Friday, August 26, 2016

Destination Known

“You need to end this thing.  If you have to pull it out each week it’s not right,” my husband declared as he sat in front of his computer at the kitchen table.  He was referring to our difficult challenges on learning to be “discipled” by Jesus. 

“End it … I didn’t start it.” 

“You didn’t?” 

“No … “ 

Smiling I waved my hand in the air as if pointing it toward the Lord and kept up my end of the conversation in a somewhat sarcastic manner. 

“Okay God, hubby wants this to end so You have to stop with this series right here.” 

Discipleship … “when it gets hard” doesn’t mean giving up or quitting! 

Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFB – Nairobi, Kenya; Mannersdorf am Leithagebirge, Lower Austria, Austria; Shah Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan; El Salvador; Singapore; Andover & Berkhamsted, England, United Kingdom; Comayagua, Comayagua Department, Honduras; Orion & Mariveles, Central Luzon, Philippines; Peru;  Saudia Arabia. 

USA Crichton, Evergreen & Mobile, AL; Lake Havasu City, AZ; Modesto, CA; Wilmington, DE; Pensacola & Coral Gables, FL; Gainesville, Gillsville, Murrayville & Nicholson, GA; Dreamwold Heights, Hanna & Mishawaka, IN; Hoyt Lakes, MI; Wolf Point, MT; Warrensburg, MO; Lake Lure & Randleman, NC; Bismarck, ND; Littleton, NH; Durhamville, Pitcher, Niagara Falls & North Pharsalia, NY; Trotwood, OH; Beaverton, OR; Anderson, SC; Lewisburg, TN. 

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to be Discipled by Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).
Be sure to visit Tell Me, Q & A or other sections.

No, they did this … 

Of course my husband was trying to be helpful when he made that statement.  He knows how much time I spend with the Lord in preparing for each post before putting it in writing, and he wants to be of help whenever I need to bounce something off him. 

We had been talking for hours and getting nowhere.  Hubby and I had finished lunch and continued to study at the kitchen table trying to figure out what the disciple’s next step was after being called to follow.  It’s not like we couldn’t follow along in the passages in the Bible to see what was happening, but “thinking like a man” it wasn’t all that cut and dry as we are led to believe from some biblical scholars. 

For the past five days I’ve read, studied, researched and run down every rabbit trail trying to find answers for the next step to where Jesus was leading His disciples.  We’re at the point where they were witnessing something new from their leader. 

Sure I knew the typical stories or lessons that I’ve heard from dozens of pulpits, but they basically retell what we can read on our own.  When I took on the challenge of being “discipled” by Jesus for this series I knew it would take me to areas that were perhaps a bit gray for a believer. 

Instead of reading through the scriptures as a bystander I’d need to be in on the action mentally in order to walk as He walked and learn as He taught.  My husband has been intrigued by the approach and has participated in putting his feet in the footprints of the first disciples.  His take has been quite interesting, funny and insightful. 

Doctor Who? 

The four disciples have made a conscious decision to follow Jesus as He journeys across “Israel” sharing the message of repentance.  By now they have experienced favor from God along with something different being added to the daily schedule.  When Andrew followed John the Baptist he mainly did so (as the others) to hear the proclamations he made about the coming Messiah.  Now that person was identified as Jesus, the following of a prophet would take on a whole new meaning. 

So far the disciples listened to dozens of preaching messages, saw a miracle at the Cana wedding and now Jesus has opened a healing practice.  After Peter’s mother-in-law was healed his house seemed to be a revolving door for business to anyone who popped into town to meet up with the resident miracle doctor – Jesus.  The Lord was so popular that it looked more like the disciples were body guards and bouncers rather than students learning in class. 

This is where I kept going deeper like Christ said to Simon Peter (go out deeper in to the water), but that only had me stuck on the favor part of the healing for Simon’s mother-in-law.  What was the next lesson Jesus was trying to teach the boys and where does that lead us as fellow followers? 

Discipleship … when it gets hard – you head out into the deep! 

I Know Where You’re Going

As a teacher I know where I want my students to end up when it comes to teaching a lesson or unit.  There are steps to take in between, follow-up lessons to the last step taken before moving on to the next lesson.  With each lecture there is an action that I expect the pupils to take ultimately leading up to the test or walking out the entire learning experience.

