4/4/13

Going to the dogs...

We all make decisions as to how we are to live our lives: School, Work, Marriage and Religion are but a few of the choices we eventually make.  This little cartoon caught my attention today because of its subtle humor and the unfortunate truth behind it.  Isn't it interesting that a CAT would talk to a DOG about such things?  On second thought, maybe that really is not strange at all.  Sometimes those around us are just too close; frankly, they just have too much "baggage", too much "history" with us to give objective comments to our inner questionings.  Anyway, CAT seems to have rejected his parents beliefs, but is still searching for his own.  Sound familiar?  I grew up with wooden toys and my girls with video games - and now their children have graphic-intensive multi-player online war games.  So, its natural for one generation to have a problem relating to the previous.  But, there is HOPE!!!  Found (as usual) in the Scriptures and worth memorizing...

Proverbs, Chapter 22

 6 Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.


Most of the people I have known in my life want the best for their children and try to manipulate the delicate balancing act of work, marriage and child-rearing to the best of their ability.  I remember many, many days of reading the Scriptures to my own daughters and hopefully this training will someday bear fruit.  Until that day, I will just have to rely upon the truth of verse six above and trust in God.  I just hope in the meantime, my children don't go to the dogs looking for answers!!!  

From Gary V. Womack... SELF-DISCIPLINE




SELF-DISCIPLINE


1 Cor. 9:24-ff Paul was in a race for life. The 
                      finish-line was ahead of him. But 
                      winning requires self-discipline.

Our race begins when we are raised from the waters of baptism. At that point we are "babes in Christ." From there we must grow.

This growth requires mental exercise:

Heb. 5:12-14 "For though by this time you ought to 
                     be teachers, you need someone to 
                     teach you again the first principles of 
                     the oracles of God; and you have 
                     come to need milk and not solid food. 
                     (13) For everyone who partakes only 
                     of milk is unskilled in the word of 
                     righteousness, for he is a babe. (14) 
                     But solid food belongs to those who 
                     are of full age, that is, those who by 
                     reason of use have their senses
                     exercised to discern both good and 
                     evil."

1 Tim. 4:7-8 "...exercise yourself toward godliness
                    (8) For bodily exercise profits a little, 
                    but godliness is profitable for all things, 
                    having promise of the life that now is
                    and of that which is to come."

Notice the race involved from where we are to that which is to come

Bodily exercise involves the resistance of the muscles against an opposing force (weights)
Spiritual exercise involves the resistance of our will against the opposing force of fleshly lusts or Satan's temptations.

This is how a runner trains for a race - he runs with weights on his ankles

- until it's time for the race:

Heb. 12:1 "Therefore we also, since we are 
                 surrounded by so great a cloud of 
                 witnesses, let us lay aside every weight
                 and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 
                 and let us run with endurance the race 
                 that is set before us, (2) looking unto 
                 Jesus, the author and finisher of our 
                 faith, who for he joy that was set before 
                 Him endured the cross, despising the  
                 shame, and has sat down at the right 
                 hand of the throne of God."

Notice that both the exercise & the race involves focusing on the finish-line In this we have Christ as our example.

Self-discipline involves resisting that which works against us - Satan

1 Pet. 5:8-10 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your 
                     adversary the devil walks about like a 
                     roaring lion, seeking whom he may 
                     devour. (9) Resist him, steadfast in the 
                     faith, knowing that the same sufferings 
                     are experienced by your brotherhood 
                     in the world. (10) But may the God of 
                     all grace, who called us to his eternal 
                     glory by Christ Jesus, after you have 
                     suffered a while, perfect, establish, 
                     strengthen, and settle you."

"Resist" - anthistemi - "To set against (anti - against; histemi - to cause to stand) ...signifying to withstand, oppose, resist.

