Discipleship in the Early Church

After the ascension of Jesus the disciples followed the directive of Jesus to go to Jerusalem and wait.  The disciples had received the new birth being born from above. When we are “born again” or “born from above” this is a supernatural event.  It is the beginning of the supernatural life God wants us to live.  Without this happening we are merely human beings left with a mind that is in a fallen state of being to make decisions about our lives and the lives of other people that we influence.  We are trapped with a mindset that is severely limited compared to having the mind of Christ.  We are born again with a new nature, a nature that is like God  a supernatural state of being.  I think we often do not understand what God has done for us and what we are capable of doing through the new nature we have received.

For 10 days they waited, praying, seeking the scriptures to bring greater understanding of what Jesus had taught them and revealed to them about the prophecies regarding the Messiah.  It must have been a time of great anticipation as they waited for the Holy Spirit to be given to them. The disciples who were with him when he was baptized had the experience of watching the Holy Spirit descend upon him as a dove.  They had to be wondering what kind of experience they were going to have.  When the Spirit was given it came in power and it was evident to everyone the sound of a rushing mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire.  Maybe it was tornado or hurricane like but whatever it was there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that this was from God.  The physical manifestations were seen and recorded to testify of the fulfillment of the promise God had given to them.

The Holy Spirit came in power and those who were baptized in him began to speak in tongues.  The people who heard them noted that they were speaking in their language.  The question some may ask regarding this is did the disciples speak in another language or did they speak in a heavenly language that God gave the people the interpretation of it so it was as though they were hearing someone speak in their language?

However it happened the important aspect is that it was promised to them, was needed by them and was given to them to be witnesses.  Without the Holy Spirit the work of the ministry could not be carried out the way God wanted it to be done.  Receiving the Holy Spirit is a supernatural event, it cannot be contrived by human effort. 

 Their lives were radically changed after receiving the Holy Spirit.  They were transformed from being scared for their lives, thinking that the scribes and Pharisees were out to kill them to being bold and courageous witnesses for the Lord. Peter was one who experienced the supernatural power to witness as he stood before all the people and preached a message that brought many to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.  The church experienced exponential growth in a short period of time because of the power of the witness of the Holy Spirit filled people. 

It was important for the new believers to unite and we see that there were certain practices that began immediately to disciple them.  The principles established then are just as valid today for all believers and they need to be part of our lives as we seek to become strong disciples of Christ.

Acts 2: 42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

There were 4 things they incorporated into their lives to become strong disciples of Christ.

1.     They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching. 

This was the first thing mentioned about the early church and it indicates its importance.  The word “devoted” is a strong word that can also mean dedicated or consecrated. It was not a wishy washy commitment they were making to receive teaching from the Apostles.  William Barclay translates it as, “They persevered in listening to the apostle’s teaching.”

They were actively pursuing knowledge of God through the teachings of the apostles.  They had much to learn as this was a new revelation to thousands of new believers.  The knowledge the apostles had gained through their three years of being with Jesus now found expression in the teachings they were able to give to the new believers.

Doctrine to some is almost a dirty word.  They think of it as boring and they want the practical messages that make them feel good or are ways to make their lives better.   Doctrine is important because it defines and clarifies what we believe to be truth.  We have to know what we believe and why we believe it so we can effectively communicate it to others who are new to the faith or are in error in what they believe.

A mark of a true disciple is a hunger to study the Word, be taught the Word and live according to the Word.  When we lose our hunger for the Word we are in a bad spiritual state.  Your being here tonight is an indication of spiritual hunger.  You could be in many other places doing many other things but you are here by choice to meet with the Lord.  There should be a hunger in all of our hearts for the Word, it is the Bread of Life that sustains us in our daily walk with the Lord.  It is like water that cleanses us from wrong thinking and actions that are revealed to us as we read the Word.  It is like a fire that burns within us and compels us to share it with others.  It is like a hammer that breaks bondages by revealing truth to us.  It brings us comfort in time of distress and encourages us to attempt great things for God. It is our guide to help us make right decisions.  It is our weapon against the temptations of the devil and is one of our primary defenses against his lies .  It is our source of wisdom and knowledge of God’s character and nature.  It reveals who He is and who we are. 

I pray the desire to learn will never be quenched in our lives. Reading the word is critical to our spiritual growth and the Holy Spirit is with us to teach us. One of the ways that Muslim converts are discipled is by simply having them read the word and then ask what is God asking me to do as a result of what I have read. The goal is to have them understand on their own and not depend on someone else to tell them what the scriptures mean and how they should respond. They are taught to obey what they are learning from the word. What they have discovered by using this approach is that the people are making the changes they need on their own and they are witnessing to the nonbelievers in obedience to the great commission. Loren Cunningham is on a mission to get a Bible into the hands of everyone by the year 2035. He has stated that in areas where people have been evangelized  through open air campaigns or their facsimile only 5 % of the people stay faithful to their commitment to the Lord. But in areas where public campaigns have occurred and the converts are given a Bible they are seeing a 200% growth rate! Why? Because the converts are obeying the word and sharing the gospel with the lost.

There should always be a hunger to be taught but also the application of the word and obedience to what the Holy Spirit is teaching us.

2.     The second mark of the New disciples is they had fellowship with each other. We are social beings, gregarious people who need each other. As believers we can be treated as strangers after we come to Christ and the Holy Spirit begins to make changes in us that may not be understood or accepted by people. We can feel alienated from others and that is why we need to connect with other believers. Being a part of a community of believers is the way we can grow spiritually as we learn to submit and receive instructions from one another.

