Spiritual Disciplines

Marathon Runners. Photo via Flickr:[Steven Johnson]

I have recently read a comment from theologian Elton Trueblood. Trueblood says in his excerpt Leadership, vol. 10, no. 3:
"We have not advanced very far in our spiritual lives if we have not encountered the basic paradox of freedom... that we are most free when we are bound. But not just any way of being bound will suffice; what matters is the character of our binding. The one who would be an athlete, but who is unwilling to discipline his body by regular exercise and abstinence, is not free to excel on the field or the track. His failure to train rigorously denies him the freedom to run with the desired speed and endurance. With one concerted voice, the giants of the devotional life apply the same principal to the whole of life: Discipline is the price of freedom."
In his book Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life Donald S. Whitney writes that the ultimate goal of the spiritual disciplines is godliness, or to be more like Christ.
Most people will never follow the disciplines of Christ, which non-exhaustively includes daily time in the word, prayer, journaling, and scripture memorization. Though these people may have accepted Christ as their savior, many of them will never know what it means to follow Him. Until the fundamentals of Christianity are learned, the spiritual growth of the believer is put on pause.
It frightens me to think how many of our church leaders, who are active today, actually spend time in the word every single day, or set time apart to communicate with the Lord in prayer. What most of us do not realize is there is no following Christ without complete submission to Him in every area of a believer's life. Take a moment and take a deep breath. Take a deeper breath and make sure you suck in enough oxygen to last you the next week or so. ....... .. Yeah. No. You cannot do that. Our bodies are not made that way. We have to continuously breathe in the air so we continuously have enough oxygen to survive. A relationship with Christ is the same way. We cannot go to church once a week, or year, and have that hold us over. We cannot read the Bible once every few days and hope that the message holds us over. We most certainly cannot just pray when we feel like it. No, just like we must continuously breathe to survive we must also follow the disciplines of God every day so our spirits may survive as well.
This is what it means to follow Christ. If you are wondering how to go about being disciplined then just begin to read the Word every day. Click here for a Bible reading plan. Then, find someone to take the journey with you, hold you accountable, and push you to success. Read the word. Know the word. Pray.
With Love for all.
-Joshua

The Resurrection of Christ

Photo via Flickr:[Martijn Braat]

Today is Easter Sunday. This means that churches all across America will have a spike in their attendance only rivaled by the Christmas service. Churches are filled with those who just want to feel like they have "done their yearly part." However, if we chose to listen to the message being preached across the world today then church attendance would not have spikes. The church as a body would continuously be bringing in new believers, training them, and then sending them out into the world. Jesus does not want us to just do enough, but instead He calls people who are following Him to give everything and to lay down their lives.
Most people doing their part in attending Easter service are not even close to being ready to follow Jesus. Following Jesus is a continuous choice. Christ asks His followers to die daily, which is a continuous choice. We must realize what the gift of Christ's death and bodily resurrection means for us. Christ lived the life that we should have lived and then died the death that we should have died so that the wages of our sin would be paid. Not even death could hold Him. In Christ's resurrection he annihilated the last strong  holds that sin could ever keep over us, death and the grave. Jesus died so that if we choose to follow Him we can again be rejoined with the Father fulfilling our purpose in His plan. Nevertheless, His gift is not one to accept and walk away.
To accept Jesus gift comes with the choice to follow Him. Like Jesus' sacrifice is a payment that keeps on paying, our choice to follow Jesus is a choice that has to be made every day.
Instead of lying choose Jesus in that moment. Instead of cheating choose Jesus in that moment. Instead of lusting choose Jesus. Instead of unrighteous anger. Instead of laziness. Instead of just doing your part. Instead of hate. Instead of jealousy. Instead of ungratefulness. Instead of malice. Instead of you. Choose Jesus.
Christ died so that all those who choose Him can live. In your stead Jesus died for your sanctification. Instead of choosing to ignore him and seek yourself, choose Jesus.
With love for all. Happy Easter.
-Joshua