing the Achieving System of Discipleship vs. Receiving System of Discipleship
                   ________________________________________________

It is my desire myself and the QLD disciples to find that liberty that Paul describes (Gal. 5:1) which God has called us to learn to live under...one that walks in accord to the spirt and not according to the flesh. And as I am introduced to this new found way God relates under liberty so He can transform us (what we become), I must be careful to avoid the pitfall with which he warns us.

Gal. 5:1...It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and

do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

It is so easy to fall back into living under the ACHIEVING SYSTEM (Gal. 3-4) because that is the last stage most of us have been discipled under and that is the system that is at work in our whole world...at work, under the government, under the law enforced by the police, and sadly often times at church.

Please continue to pray and support us as we are sensing that God is leading us into new chapters of ministry for the future. Please visit our website on a regular basis for OUR LATEST NEWS in our discipleship ministry and NEW TESTIMONIALS. Also, if you have not seen our new website please visit it at Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship..

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved. All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission. 

Discipleship...A Misunderstood Process

DISCIPLESHIP is one of the most misunderstood processes in the Christian world today. Many people don't even know what discipleship is in any form or fashion. They have never experienced it. Others see and experience a discipleship that is based upon performance...teaching people the "HOW TO's" in the Christian life. But, this is discipling them to live under the law...an achieving system, based upon performance. But, Christ's whole purpose of "discipling" his twelve men was to transition them from living under such a system. That is what they had been discipled under.

The Pharisee's had such an ACHIEVING SYSTEM down. And, the goal was to make their disciples to become "well." Yet, Christ had something to say about these guys and their system. Christ pointedly told his disciples He had to "blow up" and wipe out such thinking. In His words, "I cannot put new wine into old wines skins...one cannot sew a new patch on old cloth, lest a worse tear results." In fact, it was this very system from which Christ was "discipling" his twelve.

So, what is DISCIPLESHIP as defined by the very process Christ used with his twelve. Let's consider the following definition as it comes from the very process of "Follow Me and I Will Make You Become" as implemented by Christ.

DISCIPLESHIP focused on following and let God do the becoming==
No longer teaching what to believe...but producing how to believe.

Discipleship is...the long-term process used by Christ in an open, honest and trusted environment to transition a small group of people from performance-based religion to the freedom of living in God’s dynamic “follow me” relationship in day to day living. It was to change their focus from trying to learn and apply God's good truth to perform better on the outside, to following God's Spirit who would transform them from the inside out.

1. Long term process...Why does family (good,bad or indifferent) becomes the most impactful environment for anyone. It is influence that is twenty-four/seven for up to 18-20 years. Over many years and with many experiences, the whole person is impacted with no “classroom” experiences. It is seeing, touching, feeling, and experiencing life and how others respond that impacts that which molds me. Christ spent three years plus with his disciples, walking with them through the day to day experiences of their lives, which he structured to be a means for them to respond to. Supernatural change does not occur and sustain itself from one-way preaching, from a classroom, or from a 3-day seminar. it has been said, "You can impress people from a distance, but you only impact them up close." Our educational models dissiminate good truth and people follow those with whom they are impressed. But, education is not a preparation for life, education is life. I am changed in real life experiences, taking a little bit of new truth and struggling with how to do it by first seeing how i don't know how to do it. It takes a long time through many guided experiences and by falling down and getting back up to learn to ride a bike.

2. Open, honest and trusted enviroment...Trust is essential to growth—especially the kind of dynamic change that is accessible in living under God’s kingdom of liberty. He has given us freedom, including the freedom to fail. In fact, three of the fours responses we will all have to that which His Spirit revealing to me to respond to for my growth will be responses that will “fail” to produce growth (Mark 4...Parables of the Soils). Failure always precedes success. It is that which helps me see where I need help and trust in to respond to new ways of trusting. Will I be able to trust a few others for me to be open and honest about the flesh I have developed that doesn’t not “measure” up to God’s righteous standard. Can I experience an environment where I will be accepted not based upon my performance, but based upon my identity? Such an environment is essential to growth...”Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. (James 5:16).

