Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Repentance and Discipleship

The Disciple’s Core Belief: Jesus preached repentance to those who sought the kingdom of heaven

12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali--14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles--16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:12-17 (NIV)

The Core Principle Applied:
Biblical repentance is a change of mind. It is not a decision based upon emotion or circumstance. Instead, repentance is a volitional choice of the will—a will that has been influenced by an inner conviction that comes from the Holy Spirit.

It is God who grants us the gift of repentance
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV)

Repentance is closely linked to the kingdom of God and belief in the Good News, the Gospel.
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 1:15 (NIV)

The fruit of repentance is always seen in a changed life.
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." Luke 19:8 (NIV)

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Getting in the Correct Position

September 13

Prayer Is Preparation (by Henry Blackaby)

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.—Acts 2:1

Prayer does not give you spiritual power. Prayer aligns your life with God so that He chooses to demonstrate His power through you. The purpose of prayer is not to convince God to change your circumstances but to prepare you to be involved in God's activity.

The fervent prayer of the people at Pentecost did not induce the Holy Spirit to come upon them. Prayer brought them to a place where they were ready to participate in the mighty work God had already planned.

Jesus told His followers to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:4–5). The disciples obeyed His command, waiting for God's next directive. As they prayed, God adjusted their lives to what He intended to do next. As they prayed, a unity developed among them. For the first time the disciples used Scripture as their guide in decision making (Acts 1:15–26). The day of Pentecost arrived, and the city of Jerusalem filled with pilgrims from around the world. When God released His Holy Spirit upon the disciples, He had already filled the city with messengers who would carry the Gospel to every nation. Prayer had prepared the disciples for their obedient response.

Prayer is designed to adjust you to God's will, not to adjust God to your will. If God has not responded to what you are praying, you may need to adjust your praying to align with God's agenda. Rather than focusing on what you would like to see happen, realize that God may be more concerned with what He wants to see happen in you.

—Experiencing God Day by Day