Facts of the Matter

Jesus’ final command to His disciples was “Go, MAKE DISCIPLES.” (Matt. 28:18 – 20).

Tell me, are you obeying Christ’s command to MAKE DISCIPLES?

If your answer is, “I’m very busy in Christian activity”, you will have some serious answering to do at the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:9 – 11).

” Activity is no substitute for productivity. Productivity is no substitute for re-productivity. ”

Christ MADE DISCIPLES, who in turn were commanded to MAKE DISCIPLES, who in turn were to MAKE DISCIPLES: Spiritual reproduction. He told us to do exactly the same:

“Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations…teaching them (your disciples) to observe all that I have commanded you (part of which is the making of disciples)…” (Matt. 28:19, 20)

Spiritual multiplication .

Paul put it this way , ” And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2):

Paul discipled Timothy, who in turn was to disciplefaithful men, who in turn were to teachothers, who were to also teachothers. Spiritual multiplication. Spiritual re-production: MAKING DISCIPLES.

Tell me, are you MAKING DISCIPLES? If not, why not?

When God evaluates us for the substance of our lives, the question will be asked, “Did you lay the foundation of Christ in people’s lives?” That is the gold, silver, and precious stone that will stand the test of fire. It is called MAKING DISCIPLES. Everything else will be burned as dross (I Cor. 3:10 – 15).

Tell me, are you MAKING DISCIPLES? Or are you just busy in Christian activity?

My prayer is that you are having a great week!

R. Dwight Hill

* Originally dated Feb. 21st, 1994

Jesus’ final command to His disciples was “Go, MAKE DISCIPLES.” (Matt. 28:18 – 20).

Tell me, are you obeying Christ’s command to MAKE DISCIPLES?

If your answer is, “I’m very busy in Christian activity”, you will have some serious answering to do at the Judgment Seat of Christ (II Cor. 5:9 – 11).

” Activity is no substitute for productivity. Productivity is no substitute for re-productivity. ”

Christ MADE DISCIPLES, who in turn were commanded to MAKE DISCIPLES, who in turn were to MAKE DISCIPLES: Spiritual reproduction. He told us to do exactly the same:

“Go therefore and MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations…teaching them (your disciples) to observe all that I have commanded you (part of which is the making of disciples)…” (Matt. 28:19, 20)

Spiritual multiplication .

Paul put it this way , ” And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (II Tim. 2:2):

Paul discipled Timothy, who in turn was to disciplefaithful men, who in turn were to teachothers, who were to also teachothers. Spiritual multiplication. Spiritual re-production: MAKING DISCIPLES.

Tell me, are you MAKING DISCIPLES? If not, why not?

When God evaluates us for the substance of our lives, the question will be asked, “Did you lay the foundation of Christ in people’s lives?” That is the gold, silver, and precious stone that will stand the test of fire. It is called MAKING DISCIPLES. Everything else will be burned as dross (I Cor. 3:10 – 15).

Tell me, are you MAKING DISCIPLES? Or are you just busy in Christian activity?

My prayer is that you are having a great week!

R. Dwight Hill

* Originally dated Feb. 21st, 1994

1) We built our marriage on a solid biblical foundation : “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matt. 7:24, 25) (See Pro. 24:3,4)

We made our time with God a daily top priority because we realized that without this vital connection with God we would not become the Christlike person our spouse would love through thick and thin.

We prayfully internalized marital precepts found in passages like Ephesians 5:21 -33; I Peter 3:7-12, and I Corinthians 13:4-8.

APPLICATION QUESTION : What action step(s) do you need to take to begin building a solid foundation of God’s word into your life? One suggestion is to start carving out 10 minutes a day, the first thing in the morning. Prayerfully meditate on a small portion of Scripture.

2) We determined that we would selflessly serve each other :

As followers of Christ, we recognized that we are called to emulate Christ in his humility by sacrificially serving others: ”Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:43b-45)

As Ruth’s husband, I sincerely sought to apply this important Scripture: ”Husbands…be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (I Pet. 3:7)

As my wife, Ruth, with Christ’s help came to embody I Peter 3:1-5: “…You wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse to accept the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior. Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. That is the way the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands.” (NLT)

APPLICATION QUESTION : Husbands, if I were to ask your wife if she felt that you were a true servant to her, what would she say? One suggestion: For the next week make a conscious effort to lift the load around the house. Help with getting the kids to bed. Fill her car with gas. Pick up your own mess, etc.

