The Devoted Disciple September 2023

People Events Ideas

The Devoted Disciple

The Devoted Disciple People, Events, And Ideas

Editor-In-Chief: Gail McCabe

Content Creator: Brent Gilmore

The Devoted Disciple copyright©2023 all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Contents

04

The Prophet Elijah

A man of God, yet a man like us. Dive into his world as you learn what the duality of this man’s life was, the heartbreaks he wrestled with and the triumphs he experienced.

Draw Near To God

Manifesting our relationship with God once again so that we are brought under his wings, within his fold. Provided for and protected by our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Map For Todays Conflict’s

Follow along with Paul’s life of contention with unbelievers as a guide to how we might navigate within a fast changing world of serious debate and foolish debacles.

His Struggles With Humanity and Humility

during the reign of King Ahab of Israel when Israel was worshiping Baal. Elijah was tasked with showing Israel how they had abandoned their God and allowed evil to rule their lives. He was arguably one of the greatest prophets of God. He was a man of truth, humility, conviction, passion, and compassion. The Lord had several miracles surrounding Elijah: food was brought to him by ravens, a widow’s jars of food kept from going empty, Elijah raised the widow’s son from the dead, The Lord’s altar was consumed by fire, Ahaziah’s soldiers were finished, Elijah parted the Jordan.

Aprophet

Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, threatened Elijah thru a messenger, saying that she would make his life match the life of the prophets of Baal that Elijah had slain. Elijah was afraid, scared, and doubted

God’s protection, so he ran. We are all human; he was human.

1 Kings 19:4 ESV “But he him-

broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him “Arise and eat.”

Lam. 3:18 ESV “so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the Lord.”

self went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers. And he lay down and slept under a

A man like us, Elijah, was susceptible to doubt, fear, and depression even though he prayed earnestly and had a close relationship with God. His relationship with God didn’t make him exempt from these thoughts and feelings. He strove to follow God’s word, pray, create an obedient relationship, and speak God’s words to Israel. Even though Elijah was fearful, he remained faithful, confronting his adversaries inside and out.

Elijah felt alone; he didn’t have the support of other followers of God and the strength gained from a community of believers. He followed God’s command,

THE PRO P #1

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yet isolation and depression were real struggles. Although Elijah felt alone, we see that he wasn’t alone. There were other followers around him. 7,000. The 7,000 that God would leave in Israel, 7,000 “whose knees had not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

#3

Followed

Our relationship with God allows us to do what is right despite the risks with the conviction to obey God. There will be times we feel alone. It’s not a matter of whether we are alone; we feel alone, depressed, scared, and doubting that God is in our lives and that we please him. During those times, we feel like failures; sometimes, we will fail. During these times, we must turn to prayer. Just as earnestly as Elijah prayed for it not to rain, then three years

Mark 11:24 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

later, prayed that it would rain, we need to pray earnestly. We need to be in prayer, building a relationship with our Father. The waters of our faith are signs to others. Sometimes, we must damn them up. And other times, we should let it rain.

As Elijah and Elisha took thier last walk across the earth Elisha refused to seperate himself from Elijah. 2 Kings 2:11 NASB

“As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven.”

As we observe Elijah’s example of respecting God, being fearful of judgment, and the loving relationship between a Father and their child, may the fire of God burn within us.

draw near to god

Reconnecting

After time away

“It won’t take away the world’s cares, but our care would be for christ...”

FROM THE DESK OF A BROTHER IN CHRIST

TO THOSE WHO ONCE KNEW BUT HAVE FORGOTEN. A SIMPLE REMINDER OF WHAT WAS LOST AND WHAT IS TO BE GAINED.

Someof us are suffering from separation from God. We are neither hot nor cold where we once were zealous for the Lord. Can we return to our ideal relationship with Him? How do

Wisdom, knowledge, understanding, hope, love.

we manifest this?

Go to God once again despite how your life is.

Our sins have placed a wedge between God and us, sins we don’t want to admit to ourselves.

Sins that cause our eyes to leak, our throat to constrict, and our brows to animate our heart.

Our eyes are so intense with pain that it converges into a wrenched stomach.

