The Path to Fulfillment

As we studied yesterday, the "Great Commission is not just making converts, but making disciples. The word disciple means "student." It also means "disciplined one." Both apply to our lives in Christ.

When we come to the Lord we become a lifelong student. As we read in I Corinthians 2:10, "... for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." Because this is the Spirit's nature, if the Holy Spirit is leading us we too will always be searching to know the Lord deeper. We will be compelled to know His ways, not just His acts. True Christianity and shallowness are contradictory to each other.

Because the word "disciple" also means "a disciplined one," II Timothy 1:7 declares, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." Few think of discipline as a fruit or gift of the Spirit, but it is very basic to the nature of the Spirit that we have been given. If we live by the Spirit we will be a disciplined people. This denotes controlling ourselves with focus and purpose. That is why "self-control" is listed as a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-24).

In I Timothy 4:7-8 we are told to "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Nothing of significance has most likely ever been accomplished without discipline. If we will discipline ourselves in Christ we will accomplish things that will bear eternal fruit. If we want to do anything of significance we must seize and apply the great power that is released through discipline.

I have been told a few times by friends who have known me from childhood that they cannot understand how I ever accomplished the things that I have. I understand their perplexity. Many of them are smarter than I am, and much more gifted, yet they languish in jobs they hate while I am doing the kind of things they dream about. Why? Though I was a failure in school, and seemed destined to a life of failure, when I was born again I was given the gift of discipline. Something gripped me so that I knew there was nothing more important or more fulfilling than getting to know the Lord. While others were out having fun, I stayed home and studied for years. To them it looked like I was wasting my life, but now it looks like they are the ones who were wasting their opportunity to do something significant.

It does not matter how old you are, or how many years you may have wasted, it is not too late to change. All discipline will pay off. Our discipline in the Lord will bear eternal fruit. Many would begin to live lives of great fruitfulness and fulfillment if they took just the time they now spend in front of the television and instead spent it in front of the throne of God, seeking to know Him, giving themselves to His service.

The following verses can change lives from one of defeat and discouragement into powerful demonstrations of the kingdom of God. Read them. Ponder them. Pray over them. Obey them.

and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives."
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
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?
For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Do not waste your trials. They are more precious than gold. As the Lord said in Revelation 3:19: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent."

http://www.morningstarministries.org/Groups/1000022226/MorningStar_Ministries/Media/Daily_Devotional/Daily_Devotional.aspx

Peace on Earth

My eyes are continually toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net (Psalm 25:15).

There is no trap the enemy can lay for us that the Lord cannot deliver us from. However, deliverance requires that we look to Him, not man, and not to our own devices.

One cannot live in this world without having difficulties. When the Son of God Himself walked the earth He suffered continual attacks from His enemies. They were constantly trying to trap Him, discredit Him, and even kill Him. We can look at His life and think that He never had any peace, but in fact He was never without peace. He was the Prince of Peace, and peace could not be taken from Him by trials. Neither can the peace that He has given to us be taken by trials, unless we surrender it.

As I am writing this I am watching a bluebird seeking out its breakfast in the grass. What a wonderful existence this bird seems to have, flying around happily enjoying all that God created. However, reality is that every time the bird lands, it has to watch out for a host of creatures that would like to make it their breakfast. Even when it flies, hawks and falcons must constantly be watched.

What's my point? Presently the whole earth is in conflict. As humans we may complain about our "dog eat dog" existence of competition, but the rest of the creatures have to worry about being literally eaten every day. Even so, as Christians we have the greatest promise of all, the promise of a world to come that is greater than any utopia or civilization that even the most optimistic philosophers have been able to envision. A kingdom is coming that will bring peace to the earth. It will bring such peace that the lion will lie down with the lamb, and children will be able to play with cobras. No one will hurt anyone else again on the earth.

It is the goal of the Christian life to live in the age to come now. It is our job to live in it to the degree that we can preach it with conviction, and demonstrate it with power. We are ambassadors of this kingdom that is going to come to earth. Every day we must arise and keep our attention on living in the realm where peace is already available that is beyond comprehension to those who merely live on this earth.

We are called to live every day walking closely with the Prince of Peace Himself. Because He is the Prince of Peace He brings peace wherever He goes. Therefore, if we take Him to work with us we will bring peace to the workplace. When conflict arises, we will not get caught up in it, but rather be peacemakers. Our job now is to help the lions and lambs start lying down together in peace.

It is noteworthy that the apostle said, "And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (see Romans 16:20). It seems that it would be "the Lord of hosts," which means "Lord of armies," that would crush Satan, but rather it is "the God of peace." The peace of God is an impregnable fortress and irresistible force. The power of God's peace is greater than all of the conflict on this earth.

Do not let anything steal the peace of God that has been given to you. We have this peace by keeping our attention on the One who is above all rule and authority and power. It is our calling to live in His domain, where there is peace, and to carry it forth into this present darkness. Those who live by His peace have the sure promise from the Lord that a better day is coming to this earth. That is the kingdom that He preached, and we too must proclaim by the demonstration of our lives that our peace cannot be shaken by the conflicts of this present age. For this reason the apostles continually gave the salutation, "May the peace of God be with you."

quoted from http://www.morningstarministries.org/