GLENN'S PODCASTS!

DISCIPLESHIP 101... OR 102 DEPENDING HOW YOU VIEW IT

It takes no genius to realize that in teaching others one is taught oneself.

I knew and verbalized it would happen, and now that JPUSA's Project 12 discipleship intensive is happening (as I type) we've entered our first trimester of iron-sharpening-iron just as expected! It's good, very good in fact, but I do love seeing the Spirit move among us all even in the process of passing good things on to others.

So much of life is communication, and to be clear, careful and gracious, especially when we -don't- agree on things is so very key to good relationships.

Wendi and I as all married couples, have learned this to be the case.

Naturally, being patient and a careful listener is another basic need for good communication and will lead to better and deeper fellowship.

Just hearing the stories and insights of different people from varied experiences is a wonderful and stimulating thing. Then again, the more vulnerable we each are, the more we stand to both risk AND gain in the process of both fellowship and the seeking of transparent, biblical discipleship. No wonder so many run from such things in the churches! AHHHH but the BLESSING of running TO it are also obvious... that's the stuff of spiritual growth and not apathetic and/or self-righteous christianity (and I did not capitalize that word for good reason in context of what I just wrote here).

SELAH

My Dad like all dads had his faults. But he was a good man and years since his passing I often recall some of his best advice. It's proved to be some of the best I ever got. He would often say simple things to me in direct fashion but without irritation or a scolding tone.

One thing he often told me was: "Glenn... think. Stop- and THINK!"

Old Testament scholars are not entirely certain what the Hebrew word translated in our English Bibles as "selah" means, but many think it signifies a "pause" or to "stop and consider, think about it". The word shows up in the Book of Psalms a fair bit.

My wife Wendi has also been an incredible source of excellent advice for me. Quite some time ago she encouraged me to slow down during my daily living. She repeated that old axiom "stop and smell the flowers". Truth is, I always have loved great scents and beautiful flowers and other things in nature... so I have really tried to act on her advice along with my earthly -and- heavenly Father's. Observation of God, people and the natural world can teach a lot of lessons we might otherwise miss.

To pause and reflect is hard to do when you're young, or when your excited, or when you are focused only on yourself, your own feelings or are focused on a sense of confusion or what seems to be an immediate need.

I'm convinced we often speed-read our Bible just as we speed-read (and mis-judge) people and their character. God shows Himself often and everywhere but we don't notice. We miss SO much because "selah" is as foreign to our character and habits as it is to most people in western culture.

And while on the subject, that word "reflect" is a great one too. The double meaning is illuminating (get it?) in that to reflect can mean to stop and think about something or someone just as it can also mean to be a reflection of something or someone.

As the moon reflects the sun so must those of us who are Christ-followers learn to reflect Jesus to a dark world. As the wise men and women of old did we must find, create, make time to stop, to think, to really consider in deeper fashion, the Person of God, the Word of God that reveals Him to us, the true meaning of what it is to -be- church, the world around us and how to best reflect Jesus into it day by day.

It's not simply a matter of singing the song. Depth- as opposed to shallowness- is truly apprehended by the author's note: "selah".

Tozer wisely wrote, "call home your restless thoughts".

Selah. There is so much to learn and this is truly one of the great keys of learning.

BOAT-ROCKING

As an old hippie and radical-at-heart, it is probably no shock to anyone reading this to know I'm deeply appreciative of boat-rocking.

If you're outside of North America, "rocking the boat" is slang for "challenging people to think and act other than the status-quo way".

Jesus was certainly not worried about "keeping up with the Joneses", His views of status-quo decision making, activity and lifestyle were just not "normal". He kept doing things that got Him in trouble, but what's clear (at least from hindsight) is that His motives were to love, teach and bring positive change to those He influenced.

It's also clear our motives are not always pure, kind and based in God's love nor is every inclination of our heart to serve Him and those around us. There are things like arrogance, insecurity and personal agendas that move us to make choices, say and do things that just don't line with up God's Word or the true work of God the Holy Spirit on each and every occasion.

We are all called to bring tough issues to one another's attention at times, but we truly must question our own motives and also consider how really biblical we are regarding the issue(s). We need to consider whether or not we're doing anything other than simply being contentious or stirring up trouble as opposed to encouraging others in love to be more Christlike and act as Jesus most likely would in a given situation.

For example, while calling others to account (for whatever), how TRULY accountable are you? You seek to speak into their lives. Who speaks directly into yours?

So the boat rocks both ways. I say let's rock!

Finally- if we never rock the boat, we're probably standing on dry land all the while pretending to be sailors.