Fears reverberate like cymbals convulsing, turning what is spiritual from mental into the physical. And this is precisely why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the author of life, authored the words of mercy and grace.

1 Peter 1:2 ESV “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood...”

ESV “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and beliefs in the truth.”

2 Thessalonians 2:13

Having been chosen before time to follow Christ, there may be times we stray from Him. A temptation to be too busy with the matters of life. It’s too easy to place our earthly desires above God. It’s important to realize during these times; God isn’t leaving us to our own

“Take up what is to be found. Store your treasures in your heart and heaven, not in your hands.”

devices. Instead, He is devising our way back to Him. God, thru his Son, Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit, is at work in and around us. If we pause, we will see, hear, and feel it from within.

16:24 ESV “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Satan thriving through our separation from God,

persistently tries to crush our faith. He doubles down to separate us when we stop maintaining our relationship with our Lord, distracting us with worldly cares. Guard yourself against the world’s wisdom forgoing the wisdom coming from the Holy Spirit. Matthew

Being a Christian is about doing the right thing at the right time, in the right way, regardless of how we feel about it. Giving credence to the world’s affairs, we take our focus from God and place it selfishly on our wants.

James 4:4 ESV “You adulterous people!

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with

“God isn’t leaving us to our own devices. Instead, He is devising our way back to Him.”

God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” We need to allow the Holy Spirit in all His glory to build up in strength through His working in our brothers and sisters in Christ and to create a desire to know God again as our Lord. Upon admitting our defeat, reaching our breaking point, and exhausting all possibilities, we return our lives to God. We need to acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit that can strengthen us. In our

distress, we realize our weakness, lack of wisdom, misguided understanding, foolishness, and sin. God places hardships in our path to draw us near Him, using the negative things of life and teaching us of our shortcomings.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” I urge you to commit yourself to Hosea 14:2

ESV “Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, Take away all iniquity; accept what is good and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.”

to a life of love and salvation. It won’t take away the world’s cares, but our care would be for Christ as faithful servants to Him and those in need. Matthew 26:41

The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

God promises us healing love and a path free from chastisement following his direction. Hosea

14:4 ESV “I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them.”

Following Christ isn’t the fun, happy, or blissful way. It is, however, the only way that leads

ESV “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

Plant yourself firmly in Christ’s garden, and let Him tend to you so that next time you find yourself leaning on things other than God, He

can straighten you upright, prune the dead leaves, stake you firmly in the ground, and water you with His tears. Find a notebook or a journaling app that can be kept private and journal about what you learn about Christ and yourself through Bible study and prayer. God shows us who He is; let Him in. What quickens your heart, makes you sit up straight, and strikes you squarely in the chest?

yourself from your knees in Christ.”

“Root

God finds the unbeliever. The pathway from unbeliever to believer gripped us at our core, no matter how we felt about Christianity before we were saved. When we were un-

A Map For Today’s Conflicts

believers and skeptics, debating the morals of society versus the morals of Christianity, we tried to reason out the scriptures with the world’s logic. We did so from ignorance, anger, unjustified fears, feelings of judgment, and the opposition we are subject to

in the media. If we did see how our lives were in sin, we didn’t admit it. Our concern was if we became Christian would we have to change our lives? We would need to take steps that either we weren’t ready to enact or we were altogether opposed to. Although once God set his sights on us and the Holy Spirit worked in

us, we were receptive to hearing the gospel and committing ourselves to His will.

Prior to his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road, there was no reason for Paul to consider Christ’s teachings as the pathway to salvation. Paul’s worth was established by his heritage, which

was beyond reproach in his own eyes and the eyes of many others. Philippians 3:4-6 ESV “...circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Finding God’s voice among our own.

On the road to Damascus, Jesus called out to Paul and made himself known that he was the Lord, and Paul recognized him as Lord. Jesus told

“there was no reason for Paul to consider Christ’s teachings as the pathway to salvation.”

Paul to go to Damascus, and that he would be told what to do, and as a result of his encounter with Christ, he was blinded. When the disciple Ana-

nias came to Paul in Damascus and laid hands on him, he regained his sight.

Paul also had the Holy Spirit descend upon him; he was baptized, immediate-

ly went to the synagogues, and proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God.