Self-discipline as illustrated in the exercise of a wrestling match:

Eph. 6:10-13 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the 
                      Lord and in the power of His might
                      (11) Put on the whole armor of God, 
                      that you may be able to stand against  
                      the wiles of the devil. (12) For we do 
                      not wrestle against flesh and blood, 
                      but against principalities, against 
                      powers, against the rulers of the 
                      darkness of this age, against spiritual 
                      hosts of wickedness in the heavenly 
                      places. (13) Therefore take up the 
                      whole armor of God, that you may be 
                      able to withstand in the evil day, and 
                      having done all, to stand."

Notice the resistance against the opposing forces.

"Withstand" - anthistemi - Same word Peter used for "resist "

"Stand" - histemi - "To stand or cause to stand." As used here, "of steadfastness."

Archimedes - Greek mathematician & physicist (287 -212 BC) Discovered the principle of specific gravity and the power of leverage in the fulcrum and lever. (Today's seesaw)

He said, "Give me a place to stand and I will move the world."

With a stable foundation upon which to stand - we can resist any opposing force and move more than we can otherwise lift by ourself.
That place is the gospel of Christ.

Rom. 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of 
                  Christ, for it is the power of God to 
                  salvation for everyone who believes, for 
                  the Jew first and also for the Greek."

Note - By moving the lever across the fulcrum toward us, we can either gain advantage over the resistance that weighs down the opposing end, or we can multiply the amount of our effort needed by moving the lever across the fulcrum away from us.

Christ (our fulcrum) gives us the power (the extended lever) to overcome.

Phil. 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who 
                 strengthens me."

Our race involves resistance, focus and endurance. The goal is a crown of righteousness and an eternal home in heaven.

1 Tim. 4:7-8 "I have fought the good fight, I have 
                     finished the race, I have kept the faith. 
                     (8) Finally, there is laid up for me the 
                     crown of righteousness, which the 
                     Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to 
                     me on that Day, and not to me only 
                     but also to all who have loved His 
                     appearing."



INVITATION

Denying self:

Mk. 10:13-22 The rich young ruler would not  
                     deny himself his riches to follow 
                     Jesus.

Mk. 8:34-ff (34)"...Whoever desires to come after 
                            Me, let him deny himself, and 
                            take up his cross, and follow Me."