Evangelism has been done in many countries by extracting converts from their families and communities. This has created tensions in the family among certain people groups. What has worked successfully among Muslim groups and tribal groups is to keep the believer with the family and allow them to live out their faith within the family. As family members come to faith the family stays together and the fellowship they now share in Christ binds them together. The New believers connect with believers outside of their immediate family as well and help each other grow in their faith.

People who are hermits and live alone often develop mental and social problems. God said it was not good for man to be alone and he created Eve to be Adam's companion. We need each other and being a part of a fellowship group where healthy relationships are formed will keep us on track and not get weird. Being accountable to others can only occur when we are in close fellowship with each other. If you are not a part of a fellowship group I encourage you to find one or start one.

3.     The third aspect of discipleship was meeting to “break bread” which is to share meals. Jesus met and ministered to many people by sharing a meal with them. There is something almost magical that happens when we share a meal with others. It is a casual time for everyone except someone like Martha who was overly concerned about the presentation than the opportunity to enjoy being with Jesus.

One of my most memorable shared meals experience was when I was in Jerusalem many years ago. We attended a church service in a church that had been burned down by arsonists. All the wood was charred and only a little bit of the structure remained. The fellowship we experienced came from true believers who were willing to follow Jesus at any cost. After the service we were invited to the home of the man who was the gardener where the tomb of Jesus was located. He did not have much food to offer, a canned ham or spam and boiled potatoes was our meal. But the time we shared with him will forever be etched in my mind. A humble man serving a humble meal in a humble home filled with the love of Christ.

Sharing a meal involves service to each other, giving of resources, hospitality and investing of your time in another person.  All of these produce a spiritual benefit for the people involved. 

 

Breaking of bread can also signify sharing of the Lord’s supper which is also a very important aspect of being in relationship with one another. It reminds us of the unity we have in Christ as his body but also his sacrifice for us that has made possible the relationship we have with him and with each other.  The early church shared communion on a regular basis and it is still an important memorial that we should keep regularly today.

 

4.     Prayer was the final element mentioned.  

More than 30 times in the book of Acts we find either individuals or groups of believers who are on their knees before God. They are praising and worshiping Him and interceding for others. We also find them praying for their own needs. So Acts is not only the Acts of the Holy Spirit, it is also Acts of prayer as well.  https://keithoconnor.wordpress.com/2015/01/31/the-book-of-acts-and-prayer/

The church was birthed in prayer as the 120 met in Jerusalem waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Act 1:14  All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

 

The early church faced opposition from the beginning and it helped them establish prayer as a regular part of their meetings each day.  They also went to the temple at the hour of prayer that had been established in their faith.  Prayer had been a major part of their lives and it continued to be a priority for the early church.

The early church made it a priority and they had some incredible prayer meetings.  They prayed because they saw their need and their prayers brought results.

Peter and John were threatened by the religious leaders and were told to be silent.  When they were released they went back to the body of believers who immediately went to prayer.

 

Act 4:29  And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

Act 4:30  while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

As the church grew in numbers so did the needs of the people.  It reached a point where meeting physical needs became a hindrance to the preaching and prayer that was needed.

Act 6:4  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

A solution was found and the leadership was able to focus on what they were called to do: prayer and the ministry of the word.

 

When Peter was placed in prison the church gathered to pray and God miraculously delivered him.

Act 12:5  So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

 

Barnabas and Paul were commissioned as missionaries as a result of the church in Antioch seeking God in prayer, fasting and worship.

Act 13:1  Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Act 13:2  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

Act 13:3  Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

 

There are more examples of the church on its knees and the great things that happened as a result of their unified prayers.

 

 Personal prayer is the norm for most people but corporate prayer is not practiced in many believers’ lives to the same degree.  There is a need for both in the life of the believer. 

When we can come into agreement and pray together the enemy trembles and God responds.  Prayer is one of our most powerful spiritual weapons of warfare.  If we do not pray we should not question why things are not changing. 

The churches that are being raised up among the Muslim areas spend exended time in prayer daily as a body of believers.  They are in critical situations where their very lives are on the line each day.  They understand the need for prayer but also the power of prayer as they see lives changed as a result of their prayers.  Often we don’t pray until we are in a crisis situation and are desperate for God’s intervention. 

The miraculous growth of the church in Korea is a direct result of the prayer focus of the church.  They continue to meet daily for prayer and have designated prayer mountains where individuals and groups can spend time in prayer.  Korea has become the third largest sending nation of missionaries as a result of their dedication to prayer and obedience to the Lord.

 

Prayer meetings are often the least attended service of many churches and corporately very little time is spent in prayer in most churches.  May God burn in our hearts a desire for corporate prayer in the church so that the work of God can go forward in his miraculous power. Jesus told his disciples to pray that the Lord of the Harvest (Holy Spirit) would send laborers into the harvest.  We must pray individually and corporately for the workers to be released.

 

The early church had remarkable growth, remarkable miracles, remarkable boldness, and remarkable courage which came as a result of their corporate prayers.  We can expect the same things to happen as we make the same commitment to prayer that they did.

 

Here in Guatemala there is a city, Almolonga that experienced an incredible transformation that came as a result of corporate prayer.  Their city was a disaster filled with drunkenness, prostitution and abuse.  The jails were overflowing.  As the believers began to unite in prayer God began to move in miraculous ways to bring repentance. One of the key pastors was threatened one day and a pistol was placed in his mouth.  When the trigger was pulled nothing happened and the would be assassin knew he was dealing with something beyond his understanding.  God also blessed their land giving them crops that were much larger than normal.  Part of the increase came as a result of the work ethic that changed but part was also God’s blessing on the land.  The community down the road from them did not see the fruitfulness that Almolonga experienced.

