Mentoring Minutes

Jesus is the Ultimate Authority and yet He waits to be invited into our lives! What should that tell us about authority? 

His teaching and example are very clear that His Authority is never demanded…we must invite Him in!  As The Author, He teaches and models for us what True Authority is so we need to know and apply His Truth about authority to any position of authority that we have been given or placed in as well!

I have the awesome opportunity and privilege to teach and share the Love and Lordship message with a couple of addiction rehab residential facilities as well as in prisons.  It’s always interesting when I ask them, “What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when I say the word, ‘authority?’” 

The first and most immediate replies, and nearly always with negative tone, connotation and body language, include the following and usually in this order…Police, Judge, Courts, Government, Parents, Teachers, Pastors, Coaches, etc.

Most people equate every one of those people or positions of authority as negative and push against those in authority and the related system because they are seen as controlling and none of us wants to be controlled!

God’s design is to always move from the heart of the individual to the relational, into community and then the system.  If we do not teach and learn real authority in our families we’re going to naturally, in our own selfishness, reject and rebel at all levels.

You get the idea…authority is most always associated with systemic authority and seen as controlling, demanding and “lording it over” to use a Biblical phrase.  We imitate what we have seen and experienced so we practice authority as controlling and we push back against the same from others…all contrary to God’s Word and Christ’s teaching and example.

Turns out this is not new at all?  Remember worldly authority is all about control – always has been since the gate was shut on Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden…Paradise Lost!  Actually that was the serpent’s final straw – “You can be like ‘god(s)’” – you can be your own lord…in control.  And we’ve been biting on the wrong fruit since then!

Worldly Authority…The Sword and The Scepter – Matthew 20:20-24

Even Jesus had to deal with the same thing.  In the story in the Matthew passage above we read that James and John (2 key disciples) sent their mommy to ask Jesus if they could reign and rule with Him…“sit on His right and left hand (thrones of prominence and “authority”) when He entered His Kingdom?”  Now don’t get too upset with just those two because the other 10 got “indignant” (good old King James Version of the Greek word that literally meant, “ticked off”). 

They all wanted to biggest seats, swords and scepters when they got to RULE in His Kingdom!  Are we any different?  Don’t we all want those seats?

You know that as soon as they realized and believed that Jesus was The Messiah they were chomping at the bit and waiting to reign with Him on Thrones of Glory. 

Surely they had entertained such thoughts and spoken to each other,

“Peter, can’t wait until Jesus’s Kingdom is here and we can stick it to those Roman guards and the entire Roman Empire!  Can’t wait to get my sword and scepter!” 

“Yeah, John, and we can put those haughty synagogue leaders and rabbis in their place as well.  They think they have a monopoly on God, leaving us out when it comes to choosing their disciples.  But we know God’s Son and He chose us as His disciples so we’ll get to rule and reign over all of them and all of this with Him!” 

So the other 10 apostles were ticked because they hadn’t acted first to claim the top spots in Christ’s Kingdom!  They had so much to learn and yet these were the 12 that Jesus chose that would eventually “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) with His Gospel message…that means there’s hope for all of us. 

How did Jesus react to their worldly desire and claim for authority in His Kingdom?

“The Last Shall Be First…Serving Is Real Authority” – Matthew 20:25-28

Jesus did not blow up at them and dismiss them as prideful, worldly brats with no hope of leading His Kingdom.  He calmly and respectfully captured the teachable moment to let them know what true authority always is, summed up in three points:

1. Authority is not “lording it over,” controlling or manipulating others as that is how sinners and unbelievers recognize and practice it;
2. Authority is submitting and humbly moving from the greatest position to the least position, from first to last;
3. Authority is serving others rather than expecting them to serve us.

He concludes by pointing to His own ultimate Authority, stating, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

He didn’t just teach real authority, in contrast to the world’s, sinner’s or unbeliever’s ideas and application of it, He modeled it in a very humble but powerful way.