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 NKJV) 

The Lord knows what He plans to accomplish with each of His disciples whether it was the first twelve or those who follow Him now.  He also knows when some of those followers begin to slack off because the journey is becoming more challenging or frustrating.   

What does Jesus want from us anyway?  We’re following along aren’t we?  Maybe we are in mind, but not exactly in action.  Let’s see what happened with the first four. 

Rise and Shine 

If you’ve chosen to follow the Lord as He has asked and thought it would only be a few short steps with Him every once in a while, you’re in for a big awakening.  This journey will take a lifetime of continual dedication to the cause. 

When Jesus beckoned Peter, Andrew, James and John to "follow Me", He didn't say it would be easy or for a few months.  As a matter of fact, they were about to undergo testing of their faithfulness to see if their motives were valid for following Him, after all they keep running back to their fishing business as a “just in case” safety net. 

We would come to learn that the Lord was an early riser, unlike the overnight fishermen whose schedule wasn’t anything at all like Jesus’.  At least for these four, when morning came they would be ending their regular routine and headed home for some sleep.  Throughout the New Testament we read how the Lord encountered the disciples on the shores many a morning just after they had run their fishing route for the day. 

Jesus was accustomed to rising before sunup and would go out praying before the boys even knew He was gone.  It seemed as if they were always playing catch up with Him.  

Imagine this scene of when the disciples were out on the “road” as they traveled from town to town.  There’s no alarm clock and Peter wakes up startled. (Where is that *rooster when you need him?)

He looks around the room noticing that Jesus' bed is made and He is nowhere in sight.  “Oy vey, He’s gone again.  We’ve overslept.” (*Matthew 26:34) 

He quickly shakes up little brother Andy and Zebedee's boys and says, "Rise and shine … get up, get up!  Come on guys we have to get out there and find the Master."   

As they scramble to run out the door (without time for breakfast) Peter mumbles, "Man, I'm getting too old for this. Tonight one of you younger boys are going to stay up and watch Him so He doesn't get out before we do!  You know, walking with Jesus is a whole lot easier than running after Him." 

When Christ asked the disciples to join Him on His earthly ministry journey it didn’t mean keeping tabs on them to see if they were committed to the task.  The men had to learn to do things differently even if it meant changing their schedule.  They would have to look at life through the eyes of Jesus.  His plan had to become their plan if this “follow” thing was to work in their favor. 

Discipleship … when it gets hardyou may have overslept. 

Jesus Has Left the Building 

Each day, Jesus seemed to have limitless energy no matter how much sleep he had or didn’t have. He was up before everyone and had already prepared for the day by walking to a distant private place to pray.  When the disciples finally showed up He was ready to get rolling before they could even catch their breath. 

The favor that the disciples found (that really went unnoticed by them) was that Jesus, once they caught up with Him, included them in His journey. Firsthand they saw the leper being healed, a crippled made whole and demons cast out of people.  

Everywhere Jesus went He received favor from God and man, so those blessings surrounded them as well.  You don’t think people would give Jesus a fried fish and let the others stand there going hungry do you?  If you do then you don’t understand fellowship or discipleship of God. 

Even if they were skeptical about the mission at first, they were certainly curious enough to hang in there. They didn't realize that by example Jesus was leading and teaching them about their future ministry. 

Discipleship … when it gets hard – you watch the teacher. 

Becoming a Transformer 

The trust factor that Jesus was looking for in a disciple was being nurtured into the next step – faithfulness and commitment.  

When you make a promise (vow, commitment) to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.  

Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and He might wipe out everything you have achieved.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 NLT) 

The disciples may not have totally accepted or realized who Jesus really was at first, however one thing was certain.  When Jesus spoke, things started to happen.  With that kind of power it was a good place to be.   

If the disciples were to keep their promise and commitment to follow, something had to change in the way they lived their lives.  This meant that the disciples would have to be transformed in their thought process and behavior if they were to continue on this chosen journey with Jesus. 

 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
 but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2 NLT) 

According to the Text 

What I was having a problem with is that my focus was on what favor the boys were to receive next trying to follow the pattern and steps that seemed to be laid out for them.  It wasn’t falling into place because I didn’t follow the lead of Jesus, but was looking at things text wise … according to how it was written. 