This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection

R. Dwight Hill

Principle #1 : KEEP YUR BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE AND PRIORITIES ON MONEY STRAIGHT: (1) Don’t sell your soul for the pursuit of wealth. (See Matt. 16:26; I Tim. 6:9, 10) (2) If God blesses you with wealth, self-indulgence is not an option. (See Matt. 25:31-46; Lk. 16:19-3112:20,21; 1 Tim. 6:17-19; 1 Jn. 3:16-18) (3) If God grants you wealth, accept it without guilt. See Gen. 13:2; 26:12-14; 36:6, 7; Deu. 8:17, 18; Job 42:12; 1Chron. 29:28; 2 Chron.9:22; Psa. 113:7; Isa. 27:8; Matt. 27:57) (4) Choose to be content with what God allows you materially. (See Ecc.5:10; Phil. 4:11-13; I Tim. 6:6-8)

Principle #2 : CHOOSE BLAMELESS BUSINESS PRACTICES OF INTEGRITY: Definition of blameless: Being ethically strong and operating entirely in accord with the truth. (See Psa. 119:1; Gen. 6:9; Job 1:1)

Principle #3 : SEEK BIBLICALLY BASED COUNSEL IN YOUR BUSINESS PRACTICES: ( See Pro. 10:8, 14; 12:15; 15:14; 17:10)

Principle #4 : TEMPER YOUR DESIRES WITH KNOWLEDGE BEFORE ACTING : (See Pro. 14:8; 19:2; 21:5)

Principle #5 : SURRENDER YOUR PLAN TO GOD : (1) God’s plan for our lives is a mystery. (See Pro. 20:24; Isa. 55:8, 9) (2) God’s sovereign purposes will prevail over man’s plans. (See Pro. 16:9; 19:21; Jer. 10:23) (3) You will not succeed if you go against God’s plan. (See Pro. 16:3; 21:30; Jms. 4:13-17)

Principle #6 : PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR: (1) Plan carefully. (See Pro. 6:6-8; 19:2; 21:29; Lk. 14:29-32) (2) Seek good advice. (See Pro. 1:5; 2:1-9; 9:9; 12:1; 19:20) (3) Bring God into the center of your endeavor. (See Jms. 1:5-8; 4:3)

Principle #7 : WORK HARD: (See Pro. 3:17b-19;6:6-8; 12:11, 24; 13:4, 11; 14:23; 21:5; 22:9;28:19)

Principle #8 : BALANCE WORK WITH PLEASURE: (1) Don’t sell your soul for wealth. (See Pro. 10:22; 23:4; Matt. 6:24, 26-33; 1 Tim. 6:6-10) (2) Balance your work with pleasure. (See Ecc. 3:13; 5:2, 18; 9:7, 9)

Principle #9 : HIRE QUALITY PEOPLE: (See Pro. 6:6-8; 10:26; 18:19; 20:4, 13; 21:25; 22:13; 24:30-34)

Principle #10 : GET OUT OF DEBT: (See Pro. 22:7; Psa. 37:21)

This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.

R. Dwight Hill

#3 He has a clear vision of the end product and how to achieve it.

There is no doubt that Jesus had a clear vision of what he intended to accomplish with eleven of the twelve disciples as revealed in his prayer to the Father the night before the cross: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (Jn. 17:4). John 17 reveals that the work he accomplished was the training of these men to carry on his mission. So it must be with us that we also have a clear vision of the intended goal for our disciples.

The following list is a suggested guideline of what you may want to emphasize in the life of your disciples. Because each person we work with is uniquely called and gifted a great deal of sensitivity and prayer must accompany any effort to mold them. One size does not fit all. Our ultimate goal is that they “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13b).

Faith : He demonstrates that he truly believes God when the chips are down. (Heb. 10:22, 38, 39; 11).

