Discipleship Archives - Desert Warrior Ministries

“Let Go and Let God” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 47

August 9, 2021

I would agree that being filled with the Holy Spirit is based on faith, hope and love (as we have said before) and that it results in peace and joy which are the first fruits of our new relationship with God. Of course this is a peace that passes all understanding and a joy that knows no bounds. Neither concept can be defined in worldly terms but only in extraordinary terms to describe the life in the Spirit. There is definitely an “emotional” or subjective aspect to life in the Spirit. But there is something more to it than that.

“The Lost Art of Repentance” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 48

I like the title of this post. It tells me that Repentance is an Art form that has been lost. People don’t really repent much these days and the little that they do is superficial and difficult. Like an adult still making stick men with crayons, we have lost the nuances, the discipline but most of all the art of a life of repentance.

I mean, have you ever put the idea of repentance and rest together in the same sentence? God does. Jesus says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Especially in comparison with the Pharisees of his day who burdened people with a moral code almost impossible to maintain.

“The Fellowship of the Cross” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 49

Ours is not the Fellowship of the Ring but, rather, the Fellowship of the Cross. We, too, have a purpose to work together in this redemptive emergency for the salvation of the world. Yes, there will be individual temptations and trials but, in the context of the relationships forged under trying circumstances, there is also the possibility of redemption and true friendships that will last a lifetime.

Or is that only a fantasy of mine?

It’s easy to write beautiful words to describe the fellowship of the cross, the unity of the church, the friendships forged in this band of brothers and sisters following Jesus on the Road to Jerusalem. But is it true? Not so sure.

“Enjoy Him Forever” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 29

June 17, 2020

What if I told you that God’s greatest desire for us and our most important obligation in the Christian life was the pursuit of joy? Would you believe me?

Many wouldn’t. For many good, dedicated Christians, the concept of sacrifice, dying to oneself, discipline and training, mortifying the flesh, all have a rather somber, serious tone about them that leaves little room for joy.

I understand them but I don’t agree.

“Suffering and Glory” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 26

June 7, 2020

I have an idea for a book (and maybe a movie) called A Glimpse of Glory.

It’s the story of a black worship leader who loses his sister to a mugging gone wrong and she is stabbed and killed. Of course this creates a crisis of faith and he goes into a tailspin of grief and guilt which leads him into a frantic search for his sister’s killer. He ends up one night in the very same bar, nursing a drink and wondering what he is doing with his life. He decides to leave and try to get his life back on track but, first, he has to go to the bathroom.

On the way to relieve himself, he feels a knife pressed into his back and a voice in his ear telling him to step outside through the back door. Once in the alley behind the bar, his assailant demands all of his money, using his knife as a warning and a motivation to hurry.

“Evidence of Life” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 25

May 31, 2020

“Before I listen to your demands, I want evidence of life,” I said.

They had my little girl and the FBI were calling the shots. I was just scared to death. It seemed a bit aggressive on my part to demand anything from these people and the silence on the other end of the phone was deafening.

“Daddy?” A thin, fearful voice threw the question at me with the force of a hurricane.

She was alive. My knees quivered and I had to grab the desk for support.

“Resurrection Power” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 24

May 24, 2020

One of these days I want to write some stories about David and his mighty men. Everybody knows the basics about King David, how he slew Goliath, how he patiently waited for God to make him king and would not raise his hand against Saul even though Saul hunted for him and tried to kill him multiple times. But there is so much more to the story… and it is fascinating!

I especially like the stories about David’s mighty men. In I Chronicles 11 and 12 we get some glimpses of who they were. “These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed…” (I Chronicles 12:1,2 NIV).

“No Condemnation” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 23

May 10, 2020

“I believe that God is love and that I am a good guy and it will all work out in the end.”

My friend, John, was talking and he was serious. He had been a member of our church for years. He was over 80 years old and still of sound body and mind. But not of spirit. I had asked him why he did not leave the Catholic church and become an official member of our church.

“No, no, I can’t leave the Catholic Church. I would be excommunicated,” he insisted.

“The Good Fight” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 22

May 3, 2020

“The problem with Christianity is that it’s hard,” my friend was saying. “I totally get what Paul is saying here in this passage.” He paused. “Most times I feel like a “wretched man.” And I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

“Is that why you’ve decided to leave the church?” I asked quietly.

He nodded, his head hanging, not wanting to look at me.

“What does your wife think?” I prodded just a bit.

Silence.

“My Transfiguration” – Seeking Jerusalem – Day 21

March 9, 2020

We were talking about the Transfiguration of Jesus earlier and the glimpses of glory that were given to the disciples on a mountaintop in the wilderness. But we have also pointed out that the glory spoken of here had to do with his departure and all that would happen in Jerusalem.

In short, the glory of God is the cross of Christ. The glory of God is his character as he declared to Moses on a different mountaintop in Sinai. The glory of God, the true character of God, is most clearly seen on a hill outside of Jerusalem a little more than 2000 years ago.

Desert Warrior Ministries

Tag: Discipleship