Yes, that’s the order of events listed for the first called, however it won’t happen the same for us.  God gives us His guidelines in scripture, but each person will receive instruction for their own lives in the order that’s perfect for them.  It was while I was cutting up some fruit and chatting with my husband that it clicked … He’s doing something new!   

Since hubby and I were recently talking about the changes we needed to make in our lives and schedules, you might have thought I would have figured this out sooner.  Duh … alas … message received Lord!  How simple, but complex at the same time. 

Honey, it wasn’t difficult.  It was me (yes and that’s in writing) needing to shift my thinking and focus.   

Discipleship … when it gets hard – you change something.  

This Week’s Challenge:
Change to God’s Schedule 

Learning to be the disciple God wants us to be will take time, energy and courage.  As we continue, our Master will walk us through the trust relationship into being faithful to what we have said we would commit to Him.  

The Lord wants to lead us to where His favor already resides, but if we are to get there we have to be willing to go when He says go and do what He says to do.  If the first disciples had to learn to be ready to go when Christ was, that’s what we need to implement also.  This means our schedules need to be wide open for Him to use as He sees fit. 

When we set out on this journey to be “discipled” by Jesus (Think Webster’s will have recorded that word into the new lingo yet?) our task wasn’t to be little clones of the first followers.  God has designed each of us differently therefore, the method of how we need to go about things may vary at points along our journey.   

I may need to change the way I do one thing while you may have to do something entirely different.  Like the disciples some of our “life lessons” on faithfulness and commitment may be the same, but not all of them.

For instance, my work schedule often clashes with my husband’s.  It takes effort for us to get them to merge, so we both make the sacrifice to do whatever it takes to get something accomplished.   He knows not to schedule anything for me or for the both of us on Thursdays, and I do the same for him concerning certain things.   

Our schedules weren’t always like this; we had to change completely in order for our marriage to be successful and follow the call of God on our lives.  Trust, faithfulness and fellowship have caused us to reap favor from God in staying committed to Him and one another. 

How is your ministry schedule?  Oh yes, if you’re a child of God’s you have a call on your life.  Our challenge this week requires that we change something in our lives and schedule to make room for the Lord to lead us closer to our favored destination here on Earth and for Eternity. 

Although as believers our final destination is Heaven, we also have one for this lifetime in which God has promised favor for a faithful journey.  Think about some things that you may need to change, alter slightly or completely delete from your life in order to follow Christ as His disciple. 

Are you in the neighborhood, city or even state that God wants you in for the work He has planned for your journey?  What about Bible classes or training for this work that will give you greater understanding of the Word of God?  The Lord may require changes to come through your thinking pattern, your schedule, your physical location or all of the above.

Some of the things you’re doing may not necessarily be wrong, but they are not needed for this part of your journey. Perhaps God is totally done with something that you are trying to bring back to life, but it’s just not working.  It’s okay, let it go and get up and follow Jesus. 

My husband said that I needed to “end this thing” because it wasn’t flowing as easily as it has in the past.  He was right and wrong at the same time.   Sometimes it’s not going to be easy and we may want to throw in the towel.  That’s when we should be aware God is about to move and do something miraculous.  Don’t you want to be there when it happens? 

Get up early, step up in your prayer life and see where Jesus is going so you’re not out hunting for Him because you’ve missed the wake-up call.    Stop saying yes to things God has said no to so you can walk along with Jesus once more. You haven’t failed … you’re progressing and working toward destination favor! 

Discipleship … when it gets hard – remember the destination. 
 
 
Destination Known by Legacy Five
 

If this article has encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, focus on the favored destination! 

Check out my new book progress this week.

“Faithfulness will lead to My favor.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

... and yes the word "discipled" isn't a word used by the world, but that of believers. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on photo the or link.
Destination Disciple by Dane L Price

 

We honor the work of fellow disciple Pastor Dana,

who reached his final destination on June 20th, 2016.



Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.
 
Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. 
Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible.
Image credit: GoogleImages or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Don't Quit  Disciples Running
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Fame, Fortune or Favor

“Honey I’m home.”  Simon announced as he tossed his hat on the chair making his entrance into the house.  

“The guys are here too, and I’ve got big news.  Guess what?”  With a dish towel in her hands Sarah heads to the living room to see what the fuss is all about and welcomes the boys into her home.   

“What is it Simon?  What’s the big news you’re so fired up about anyway? 

