Mentoring Minutes

The Lordship of Christ – Walking as His Disciple

Two simple things The Spirit brought to my mind from His Word and from Oswald Chambers regarding Christ being Lord of every part of my life:

1) I must die completely to myself (Galatians 2:20). Oswald Chambers called this going to my own “white funeral” (read the powerful, short devotional here (https://utmost.org/do-you-walk-in-white/) and in another place he calls it going to the funeral of my own independence…fully surrendering and dependent on God in Christ, which leads to the second simple Truth…

2) Christ must live fully in me. In others words He makes His home completely and fully in me, in my heart, mind, life and relationships, rooted and grounded in His Love (Ephesians 3:17-19; refer back to Galatians 2:20).

What does it look like for Christ to be Lord?  John the Baptist’s final testimony to Christ gives us this key in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” As I was studying and praying about this several years ago, The Holy Spirit dropped this Truth in my mind, which aligns with all of Scripture and my choosing to submit to Christ as Lord, “In order for Me to increase in you, you must willingly choose to decrease. I will force neither.”

Before we transition to what it means to be Christ’s disciple and begin to move into His Love that compels us to make Him Lord and point others to Him, let’s recap Authority. Check out these Scriptures that clearly show Christ as The Author and therefore we can confidently and lovingly submit to Him as The Authority…as our Lord!

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me.” By whom? The answer is: God the Father gave it to him. Keep reading…

Matthew 11:27 – “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

John 3:35 – “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.”

John 13:3, 5 – “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God…began to wash the apostles’ feet.”

Ephesians 1:20-22 – “God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church,”

John 17:2 – “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, for you granted him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”

Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

He is a gracious and good God and we can fully trust Christ as Lord. I pray that you know Him not only as Savior but also as Lord. He will never force His Love or Lordship on you. He patiently waits for you to surrender to Him and it will absolutely change your life.

Discipleship: Our Response to His Lordship

We’ve focused over the past few weeks as we began 2021 on what it means and what it costs for us to seek and know Christ as Lord (Author and Authority). So what does it mean to live our lives as His disciple?

So much of our teaching and “discipleship” in today’s churches revolves much more around churchianity (attendance, giving, serving) with little responsibility and accountability for us to be sold-out disciples of Christ. Attendance, fellowship, giving and serving should be an overflow of who He is in our life and who we are in Him!

Two poignant, difficult passages on discipleship in Scripture for our culture and seemingly throughout time, human nature…go figure, taught by Jesus Himself are Matthew 7:21-24 and Luke 14:25-35.  Remember our difficulties never compromise these Truths.

We have to move beyond, and help others move beyond, just being churchgoers or members to being fully devoted disciples of Jesus Christ!

Oswald Chambers gives great insight (https://utmost.org/classic/it-is-the-lord-classic/) to remind us it is Christ in us doing as He desires through us as we surrender to Him rather than what we claim to do for Him.

The reason we have so watered down and compromised on discipleship is because our nature is to make things as easy as we can for ourselves. Invite folks to church, hear a short message, give some money and occasionally sign up to serve…all good things but they are not disciples making disciples.

God’s Word and Jesus Himself proclaimed discipleship as a much deeper relationship and commitment requiring obedience and accountability…a dying to self as He lives through us. And that’s the rub in my flesh. I’d much rather just show up for a message, give a bit and serve a little and call myself His disciple but that does not line up with His Word.

Discipleship is our response to His Lordship. He has freely saved us to be in a relationship with Him…Father, Son and Holy Spirit…that we could enter into in no other way. And yet we’ve made it so easy to claim His salvation (Christ as Savior…and it is easy because He has done it all!) and enter into that relationship with little or no thought to the reality that the only way we can be in this relationship is with Him as Lord! Think about it…are you deceived in thinking you’re in a relationship with Christ and He’s not Lord?

If so, then who is lord, and what is Christ in your relationship? If He is King of kings and Lord of Lords…and He is; if He is the Creator and Author of our lives and all that exists…and He is…then who is He in your life and in that relationship.

