For Men's Discipleship on 2 December 2017
This will be our second to last meeting of the year in 2017. We’ve been studying the life of Daniel for several months. But to be technically and semantically correct, we’ve really been studying God, and the affects that the LORD, God and the Spirit of Christ have had on the life of Daniel, with the hopes of applying those "affects" or characteristics to our own lives.
This week, we’ll continue along those lines, with a few characteristics to look at:
I want to know what God’s calling is for my life. I also want my brothers to know what His calling is for their lives too! There is a general calling for our lives, such as the call to salvation, and thereafter, the Great Commission; but there is also a very specific calling on our lives that is for us and nobody else, which is closely related to the gifts that God has given us.
If you aren't sure what your calling is, as a man of God who's been crucified with Christ, I hope you'll be willing to ask God what He wants from you, and also to allow your brothers in Christ to ask Him for, and with you; and then I hope you'll be willing to wait on the Lord for the answer; and then I hope you'll be willing to ask for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and to be endowed and equipped with power from on high (Luke 24:49), against which no power or principality on earth or in the heavens will be able to stand!
On the other hand, perhaps you know exactly what God has called you too. Not to worry, we aren’t going to each give some dissertation about what that is (well, unless you want to). But it's not necessarily prideful to share some of the details, such as the verses or passages that God has opened your understanding to, and which have moved you to answer His call.
Passages, such as Jeremiah 20:9—“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [stay].” In other words, Jeremiah could not keep God’s Word bottled up inside—He HAD to share it, even though nobody would listen!
Or maybe exhortation is your gift, or maybe you’re an evangelist, perhaps God even might want you to be a teacher!
You might be thinking, at this point, “Whooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaa there buddy. . . I can’t do that. . .” To which I would say “AMEN to that!” We cannot do ANYTHING, even perform the calling of God unless 1.) It is God who has called us; and 2.) It is God who equips us, and perfects us, and keeps us! But with Him and His Spirit and truth in you, He will be unstoppable, through you!
Finally, knowing what our calling or gift is from God doesn't mean that we know all the aspects of how things will turn out. It mainly means that we know our place before God and we're learning to move when He leads, and to stop when He stops. Just like God's promised people learned when they we're led by Moses out of Egypt (but were really led by the hand of God, Himself. Remember the Pillar of fire by night and a pillar of the cloud by day (Exodus 13:21)?). In other words, it means we're ever learning to wait on, and trust on the LORD, God and Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
There is no shame in any of these stages (whether you know or don’t yet know what your calling is). But there is great tragedy and shame that comes only if we neglect any one of them, because we'll never experience the true fullness of God and the potential for such miraculous work for His glory and honor, which He wants to do within an obedient and humble heart.
So what say you, my brothers? Are you willing to dig in and seek the face of the lover of your souls, and to do battle for the souls of our loved ones and for the souls of the lost, and most of all for the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
NOTE: The files attached are unchanged from the last session, but attached to this post for convenience.
This will be our second to last meeting of the year in 2017. We’ve been studying the life of Daniel for several months. But to be technically and semantically correct, we’ve really been studying God, and the affects that the LORD, God and the Spirit of Christ have had on the life of Daniel, with the hopes of applying those "affects" or characteristics to our own lives.
This week, we’ll continue along those lines, with a few characteristics to look at:
- Obedience
- Preparedness
- Integrity of Character
- (see the previous blog post for the full review list)
I want to know what God’s calling is for my life. I also want my brothers to know what His calling is for their lives too! There is a general calling for our lives, such as the call to salvation, and thereafter, the Great Commission; but there is also a very specific calling on our lives that is for us and nobody else, which is closely related to the gifts that God has given us.
If you aren't sure what your calling is, as a man of God who's been crucified with Christ, I hope you'll be willing to ask God what He wants from you, and also to allow your brothers in Christ to ask Him for, and with you; and then I hope you'll be willing to wait on the Lord for the answer; and then I hope you'll be willing to ask for the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, and to be endowed and equipped with power from on high (Luke 24:49), against which no power or principality on earth or in the heavens will be able to stand!
On the other hand, perhaps you know exactly what God has called you too. Not to worry, we aren’t going to each give some dissertation about what that is (well, unless you want to). But it's not necessarily prideful to share some of the details, such as the verses or passages that God has opened your understanding to, and which have moved you to answer His call.
Passages, such as Jeremiah 20:9—“Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But [his word] was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not [stay].” In other words, Jeremiah could not keep God’s Word bottled up inside—He HAD to share it, even though nobody would listen!
Or maybe exhortation is your gift, or maybe you’re an evangelist, perhaps God even might want you to be a teacher!
You might be thinking, at this point, “Whooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaa there buddy. . . I can’t do that. . .” To which I would say “AMEN to that!” We cannot do ANYTHING, even perform the calling of God unless 1.) It is God who has called us; and 2.) It is God who equips us, and perfects us, and keeps us! But with Him and His Spirit and truth in you, He will be unstoppable, through you!
Finally, knowing what our calling or gift is from God doesn't mean that we know all the aspects of how things will turn out. It mainly means that we know our place before God and we're learning to move when He leads, and to stop when He stops. Just like God's promised people learned when they we're led by Moses out of Egypt (but were really led by the hand of God, Himself. Remember the Pillar of fire by night and a pillar of the cloud by day (Exodus 13:21)?). In other words, it means we're ever learning to wait on, and trust on the LORD, God and Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
There is no shame in any of these stages (whether you know or don’t yet know what your calling is). But there is great tragedy and shame that comes only if we neglect any one of them, because we'll never experience the true fullness of God and the potential for such miraculous work for His glory and honor, which He wants to do within an obedient and humble heart.
So what say you, my brothers? Are you willing to dig in and seek the face of the lover of your souls, and to do battle for the souls of our loved ones and for the souls of the lost, and most of all for the glory of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
NOTE: The files attached are unchanged from the last session, but attached to this post for convenience.
daniel_review-r7.docx |
daniel_review--blamelessness-r1.docx |