“I quit my job!  Finally me and the guys are gonna travel around the world just like we’ve always wanted.” 

“You quit your job?”  Wagging her finger in the air with a bit of attitude she let Simon know exactly how she felt. 

“Oh no you aren’t … I don’t think so!” 

Or as my husband would say in a Jewish accent, “Simon, calm down … have some Sanka and boiled chicken soup.  You’re not going anywhere.” 

Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list. 

New on DFB – Botswana; Ecuador; Rome, Lazio, Italy; Jamaica; Lithuania; Calasiao, Ilocos Region, Philippines; Poland; Tunisia; Andover, England, United Kingdom; Kingaroy, QLD, Australia; South Korea; Azerbaijan; Denmark; Madulkele, Central Province, Sri Lanka; Comayagua, Comayagua Department, Honduras; Cranbrook & Vernon, BC, Canada; Calasiao, Ilocos Region, Philippines. 

USA Hackett, AR; Lake Havasu City, AZ; Oceanside & Redding, CA; Middletown, DE; Danielsville, Murrayville & Oakwood, GA; LaPorte, South Bend, Mill Creek, Wanatah & Union Mills, IN; Murray, KY; Edwardsburg, MI; Mounds View, MN; Elkin & Richlands, NC; Bismarck, Buxton & Grand Forks, ND; Littleton, NH; Harrisonville & Verona, NJ; Blossvale, Camden, North Pharsalia, & Pitcher, NY; Gibsonburg, OH; Wynnewood, OK; Beaverton & Corvallis, OR; Blount Beach & Lewisburg, TN; Wells Branch, TX. 

I am so happy for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  God has been faithful and we expect His favor to abound in the lives of those who chose to be Discipled by Jesus on Daily Favor Blog.
You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).
Be sure to visit Tell Me, Q & A or other sections.
Security! 

I can tell you now, no wife in her right mind would want to hear that declaration from her husband, especially if the couple had any children. 
Stability and financial security weighs heavy on a woman’s heart in being able to care for her family properly.   However, there was a time though when I was a kid, that I remember it leading up to when my Dad would leave his regular day job(s) to begin a new career. 

It had been several years since my parents bought land. At first it was mostly woods; and little by little my father would clear a patch at a time.  His dream was to develop a residential place where there was a steady income enough for him to make a good living, provide for his family yet have some left over to dabble in new projects. 

For the next ten years my Dad worked his day job, took on part time work and chopped away at carving out what would be his vision.  At the age of forty my father made the decision to leave his secure, blue collar career behind and follow after what was in his heart.   

With kids in tow, Mom and Dad finally moved into their new home where the vision was manifested.  God had made a way for my father to provide for his family and allowed him to live that reality for another forty-six years until he left for his Heavenly home in June of 2016. 

Think Like A Man 

In preparing for this week I keep thinking about what happened that day on the boat with the four disciples.  Actually, the in-between part is where I spent most of my “think” time (well that and constantly pestering my husband to tell me how to think like a man).   

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”  So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.” (Luke 5:1-11 NKJV) 

We’ve learned how the first chosen men for “followship” stepped into their new career after their massive fishing experience with Jesus, but there had to be time between when they were called and when they really left home.  The opening paragraph is how I pictured Peter’s wife reacting to the “big news” of chucking it all in to follow a man they barely knew. (The name Sarah seemed fitting to use so I did, not knowing her real name.)  

Knowing the Jewish culture, quitting your job and leaving your family behind would make you an outcast of society.  Jesus would certainly know this right?  Well, it’s the same in any nationality, and most men fret when they can’t take care of their family the way they feel they should. 

Men think differently than women when it comes to security and leaving their job to search out a dream or pursue something in their heart.  They don't jump into it at the drop of a hat, or at the beckoning of practically a stranger. 

A woman on the other hand, wants to feel that her man will always take care of her.  Feeling security lies in his protecting and sheltering her from the “bad things” in the world.  Leaving a sure thing wouldn’t be on her list of qualities that make a good soul mate. 

When I asked my husband to describe what he would feel like if confronted with this situation, he said the word fret wasn’t strong enough.  It’s rather an anxiety, a frustrating concern that runs so deep into the marrow of a man that he would do practically anything to see that his loved ones are cared for and safe.

