Things I've Learned During My Discipleship

THINGS I'VE LEARNED DURING MY DISCIPLESHIP
Copyright © 2013 by Robert B Thompson. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Used by permission.

The Importance of Choosing
Avoiding Passivity; Being Decisive
Calling on Jesus Instead of Using a Formula
Praying Through
Being Led by the Spirit
Watch and See If What You Think God Is Telling You Is Confirmed
Do Not "Step out in Faith" Unless God Is Directing You
Do Not Fret over the Evil and Perversity in the World
Bringing Christ into Every Aspect of Life
The Bible and Religion Are Not Ends in Themselves
We Are To Drag this Body Around Until God Says "Enough"
Accepting One's Cross Patiently and Cheerfully
Praying Against Dread and Fear
Dealing Directly with Symptoms Rather than Analyzing Causes
Christ Is in Control of Everything and Everybody
The Interval Between the Giving of the Vision and its Fulfillment
To Maintain Our Trust in God When All Seems Lost
We Are Not to Criticize People
In the Resurrection What We Have Become Shall Be Revealed
We Assuredly Shall Reap What We Have Sown
The Rod of Iron by Which We Will Rule Is Being Created in Us
It Is in the Present Hour That Man Is Being Created in the Image of God
There Will Be No "Rapture" To Deliver Us From Trouble
Preparing To Be Revealed With Jesus

The Importance of Choosing
It is my point of view that at the Judgment Seat of Christ we will be evaluated in terms of the choices we made. We did not create ourselves. God understands our foolishness and limitations. So we will not be judged in terms of our errors but of the choices we made, the ones we can control.
"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
The Israelites knew of the old gods and the gods of the Amorites. They also had seen the works of the Lord and had heard His Words. It was up to them to choose which of the divinities they would serve.
So it is with us. We can decide we wish to serve the gods that manifest themselves all around us, the gods of physical lust, or of money, or of importance, or of some kind of pleasure that appeals to us. Or we can serve the Lord Jesus.
I think it is too often maintained that "Jesus did it all." Our part primarily is to believe that Jesus did it all. This belief, it is said, will bring us to Heaven.
An appealing thought. We do not have to do anything but accept mentally what is taught and God will do the rest. But this is not even close to what the Bible teaches.
When we review the lives of the heroes of faith, of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews, we see that genuine faith is daily obedience to God; not just belief, unless that belief is expressed in obedience. How many times each day are we presented with an opportunity to choose to believe and obey the Lord!
I remember a girl in a Christian highschool. She was lame. A healing evangelist came by the school and prayed for her and others. She was healed instantly.
But the physical sensation when she walked was so different from what she was used to that she asked Jesus to restore her lameness. He did. This actually happened!
In my own case, I had arthritis in my right knee. I was not prayed for. In fact I went to the doctor. He injected some medicine into my knee and told me I would be back and probably would need crutches.