From Jim McGuiggan... In the winepress with Dale Carnegie


In the winepress with Dale Carnegie

The Lord is with you, you gutless wimp!" Or, "The Lord is with you, you skulking coward." That we would have understood under the circumstances because he was threshing his wheat in a winepress, hiding from the Midianite bandits, afraid that they would take his crop! Maybe, "The Lord is with you, you fearful little man." But no! "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."
Half of forever ago (or was it last week?) I was made to go to one of the courses that had to do with raising one’s confidence, generating optimism and that sort of thing. One of the requirements of the course was that everyday we had to jump up on a chair and yell enthusiastically, "Boy, do I feel good!" It didn’t matter how you felt and if for perfectly good reasons you felt terrible there was still the chair.
Is this what happened in Judges 6:12? Gideon looked up and saw this stranger lounging under the tree close by and heard him call him a mighty warrior. Was the Angel of the Lord acting out a Dale Carnegie ruse? I’m sure I don’t know for sure but I’m sure there was nothing of the Dale Carnegie programme here. Humanly speaking, one man couldn’t take on the vast host of Amalek and Midian (6:5) but this one was doing something! He was defying the oppressor’s thieving power. ("I won’t let them have it!" you can hear him grunt with every stroke of the flail.) He was doing what he could. There’s something heroic about that. [A Glasgow, Scotland tomb inscription says, "She did what she could." Another in some place says, "He had something to give, he gave it and went away." A lovely woman who couldn’t keep Jesus from being abused and murdered anointed him with her personal store of perfume and Christ, loving her gift, said to his disciples, "She has done what she could."]
When Gideon’s exalted visitor said the Lord is with you the hider-in-the- winepress took issue with him, expressing his doubts about Yahweh’s faithfulness (6:13). Whatever else it shows it suggests he isn’t a "yes" man. The visitor who spoke as and for the Lord persists in expressing the commission. "The Lord is with you!" But what’s the punchline? The Lord is with you mighty warrior! Yes, but what’s the punchline? "Go in this strength of yours to save Israel from Midian" (following the REB and the Jewish Publication Version). That’s what the Lord was with him to do.
The Angel of the Lord persists in addressing him as a man of valor. He saw in this man who was doing all he was able to do—saw in him the courage to do more if the opportunity was there. Christ had a way of doing this, didn’t he? "You are Simon," he said to the somewhat unstable fisherman, "you will be Peter!" And to selfish, bickering disciples he said on the night he was betrayed, "You are the ones that have stood by me in all my trials" (Luke 22:28). He credits loyalty to them, claiming they had shared with him his troubles. How can he do that? Weren’t they vacillating and shifty? Wouldn’t they before the week was done desert him? How then can he speak of them this way? Because he knew they were doing all they could. What they had, however little, they had given to him and he knew that if they had been able to do better they would have; if they had been able to give more he would have got it! And did Gideon go? And did the apostles of Christ give more? The Angel saw it in him and Christ saw it in them because the Lord was with them.
And what if you’re doing the best you can right now—meager though it might be, meager compared with those who seem to be "making a difference" in the world, meager compared with the girl who sits in the pew three rows down from you, meager compared with the man that can hardly sleep at night thinking of the hungry of the world? What would the angel of the Lord think of the something you’re doing? What would Christ say of you as he faced his awful trial and you gave him not much but all you had? If he said you were one that stood by him would you blush and feel certain he was mistaken? Do you not think that the apostles later, reflecting back on their years with him—do you not think they too would blush warm and red and maybe weep at his generosity? But he’s no fool and he doesn’t tell lies. Maybe you should take him at his word. And if the Angel of the Lord called you brave would you not think maybe he knew something about you that you were not yet aware of? Do what you can! Do it! And imagine yourself threshing in a winepress all alone or in an upper room, one of the squabblers and imagine...

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Call Of Four Fishermen


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                  The Call Of Four Fishermen (1:16-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. Jesus began His public ministry by preaching...
   a. Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God - Mk 1:14
   b. That the time was fulfilled, the kingdom of God was at hand - Mk 1:15a
   c. That people needed to repent and believe the gospel - Mk 1:15b

2. As He did so, He also called people to become His disciples...
   a. Calling them to follow Him
   b. Offering to make them "fishers of men"

[His first disciples included two sets of brothers, four fishermen who
later become apostles.  In our text (Mk 1:16-20) we read how Jesus
called them.  Let's take a closer look at them, beginning with...]

I. SIMON AND ANDREW

   A. DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their background
         a. Sons of Jonah - Jn 1:42
         b. From Bethsaida of Galilee - Jn 1:44
         c. Fishermen by trade - Mk 1:16
         d. Partners with James and John - Lk 5:10
      2. Their call to discipleship
         a. Both met Jesus a year earlier - Jn 1:35-42
            1) In Bethabara beyond the Jordan - Jn 1:28
            2) Andrew had been a disciple of John
            3) Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus
            4) Jesus named Simon "Cephas" (Aramaic), "Peter" (Greek),
               meaning "a rock"
         b. They were called while fishing in the Sea of Galilee - Mk 1:16
            1) They had been washing their nets - Lk 5:1-2
            2) Jesus had Simon take him out in a boat, to teach the
               people on shore - Lk 5:3
            3) Jesus told him to launch out and cast his net, resulting
               in a large catch - Lk 5:4-9
            4) Then Jesus called them to follow Him and be fishers of
               men - Lk 5:10; Mk 1:17
            5) They immediately left their nets and followed him - Mk 1:18