Corporate prayer brings results.

 

 The early church produced strong disciples because of their emphasis on teaching the Word, fellowship that developed close relationships, sharing meals that demonstrated servanthood and genuine care for each other and corporate prayer that produced incredible results.

These four aspects of making disciples are needed today as we face a world that is becoming more antagonistic to the gospel and moving deeper into depravity.  We need strong disciples who will be able to stand against the forces of darkness to boldly proclaim the gospel and believe God to do great and mighty things through their prayers offered in faith.

 

The results in the early church discipleship program were:

Supernatural ministry

Unity among the believers

Generosity

Favor

Joy

These things are what we can also expect to happen as we dedicate ourselves to becoming disciples of Christ.

 

The Journey of Faith

The generation of Israelites who left Egypt never entered the Promised Land because of their unbelief.  When their final test of faith was given to them they failed miserably and insulted God accusing him of being a liar and deceiver who was setting them up to fail.  Their concept of God was warped and they were not worthy of entering in the Promised Land.  They did not have what it would take to possess the Land.  They were now destined to live out the remainder of their lives, 40 years wandering in the desert until the entire generation except Caleb and Joshua died.  God was still faithful to meet their needs during the entire wilderness experience but they missed out on what God had intended for them.  It as a sad ending of lives that had tremendous potential.  I cannot imagine what it was like for them to live with the regret of their failure for all those years.  Lives wasted because of rebellion and unbelief.  

I think of people today in the same situation.  Living lives of unbelief and never experiencing all the goodness that God has planned for them.  One of my acquaintances in my home town died a week ago.  We were in Boy Scouts together for several years so I knew him a little bit.  His death was sudden and sadly his body lay in his apartment for 3 days before he was found. I read his obituary and like many people there was no mention of his relationship with God, service in the church or any ministry he was involved in.  His pleasures in life were hanging out at the Eagle’s Club, playing darts and watching car races.  I could not help but think of what he missed by not serving God.  He had his physical needs met but the most important part of his life, his relationship with God was not something that was noted by his family in his obituary.  Like the Israelites he never entered into all the goodness that God had planned for him.  Perhaps by choice or ignorance yet the result was the same.

God’s promises to Israel would be fulfilled by a new generation led by Joshua.  They would see the fulfillment of the promises god had made to their ancestors. Faith would be required as well as obedience in order for them to possess the land. 

Only two Spies were sent in to check out the land.  40 years had passed and the population of the inhabitants had increased greatly.  From outward appearance it would seem that conquering the land was going to be even more of a challenge. The cities must have been even more fortified as the people knew about the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites.  The spies found refuge in the house of Rehab the prostitute as their mission had been discovered by the leaders of the city of Jericho.  

 Rehab had a healthy fear of these men and whom they represented.  She told the men:

Jos 2:9  and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you.

Jos 2:10  For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction.

Jos 2:11  And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath.

When the spies returned they gave an inspiring vote of confidence that God was going to give them the land.

Jos 2:24  And they said to Joshua, "Truly the LORD has given all the land into our hands. And also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away because of us."

The doom and gloom report of the previous generation had been upgraded to two thumbs up.  There was a completely different attitude among the people. But there would still be challenges to face and overcome.

They like their fathers faced their first obstacle, crossing over the raging Jordan River. Instead of becoming fearful and complaining this generation responded in faith and obedience. God was going to perform a miracle that would bolster their faith in him and take away the fears they may have had.  When the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant set their feet in the raging river the waters separated as they did at the Red Sea and formed dry ground for the people to pass.  The ark represented his presence and his covenant.  He would go before the people and his covenant promises would not be unfulfilled.  The Israelites knew beyond a shadow of doubt that God was leading them and he would give them victory. 

God is always faithful to keep his covenant promises with us.  He will never fail us, what he promises he will fulfill.  We can move forward with confidence in fulfilling God’s calling on our lives.  He goes before us to prepare the way.  We serve a supernatural God who cannot and will not be stopped from fulfilling his purposes as we respond in obedience to him.  He wants us to believe in him and expect him to do the miraculous in our lives and through our lives.  

As we follow in obedience to him we will inevitably come into circumstances and trials that will require a miracle.  This is the normal Christian life, expecting the miraculous to happen.  God will come through when we call upon him, he will show up and show himself strong on our behalf.  God reveals himself to unbelievers in miraculous ways who call upon him, how much more will he do for those who truly believe in him and call upon him? 

 I was listening to the testimony of Chris Velotten from Bethel church. He did not grow up in a Christian home and his father left the home when he was very young.  His grandfather was his greatest influence in his life and he was an atheist.  Life was hard for the family and in desperation Chris called out to God to prove he was real by healing his mom from the skin condition she had.  He promised that if he did he would serve him the rest of his life.  He then heard the audible voice of Jesus who identified himself and said he would fulfill his desire. The next morning Chris saw the miraculous.  His mother the night before was completely covered with psoriasis from her head to her feet.  When she awoke in the morning she was completely healed and Chris knew that Jesus was real. 

The Israelites experienced the realness of God when they saw the miraculous happen before their eyes.  God will do what is necessary to bring us to a point of faith and trust in him.  We will need to have this faith in him for the entire journey of our life.  God had much more in store for his people and they had to walk by faith and obedience to receive everything he had promised.

The miraculous crossing of the Jordan confirmed to the people God’s presence and power to fulfill his promise.  But now there needed to be the consecration of the people to the Lord and this was done immediately after crossing the Jordan.