Hope : His primary focus and hope is on the eternal, rather than the temporal. (Rom. 8:24, 25; 2 Cor. 4:16-18; Heb. 11:1, 25-29).

Love : He loves others as he does Jesus. (Jn. 13:34,35; 12, 13; Gal. 5:6; Eph. 5:2 Col. 3:12, 13).

He is a person of the Word of God. That is, he has learned to meditate on the Scriptures, intelligently study them, and possesses a heart to apply it’s truths to his life. (Ezra 7:10; Psa. 1:2; 119:47, 48, 92; Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Rom. 7:22; 2 Tim. 2:15).

He is a person prayer : (Psa. 119:47, 48, 92; Job. 23:12; Jer. 15:16; Lk. 11:5-8; 21:36; Rom. 7:22; Eph. 6:18; Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2; 1 Thess. 5:17).

He has a servant’s heartas evidenced by selfless labor for God’s kingdom and glory. (Jn. 13:1-17; 2 Cor. 4:5-12; 6L3-10l I Pet. 4:16; 5:2,3; I Jn. 3:16-18).

He understands and applies biblical principles in discharging his responsibilities as a father and husband . (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 1 Tim. 3:4, 5; Eph. 5:25-29; Col. 3:19; I Pet. 3:7).

He is surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ . (Lk. 6:46; 9:23, 24, 57-62; 14:26-33; 18:28-30).

He possess a Scriptural understanding of the gifts of the Spirit and their communal importance in building up the body of Christ . (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4:11-16; I Pet. 4:9,10).

He lives a disciplined life : (I Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:11-14; I Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:3-6; Tit. 2:11-13; 2 Pet. 1:5-8).

He lives a life of integrity : (Gen. 6:9; I Kin. 9:4; Psa. 7:8; 25:21; 26:1; 102:1; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; Matt. 5:8; Tit. 2:7).

He is committed to accomplishing the Great Commission : (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15; Lk. 24:46, 47; Jn. 20:21; Act. 1:8).

This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.

R. Dwight Hill

Today, as I write, our Country and much of the western world is reeling in a deep economic recession. There is an unsettled feeling in the air that the wheels are coming off of our society, our lives, and our  future. 

In the midst of this present confusion, what are we to make of Scripture like Romans 8:28 which promise us that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose?  (Rom. 8:28). The question is what are the things of which God is speaking?  They are spelled out in the 10 verses preceding Romans 8:28, and can be summed up as lifes suffering, frustration, inward groaning, weakness, and confusion of not knowing  what to pray for.

Most of us are surprised to learn that the good that God works for those who love him does not refer to or personal comfort, but to our inward transformation into the likeness of Christ (verse 29).  Listen to Vernon Grounds on this:

If we are exempt from disease, if our bodies are never stabbed by pain, if we always have money in our pockets or reserve  in the bank, if we live in modern homes and enjoy the latest luxuries, if we can dress well and take long vacations at the seashorethat we consider good.  Unfortunately we find ourselves victimized by a materialistic civilization, and despite our Christian faith we subtly equate comfort and goodness. In the same way we tend to equate success with goodnessAnd yet such equations are a million miles removed from Pauls conception of the good, changes what ought to be a soft pillow for our hearts into a hard problem for our heads. 

But there are conditions as to who qualifies for this good work God is doing in the lives of His children. According to verse 28, it is for (1) Those who love God – which speaks of relationship, and (2) for Those who have been called according to his purpose – which speaks of partnership.

Josephs tragic life of being betrayed into slavery by his brothers, and being accused and unjustly imprisoned as a rapist,  serves as a powerful example of the good God was working out in his character in preparing him as God s instrument to save a nation.  Years later it became obvious that Joseph  had grasped the same principle embodied in Romans 8:18-29 when he stated to his brothers,  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives  (Gen. 20:50).