   B. APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their service as apostles
         a. Simon and Andrew were selected along with twelve others  Mk 3:14-19
         b. Simon (Peter) became part of Jesus' "inner circle" - Mk 5:
            37; 9:2; 14:33
         c. He is well known for his denial of Christ and restoration
            - Mk 14:66-72; Jn 21:15-19
         d. He is a key figure in the first half of the book of Acts,
            and wrote two epistles
         e. Andrew is known for introducing people to Jesus - Jn 1:40-
            42; 6:8-9; 12:20-22
         f. Both asked Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem - Mk 13:
            1-4
      2. According to apocryphal (doubtful) literature (cf. ISBE)
         a. Simon (Peter) died a martyr at Rome about 67 AD, along with
            his wife
         b  Crucified upside down at his own request, felt unworthy to
            die exactly like Jesus
         c. Andrew is thought to have been crucified in Greece, on a
            cross in the form of an X
         d. Various sources attribute his missionary work in Bithynia,
            Scythia, Greece, Ephesus

[Simon and Andrew:  brothers, fishermen, disciples, apostles, martyrs.
One well known, the other lesser known.  Both faithful servants of the
Lord Jesus Christ.  Next we take a look at...]

II. JAMES AND JOHN

   A. DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their background
         a. Sons of Zebedee - Mk 1:19
         b. Their mother was Salome - Mk 16:1; Mt 27:56
         c. Many believe Salome was Mary's sister, making them Jesus'
            cousins - Jn 19:25
         d. Successful fishing business (several boats, partners with
            Simon and Andrew, hired servants) - Mk 1:20; Lk 5:10-11
      2. Their call to discipleship
         a. While mending nets by the Sea of Galilee - Mk 1:19
         b. When Jesus called them, they left their father and hired
            servants - Mk 1:20

   B. APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their service as apostles
         a. James and John were selected along with twelve others - Mk 3:14-19
         b. To whom Jesus gave the name "Boanerges" (Sons of Thunder)
            - Mk 3:17
         c. Perhaps due to a fiery temper (though see below) - cf. Lk 9:54
         d. John tried to forbid one from casting out demons who did not
            follow them - Mk 9:38
         e. Both became part of Jesus' "inner circle" - Mk 5:37; 9:2;
            14:33
         f. They asked to sit at Christ's side in glory - Mk 10:35-37
         g. Both asked Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem - Mk 13:
            1-4
         h. Both were present when Jesus appeared the third time after
            His resurrection - Jn 21:1-14
         i. John was likely the "disciple whom Jesus loved" - Jn 19:26;
            20:2; 21:7,20
         j. John often worked with Peter - Ac 3:1; 8:14; Ga 2:9
         k. James became the first apostle to be martyred, fulfilling
            the Lord's prophecy that he would drink the same cup as His
            Master - Ac 12:1-2; cf. Mk 10:39
         l. John went on to write his gospel, three epistles, and the
            book of Revelation
      2. According to apocryphal (doubtful) literature (cf. ISBE)
         a. Zebedee their father was of the house of Levi, their mother
            of the house of Judah
         b. Called "Sons of Thunder" because they were of both the
            priestly house and royal house
         c. James joined Peter in a missionary trip to India; also
            preached in Spain prior to his death
         d. John is thought to have spent his later years in Ephesus,
            following his exile on the isle of Patmos (cf. Re 1:9),
            dying around 98 AD

[James and John:  brothers, fishermen, disciples, apostles.  One an
early martyr, the other a lifelong witness.  Both faithful servants of
the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now for some concluding observations...]

CONCLUSION

1. Becoming a disciple of Jesus often involves sacrifice...
   a. For Simon and Andrew, it meant leaving their business behind
   b. For James and John, it also meant leaving their family behind
   c. For all four, it meant lives of service that included hardship,
      ending in martyrdom or exile

2. Becoming a disciple of Jesus means to seek the lost...
   a. Jesus wants His disciples to become "fishers of men" - Mk 1:17
   b. Just as He come to "seek and save the lost" - Lk 19:10

3. As disciples of Christ today...
   a. Are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord?
   b. Are we willing to seek the lost?
   c. If not, can we really claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ?

Jesus would have everyone become His disciple today (cf. Mt 28:19-20).
May "The Call Of Four Fishermen", and the service they rendered to the
Lord, inspire us to greater dedication as disciples...


Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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