The Israelites had to confirm their allegiance to God by going through the rite of circumcision.  This was the outward sign of their identification and dedication to the Lord, it set them apart as God’s chosen people.  God had made a covenant with them and they had to confirm the covenant with him as well.  Before they began the conquest of the Promised Land there was a need for the covenant to be confirmed for the sake of the people.  It was a way of showing their commitment to God to fulfill the covenant he had made with them.  They had to be “all in”.  We are called and set apart to serve the Lord.  Our hearts need to be circumcised, set apart from the world and the flesh to serve God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength. When we make the commitment to follow the Lord there can be no turning back.  God keeps his covenant with us and expects the same from us.

It is a grievous thing to see people who once followed the Lord who now live as though he did not exist.  They have turned away from him, forsaking the covenant made with him to follow after other gods.  How the heart of God must be broken over the broken covenants people have made with him.  He remains faithful and will welcome them back because his love never ends.  Yet the travesty is the life that has been wasted pursing the things that will not bring happiness and are things that are destructive to their personal lives as well as their relationship with God.  

After the circumcision was completed the next event that prepared them for the conquest was the celebration of the Passover.  This was a reminder of the miraculous deliverance of the people from Egypt.  They were never to forget where they had been and what they had been delivered from after 400 years of captivity.  God had brought them out to bring them in to the Promised Land.  There was no turning back, no more thought of going back to Egypt like their fathers had requested.  The Passover was another event that God used to bolster their faith and remind them of what he had done for them so they would believe that he would continue to lead them.

It was a new day for the Israelites.  There was no need to eat manna as they had for all the years in the desert.  The Manna Diet was over!!! They could now enjoy the food of the Promised Land.  They began to enjoy the goodness of the Lord and his provision for them.  As we journey in faith God provides what we need but also gives us the desires of our heart.  He is not a stingy God who wants to keep us poor and humble.  He wants us to enjoy the good things he provides for us. 

Jos 5:11  And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.

Jos 5:12  And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 

They were now experiencing the abundance God wanted them to enjoy and there was more to come!  It had to have been a great encouragement to the people to be able to enjoy what they had been missing for all those years in the desert.  I think this had a tremendous effect on the people and motivated them to continue with moving forward with the Lord to possess the land.

All of these preliminary events were God’s way of preparing the people to take possession of the land.  He encouraged the people by the report of the two spies that the inhabitants feared what God would do based on what he had done.  He miraculously made a way across the raging Jordan demonstrating that his presence would go before them and he would fulfill his covenant promise.  The covenant was confirmed by the circumcision of the men, a sign to all that they belonged to God, they were his special chosen people.  The Passover celebration was another faith building experience as a reminder of what God had done for them to bring them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.  The people began to enjoy the goodness of the Lord by eating the food of the new land.  All of these things were done to prepare them for the first battle of Jericho.

Joshua, the appointed leader also needed to be prepared for possessing the land.  Prior to the battle, he  had an encounter with the captain of the Lord of Hosts army.  He was required to take off his sandals as an act of acknowledging that the ground he was on was holy, it belonged to the Lord.  It was a similar experience that Moses had when he met God at the burning bush.  The Promised Land belonged to God, it was his special land where his people would dwell and he would live among them.  It was a reminder to Joshua to keep him aware of the holiness of God and that the land and the people were dedicated to him.

Israel was now prepared as was Joshua.  Jericho was the first city they would conquer and God was going to demonstrate his power to both the Israelites and people of Jericho. The battle strategy was not like any other strategy used before.  The people of Jericho knew that their end was coming.  For six days the priests and the armed guards blew the trumpets constantly as they marched around the city.  You have to wonder what was going through the minds of the people in the city.  I imagine their anxiety level increased each day and the talk of the town was centered on what was going to happen.  They must have been unable to sleep constantly thinking about when the invasion would happen.  On the seventh day they marched 7 times around the city blowing the trumpets and when given the command they all shouted and the walls of the city that were high and thick fell into the ground giving the Israelites direct access to the city.  God gave the enemy into their hands and they were defeated.  The people had to be pretty tired after 7 trips around the city but God gave them the strength to overcome and when the battle.  

Israel was learning to follow God’s instruction in spite of what they may have thought was a very strange way to go to battle.  Their faith was being built up to prepare them for the many battles that were yet to be fought.

In our journey of faith with the Lord we will go through a similar process that the Israelites experienced.  

God has a special call on each one of our lives, he has saved us and delivered us from many different forms of captivity in our lives.  Through Christ we have been forgiven and rescued from the power of evil.

God has so much more for us to experience with him.  We are saved to serve him and fulfill his purposes for our lives. The Israelites had a divine purpose that involved possessing the Promised Land. It would become the place of the birth of the Messiah God had promised to the entire world.  Their calling was to conquer the land and possess it.  It was a holy land because God had greater plans that culminated in the birth, death and resurrection of the Savior of the world in the Promised Land. 

Possessing the land was accomplished through a process that involved the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River.  God’s calling on our lives will always require faith to follow him and trust in his promises and the covenant he has made with us.

The next step was the consecration to the covenant God had made with them.  The circumcision of the men was their mark of separation and identification as the people of God.  In our walk of faith we too will have a time of identifying ourselves with the covenant God has made with us and will be called upon to make a commitment to be forever linked to him.

The next step of the journey was a time of remembrance by celebrating the Passover. Remembering where they had been as a nation and what God had done to bring them to the place he had destined for them. The Passover was symbolic of the death of Christ and the power of his blood to forgive us and spare us from eternal separation from God.  In our walk of faith we must always remember the work of the cross that brought our forgiveness and has made possible eternal life. 