The Author Models Authority…A Wash Basin and Cloth – John 13:12-16

Does it surprise anyone that Jesus would back up His teaching by His actions?  In John 13 we see Him do just that.  Jesus demonstrated on the night He was betrayed – the following as the model for His Kingdom Authority:  

1. He showed the full extent of His love…v. 1
2. He did so in Humility – knowing Who He Was and Is….v. 3 – Displayed with Servant’s Heart and Servant’s Hands…vv. 4-5

As He rose from this incredible act of humble service that was a foreshadowing of His sacrificial love displayed the following day as He was nailed to The Cross, He paused to make His most powerful statement that tied it all together:

3. He recounted His service…v. 12
4. He acknowledged disciples’ recognition of His Authority…v. 13, then
5. He explained love, humility and service as Real Authority…vv. 14-16

Finally, He calls us to love, discipleship and authority as He taught and modeled.

Real Authority is Invited Influence

Jesus closes out the dialogue, the teaching and modeling with this simple but profound statement that captures all He has done in love, humility, serving and authority in v. 17, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

The word “know” is not just to have knowledge but “to know how,” demonstrated by following the example and serving others the same way. 

We as His disciples are to display the same kind of humble, loving service as the only way to walk in and live out True Authority!  As we do so, we are blessed which simply means that Jesus takes our actions and multiplies the impact in the lives of others…influence!  

As we live according to His teaching and modeling, as our Authority and Lord, we become like Him and others invite us to have influence in their lives!  His invitation is not only to us but also through us to others. 

Authority is never forced and it never changes regardless of the position you’re in or the people with whom you have been given authority. It is serving those who invite you into their lives…just as Jesus did…“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:19-21

Jesus, the Ultimate Authority and Gentleman, waits to be invited in to influence our lives!  We as believers and as His disciples then are to serve and share with others.  As we do we can wait on Him to open doors and as they invite us into their lives we influence them with His Loving Authority and Truth!

Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – How have you thought about authority?  How has that impacted the way you’ve practiced authority in your life, roles and positions of influence? 

Love and Lordship…Action Item – Consider the areas where you are in a position of authority… Spouse?  Parent?  Supervisor?  Church leader?  Coach?  Teacher?  Elected official?  How have you practiced authority in each role and responsibility?  Does it differ depending on the position and people?  Should it?

Halloween…Holiday or Horror?  Fear or Fun?  Sacred, Secular or Spiritual?  Participate or not?  Several have asked me about Christians and Halloween?

How is a follower of Christ to “handle” Halloween?  At Love and Lordship our focus is to point people to God and His Word as the Authority (Lordship) for every issue.  With this in mind, here’s one Christ follower’s take on Halloween from a Scriptural perspective…

I remember as a youngster (over 50 years ago) growing up in little Berry, KY (population 200) where we excitedly looked forward to Halloween every year!  We knew every other family and kid in town and we were so excited to purchase and wear our costumes (that we’d certainly outgrow before next year’s funfest) of the latest cartoon character, superhero or vintage skeleton or friendly ghost, etc.

We knew exactly the houses where we would get the most candy or gum and which ones to avoid because they would give nothing or very little or because they were “haunted” based on all the “true” stories that only heightened the suspense and excitement of the evening!  We also knew that we were not to eat more than 2 or 3 pieces of candy (always picked out the biggest pieces) that evening and all the rest was put into a pile with our siblings’ “take” and doled out over the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Halloween was nothing more than a great time of dress up and candy for kids, telling scary stories and bridging the gap between summer break and the Holidays! We knew nothing of the spiritual darkness or the Occult. 

Times have changed and ignorance is not always bliss.

The Origins of Halloween 

For the sake of brevity here’s a summation of the origins of Halloween…Halloween was rooted in the Celtic festival of Samhain believing the “spirits/souls of the dead” crossed over into the realm of the living.  This would clearly be in violation of God’s Word to avoid such belief and behavior encompassed broadly in what is called “divination and witchcraft” (Deuteronomy 18:9-13).  While this is under the Old Covenant and the law it still signifies what is unholy in God’s eyes and that never changes.  We simply now have Christ who has taken away our sins once we are brought out of ignorance or willful defiance in faith by repentance into God’s Truth and holiness.  These things are still unholy and as such we should not participate in them.  (Galatians 5:19-21)

When the Romans conquered the Celtic tribes they instituted some of their own rituals to honor a goddess and in 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all martyrs (later saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s E’en or Even or “holy evening.”  Halloween is derived from and rooted in this recognition and church tradition.

