Monthly Archives: March 2022

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Get Dirty But Shake Off the Dust!

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I’m a discipleship guy. Why? Because, without it, there’s no transformation and the beautiful things to come. So, I’m all about change and spiritual growth—mine and yours. But what is basic discipleship, and how can we be fruitful as we do it?

First, discipleship is about imitation: presenting something worth imitating and mimicking what is seen and heard. Jesus taught, modeled what He taught, tested, corrected, and sent as He discipled. He gave disciples something good to imitate. Then, they did what Jesus did. Here’s an example as written by the apostle Paul nearly 2,000 years ago:

“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” (Thessalonians 1:6)

Second, discipleship can be messy! It happens when we walk with someone in their rhythm of life, and our own discipleship and spiritual formation never end. The disciple-discipler relationship builds the trust needed to share struggles, woes, and joys. Importantly, authentic discipleship ensures that you witness a disciple’s behavior and are available to answer questions or provide correction. This is where it can get messy. But discipleship doesn’t happen without it.

Third, discipleship isn’t for everyone, and most of these relationships will fail. Why? Likely because of a lack of devotion to God or the discipleship process. So, what do you do if this happens as you disciple? Setting expectations about devotion to God and the discipleship relationship is critical. Then, hold the disciple accountable. But if they aren’t growing, showing up, studying, etc., then it may be time to ‘cut bait.’ Ditch the spiritual dead weight and move on! “But Ron, the disciple is my friend! Are you saying I must end the friendship?” Absolutely not! Keep that relationship but put your discipleship efforts elsewhere. Jesus had something to say about this in Mark 6:7-11.

To recap, discipleship is about your speech and modeling and others’ imitation of what they hear and see. So, be something worthy of imitation! And don’t get stuck in a dead discipleship relationship. There’s plenty of work for you, so move on! Next week? I’m thirsty, so let’s dive into Living Water.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Been Cleaned, Being Cleaned!

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“Ron! If we are forgiven of our sins when we answer God’s call through devotion to Him (making ‘Jesus Lord’ (Romans 10:8-10)) and obedience to honor and love, why do we have to keep asking for forgiveness??” Great question! Jesus hinted at the answer in John 13:5-10:

“Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” … Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.’”

This servant-leader taught that we need regenerative bathing in the New Covenant as we see in 13:10 AND regular washing to have an inheritance in God’s Kingdom. Let me explain. There are two kinds of washings referenced in John 13. The first is washing a part of the body, such as the hand or foot (e.g., verses 5 & 6). It is referenced by the word Peter used in 13:6 when he said, “… Lord, do you wash my feet??” The washing of the part of the body referenced here is the Greek word pronounced ‘nip-toe.’ This ‘washing’ for forgiveness when we mess up is part of our repentance—turning away from sin in our sorrow for rebellion against God and others.

The second washing is bathing the whole body, as in the Old Testament reference to what Bathsheba was doing when David saw her. This Greek word is pronounced ‘loo-oh,’ and we see this in 13:10. There’s a distinct difference between the two types of spiritual washing. First, the atoning work of Christ bathes – “loo-oh’s” – us from the sin and disobedience we practiced BEFORE we knew better, repented, and devoted ourselves to God through Christ. Second, we continue to repent and experience a cleansing when we fall short of God’s desires AFTER devotion to Him. In verse 10, we learn that the one who has been bathed (loo-oh’d) needs only to have regular washings (nip-toes) for forgiveness in repentance. Finally, Jesus explained to Peter that He and the other disciples had been ‘bathed’ (regenerated) except for Judas.

In summary, we are bathed (loo-oh’d) when we devote ourselves to God out of our belief in Him, and we continue to be ‘nip-toed’ in our repentance when we mess up. Next week, we’ll look at Jesus’ instruction for a disciple-maker to ‘wipe the dust off the feet and move on instead of stagnating.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

How Dry I Am! How Dry . . .

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“Dude! I don’t I feel God’s presence? Maybe He has left me!” You’d be surprised at how often these thoughts or questions come up! Perhaps you’ve wondered or asked them yourself. It’s OK. Let’s talk about why we think we need to ‘feel’ the presence of God.

Our creator designed us to bear His image.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27)

Do you know that He and the One we know as Jesus felt emotion (and, logically, still do)?

God: “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103:13)

Jesus: “Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him . . .” (Mark 10:21); “When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” (Luke 7:13)

We are imagers of God. He operates by free will; so do we (with good or bad consequences!). He feels; we feel. So God understands our emotions. The downside is that we can mistake feeling for Spirit and go into a tailspin when we don’t ‘feel’ Him. The truth is that, although our interaction with God can produce human feelings, the Spirit of God isn’t an emotion. He is either with us or not, regardless of what we feel. Old Covenant Elijah and David exemplify this reality.

God was with Elijah, as evidenced by His destruction of pagan priests and an animal sacrifice (1 Kings 18:20-40). He was probably on top of the world! Yet, he had a complete reversal when running from King Ahab soon afterward. Elijah was so depressed that he wished to die. He didn’t ‘feel’ the presence of God. However, he learned that God had not left Him as revealed in a ‘gentle wind’ (1 Kings 19:11-13).