We are all on different levels of maturity in Christ but none of that changes the fact that to be in a relationship with Him means our hearts must pursue and walk with Him as Lord. That’s what it means to be His disciple and in obedience, “Go and make disciples.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

In a world of false hopes wrapped up in hollow promises, temporary stuff and fleeting fads, we have the One Hope that never fails. Hope is not in worldly governments, education, media, science, economies, possessions, feelings or experiences. These will all come and go and leave us empty.

Hope is a Person…Jesus Christ. He promises, “I am with you always, even to the end of time” Matthew 28:20; “I will never leave you or forsake you” Hebrews 13:5; “I am the same yesterday, today and forever” Hebrews 13:8.

Next week we’ll look at what it means to be His disciple in Jesus’ own words.

Make it a great day in and for The Lord!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – He is Hope that we can count on no matter what we’re facing. That’s why He not only came to save you but to be your Lord. Choose Him as Lord in every part of your life by wholeheartedly seeking and following Him. His Hope is eternal and you can always count on Him. Don’t lose Hope because Hope (Jesus) never loses and never fails!

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

  1. Read Romans 6:1-23 over the next few days or week.
  2. Ask The Holy Spirit to reveal to you what it means for Christ to be Lord of your life and how to live as His disciple.
  3. Ask Him to show you areas in your life where He’s not Lord.
  4. As He reveals things to you and you honestly recognize them, begin to specifically ask how to change your thinking, choices, actions and relationships to reflect His Lordship and your walk as His disciple.

Foundation and Authority… The Lordship of Christ

Our world is in chaos but honestly it has been since the angel of God closed the gates to Eden. Actually, since Adam and Eve took the bite of the forbidden fruit.  The issue then, as it is now, is who is your Lord/lord?

If Christ is Lord…your choice in loving obedience (Jn 14:15), then there is nothing in the world to fear. If He is not truly Lord of your life then the only other option is satan as lord (he actually always disguises this as “self” as lord – Gen 3:4-5). When satan is lord you have everything to fear.

King Hezekiah in the Old Testament when Sennacharib, King of Assyria came against Israel, he reminded God’s people to be strong and courageous because despite all the hordes of their army it was just an army of flesh but The Lord our God fights our battles (2 Chr 32:7-8).

So, all those who are God’s people…those who truly know and walk with Christ as Lord, fear not! No matter what we face God is on our side! If He is Your Lord you can always trust in Him (Prov 3:5-6; Ps 37:4-5)!

“I, I Myself, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of [a]mortal man, and of a son of man who is made like grass, that you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, that you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy? And where is the rage of the oppressor? Is 51:12-16 Simplified…no matter what, don’t fear man!

Whatever is your Foundation and whoever is your Lord/lord determines what you will fear…this world or Him? Your choice.

What does it mean then for Christ to be The Author of our life and salvation? What does it mean for Him to be Lord of every part of our life?

It simply means that as Author, His Word is Truth and we apply it to every thought (2 Cor 10:4-5), motive (Ps 51:10; 139:1-4, 23-24), responses and conversations (1 Peter 3:15), and in every relationship and action (Lk 14:25-35).

His Word makes it clear what it means for Him to be Lord and Authority in our lives. How are you responding?

When Christ is our Lord, Authority, Foundation, then we can know for certain that our hope, peace, joy, contentment, righteousness, holiness…our fulfillment is found in Him. Apart from Him we will continue to search for meaning, purpose, success and fulfillment in others or things of this world and they will continue to fall short and we will continue to be frustrated. Why? Because we have put our faith in things that cannot satisfy and have failed to see Him as the All-Sufficient Savior and Lord!

Christ as Lord is my righteousness and by His grace I’m made worthy. I do not need to prove my worth to anyone because it is already secure in Him.  I can say with Paul that no matter what I face…good, bad or ugly…nothing can deter or take away from the testimony of His Lordship and presence in my life (2 Cor 6:3-10).

To know Him as Lord means we can truly say that the life we live is Christ in us (Gal 2:20)!

What is your Joy? Peace? Hope? Endurance (yes, endurance)? Assurance? Strength? Fulfillment? Humility? Righteousness? Truth? Love?

If you are seeking any of these apart from Christ as Savior and Lord it will be fleeting at best and frustrating and deceptive at worst! We only find any or all of these in reality when we look to Christ. All that we are and all that we have is in Christ and our help comes from Him (Ps 121). We are alive in Christ so we live like it as His instrument of righteousness. Oh, how we need His righteousness in us so others see Him (Rom 6:11-13).

As we focus on Christ’s Lordship…His Authority in our lives and the Foundation of His Truth as our Guide…let’s consider His Faithfulness that flows from His Truth and why we can count on Him as Lord.

Even when we are unfaithful, He cannot be untrue to Himself and He remains faithful to Himself and to us (2 Tim 2:13)! That Truth is both very encouraging and very daunting…let me explain.

Here’s the reality…no matter what we are facing we can trust in God through Christ and The Holy Spirit to be faithful to His Word of Truth and to our circumstances.  His faithful response is always right and good, not based on our whims, feelings or desires, but on His Absolute Truth and Love.

That is reassuring and I pray that you find it so in every area of your life and relationships. Let this Scripture remind you of His great faithfulness and choose to walk by grace through faith with Him as Lord!

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge, just as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you eagerly await the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.      I Cor 1:4-9

So what does it mean for God to be Faithful in all things and for us to trust in Him? Two things in particular that will help us as we walk in faith:

1) God will always respond according to His Word of Truth because He knows it is good, right and best…even when we don’t like it!  This means that when we sow in the flesh (prideful, sinful self) He must be faithful to allow the destruction that comes with it. This is hard for folks in modern day Christianity to hear (likely Christians throughout history) but it is nevertheless true because it is His very Word and He must be faithful to it. He does it because He loves us and knows that spouting Truth and righteousness to someone who’s willfully walking (sowing) in the flesh will likely create more rebellion. But when we are confronted by the fruit of our own choices (sowing) according to His very Word and faithfulness, there exists a great opportunity to see our own sin and turn to Him.

2) This is the easy one that we all love to read, hear and accept His Faithfulness…He will bring the fruit of eternal life to those who sow in The Spirit!  He is being Faithful and loving in both and we are blessed if we respond to His Faithfulness!

He is Loving and Faithful…always in all circumstances and in every response and the fruit that is brought in our lives by our own choices to either walk with Him or apart from Him (Gal 6:7-8)!

There are many Scriptures that both proclaim Christ as Lord…King of kings and Lord of lords…and that we must see Him not simply as Lord of all the earth and universe but we must make it personal…Lord of my life. The Holy Spirit heavily impressed on my heart these two simple but profound verses that speak to what it means for Christ to be Lord of every part of my life…

“Trust in the Lord with ALL YOUR HEART and do not lean on your own understanding. In ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Prov 3:5-6 (Don’t miss the Caps…mine and added for emphasis)

“We are destroying arguments and ALL arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking EVERY THOUGHT captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Cor 10:4-5 (Don’t miss the Caps…mine and added for emphasis)

Notice that it doesn’t say trust in The Lord with the parts of your heart that are heavy or the thoughts that you’re uncertain about. Nor does it say that we destroy some of the “arrogance” or prideful thoughts. We are to trust Him with all our heart, acknowledge Him in every thought we have and in every way that we consider, not just when we doubt or struggle or are unsure.

Make it a great day and New Year with family and loved ones in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Today make Him Lord of every single part of your life, thoughts, relationships, activities and dreams, even your motives…when you struggle and when you succeed; when you hurt and when you rejoice; when you question and when you’re sure; when you are angry and when your are grateful. He can handle it all and will direct your paths and align your thoughts and life with His Truth.

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

  1. Choose to spend time with God in His Word and prayer every day.
  2. Ask The Holy Spirit to show you areas of your life you’ve not surrendered to Him.
  3. Ask Him to teach you through The Word and your circumstances how you can surrender all of your life to Christ.
  4. Make two lists…one for what He’s showing you and one for what He’s leading you to do to surrender all.
  5. Ask the Lord to give you strength and then choose in faithful obedience to follow through.

Foundation and Authority, i.e., Whose Your Lord?

“Every motive, thought, decision, action and relationship reveals who is Lord/lord of your life and what foundation you are on.” Regardless of what you say or even act, ultimately, whoever/whatever is Lord/lord in your life will be revealed.  What does your life and relationships say about your Lord/lord? Do you know who or what it is?

Is it Self? Money? Fame? Sex/porn? Drugs? Giving? Serving? Church? Your marriage, family, friends? Many of these things are obviously sinful and selfish but they still drive what we do in nearly every moment of our life. Others are very noble and worthwhile but to make them the foundation and authority of our life is not in keeping with God and His Word and will ultimately cost us.  So because it’s that important, I ask again…

Who’s Lord/lord of your life (1 Peter 3:15)?

What comes to mind when you think of authority? For most of us it is someone or something that is in control of, or ruling over us. And our flesh doesn’t like that. That’s why Christ showed us clearly that this worldly type of thinking with regard to authority is actually the way unbelievers or sinners think about authority or lording it over others (Matthew 20:20-24).

Jesus said that true Authority comes from willfully choosing to submit, serve and love others by placing them before or above self (Matthew 20:25-27). As The Author and Lord, He taught very clearly what real Authority is to be in our lives and relationships (Matthew 20:28)…it’s not how many you have control over or even how many are following you but how many you serve. You may have many following you but according to God’s Word that doesn’t mean you are walking in authority.  I can’t truly do this unless I know Christ as Savior and Lord. I can serve and lead others apart from Him but ultimately that is rooted in my flesh and what I may receive from it.  Authority in Christ simply serves others for The Father’s purpose and Glory just as He did.

One more thought to help you recognize True Authority…it does not ultimately come from who the world says is in power (even though we must pray for and submit to the governing authorities in our lives and culture unless they clearly contradict God’s Word and Authority). Authority comes directly from The Author! Thus the question, “Who do you acknowledge and live for as The Author of your life?” Or once again, ‘Who’s your Lord/lord?”

This is why we can’t just live in the moment, the situation, the emotions, the desires of our flesh and this world because Christ has so much more in store if we willingly submit and surrender to Him as The Author, The Authority in our life!  Lordship is essential and we all have a Lord/lord.

Why begin 2021 talking about Authority? My flesh doesn’t even like to surrender or submit to any authority. That’s just it! My flesh pushes back against any and all authority. Because of sin, my natural response pushes against even the very One who has been given all Authority (Matthew 11:27; 28:18; John 3:35; 13:3, 5; 17:2; Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9-11)!

We must remember that we do this to our own peril and we most often do it because we see authority as the world does…”lording it over, ruling, controlling”…not only do I want to be in control in my sinful self but I also do not want someone in control of me! I want to be in control!  Any of this ringing a bell? As we learned last week and earlier this is not what real Authority is at all! This is why He does not demand that we follow Him. He knows that Love must have free will and in so doing we must willingly submit to His Authority in order for His Word and will to rule in our lives. We have chosen to submit to The Father’s drawing us to Him (John 6:44) by faith through grace!

How do you perceive and live out Christ as Lord…as Author, as Authority? This makes all the difference in your life, relationships and in His influence on you, in you and through you to others. The life of worship is a life sacrificed and surrendered to Him as Authority and Lord.

In line with our focus on The Authority of The Author, Christ, I came across this in another devotional recently, “No matter what changes God has brought in you, never rely upon them, build only on a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the Spirit He gives.” Oswald Chambers

What a great summary of His Lordship in our lives…fully dependent and reliant upon Him! In all that we are, all we do, all we say, every relationship and action, we look to Christ and ask Him to teach and guide us to be His instrument, vessel and disciple and that He reigns as Lord of our lives.

Only as we abide in Christ can we do anything of eternal worth which is all that matters even as we do so in this world, sharing Truth and loving others (John 15:1-17), as The Holy Spirit flows through us (John 7:38).  