As with most things in this fallen world we see the influence of the pagan and fleshly as well as that of Christian faith.  That certainly creates a tension.  So how are we to approach and respond to Halloween according to God’s Word?

Biblical Guidelines

As we consider this we also need to remember that modern day church and culture have impacted how we celebrate, enjoy or reject this holiday or pagan ritual.   Two Biblical principles from Romans 14 can give us a balanced approach to Halloween:

1. Personal Conviction (Romans 14:1-8, 14, 22-23) – be sure you have settled in your heart and mind before The Lord according to His Word regarding the issues…are you celebrating it as a holiday to remember saints and martyrs of the faith; do you see it as a secular and fun festivity to be enjoyed by you, your family and others in a similar manner; or, do you struggle with the pagan and dark spiritual roots that will affect any and all who dabble in them…the enemy is good and we must be aware of what is happening (1 Peter 5:8)  with regard to this aspect or we can be easily drawn into the darkness before we know it.

Remember, ignorance itself may not be sin but the darkness of ignorance can easily be used to lead into the darkness of sin.

• Relationship and influence with others (Romans 14:10-16) – how will we interact with believers (and non-believers) who may think differently?  You know where you are in your convictions but you must also consider the affect of your actions on others, especially those who are less mature in the faith.  If we do not consider the impact on others we are not acting in love (v. 15), which should always be our highest consideration as we represent Christ.

How Can Christians Respond to Halloween

With these two underlying principles, parent(s) can determine how they will approach Halloween…

1. Fun, festive event (with lots of candy, gum and goodies) to enjoy with others;
2. Opportunity to share the Christian history of acknowledging the saints and martyrs of The Faith; a combination of these first two; or,
3. Choose not to participate in Halloween due to the pagan connections.

Regardless of which you choose, take the opportunity to share with your children all that Halloween entails and the freedom you have in Christ as well as the dangers that are present in the realm of spiritual darkness.  This can be a great faith builder!

As with all issues of faith you must remember that, as a follower of Christ, His Word and Spirit is what guides you.  Be sure to know and apply His Truth so that the enemy does not deceive you and get the chance to do the same with your children.

Here are 10 tips to help you navigate Halloween always covered in prayer:

For those who choose to not participate:

1. Turn your outside lights off and make it a family movie night
2. Make it a date night if its just you and your spouse
3. Get together with another (or other) family(ies) for a night of Bible Study, fellowship, food and fun
4. Take the dog for a walk and smile (genuinely) at all those participating – don’t condemn, pray for them

For those who choose to participate:

• Pick costumes that depict fun and fantasy
• Avoid costumes that deal with the occult or spiritual darkness (vampires, witches, skeletons, warlocks, death, etc.)
• Make this an opportunity to have age-appropriate discussions with your children regarding Halloween (light and darkness) to help build their faith
• Be wise with the candy and gum received…if properly allocated it can last until Thanksgiving or maybe even Christmas!  Good luck with this.
• Consider passing out Gospel items (cheaper than most candy) along with goodies!  You never know what seeds may be planted!
• Join in with your church (or consider starting something with your church) that celebrates the Church and/or secular side as an outreach to your community.

We walk in God’s Word and principles, and in Christ, there is freedom for us that we are to extend to others.  

In closing, here’s an article with respect to light and darkness that may help you address not only Halloween but how to discern and decide on related issues that impact you and those you may lead out of darkness into His Light!

Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Check out the history of Halloween and determine how you and your family will approach this day.

Love and Lordship…Action Item – Share with your children or other families as you have the opportunity what you have learned about Halloween, the freedom you have in Christ and how it strengthens your faith.

A disciple is one who studies and then models whoever is Lord in his/her life.  A disciple is one who disciplines his/herself according to the principles or standards of his/her Lord.  A disciple is one who practices the disciplines of his/her Lord.  

Discipleship begins with whoever is your Lord/lord and…in the mirror.  It doesn’t begin with telling others about your Lord/lord but learning from your Lord so that when you begin to share about who your Lord is, you are actually living out a lifestyle that reflects that of your Lord’s! 