David? Within the first 100 Psalms, you’ll discover quickly that David’s emotions were up one minute, down the next. He knew that God was his foundation (e.g., Psalm 18), but, later, he cries, “Where are you?!?” (as in Psalm 13).

And then there’s my dear wife, who felt like she was in a ‘spiritual desert’ for several years. Once she realized that God had been with her all the time and was waiting for her to do her job of introducing His Kingdom to others in work, play, and life, her outlook changed, and she’s been fine ever since.

In summary, our emotions (or lack thereof!) may keep us from remembering that God gives His Spirit to His own; feelings are ours. Next week, we’ll take a deep dive into Jesus’ washings in the upper room as we contrast born-again forgiveness and continued forgiveness.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Just Breathe!

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Close your eyes. Breathe in for four seconds. Hold for four seconds. Breath out for four seconds. Hold for four seconds. As I understand, this is one way that folks like Navy Seals and military snipers stay calm under highly stressful situations. Breathing to stay calm can help you too. When? Whenever you begin to feel stressed, angry, or anxious. And calming down instead of reacting is good for your body and mind and relational and spiritual health. The last two areas will be our focus today, even though all four areas touch our relationship with God and Christian maturity. In the process, I’ll offer some tips for healthy conflict resolution.

In Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus explained that we must not allow anger to manifest in slander or physical harm. The text also tells us to correct any wrong we’ve done against other people. In other words: resolve conflicts and reverse sinful actions against others. Open confrontation helps keep little misunderstandings or minor infractions from becoming gaping wounds that may never heal. Healthy confrontation to resolve conflicts can also reduce the likelihood of practicing anti-God behavior against others, which will earn a spiritual death sentence and exclusion from God’s Kingdom (Revelation 22:14-15; Galatians 5:19-23).

Here’s an example of how this can work: Breathe in. 1-2-3-4. Hold 1-2-3-4. Breathe out. 1-2-3-4. Hold. 1-2-3-4. “Excuse me: I need to let you know that accusing me of stealing without proof hurt. Next time, please talk to me first.” And then breathe. Or “Your hateful comments and gossip tear down and don’t build up. Let’s talk.” Breathe . . . Now, the other person may not be receptive or may react negatively. You can’t control that. The point is that we must do our best to calmly but firmly address issues to help ensure that minor conflicts don’t get out of control and result in sin (rebellion against God’s ways). Is there anything else you can do to reduce tensions and not sin? Sure!

Besides the breathing I mentioned, you can remove yourself from a toxic situation to avoid reacting out of anger. If that’s not possible, remain calm and do your best not to react to keep from sinning. Allow reconciliation to work. Here’s what Jesus said about this in Matthew 5:39: “. . . whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” And Paul reminded the Ephesian church not to sin out of anger and retain healthy relationships by “not letting the sun go down on your anger.” (4:26).

On a different note, you may occasionally feel ‘spiritually dry’—that God has left you or that you’re not performing some spiritual purpose. So, let’s go there next week!

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

White Robes & Green Thumbs

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What do white robes and green thumbs have to do with each other? Lots! In our Christian faith, you must have both to grow and persevere until the rescue (salvation) that will come when Christ returns (1Peter 1:3-5). Allow me to explain.

White robes imply a setting apart (holiness) from worldly things for the things of God. And the things for which we’re to be set apart are purity and good works and spiritual growth and maturity.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” —Ephesians 2:10.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that belief without productive faith will buy ‘fire insurance!’ Jesus said that would result in destruction (John 15:2-6). James confirmed that knowledge without action is dead (James 2:14-26). But righteousness (abiding by God’s standard) and holiness will earn a white robe and rescue at the end of this world and an eternity with God:

“After these things, I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands … And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” —Revelation 7:9-14.

White robes are good. But where does the ‘green thumb’ fit in? Well, living by God’s standard and doing good works out of faith don’t come naturally. They happen because of a change of heart (mind) and spiritual maturity. We must decide to receive the wisdom of God and learn how to grow it and put it to work. Jesus explained this in a parable about spiritual soil (Matthew 13:1-9 (parable) and 18-23 (explanation)).

Briefly, the parable showcases four kinds of people as an analogy of sowing and soil. The first is on no ground, the person who doesn’t understand the things of God and rejects them. The second is rocky soil: receiving wisdom but being unproductive. The third is thorny ground, representing the worrisome and greedy, intentionally and selfishly unfruitful. The fourth is good soil: the person who receives the good news of God’s Kingdom and matures accordingly. The green thumb in good soil earns a white robe.

Do you have a ‘white robe?’ Well, it depends on your soil and willingness to receive truth and grow in it. What kind of soil are you? Let me know if you need some fertilizer! I realized too late that I was to address healthy conflict resolution and dealing with anger last week. So, let’s go there next week.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley