People keep asking me about ‘going and making disciples’. I don’t know if you know this but I’ve been leading an hour long Bible study for up to12 people 6 times a week for years now. I know how wonderful it feels to teach the Bible, exposition-ally, line upon line. I can never stop doing that, wherever I was since I have been saved I always have. Home fellowships are delightful. But to me, really, I just assumed most born again Christians led Bible studies in their homes. I really didn’t think it was worth mentioning, like morning devotions and prayer, it’s just part of being a Christian.Thats why I why keep getting shocked when people, after hearing about our feeding programs etc. ask point blank ‘what are we doing for for Jesus?’ We’re not just employers of 10 main providers for families in Nicaragua, feeding kids, covering medical and housing needs and education. That alone, in my book, and in Jesus’ book, is making disciples, but I guess people expect me to mention teaching the Bible, which I love doing btw. People are getting saved, lives are being changed, families restored, and they come and go. It’s all good. But making disciples is a complete lifestyle package, not just a class. Anyway. Just wanted to clarify.
Pureheart Update – Many children are being fed, more than ever. More medical help is going out than ever before, people are getting saved and more home repairs, thanks to you and to the Lord. Ministry is EXPLODING! Please continue what you are doing to keep us going. WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING, IT’S WORKING!! Pray, donate, and spread the word about us, what we are doing and the needs here!
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE CHILDREN AND THE EVER GROWING NUMBERS IN THE FEEDING CENTERS. SCHOOL IS GOING ON AS ALWAYS. WE ARE MORE COMMITTED THAN EVER TO HAVING AN ORPHANAGE – OLD FOLKS HOME HERE IN MANAGUA, BUT THE BATTLES AND THE DYNAMICS ARE EVER CHANGING TO BE ABLE TO DO SO.
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Message for today
Distraction
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray…
What’s a fool though? ‘The Bible itself is it’s own interpreter’ said Pastor Chuck Smith. To define the word ‘fool’ in the Bible, you need to look the word ‘fool’ up in the Bible. Last week we saw that God called the rich man a fool who stored up riches in this life with no thought of the eternal life. (This current life is just a flicker compared to eternity). It appears the rich man didn’t believe in God. That’s why God called him a fool. Definition of a fool, someone who doesn’t believe in God.
That’s why National Atheists Day falls on April 1rst (joke)
Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God
Fools by nature, are usually disobedient to everyone and everything. For the most part, in America, they grow up in a church, in a Christian home. They kind of believe in God and heaven, but aren’t really counting on God. They aren’t following God and His Word, so they get led astray. People who are foolish usually separate from people and isolate themselves. They are always in a crowd, but are always alone. Fools are tolerated, not appreciated. They are in pain because of that, and become rebellious. Once that happens, they’re gone. This verse is talking about people (including us in times past) that aren’t saved. Maybe they are ‘trying church’ or something but they have no roots. They are distracted. They try to lead true believers astray too, but they can’t because we are not easily distracted. We are entrenched. We have traction because we have no distractions.
The most dangerous time for a soldier is ETS. (Getting discharged) Just about 1 suicide an hour for vets, 24/7/365. Once a year I do 22 push ups every hour, for 24 hours, for my own awareness of my brothers making their ‘last calls. To be on the look out for tell tale signs. It’s amazing how difficult those last few sets of push-ups are…. But I do it for my own awareness of my brothers that are in great pain.
The opposite of distraction is awareness. When you are aware you have traction, moving towards something. Another opposite of distraction is traction. The sleep deprivation and aching muscles of the 22×24 push-ups are extremely painful, but they make me aware, and give me traction instead of distraction. However, the pain I feel is not the intensity of pain that would make a veteran ‘wash his mouth out with lead’. Pain distracts these poor brothers, and they take their eyes off of the value of their own lives, morality, God, their families even. They begin to slam down shots or anything else that eases the pain. They isolate themselves, don’t take advice, become disobedient and then they go into the woods, or climb a mountain and disappear forever.
The 2nd most dangerous time for a soldier is right before ETS. (Short Timer). Everyone I knew who got ‘dinged’ on the field or court martial were short timers or newbies. Their eyes were either on what they left (IE some girl they kissed goodby to who was already cheating on them) or what they were going to do when they got back to ‘the world’ as we said. In either case, they were foolish, disobedient, not paying attention, and got ‘led astray’ or better put, distracted. They lost their purpose.
Distraction kills. Distraction ruins lives, families, and career. Distraction destroys traction, any progress that you may have had. Distraction is a growth stunter and faith killer. It’s evil. It’s not of God, but just another tool of Satan. People usually get distracted by shiney, useless things.
Why do I use soldier analogies? Because if you are a true, real believer, you are a real soldier. You have a real enemy that wants to neutralize you. I was questioned last week by my mentor. He asked me why I qualify the word ‘believers’ with the word ‘true’ in front of it. My answer is because ‘true believers’ have traction in their lives. They are making progress. When the Bible shows them something, they do it. Disappointed, discouraged or not. They are not distracted. When they get a revelation from God, the share it or apply it to their lives. I believe God only gives revelation to those whom He knows is going to use it. True believers will, a person who just says they believe probably won’t. How do you know you are a true believer? In Revelations 10, and in Ezekiel says that you eat the book (Bible). Before I was saved I ate Steven King books. Now I devour Francine Rivers books. And I devour the Bible. It’s always sweet going down, and then turns my stomach a little.
Revelation 10: 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’10 I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”
I read it. It’s sweet. I am saved. Jesus loves me. Then as I ponder it, I get sickened. I see sun in my own life. I must change! My family members and friends are going to hell!! I must warn them. That thing I wanted to do this Saturday is now changed. I must evangelize!
Most Americans say they are believers. Yet polls say that evangelical Christians in general only make it to church once a month. They do not have a plan nor even a desire to read the Bible nor pray daily. These same people change churches a lot because they say they aren’t being fed. They may believe, but I won’t call them true believers, because they are distracted by the cares of the world. They’re entangled. Their thoughts are elsewhere and they are in danger.
2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
How do we not be distracted? First off, believe in God, truly, and you will be saved.
Then as Joshua 1:8 states, meditate on it day and night. Talk about it. Mutter it.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Meditation is something we ought to do moment by moment; connecting with heaven’s throne wherever we are, whenever we can. The Hebrew word for meditate is ‘Hagah’ which means ‘to utter, to muse, and to mutter’. Bible verses are to be mused over and repeated thoroughly and in prayer, to ourselves, over every situation, until they become a part of our lives.
We at PureHeartChildren’sFund work with 3 year old orphans who are worried about feeding their old granny who has taken them in. They are afraid of granny dying on them (me too for that matter). Toddlers shouldn’t have distractions in their lives. They need traction. They don’t need awareness, haha. They are aware for absolutely everything, that’s why they are still alive and haven’t been kidnapped or worse But they are distracted. At PureHeartChildren’sFund our goal is to help them with the distractions as much as we can. But we need help. Please pray how you can help us to help these kids get traction in their lives instead of distraction. We don’t want anything to strangle their life out of them. (strangely enough, all the murders in the dump that I know of are by strangulation). But strangulation doesn’t just lead to physical death, it leads to spiritual death as well. Every one of these kids have dreams. Most of them love Jesus. We want them to flourish and to produce fruit themselves.
Mark 4: 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
Thanks and un abrazo!!
Dean and Winnie Peters
www.whatistheloveofGod.com
To help us to help At-Risk children, simply text the word GIVE to phone #4405307800
100% tax deductible, (we’re a 501c3) and 100% goes straight to the kids. No business fees, operating expenses nor middlemen — with Winnie Peters and 7 others in Managua, Managua.