Scriptural historians have determined that there was somewhere between 1 – 2 years between Jesus calling His disciples (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16; Luke 5) and sending them out (Matthew 10; Mark 6).  Historians also set the time between the Apostle Paul’s conversion in Acts 9 and him publicly proclaiming the Gospel in the Jerusalem synagogue (Acts 9:26-29) was approximately 3 years (he proclaimed it briefly in Damascus after His conversion). It was another 10+ years before he is sent on his first missionary journey having been set apart by The Holy Spirit with Barnabas to do so (Acts 13).

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, …go and make disciples of all peoples… In order to make disciples we must first be disciples.  In a previous article, “So You Got Grace, What’s Next?” I talk about this command being to all of us as Christ followers not just to trained experts.  In the original language (Greek) it also means, “as you go along the way” emphasizing that it is much more about our lives than it is just telling people about Jesus (we need to do both).  If our lives don’t match up with our words we may do more damage than good when it comes to “making disciples?”

First Be A Disciple

So what does it look like to be a disciple of Christ?  There are many commands in Scripture that point to what it means to be His follower or disciple.  I know we don’t like the word “commands” but that’s what they are and this was fully expected by the writers and understood and responded to by those who originally received the letters we’ve come to know as The Bible.   We should take them just as seriously to honor our Lord!

I want to focus on 2 commands that I believe lay a strong foundation for living out the rest.  We’ve already discussed that the 1^st and 2^nd (and 3^rd) greatest commands deal with loving God, loving who we are in Christ so we can love our neighbors.  We need to begin where God begins as we shared about His priority and order when it comes to commands and love.  But, you may ask, “How do I get there?”

Living Sacrifice – Our Reasonable Response

Paul told the believers (disciples) in Rome what it means to be a follower of Jesus after all that He’s done for us (Romans 8 – 11). “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable act of service (worship). Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2. 

Three things we are called to in this passage:

1. Give my body (self/life) back to God as a living sacrifice as this is the “reasonable” response to what He’s (Christ) done for me;
2. Don’t conform to the world’s way of doing things, but;
3. Transform my way of thinking and living in line with His Word.

As we respond “logically” (reasonably) to what He’s done for us, we choose to think in line with His Word rather than follow the culture.  In so doing we begin to recognize and live out His will in a way that others can see it, test it and realize it is from Him as well!  That’s what disciples look like…and it takes time to mature in this and as we do others begin to see more and more of our Lord!

Modeling Our Lord – Humility

One of the other key “ingredients” to being His disciple and rubbing off on others as we go along the way is that of Humility.  In another letter Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5

Look what Paul does here…he clearly gives us what it looks like to live as a disciple and emphasizes that we should do so because in this way we are modeling our Lord:

1. Don’t be selfish
2. Don’t be vain (prideful)
3. Walk in humility – place others above yourself
4. Don’t just look after yourself but look after others
5. This is the mindset that comes from our Lord…build your relationships according to His design!

One Paul, One Timothy in Your Life

Following the Biblical teaching, we are to study and work to be Christ’s disciples and we are to do it in relationship with Him and one another.  Looking first to Christ as our Lord we then should find at least one person more mature in the faith than us to be a “Paul” in our life and at least one who is younger (less mature) in the faith that can be a “Timothy” that we pour into.  We should always be being discipled by one more mature and be discipling at least one who is less mature, growing together in The Lord.  

Finally, this should begin in our homes as spouses and parents.  Moms and dads be the “Paul or Pauline” in your children’s live as they are your first and most important “Timothy(s) or Timothena(s).”  If we are modeling Christ to them then He is not only encouraging and blessing them, He is growing us!  This is how we build His family, The Church, by being and making disciples first in our own! 

Make it a great day and God bless in Christ!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Have you accepted Christ as Savior and stopped there?  God has so much more in store and it begins with our obedient response to take what Christ has done in us (made us holy) by giving it back to Him as a living sacrifice…die to our selfish desires for His sake and glory!

Love and Lordship…Action Item – During your quiet time with The Lord this week ask Him to show you where you are surrendering to Him and the areas of your life that you’ve not been willing to sacrifice to Him for His will.