The final step of faith was facing the enemy and following God’s plan for victory.  It was a unique and strange battle plan but it was designed to test their faith in God’s wisdom and guidance to lead them to victory.  It was a miraculous victory and the fulfillment of his promise to the people.  The supernatural life was going to be their lifestyle because they had to depend upon God’s intervention, his guidance, his wisdom and power to overcome all the enemies they would face as they possessed the Promised Land. This first battle was just the beginning of what God was going to do through them to conquer the land.  

It is the same in our lives.  God has to be the one leading us, guiding us, providing the wisdom we need and the strategies to defeat the enemy.  He wants to lead us supernaturally to accomplish the work he has given us.  It requires faith on our part and obedience to what he instructs us to do.  He will be faithful and will do the miraculous to bring us to victory.

We need to have a faith that expects the miraculous, expects God to lead us supernaturally by his Holy Spirit to instruct us and empower us to do what he has called us to do.  His expectation of us is that we will hear his voice, obey what he has asked us to do, expect him to guide us, empower us and intervene to make the impossible possible as we place our faith in him. 

Are we living a supernaturally lifestyle of faith, obedience and expectation of God’s intervention in our daily lives?  Or are we living with a subsistence or substandard level of faith, just getting by, just getting through the day and not seeing or expecting anything miraculous to happen?  I believe God has so much more than we currently are experiencing. 

 He performed the miraculous for the Israelites,

He demonstrated in the life of Jesus his awesome love for people and power over all the works of the devil by healing sickness, disease, casting out demons and demonstrating power over the forces of nature. 

The early church walked in the miraculous because the gospel message was confirmed through signs, wonders and miracles.  The power of the Holy Spirit saturated their lives and flowed out of them to bring healing and deliverance to the people in need. 

This was not a special dispensation of the Spirit for a limited time.  It was and is for us today. God wants us to live in his realm of the supernatural.  He wants to use us to carry out his work through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  

John Lake was a man whom God used in miraculous ways.  His life story is one of God’s supernatural intervention and guidance.  He saw incredible demonstrations of the power of God in his life.  He gave three keys to living the supernatural life.

1.      Feeding on the Word of God.  There must be a hunger in our soul for the Word of God.  It is our lifeline with God.  When we neglect the study of the Word our walk with the Lord loses its intimacy.  It builds our faith, instructs us in God’s ways, it is spirit and life to us.  Derek Prince who walked with God for many years stated that we can measure our love for God by our love for the Word of God and the amount of time we spend in the Word of God.  Many spend hours each day in Facebook but we need to spend more time with our face in the Book, God’s word. Joshua was instructed by the Lord to remember the laws, keep them constantly on his mind so that he would walk in obedience to them. 

                                                                                         

Jos 1:8  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

After the disaster of the first battle against Ai, it was discovered that Aachen violated the instructions to not take anything from the city of Jericho.  God dealt severely with him and the second attack on the city of Ai was successful.  After this victory, Joshua made a point of reading the entire law to the people to remind them of what was expected of them and what the positive and negative consequences would be if they obeyed or disobeyed. 

Jos 8:34  And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

Jos 8:35  There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.

We have to be people of the Book if we want to walk in obedience and experience the supernatural work of God in our lives and ministries.  Ministers who fall away from their calling or lack power in their ministries can be traced to their neglect of the Word of God. 

2.     Constantly confessing publicly of what you are and what Jesus is to you.  Confession of your faith in Christ, of what Christ is to you, of his completeness, and his redemption.   Confessing what God has done through Christ in your life.  We have to know who we are in Christ, all that Christ has made possible for us.  The life he lived is the model for our lives.  He has made possible the same supernatural life he lived.  He said we would do even greater things than he did.  Our confession has to be public, God wants us to share what he has done for us to those who have not heard or those who are struggling with the challenges of life.  We are his messengers that he has chosen to work through.  The reality of what God has done for us establishes our faith and confirms our faith in him.  This is why it is so important to share your testimony, share the gospel, and share the Word of God with others on a regular basis.  Soul Patrol is one avenue to intentionally put yourself in a place to share what God has done for you and who you are in Christ with those who do not know him or have a wrong concept of him.  Don’t shrink back from sharing what God has done in your life, take advantage of every opportunity you are given to testify of the goodness of God.  Last Saturday night on Soul Patrol a young lady was sitting and listening intently to the gospel presentation but she did not go forward at the invitation.  I sat down by her and engaged her in a conversation and shared with her how God was real to me and what he has done for me.  She believed in God but was not actively living for him. It was an opportunity that I did not want to pass on and I believe God spoke to her heart as a result.

The first word of the great commission is “GO” which means a change of location which can be a simple as walking across the room or sitting beside someone to engage them in a conversation about the Lord and his love for them.

I encourage you to be intentional in reaching out to people.  The easiest thing is to do nothing but the most rewarding thing is to share your testimony and the gospel message with someone.

3.     Communion with God.  Being connected to God throughout the day.  Seeking him, speaking to him, listening to his voice, enjoying his presence, setting aside time to be saturated and filled with the Holy Spirit.  We have to have NOW experiences with God.  We cannot live on the experiences of yesterday or of others, God wants to give each of us personal experiences daily with him that we can share with others. We cannot allow anything to break our communion with God.  When our connection with him is broken his power cannot get through to us and we are ineffective in our ministry. Our flesh has to be put to death every day so we can walk in the Spirit. Paul stated that many have a form of godliness but have now power.  They look like Christians and call themselves Christian but they really are not connected with God or are walking in communion with him.  We can become passive in our relationship with God or we can choose to be passionate in our pursuit of him each day and our communion with him.  Those who walk in communion are open and available to let God pour his power through them to see the miraculous in their lives.

