Thursday, June 23, 2016

Day 171 - It Is A Relationship

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 191 
         
Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 


I have observed for over 25 years that most Christians really don’t know HOW to have a “relationship” with Christ due to the breakdown of family relationships, even in Christian homes, which has led to most not knowing WHAT a relationship really is.  If someone doesn’t “know” WHAT a “relationship” is, how can they know HOW to have one?  And fellowship is out of the question…



DAY 171

It Is a Relationship


This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. --Psalm 118:24

A friend was sharing a very painful experience from his past. His father had become ill and was in need of constant attention, so he went to his father’s aid and daily took care of his every necessity until the day of the father’s death. However, the son was vexed by the realization that the reason he was caring for the father was that he knew that as soon as the father died, he would receive the inheritance. He said that it would have killed his father to know the true motive behind his son’s service. Serving the dying parent that raised, nurtured, prayed for, and worried about the child simply for a monetary reward was not the relationship the father desired, though I suspect that same story could be told over and over again.
           
Often we hear something like this: “You must persevere in Christianity for the reward. Yes, life is miserable, but keep heaven in mind. Keep attending the meetings, doing your devotions, and studying the Bible, for in the end you will receive the reward of heaven.” However, there is no mention of a relationship. John 15 - 17 makes it quite clear that a relationship is available for us today. God desires fellowship with us today. Much is said in Scripture concerning today. “Today if you hear His voice” (Hebrews 4:7). What a pity if we serve with only the reward in mind, when the very fellowship of God is our reward now.


Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory



Michael draws our attention to one of the most basic, fundamental aspects of life as a Christian…”It is a relationship.”  Not a religion, not a set of rules, not a role we are to play, not a reward system for “doing good.”  Being a Christian begins with becoming a Christian…a birth, a spiritual birth.  It is amazing how often this truth becomes lost in all the discourse about life as a Christian.

Every birth establishes a relationship.  If a person is not born into a family, there is no relationship.  There may be relations…how one relates (acts or responds) to another, but in every relationship there is the foundational standing that one is the family member of another.  I am a Christian simply because I have been BORN into God’s family.  No one, or no action of mine, can change that.  Whether someone proclaims me to be a “good” family member or not has nothing to do with whether I am a family member or not.  But man cannot stand for things to be that simple.

Has Michael pointed out perhaps the greatest deceit the enemies of God have played upon Christians???  …the reward vs the relationship?  the activities vs the access?  the future vs fellowship (today)?  Michael draws us to READ John chapters 15, 16, & 17 again…and to look for the fellowship that is available to us TODAY, because of our relationship in the Family of God.  Hallelujah!  Amen!

What could Heaven hold for us, the children of God, compared to walking with Him today?



To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P.O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                936-559-5696

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Day 92 - Fathers Who Lead

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 190
         
Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 



Father’s Day is this coming Sunday, June 19.  There is a great need for biblical fatherhood in this day and time.  It seems incredible that media messages could overshadow biblical directives, especially concerning leadership in the family.  Is that what has really happened?  Michael draws attention to something that has been going on since the Garden of Eden…



DAY 92

Fathers Who Lead

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? –Hebrews 12:9

Throughout history we can identify some who were born into the position of leadership and others who were chosen to lead. However, the Bible indicates that in the family, every man is commanded to lead. The world, by contrast, has taught that the family is ruled by the wishes of the majority. All types of media have subtly spread the impression that children should be consulted before making decisions and that the wife need only submit to the husband if he is in mutual submission to her. Accepting these diluted definitions of leadership has produced a generation of Christian fathers who are what might commonly be called passive dads. The father is not to rule through consensus; he does not take the counsel of children. Rather, he seeks God for guidance, which he will find in every situation. Leadership inherently involves followers, who will always have high expectations of a leader, and rightfully so. When we submit to a leader we desire that he be better than us, for our identity becomes intertwined in his. If we submit to a righteous man, then our self-esteem goes up, we feel good about being his servant, and we even see the glory of being subjected to him. We admire and appreciate him as well as desiring his direction, with the hope that he might lead us to the place where he is, for obviously he knows the way and is respected for it. When he asks of us things that we do not understand, we obey, trusting that somehow it will benefit us. Therefore, the two most frustrating things to a follower about a leader are when he cannot be respected and when he will not lead.  

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory



The words that grab my attention the most in Michael’s writing are these: “Accepting these diluted definitions of leadership.”  Ever since the garden, the devil has been testing God’s people over and over with the same old question: “Yea, hath God said…?”  Changing the definitions of critical words simply challenges and changes things God HAS SAID, and God’s people have allowed biblical directives to fall by the wayside.