We can relate to Paul wanting to share the revelation of who Jesus was with people. As new believers, we felt overjoyed

to share the gospel, taking advantage of those opportunities as they presented themselves. The Holy Spirit led us in what to say and how to say it. We often were asked about the change our friends and family saw in us. Of which we were overjoyed to share.

The new wears off. In today’s culture, confrontations between believers and nonbelievers are risky. We live in a cancel culture, and the tetter-totter goes both ways. We should strive to balance being threatened and giving people the freedom to offend us. We can practice open

communication by respecting and allowing each other to express themselves.

It’s important to avoid the mindset of needing to be right at all costs. Both sides, more times than not, have something to offer the other side. We don’t know it all, and the person across from us may shed light on our views, pointing out where we need to refine our beliefs. Believers and nonbelievers both feel threatened in these discussions.

Christians have become quiet and timid

about our thoughts and ideas. The cost of being outspoken is too detrimental to us and our families, or we think it is someone else’s responsibility—perhaps someone who knows more than we do or talks better than us. The Holy Spirit works in numerous ways; we don’t need to be a persuasive orator to effect change. If we approached these dialogues from a place of prayer, humbleness, gentleness, and a desire not to offend, we would open ourselves to the Holy Spirit work-

ing through us. God would put the words in our mouths that the other person needed to hear. In prayer, we should ask God to give us the words the oth-

er person needs to hear, not the words that make us feel superior and above reproach. Observe the other person. We know

through body language when our terms are landing positively or not. But most of all, observe yourself. Be mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and body posture. Are you approachable? Can you remain calm, listening more than talking?

do it with gentleness and respect.” A calm word turns away wrath, allowing us to have fewer offensive conversations and to be less likely to stir up aggression.

When things go from bad to worse.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV says: “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you: Yet

Paul experienced fear and anger

from Jews, for they feared that Christ’s teachings would undermine their religious hierarchy, legal system, and authority. Paul’s expression of Christ’s teachings became so threatening to the Jews that

they plotted to kill him. As a result, Paul left for Damascus. He attempted to meet with the disciples at Jerusalem, but they feared him due to his infamous past of murdering those who followed the Way. Barnabas vouched for Paul and explained to the disciples in Jerusalem how Paul became a believer and that he was teaching

boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. We see Paul’s account of trials and hardships throughout his life as an apostle in 2 Cor. 11:24-27 ESV “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day, I was adrift as sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from

Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

“They feared that Christ’s teachings would undermine their religious hierarchy, legal system, and authority.”

Progressing through strife.

Paul’s life and ministry can give us wisdom on handling persecution for our beliefs.

2 Cor. 12:9-10 ESV

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am

content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Paul was resourceful and wise in his behavior so that he might be accepted by whichever group he was proclaiming Christ to. He wanted to be relatable and share a common-

ality with those he was around. He desired to reflect their identity and culture so that they would consider him one of their own and be introduced to Christ,

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplicatioin with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:5-7”

experiencing the gospel firsthand.

win the weak.”

1 Cor. 9:20-22 ESV

“To the Jews I became a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law, I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might

When others can relate to us, they can listen to us. Listen to us with their heart, not just their ears. Being relatable has nothing to do with our fundamental beliefs. It’s not a matter of which side of a controversy we are on; it’s the fact that we all are facing the same issues and

trying to find a way to progress together. Finding a stance, taking up the mantle of being convicted and compassionate; bold and meek, teacher and student.

Finding steadfastness in Christ.

Philippians 4:5-7

ESV “The Lord

is at hand; do not be anxious about

anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

As we live out this verse, it means being ok with not getting that promotion, having those friends who only wave but never stop as they pass by, and having a broken family. Matthew

19:29 ESV “And everyone who has left houses or brothers

or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.”

I encourage Christians to strengthen their relationship with God using prayer, study, and

openness to the Holy Spirit. Grow in conviction and boldness, and don’t be

ashamed of Christ and His teachings, even in the face of conflict. Wear Christ on your sleeve so that you might be considered a servant worthy to suffer for his name, trusting that whatever transpires will make you known as a “ follower” of Christ and a “doer.” Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:13 ESV “First of all,

then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.”