3. Transition from performance-based religion to the freedom of a grace-based relationship... Where do you go and where can you live where you don’t live under law-based living? It was a temporary role of every parent to lead us through a law-based relationship in order to control our behavior when we were still immature and not ready for freedom. But, most parents have not understood how to transition their children to the freedom we have in our relationship with God because they are still living under a law-based relationship with God themselves. Most feel that God relates to us accordingly...If you perform up to standards, you will be rewarded; if you don’t perform up to the same standards, you will be punished. But, such a fear-based system is no different than what is used to “train a dog.” God’s discipleship process is intended to “deprogram” us from such thinking and behavior and to introduce us to a entirely new process that He will leads us where it is our job “to learn to follow Him” and it is His job “to make me become”...i.e. produce the godly results that will bring value and beneift to our lives. It is so much more comfortable living under law. Just tell me what to do and how to do it as well as give me a reason (based upon fear) and I will do it. Be prepared for a battle with your flesh to give up the control “trying to become” and letting go and learning “to follow.” Following is never comfortable, but it is the process.

4. Integrating a process into life...    "You can catch a fish and feed a man for a day; or you can teach him how to fish and feed him for life.”  The goal is not education; it is transformation. Belief is not a mental assent of the validity of truth; it is something that effects how I behave. I can say that I believe a plane can fly me around the world, but unless I get on the plane and put my life in the hands of a capable, experienced pilot, by belief is nothing but some information that sounds good. If Christ’s invites me to a discipleship process called “Follow Me’” I should be challenged in two areas of my relationship with Him—”who are you”/to what degree can I trust you in any given area of my life, and “how do I follow”/to what degree do I trust Him to follow Him regardless of where He leads me. If I am growing in trust, then it will be tested to what degree will I follow? Will I trust Him enough to allow Him to lead me through the process of “denying myself and picking up my cross for the benefit of others?”

5. Establishing a small group of community.. The goal is to establish a unified caring group of  that will provide opportunities to give and receive to each other through the natural progression of life circumstances. But, don’t be surprised when jealousy, anger and disunity crop up due to the flesh patterns we bring to this world, because even Christ himself encountered this with his own group of twelve. This provides the opportunity of challenges that will be part of refining this group toward the goal of “becoming fishers of men.” Much like a family, it is the realness that allows growth. Remember the end of the process is to not get stagnated into an ingrown group that becomes comfortable with each other, but that will reach out to others to pass on that which the “follow Me” discipleship process has done for them. The goal of a family is to leave and cleave to a new relationship in order to proliferate that which was given to its disciples—children who grow up and form a discipleship family-unit of their own.

For explanation about How Christ Discipled His Twelve under This Type of Discipleship see chart: How Does Christ Establish A Disciple?

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

Are You Focusing on Becoming or Following?

Is our life focused on the purpose of following or becoming? Our model in Christ's life was defined in following. We will find that the Pharisees purpose was defined on becoming. As we enter into the "Follow Me" relationship, we will see that our purpose will be redefined in terms of the process  (learning the Follow Me process) and not on the product (working on trying to become...).

Remember, God's purpose is that "He will make us become Fishers of Men."  Only He knows how to get us that goal. He will be leading us to let go of the rope of "trying to become" and putting us in circumstances that will test us to reach over and try the string of "following Him."

It is one thing to write down our purpose in the terms of "following Him"--that only takes a minute. But, it is another thing to live it out--that will take a life-time. From the garden of Eden on, we have shared a common characteristic with our original parents--the need to be in control. This spills over subtlely even when we define our purpose for our Christian life. We would rather it be defined in terms which I can control--like "trying to become" (a product we can try to control) rather than "following Him" (a process He controls). Even in this godly goal, if I can achieve it, who receives the glory.

God demonstrated a model in His Son which found His purpose in following, not becoming. That is why, in Mark 1:35, we find Him praying and not being influenced by the popularity He gained with the people quickly. The disciples were focused upon what they would get out of this relationship as they were following. That is why we find them going "where everyone was looking for them." They had ideas on what they wanted to become. Christ was leading them to what He wanted them to become.