If we are doing these three things we are in a state of preparation and readiness for the Holy Spirit to move powerfully through us.  We can live each day with the expectation and anticipation of the supernatural life of God flowing to us and through us.

God has called each one of us to a special ministry and he wants us to continue to move forward to possess all that he has for us.  He has prepared the way to bring us where he wants us and he desires to move supernaturally in our lives to possess all that is ours in Christ.  We can become passive or passionate in our walk with him.  We can feed on his Word and continue to grow in our faith and obedience or we can neglect the Word and watch our spiritual lives become powerless. We can be sharing what he has and is doing in our lives with others or we can remain silent. 

Your destiny with God has everything to do with how you live out your life of faith.  You can move forward with God with his supernatural power working through you to possess all he has for you or settle for a stagnant life that has lost its connection with Him.  What will you choose for your life?

Adventures in faith

Our lives as believers should be marked by adventures in faith as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our daily walk.  The Israelites had been held captive in Egypt for 400 years.  Life was hard, they were oppressed and abused and treated like slaves.  God raised up Moses and Aaron to liberate the people and bring them to the land that was promised to their forefathers. The journey to the Promised Land and the conquest of the land was an adventure in faith for everyone.  The journey of faith had many tests designed by God to examine the heart of the people to see if they would trust in him and in the leadership God had placed over them.  The circumstances they faced were not brought on by the devil but were orchestrated by God with a specific purpose in mind.  Often in life when we are faced with difficulties we immediately think that the devil as attacking us and causing all the trouble.  We give him more credit than we should because we do not realize that God is at work building our character and our faith in him.

Their liberation did not come instantly.  Pharaoh's heart was hardened and needed to be broken in order for him to release his captives.  The plagues that were sent had a specific purpose to build the faith of God’s people and to soften the hearts of the Egyptians.  When the final plague struck, the death of the first born sons the people of Egypt were more than willing to give the Israelites everything they asked of them.  The Israelites were poor and they needed many things to bring on their journey to freedom. They left Egypt with many valuable possessions they would need.

The adventure of faith begins with God’s calling us to a new place, a new people, new purpose or ministry or perhaps a new way to do the ministry God has called us to that he has placed in our heart to pursue.  God called Israel out of Egypt to pursue the promise he had given to them as a people.  He had something new for them to fulfill his Kingdom purposes.  It was a huge undertaking to take over a million people and move them across a desert to the Promised Land that they would have to conquer enemies though they had no previous military experience.  The call of God upon Moses, Aaron as well as all of the Israelites was beyond human understanding and ability to achieve. 

At times the calling of God may seem too much for us, we feel unqualified and lack the resources that we need to make it happen.  When Moses told the people what God had in mind I am sure that many wondered how it could happen.  After years of slavery they were probably excited about the prospect of leaving and at the same time wondering how were they going to be released and brought to the Promised Land. 

When the time came for them to leave, they had to leave quickly.  I think if it had not happened like it did some may have dragged their heels and maybe stayed behind.  The Egyptians wanted them to leave immediately as they feared they like the first born son would be killed.  The door to their freedom had been opened quickly and they needed to move quickly to escape.  When God calls us, he will prepare the way but we must respond in obedience to move when he tells us to move.  Many opportunities can be lost when we delay in acting in obedience quickly.  Had the people lingered they would have been captured by Pharaoh's army and subjected to the same grueling life they had experienced.  We must be convinced that God is the one opening the door and then move quickly to go through it.  God had been preparing the people through the demonstrations of his power.  They had witnessed the miraculous and their faith was being built up so when the time came they would be ready to move forward trusting God to lead them.  God has worked in each of our lives to show his power and build our faith.  When he calls us to something new it is with a history of his faithfulness that will help us respond in obedience.

It must have been an incredible scene to see a million people fleeing the country of Egypt.  God was going before them to lead the way and he led them to their first test of faith when they ran into the Red Sea.  In the natural it looked like it was a trap, a dead end as the Egyptian army with 600 chariots pursuing them.  The jubilation they felt when they were released was now challenged by a barrier that looked impossible.  They did not understand what God had in mind.  It looked like the end of the road for them.  It was their first test of faith to believe that God would fulfill his promise of deliverance from the Egyptians.  God kept the invading army of Egyptians from getting nearby causing darkness that disoriented them and kept them from moving forward while at the same time the Israelites had light.  But the challenge of crossing the Red Sea was still an issue.  God made the way by causing the waters to separate and form dry ground for them to pass through. It had to have been a wide area that he made for them to pass as many people through.  Again the people had to respond quickly to the opening God had given to them.  Can you imagine what it was like for them to see the wall of water standing beside them.  It became very clear to them at this time that God was going to fulfill his promise to them.  Once they were safely to the other side, the Egyptian army fell into the trap God had made by entering into the pathway God had made for his people.  The waters he held back were released at the right time and they were drowned.  They were now completely separated from their enemy and it was a time of great joy.

When God calls us he goes before us and will remove whatever barriers that need to be taken out.  We can trust him to do whatever needs to be done to open the doors for us and bring us to the place he has called us.  Nothing is too difficult for him.  Our faith will be tested by circumstances that seem impossible but God will show himself strong to those who will believe in him.