QUESTION: Do you believe at your very core that God, in his sovereignty arranges the circumstances in your life to chisel you into the image of Christ?  Perhaps you would join me in a prayer penned by Epictetus¹ some two thousand years ago, Deal with me as Thou wilt from now on. I am as one with Thee; I am Thine; I flinch from nothing so long as Thou dost think that it is good. Lead me where Thou wilt; put on me what raiment Thou wilt.  Wouldst Thou have me hold office or eschew it, stay or flee, be rich or poor? For this I will defend Thee before all men.

This week may you experience His grace, peace and protection.

R. Dwight Hill

In last weeks Facts we discussed Desperation for God as a quality of a finisher.

  A heart filled with praise:  Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you (Vs. 4).

The first generation of Israelites grumbled against God and Moses in the desert, costing them entrance to the Promised Land.  (See Ex. 16:2-9; 17:23; Num. 14:27-30)  When you possess a thankful and worshipful spirit before God, you cant be grousing. Observe  Philippians 2:14, 15 that your effectiveness in influencing the lost among you for Christ is predicated on whether you are a person of praise, or a grumbler.

Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves],That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world,

Question: Are you a person full of praise, or are you a grumbler?

  Singleness of heart and mind: Blessed are those who have their hearts set on pilgrimage(vs. 5a, c)

 These are the folks who have one thing on their mind.  Getting to heaven. Finishing the pilgrimage to Zion. Whatever it takes. In their mind there are no other options. While writing this Facts, the NBA playoffs were on. In the fourth game, a T. V. camera panned in on Kobe Bryants (Los Angeles Lakers) clinched teeth and fist, signaling his and his teammates intention to win the series over the Boston Celtics.  Said he, We will do whatever it takes to win.  And win they did. Singleness of heart and mind personified.

 James reminds us that the man who trusts God but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next. That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from the Lord, and the man of divided loyalty will reveal instability a t every turn Jms.. 1:6-8b Phil. Trans.  (See Isa. 50:7; Lk. 9:51, 62; Philip:3:12-14)

 Question:  Sois your heart singularly bent on finishing the pilgrimage wellwhatever it takes?

This week, may you experience His grace, peace, and protection.

R. Dwight Hill

One of Satans master strategies is to steal our heart and mind away from our focus on Christ through our grousing, worrying and complaining over the troubles we encounter in our world: The constant gyrations in the political arena, grappling with our national moral and spiritual crisis, the non-ethical shenanigans we are continuously running up against in the marketplace, the incessantly intrusive assault by the media in riling us up to live in a constant state of crisis. How easily we can be robbed of our joy in Christ by unnecessarily, and even unwittingly becoming embroiled in the worlds troubling issues. St. Paul shared such a concern in cautioning the believers in the City of Corinth:

I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. (2 Cor. 11:3)

Curious, is it not, how little attention both Jesus and Paul gave to reforming their troubled world.  Clearly, it was Jesus intent that his followers not be carried away by the worlds troubles: In him, he said, you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). (See Act. 14:22) The Savior knew that the way to respond to the worlds evil was not by  grousing, worrying or complaining, but by transforming it, one heart at a time.

Sohow are we to keep the world from robbing us of our sincere and pure devotion to Christ? Psalm 37:2-9 offers us some wonderful pointers:

Choose not to become embroiled in fussing over the worlds injustices, recognizing that God will deal with the wicked in his way, and on his timetable: Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die awayRefrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret–it leads only to evil.  For evil men will be cut off (Psa. 37:1, 2, 8, 9 selected). (See Psa. 24:1; Pro. 24:19)

Hold steady, trusting God for protection and provision as you fulfill the responsibilities set before you: Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture (Psa. 37:4).  (See Psa. 23:1; Jer. 17:7, 8; 1 Cor. 15:58)

Choose to make God the delight of your heart, knowing that he in turn will grant you your hearts desire: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psa. 37:4).  (See Psa. 34:4; 1 Pet. 1:8)

Rather than engineering the outcome of your situation, surrender it up to God who promises to honor your cause: Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. (Psa. 37:5, 6 NLT). (See Psa. 22:8; Phil. 4:6,7)

Learn, amidst the surrounding evil the art of quiet rest before God: Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked scheme (Psa. 37:7). To be still before God means to hold your peace and wait on God. (See Psa. 27:14; 62:1)