In the following devotional, notice how Oswald Chambers causes us to refocus on the process of following and not the end product of becoming. (Quoted from Oswald Chamber's, My Utmost for His Highest. July 28 Entitled: God's Purpose or Mine)

                             ______________________________________________________

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God's purpose for us. Innfact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but HE IS NOT.

The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and teaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.

What is my vision of God's purpose for me. Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish--His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see "Him walking on the sea" with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see "Him walking on the sea" (Mark 6:490. It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.

God's training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself. God's purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of our life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment by moment trust is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precise.

                             ______________________________________________________

How does this go against what you have understood the purpose of a Christian's life...i.e. to become a more godly person as the end goal of a life that pleases God? What thoughts of confusion does this create as you see this illusion as being just the opposite of what you thought?

    A saying in business goes like this:
          a. Define a goal that you want to reach
          b. Establish a plan to accomplish the goal
          c. Throw away the goal
          d. Become enthusiastic about the plan.

If Christ's discipleship invitation is "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." What is the goal? What is the plan? Could it be that we are to throw away the goal...not focus on "trying to become?" Maybe we are to get excited about the plan...focus on just what it means to follow God. After all, according to what Christ said, God's job is to make us become; our job is to just learn to follow Him!!

View a PDF presentation entitled Follow Me E-Brochure that explains more how God establishes this Follow Me Discipleship as defined in the book of Mark. Or go the Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship website to understand how we see this illusion upside down.

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

Is My Life Going In A Crooked Path?

Do you feel like you are wandering in a maze?  Is your life going anywhere? What will I become in 10-20-30 years from now?  Is it hard to make sense out of the circumstances in your life? If someone asked each of us "what do we want to become?," we would all have various answers--knowing we have not arrived in this journey of being transformed into the likeness of Christ. But, are we confident that our life is leading us in the direction of what we want to become? The harder I try to become, the more I realize it "ain't" working!! So,to shore up our confidence, we look for some human being who seems to have the answers and begin following them.

Mark, the author of this gospel, found himself floundering on a similar journey.  He was a mentor with Paul on a missionary journey.  He was "following" the "big guys," rubbing shoulders with the one and only Paul. He had it made!!!  BUT, guess what--he failed!! He went back home and gave up. You know what he learned--that he was following a man and not God.  Then, God used him to write the book of Mark-the letter about learning to FOLLOW CHRIST.

In his manuscript, forty-two times he uses the word, "immediately."  This word was used to describe "a road or path that was straight." And he used it to describe how Christ was "leading" the disciples in a journey that He (God) was in "total control." Christ knew where He was going and the circumstances which these disciples (His followers) needed to go through to get them there.

There is no wasted time in following a "straight road" to the destination one is going.   Many times Mark refers to Christ as structuring the events in the disciples life to lead them "immediately" from one event to another. Did our "disciple" friends know how much "in control" Christ was by "leading" them into various circumstances?  Not!!!  In fact, they were often scratching their heads wondering where Christ was going!!  And when they were in the midst, they were "straining at the oars" or "bailing for dear life."

(click on chart above to view full size readable version)

Do we often wonder if our life is going in such a seemingly "crooked" path? When we are facing fearful circumstances, our mind sees life "out of control."  Does God know where He is going?  Why did He have to take me through these seemingly "wasted or painful" circumstances? Remember, if we are "following," then He is "leading." And guess what, if the thread of trust is not being woven bigger and bigger, we will abort the mission of "following" the one who can direct our paths in a straight line ." We abort because God is not giving us what we expect. His promise if we follow Him, is not to bless our life in the form of comfort or convenience; His promise of following Him is that He will make us become fishers of men. The end is not a guarantee of a life of relief, it is a life of restoration. God is not their to change my circumstances; He is there to change me in the midst of my circumstances.

He is orchestrating a straight line of one circumstance to another so He can make me become the kind of person He wants me to become. Remember, my job is to learn to follow Him. His job is to make me become... This is the straightest line to become NOT what we know we want, but what God knows we need ourselves to become so that our life will have an eternal impact on those whom He places around us (a fishers of men).