Any man that loves his family isn’t going to run off on a whim and leave them in a lurch.  We have to stop thinking of these men as Bible characters and focus on the fact that they were actual people, with real families, jobs and concerns. 

Simon Peter took over the family business and was also supporting his mother-in-law who lived with him.  Who knows where Andrew lived, but he may have been an extra mouth to feed as well. 

James and John still worked in the family business alongside their father with some hired hands.  Who would replace them once they went galavanting off to see whether or not this really was the Christ? 

What about Jesus Himself?  His father Joseph had passed on leaving Him with the business and in charge of the family.  Did He ditch them or was everything in order at home making it possible for Him to walk out His calling at that time? 

Cha-ching 

When the disciples caught the boatload of fish, Jesus didn’t ask them to share their catch, go feed the thousands or give Him ten percent of the “netting” (but we aren’t told if they did any of those things).  The oversized catch that day would give added security for their own finances to provide for their families.  Having that kind of financial cushion made it easier to follow Jesus, especially when they wanted to obey but still weren’t absolutely sure of who He was.   

The Lord already knew that they would have reservations about leaving their families or shirking their responsibilities.  If He didn’t consider those things Jesus would be going against His own mission to build the Kingdom of His Father.  God is about connecting the family, not destroying it. 

No, this time the message to “Follow Me” was about believing and trust.   It wouldn’t be until after they had experienced the favor of God and witnessed the work of the Lord first hand that He would give instructions for the disciples not to take money, extra clothes, shoes or food on their voyages.   

“He sent them out to proclaim God’s kingdom and to heal the sick. He told them, “Take nothing for the journey — no walking stick, no bag, no bread, no money, not even an extra shirt.” (Luke 9:2-3 CEB) 

The deep fishing day when Jesus gave the choice to follow Him, the disciples had to make a decision that not only affected their families, but their friendships and livelihood.  Basically Jesus was saying, “In all your ways acknowledge Me and I will direct your path.” … but could they? (Proverbs 3:6) 

“Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you
 fishers  of men.” (Matthew 4:19 NKJV) 

They knew how to fish for food, but understanding the phrase “fish for men” was foreign.  What if they did follow Jesus from town to town and things didn’t work out for them?  Perhaps they were being misled?  

Having all those doubts Peter still said, “None the less, I will follow, even if it sounds strange or is the opposite of what I’m used to in my line of work."  What sounds foolish to man is wise to God. (1 Corinthians 2:14) 

Because I Said So 

The order to “do it because I said so” didn’t fly with me as a child and for the most part still doesn’t.  I want to know the why’s and how’s before I do anything.  “Just because I said so” isn’t a good enough reason in my book, but if it’s Jesus … well that’s a different story.   

Peter must have caught on fast, because he obeyed Jesus despite his unbelief as he watched the nets being flung off the boat a second time.  I suppose my mom would have appreciated a few more of those quick to act responses from me back in the day. 

There is an old story that’s been going around for years about a family that went to church, but I’ll shorten it.  The mother had asked her young son to sit still during the service several times, but he disregarded her correction. Finally she gave a stern warning of what would happen if he didn’t sit in his seat quietly.  Heeding to her signal with obstinacy he said, “I may be sitting down on the outside, but inside I’m standing!” 

It’s true that God wants us to follow Jesus and live our lives pleasing unto Him, but He doesn’t want us to do so because we have to do it. Following Christ is a choice. Jesus desires that we seek and follow because our love for Him is greater than the rewards we receive for obeying. 

Fame, Fortune or Favor 

Why did the four disciples (Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John) decide to follow Jesus at that moment?  (Here’s where thinking like a man could help girls.)  Was it because they believed Jesus was the Messiah or that they had a little extra money in their pockets from the huge fish catch? 

Trekking out for a short time when you know the bills are paid isn’t such a faith stretch is it?  Or is it?  Is it?  How would they convince their families to get on board believing that it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to follow Jesus?  Try to think like the disciples in this conversation that could have taken place between the four men.  

The Messiah has come out in the open and we are the first ones He’s called.  Why us?  
If we don’t go with Him He’s bound to ask some more men. 
What about our businesses and bills?  
Yeah, and how are our families supposed to cope without us bringing home the Gefilte? 