This is Christ as Lord…“My determination is to be my utmost for His Highest. To get there is a question of will, not of debate nor of reasoning, but a surrender of will, an absolute and irrevocable surrender on that point. An overweening consideration for ourselves is the thing that keeps us from that decision, though we put it that we are considering others. When we consider what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He does not know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point; He does know. Shut out every other consideration and keep yourself before God for this one thing only – My Utmost for His Highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and for Him alone.”— Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Bold emphasis mine/added)

How does Christ’s Truth and Love in our life affect our relationship with Him and others? How does His Lordship in our life impact our relationships with Him and others? Are we living according to His Truth and Love?

We are called to submit to and set apart Christ as Lord so others can know Him as well (1 Peter 3:15).

In line with God’s Word, authority and lordship are synonymous and true leadership flows from who or whatever is the authority or lord in your life. So, who or what is leading your life, your relationships, thoughts, actions, decisions…even your motives? (Matthew 6:9-10)

Something or someone is your Lord/lord and you need to be absolutely sure of who or what. Otherwise we stand at the tree of knowledge of good and evil just as Adam and Eve did are easily duped, and give into sin claiming our own “godship” or “lordship.” (Read Genesis 3:4-5)

Do you know Christ as Lord and His Word as Absolute Truth? I pray you do. If not, I pray you will.

If your foundation or authority is anything other than Christ then you will fear this world and all it offers. If He is Your Foundation, Authority and Lord you will fear only Him and the world offers nothing you need fear.

Are you fearful of anything today other than God? If you fear God, you will not fear man. If you fear man it is because you have not learned to truly fear God. “Do not be afraid” is written 365 times in Scripture…once for every day of the year! Fear God every day and you will live fearless of all else! Be encouraged in God’s Word…

“You shall fear [only] the Lord your God; and you shall serve Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect] and swear [oaths] by His name [alone].” Deut 6:13 (AMP)

Fear nothing else but God alone and watch the change that begins to happen in your life…Check out Psalm 112:7; Isaiah 40:10, 13

He is with you and fear of Him is where wisdom begins…not in education or intellect but in knowing, honoring and fearing Him – Proverbs 9:10.

To fear anything else is not of Him for His Word is clear regarding the Spirit He has given to us, one of love, power and self-discipline or a sound mind. He has not given us fear or timidity so don’t let it invade your thoughts and rule over you (2 Timothy 1:7). Don’t be a slave to fear of anything in this world or the enemy…Fear God and God alone!

If your foundation and authority are not truly in Christ then you will continually give into the natural and the flesh because it is what we experience on a moment-by-moment basis in our lives…what will I eat? What to wear? How do I look? What do others think? What do I fear? And the list goes on and on. Your heart and your treasure are always in the same place (Matthew 6:19-32). Are you honest about where they both are?

Does worry over the things that naturally occur and that you naturally think about rule over you, i.e., guide your thoughts and decision-making? Or does the Truth of God’s Word and the peace that it brings reign in and through you, regardless of the circumstances or culture that we find ourselves in? Remember the natural person is a sinful person so don’t give into the natural…overcome it by faith and walk in the new, spiritual man or woman that Christ has recreated you to be (Ephesians 2:10).

Make it a great day and New Year with family and loved ones in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Christ’s Lordship helps overcome my fear(s)! The key is to know and walk with Christ as Savior and LORD and the gift of faith that we’ve been given allows us to trust in His Truth and walk and act accordingly.  In so doing we please God (Hebrews 11:1, 6). Seek His Kingdom and righteousness first and above all else (Matthew 6:33-34). Walk in Faith with Him above everything else as Lord in your life.

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

  • Choose to spend time with God in His Word and prayer every day.
  • Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you and be patient.
  • Ask Him to identify any fears or anxieties and replace them with His Truth.
  • When you face any fear or anxiety find the promise in His Word to counter.
  • As you look to His Word and away from your fears, learn to trust in His Lordship and Truth.