This has also enabled the world to teach different and false ideas (humanism…humanistic philosophy) which have been accepted by default of the changed definitions.  There are even many Christian leaders who teach false ideas thinking they are biblically correct.  The concept of a “passive dad” being acceptable in Christianity is unacceptable.  The idea that one is not a leader if no one is following is unacceptable.  The man in a household is THE leader simply because God has said so.  Following the man’s leadership is a choice of obeying God, and not simply choosing to follow his leadership.

Michael points out three crucial issues for Christian husbands and fathers:
1. GOD says every man is commanded to lead his family.
2. The man is to live a life so as to be respected.
3. The man is to BE the leader of his family.

And Michael points out the beautiful aspects of submitting to a righteous leader.

This Father’s Day, it is time for a revival among Christian men, to stand up and lead.  Families and churches are crying out for such.



To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P.O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                               936-559-5696

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Day 122 - Got a Word?

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 189
         
Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International
Littleton, Colorado
(303) 972-0859       www.abidinglife.com

Notice:  this email is part of a BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”Why a blog?  So that many can receive these thoughts in an easy manner. 


This is a beautiful day’s writing…drawing our attention to something we should give thought to, if not great emphasis for the sake of being able to witness to Christ when speaking to others about our relation with Him.  Have you ever given this any thought???




DAY 122

Got a Word?

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you . . . –John 14:27

Sadhu Sundar Singh had one word that kept him at the feet of Jesus, something that every Hindu seeks, in vain, to find. It is the Hindu word for peace. In Jesus he had found peace. When questioned about his faith by the Hindus, he would often say, “Peace, peace, where else could I go for peace but Jesus?” An old man God worked through to bring Christ to the remote area of Eastern Nepal had a different word. His word was revelation. Jesus had brought him revelation, knowledge of the heart instead of the head, something that could only be found in Christ. Upon being beaten and left for dead for preaching, he would not surrender his calling to do so or acknowledge any but Jesus. His reason: “Where else would I go for revelation?” I was traveling with one of my Indian teachers, told him of the two men, and asked what significant word he held dear. Without hesitation he said, “Because! Because He went down, I have gone up. Because He died, I live. Because He experienced hell, I will experience heaven. Simply because. The word because is keeping me near.” So what is your word?  What is the word that keeps you at the feet of Christ? My word is welcome. I remember being in His presence, and there was so much going through my mind; I was thankful, I had been forgiven, and I appreciated all that He had done through me. Before I could say a word, He spoke that word to me: “Welcome.” I did not have to say a word; I was welcome! Everything was okay! Then He said it a second time, “Welcome,” but the meaning was different. He was welcoming me into His presence, into participation with His Son, and into the revelation of His Son. Again, I was welcome! It is a little word that means so much to me. He is happy to say, “Welcome,” to me. “Welcome” keeps me at His feet. When I asked Betty, she had one word, with. He is always here with us to the end of the age, and He will never leave nor forsake us. Because He is with us we have everything. There are many words that believers have sent me. What is your special word? 


Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory



First of all, simply highlighting Michael’s and Betty’s and two other’s “words” in yellow does not mean I am making their words less important than having Sadhu Sundar Singh’s word highlighted in green…  His happens to be “the word” that I first gave to a minister at a church back in the late 70’s when asked why we were visiting his church: I told him I was looking for some “peace.”  Unfortunately, I didn’t find any “peace” at that church, mainly because I didn’t find Jesus there.

But, I am pleased to read of Michael’s sharing the different words from a couple of Saints from all around the world, as well as his and Betty’s, that speak of just how a word can minister to each believer’s heart.  And that there can be perhaps innumerable words for the innumerable number of believers all around the world.

Of course, all this got me to thinking of “my special word”…  Well, amen.

My thoughts led me to conclude that different words have been “my special word” as the years have progressed since I first became Born Again.  The first word back in 1980 was “forgiven.”  I could almost add the word “thankful” that my sins had been forgiven…it was quite a revelation to find the Truth of God’s forgiveness.  But, soon after, “identification” became a major revelation…who I was IN Christ!  “Excited” became my daily expression.  For perhaps 15 years those two words (identification and excited) dominated my life.  And I was in “full-time ministry” already for most of those years.

But, then, we met Michael Wells and “abiding” became our mantra.  Barbara and I became “empowered” by all of the truths involved in being a branch on the Vine!  The most empowering thing was that life as a Christian became all about Him, and not us!  Which led to another stage, “grace” & “grateful.”  Grace being that of recognizing it truly is Him and not me that is living this Life.  Grateful being the result of acknowledging His doing and me not having to do.

So, why so many words, instead of that “one special word”???  I guess it is like that old preacher joke: “hand a preacher a mic and you won’t get a ‘word’…you will get a sermon!”  This preacher couldn’t come up with just one word!!!



To access ALL past weekly blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital “C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com 

NOTICE: another blog on Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the Wilderness.  You can access by logging onto www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com


Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
(twitter) @bleemc67    (email) leemccm@gmail.com

P.O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                936-559-5696