None the less, God knows how men think, especially when it comes to the welfare of their families.  If Andrew wasn’t married and lived with Peter, perhaps it would be his great adventure not having the responsibilities of his brother.  Did they really trust God for their finances or would that come later? 

It’s easy to say yes to follow God when things are going well, but would they have said yes if the great catch never happened?  These four kept their jobs even though they were already following Jesus to some degree.  Where was their faith?  Was it in the prospect of selling fish or had it truly turned to following Jesus. 

This Week’s Challenge:
Favorable Career Changes
Why Follow Anyway?  

We all have to ask ourselves, “Why we do what we do anyway?”  Inspired by the 2012 Olympic athletes, a Christian friend of mine wrote a short book of poetry entitled, Hopes, Dreams & Medals”.   

In 2013 Loretta was approached with an opportunity of a lifetime to write a mini epic poem for a film track about why athletes do what they do.  The film is based on Duncan Slater, who became the first double leg amputee to ski to the South Pole as part of the Walking with the Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge.  

Prayerfully she accepted the challenge, and I am pleased to report that God showed her favor for seeking His guidance.  On August 22, 2016 that “career choice” will become a reality in the UK.  

See it here.
Loretta’s understanding of the concept “Why Do We Do It,” was that people do things for many reasons.  Some for the hidden dream, while others for the wonder of living out what is in our heart.  Is being a disciple for Jesus something that is in your heart? 

Last week we learned that listening to the Word of the Lord will take us into deeper fellowship with Christ, leading us to the place of favor.  I asked if you had faith to trust God without borders or limitations.  Now Jesus is asking us if we will let Him train us to be able to do something we couldn’t do on our own.  

For our challenge this week let me ask these four questions about why you honestly want to follow Jesus as His disciple:  

1 - Are you expecting to gain fame, fortune or favor from God and mankind for stepping out by faith? 

2 - Is your curiosity getting the best of you mainly due to the fact that you’ve tried every other religion and nothing else has worked? 

3 - Or is it the depth of your love that causes you to want to be all God wants you to be for and through Him? 

4 – Do you think it’s time? 

God calls all His children to follow Jesus in different ways.  It’s not about gaining fame, fortune or favor, but sometimes it does happen because God is a rewarder of those who seek and follow Him. (see Hebrews 11:6) 

My Dad’s career change served God mainly through his family and music, because my Mother said yes to the Lord.  
Today Loretta’s servanthood is transpiring through her writing after a career change was made due to a health issue, which led her to bringing awareness to wounded veterans such as Duncan.   

Finally, we remember the “favorable” career changes of the first four disciples after Jesus asked them to follow Him.   They would come to understand and figured out the “why follow” question for themselves.  

So what about you?  Do you aspire to do something bigger and better like my parents, Loretta, Duncan and the disciples? 

Jesus is still asking …    

“He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  
(Matthew 4: 19 NKJV) 

What will you say? 

“Wherever You go, I will go … I will follow You.” (from Ruth 1:16) 


I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin  

What following today looks like.


If this article has encouraged or helped you, please consider sharing it by using the social media icons provided at the end of this post. 

Until next time, favor the decision to follow Christ! 

“My favor falls on My followers.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

... and yes the word "discipled" isn't a word used by the world, but that of believers. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on photo the or link.
90 Inspirational Readings for Women
By Jessie Fioitto

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Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also.  Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more information on becoming a child of the Savior.

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Scripture reference was taken from the New King James Bible Version provided by Gateway Bible.
Image credit: Google Images Creative Common License if not specified.
Image:  Gertrude Berg  No You Didn't  What Happened  Cha Ching  I Said So  Disciples at Table  Duncan Slater
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
For more information on the Duncan Slater story visit these websites: 
Duncan Slater: http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/marathon-des-sables-2016-2/duncan-slater/
Walking with the Wounded: South Pole Allied Challenge: http://walkingwiththewounded.org.uk/southpole2013/
Walking With The Wounded - Watch my story: Duncan Slater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqjYjFjxaQc
My Story: Duncan Slater https://vimeo.com/176733995
Fame, Fortune, Favor, Gertrude Berg, Daily Favor Blog, Favored1, Duncan Slater, Loretta Livingstone, Olympics, Jessie Fioitto, Discipled by Jesus, Discipleship, The Cost of Discipleship, Christian Living, Inspiration, Career Change, Disciples of Jesus