I was reading the testimony of converted Muslims who were being used by God in miraculous ways as they fulfilled his calling on their lives.  Two Muslim men had been called by God to go to villages that were Muslim and preach the gospel. On their way to the village they had to pass by a village that was extremely opposed to anyone sharing the gospel.  As the two men approached the village suddenly the motorcycle stopped running.  They could not get it to run so the only option they had was to go to the antagonistic village and try to find help.  When they came to the village the entire population was mourning the death of the wife of the chief of the people.  One of the men felt that God was calling him to go to chief and ask if he could pray for his dead wife.  The other man thought he was crazy and he wanted to leave as soon as possible.  They proceeded to walk through the crowd and found the chief to ask if they could pray for his deceased wife.  He gave them permission and they began to pray.  They did not pray silently but lifted up their voices so that all could hear.  They prayed for 40 minutes and nothing happened.  Some of the people began to wonder what they were doing yet they continued to pray.  Then they felt the wife’s body become warm, she was coming back to life.  She opened her eyes and the people went wild, they were witnessing a miracle!  The chief was overjoyed and he opened the door for them to return to the community to use their school to teach the people about Christianity.  What seemed like the end of the road for these two men became an open door for them to see the miraculous power of God to change the hearts of people and establish his Kingdom in the community. When they returned to their motorcycle, it started right away and they were able to go to the village they originally intended to visit.  God had orchestrated these circumstances and as they allowed him to lead them he opened a door that only he could open.  These men had to respond in immediate obedience or they would have lost the opportunity to see the miraculous happen.  What appeared to be an obstacle was really an opportunity for God to use them in a miraculous way to show his love for this village.

As Israel moved into the wilderness they were faced with more challenges and tests of their faith.  The first was the test of provision.

Exo 15:22-24  Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

 Whatever water and food they had taken with them when in Egypt was probably consumed in a short period of time.   Once again it was a test of their faith in God and in Moses.  It looked hopeless in the natural and the natural response of the people was to complain and doubt that God would provide for them.  It would take millions of gallons of water to meet the needs of the people.  It looked to them that life would soon come to a miserable end, dying of thirst after traveling for 3 days without water.  

Their food resources were limited and consumed in a short time after leaving Egypt. 

Exo 16:1-3  They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

They departed Egypt on the 10^th day of the first month and on the 15^th day of the second month they had a food crisis.  Again the people complained and wondered if they would starve to death.  They now wanted to return to Egypt where they had food.  They preferred to feed their flesh rather than fulfill the promise God had given them about going to a land that was flowing with milk and honey.  God had a new diet for them, food that would provide them with what they needed to get them to the Promised Land.  This would only be for a limited amount of time. It was only going to take a couple of weeks for them to get through the desert and be able to cross into the Promised Land.  It was a sacrifice they had to make but it was for their good.  Eating the foods of Egypt were not on God’s menu.  He was using these circumstances to teach them to daily depend upon him to provide what they needed.  It was a mundane diet but it was exactly what they needed.  I think it may have been motivation for them to keep moving forward so they could get to the Promised Land and the provision God would give them.  Many of our tests and trials are only for a limited time.  When we are faced with financial or material challenges as we pursue God’s call on our lives we can respond by complaining and doubting God or we can proclaim his promises and wait upon him to provide what we need.  If God has called you then he is responsible to provide for you in whatever manner he chooses.  Complaining and murmuring only demonstrate our lack of faith.  God provided water for Israel the entire 40 years of their wandering in the wilderness.  His resources have no limit.  We can trust him to take the most difficult circumstances and provide what we need.  In my life I have seen God provide in ways I never thought would happen.  One of my greatest concerns when I left my full time job to pursue ministry full time was the care of my daughter.  I was a single dad and my daughter had lived with me from the time she was 7 years old.  I was concerned about her future education and how she would be able to pay for university classes.  God provided everything she needed to get her university degree and then a Master’s degree. She graduated with no debt and had money in the bank which most college students never experience as they are saddled with thousands of dollars of school loans to pay back.  God has never failed to provide for my needs.  He has proven himself to be faithful and true in every circumstance I have faced.  Whatever difficulty or challenge you are facing is an opportunity for God to show himself faithful to you as you place your trust in him. 

Another test they faced was a test of contentment.  We will be tested in our contentment of where we are, what we are doing, what we have and the leadership God has placed over us.  The Israelites complained often of where they were.  They longed to go back to Egypt where they thought life would be better.  They were not content with where God had them and what he was doing in their lives. Learning to be content in our circumstances is something God values and desires to build into our lives.  He wants us to learn to rest in him and not be constantly looking for something new or different.  Some people seem to never be satisfied with where they are.  They complained and miss out on what God wants to do in them and through them in the situation they are encountering.  They are always looking for the escape door and do not realize that God has placed them there for a purpose.  The daily diet of manana, the routines of life, the moving from one location to another were tests of their contentment.  Learning to be content with the leadership God has place over you is another test God will use.

The test of contentment also involves what we are doing.  For many people life can become a routine, we do the same things each day and not much seems to change.  These are times when our contentment is tested.  We have a choice to make the most of each day or become complacent and resign ourselves to living a mundane life.  Contentment helps us live in the moment.  We are not living in the past thinking of how good we had it, nor are we living in a future that our minds create to avoid facing what we are experiencing in the present.  Our attitude should be that we recognize that God has placed us in the circumstances, we accept them and are grateful to be where we are and what he is doing in us.  You are not like a plane in a holding pattern waiting to land in a different location.  You are in the place of God’s calling and he wants us to fulfill his purposes for this time.  Here I am God, what do you want me to do?  If we do not live in the moment we often pass up opportunities to be a blessing to the people we are with.

The people were also tested in their contentment in the leadership God has placed over them.  Moses had a very difficult job.  He did not ask for the job but he accepted God’s call upon his life to lead the people to freedom.  He faced opposition from the people who were not content with his leadership and were jealous of the position he had.  Even his own brother and sister opposed him.  Numbers 12 explains what happened. 