Can we let go of control; that need to lea d. Can we let go of even the control of trying to become and respond to God by following only Him? This same word “Straight” is in Proverbs3:5,6 (when the Greeks translated the Old Testament)..."Trust in the LORD with all your heart,And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your path straight."

If you are like me, we all have too much understanding that God needs to strip away my dependence and leaning upon. He is in the midst of "restoring my soul" so more and more of my heart will depend upon Him and less upon on my own understanding. Follow Him on this straight path and He will make you become exactly what you know you need to become.

I pray that your rope of TRUST will be strengthened through the addition of this new thread—that God is faithful and in control. Let Him lead you by letting go of control and learning to follow. There is no straighter path, even when our lives seem to be going in a "crooked" way. But such a rope won't be woven without the encouragement from a group of those around you who desire the same thing. Christ did not disciple just one person at a time in a vacuum. He chose twelve for a reason--so they would be part of discipling each other in a community of shared experiences.

For more information on how Christ discipled His twelve and how we can accomplish the same thing through HIs Great Commission, go to www.qldinc.org

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.

Unlocking the Disciple Code

As Christ begins to reveal to His disciples how the FOLLOW ME process will work, He says to a certain, select group of people, "To YOU has been given the MYSTERY of the Kingdom of God, but those who are OUTSIDE get everything in parables (Mk. 4:8)." Who are those to whom He will reveal mysteries, and who are those whom are on the outside and just get stories?

In this context, Christ had just taught the "Parable of the Soils" to a large congregation. But, when the sermon was over, only a few followers and His hand-picked twelve, came up afterwards and began to ask questions about what He had just revealed. It is to YOU--to those who are interested and committed to seeking God beyond just listening to a nice message. It is to those who seek to know what it means to FOLLOW HIM and will submit to allowing God to lead them in unfolding such a process. To such DISCIPLES, Jesus will reveal the MYSTERIES of the Kingdom of God.

But, what is so mysterious about such a process? The concept of "mystery" is understood from how we dive into a "mystery novel." In the beginning, we are clueless as to what the total plot is all about. But, as we proceed, one page or chapter at a time, clues of the mystery are revealed. And, as we endure through this tedious process, we begin to see the real picture for what it is.

Also, "mystery" had the idea of an illusion. Look at the black and white picture to the right. At what is the red arrow pointing? Do you see the tip of a nose on a young woman's profile? If you refocus, make this nose a wart on a old hag's nose. The jaw line on the young woman is line of the old lady's nostril. The ear on the young woman is the eye of the old witch looking down. The necklace on the young woman is the mouth of the old lady.

As a disciple, be prepared for the life long journey of Following God. Know that He will expose the illusions of what we expect life -- even the Christian life -- to be all about. To engage in this "mystery" journey will radically change your focus as God pieces together the clues of what HIs Kingdom within us is all about. It will surface and expose clues about ourselves which were previously unknown. Yet, as we respond, it will change us at the core of our being--who we are (our identity), what we become (our character), and why we are are living life (our purpose).

But, such mysteries from God will only be shared with one who is committed enough to ask questions because we desire nothing else more than to seek what God is trying to say to us. For those who just like to hear a good sermon, listen to an interesting tape, or go to the newest seminar and then get up Monday morning to go about life as usual, what we get from God is only some stimulating thoughts that engage the mind, but won't impact the soul.

Of which group am I wanting to be a part? If I become one who commits to this journey, He promises "To YOU--as a disciple committed to such a process--will be given the MYSTERY of the Kingdom of God." So get ready for Him to unlock the illusions and uncover the mystery clues of this thing called the Christian Life. It is this very journey which Christ introduced to HIs disciples. Could it be like The DaVinci Code... The Disciple Code mysteriously recorded in the book of Mark ready to be revealed one clue at a time? If you take the challenge, you will be amazed of the mysteries which will change your focus on His Kingdom and how it works within you.

To find out more about such a discipleship journey, visit the website for Quantum L.E.A.P. Discipleship, Inc.

© Copyright 2006 by Christian Media Communications...All rights reserved.
All information and materials on this blog are copyrighted and may not be copied, reproduced or used in any form without permission.