Num 12:1-2  Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman.   And they said, "Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" And the LORD heard it.

The discontent began with Aaron and Miriam complaining about Moses’ wife.  But it went deeper as they disputed his leadership and felt they were just as qualified as he was.  Another example was the 250 people that Korah recruited to dispute Moses’ leadership.  They were not content with the position God had given him.  Numbers 16 relates the story.

Num 16:1-3  Now Korah the son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men.   And they rose up before Moses, with a number of the people of Israel, 250 chiefs of the congregation, chosen from the assembly, well-known men. They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said to them, "You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?"

 When we are not content with the leaders God has placed over us we become contentious and begin to cause problems.  We try to get other people on our side and poison them with our discontent.  It is easy for us to be critical of leaders after all they are human and they make mistakes.  Our role is not to be the accuser, Satan already has that job and he is doing a great job.  We are called to pray for our leaders, support them and encourage them.  If they get out of line, God has ways of bringing changes and at times he may use us to bring issues to them in a loving way.  When the people opposed Moses’s leadership God came to his defense and the consequences of their discontent were pretty severe.  Miriam was struck with leprosy over all of her body, Korah and all who joined him were swallowed up as the earth opened and they all fell in.  God does not take opposition to his leaders lightly so we must be very careful in how we treat them, what we say and think about them. If we are discontent we will cause division, one of the seven deadly sins that God hates.

A third test of faith was a decisive test to determine if they were ready to move into the Promised Land.  This tested what they believed about their circumstances, what they believed about themselves and what they believed about God. When the 12 were sent out to check out the Promised Land it was meant to be a great encouragement for the people.

Num 13:17-20  Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said to them, "Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country, and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

 The sight of grapes, figs and pomegranates after eating manna everyday was to be a wetting of their appetite for all the good things that were waiting for them. Some of the mission trips I have been on have been times of eating very different food and often the same type of food on a daily basis.  Some of the students would look forward to going to McDonalds or some other restaurant where they could eat “real food.” It was motivation to look forward to what they would soon experience. Big, juicy grapes were to be proof of the good things God had waiting for them.

The sight of the fortified cities should have been an encouragement to let them know what living conditions they would have.  After living as slaves in Egypt and nomads in the desert, the thought of a secure city should have been a motivation to want to move forward to receive the blessings God had planned for them.

 Joshua and Caleb had a spirit of adventure.  They saw the opportunity and they were excited about possessing the Promised Land.  They saw things from God’s perspective and had confidence that God would defeat the enemies and give them the land.  The size of the enemy and the fortified cities were not deterring factors in their decision to go forward into the Promised Land.  They saw things through God’s eyes and it was as nothing to them.

The other ten had a different opinion of what they saw, how they saw God and how they saw themselves.  They saw an unbeatable enemy and cities that could not be conquered.  They did not see God as greater than the enemy or powerful enough to give them victory.  They saw themselves through the eyes of the enemy and they became hopeless. They were as grasshoppers when compared to the inhabitants of the land. Instead of being overjoyed at what was waiting for them they became overwhelmed by the circumstances.

Our adventure in faith will always be tested on these three levels.  How we view our circumstances, how we see our God and how we see ourselves.   We can view our circumstances as overwhelming and impossible to overcome or we can see them as obstacles that we can overcome with God’s help. We can see ourselves as more than conquerors through God’s power working in us, through us and for us or we can see ourselves through the opinion of others or compare ourselves to others and determine that we are not able to do what God has called us to do.  We can view God according to his revealed character of faithfulness and absolute power over every circumstance, person or power, or we can believe the lies that make him incapable of overcoming..

The ten were basically calling God a liar and a deceiver.  They were attributing to God the very things that were the nature of Satan.  It was blasphemy and the assassination of God’s character in front of the entire nation.  The negative report of the ten influenced the people and caused them to doubt God’s promise and his power to give them the victory.

 Our unbelief has devastating results.  It is like poison to our soul and the souls of others who hear our negative report.  God’s response was just, he banned all of them except Caleb and Joshua and those under 20 years old from entering the Promised Land. He sentenced them to 40 years in the wilderness until an entire generation of doubters were dead.  They had missed the open door God gave them because of their unbelief and disobedience.  This was the final exam for the nation and they failed.  They tried to make up for it the next day by going to battle but they suffered defeat because God was not with them.  He was not going to change his mind.  They had offended him and angered him by what they had done.  The price they paid was great. Can you imagine what it was like for them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, eating the same food every day and living with the memory of their failure?  I can’t think of a more depressing situation to live with.

The failure of Israel is to be an example to us.  That generation did not receive what God had promised to them.  They failed the tests of faith and were not able to receive what God had for them.  Instead of a life of adventures in faith they were destined to a life of routine and no hope of change.

As we move forward in our adventures in faith, we must be prepared to face the challenges that will be presented to us.  How we respond to the challenges will determine if we will receive the promises God has given to us and whether we will fulfill the calling he has place on our lives.  He has called each one of us to a life of adventure with him. 

We will be tested in our faith to believe him for the provision that we need.  We may go through time of limited resources to test our heart to determine if we will trust God to give us everything we need to carry out the work he has called us to do.

We will be tested in the area of contentment as to where we are, what we are doing and our attitude toward the leadership God has placed over us. 

Finally we will be tested in the way we see our circumstances, the way we see ourselves and the way we see God.  We can see things through God’s perspective and move forward in confidence of the victory he will bring or we can view things through our human perspective and shrink back and never possess what God had planned for our lives.

What areas are you being tested ?  Are you moving forward in the adventures of faith or are you struggling to believe and find yourself complaining, doubting and discontent?