The good habits – a time for everything *

When I try to track the ‘correct’ things the disciples did while they were waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them, I see that it was important that they followed Jesus' instruction. As I read yesterday, they returned to Jerusalem, however, Jesus had not said anything about where they should go. So where then did they go? Of course they went were they used to go:

When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.
Acts 1:13  

I have moved around a lot during my life, and when I come to new places, I often hear sentences like “Here we are used to…” And immediately after comes as often an apologetic “However, ‘Used to’ is dead!” 

Of course some habits can prevent us in doing new things, but there are good habits that we should stick to. Unfortunately, too many ‘Used tos’ have died without being replaced in many of our corps and churches. It is good to be aware of the fact that when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, it was in a place where they ‘used to’ stay – they were in their own ‘habit’at.

We tend to travel at special conferences or congresses to get a new encounter with the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit’s habit is to attend where we use to attend? The question we should ask, is what we ‘use to’ do when we gather in the place we ‘use to’ to go. What the disciples did in the place they were staying, I will write more about tomorrow.

‘Manna’ for tomorrow:

It is important to take good care of good habits

--------------------------------
(1) The picture is an example of 'good habits': Two believers become soldiers in Romania. They are the first soldiers in a corps-plant in Bacau. The articles of faith are confirmed. They signed the ‘Soldier’s Covenant’ in prayer a.s.o. All of these are "good habits":

• Plant churches, 
• make disciples and soldiers,
•  confess the faith, 
• be in prayer, and 
• have a covenant relationship with the Lord. 

Colonel Rodney S. Walters enrolled the new soldiers last Sunday.

 * 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 This series is about the teaching in the time between Easter and Pentecost

Knowing what discipleship means - a step on the journey

NORSK
Two days back I wrote that Jesus gave his disciples a threefold calling:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matt 16:24

I have already reflected on self-denial and cross-bearing. Today's topic is about discipleship = following Jesus. Diedrich Bonhoeffer is a theologian who really challenges me. I return to his book: “The Cost of Discipleship” (1) again and again. Bonhoeffer focused on the fact that discipleship comes with a cost: God’s grace must result in following Jesus. Therefore, he warned strongly against ‘cheap grace’.

I agree with those who claim that we for a long time made it hard for people to enter a church and easy to be a disciple. Today I think that it has become easier to be accepted into many church-communities. The challenge is if we are offering discipleship with a discount. Again it is time to reflect on yet another Bonhoeffer-quote: "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life" (1).

When I became a soldier in the Salvation Army (1970), it was a tradition that the new soldiers sang a dedication along with the other soldiers in the meeting:

I will follow Thee, my Saviour,
Thou hast shed Thy blood for me;
And though all the world forsake Thee
By Thy grace I’ll follow Thee!

‘Manna’ for today:

By Thy grace I’ll follow Thee!

----------------------------
(1)

  Bonhoeffer's book: "Nachfolge" (in German) literally translates "After-following". This works very well in Norwegian  translation "Etterfølgelse", while it does not work in English. The English title of his famous book is: "The Cost of Discipleship".

Sober in all that I do?

As a soldier of the Salvation Army, I have taken a total abstinence pledge, and as far as I know, I have never broken that promise. Therefore, I have never been intoxicated by ingesting intoxicants that have not been prescribed by a doctor. 

However, I have several times experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in such a way that it has become a kind of intoxication. It has been a strange, but good experience.

Some years ago I participated in a series of meetings, where the keynote speaker instructed the intercessors to remain "sober" while they took part in the prayer-ministry. I understood what he meant, and see the importance. There is a time for everything (1).

Paul has a similar charge to Timothy:

But you, be sober in all things, suffer-hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.
2 Tim 4:5

In translations of the Greek original other words than sober are commonly used, like e.g. vigilant, watchful, in control, remain steady, clear-headed etc. The main idea is that I am charged to be present in my own life, in my work and in my ministry.

I have repeatedly pointed out that the first question God asked Adam after the fall was: “Where are you?” (2). If I can be available and respond “Here I am” when God calls, I will be very close to fulfilling the charge given in today's verse.

‘Manna’ for today:

‘Here I am’ – sober and available!

--------------------------------------
(1) Eccl 3:1
(2) Gen 3:9

To want to do the will of the commander

NORSK

Paul takes the ‘soldier-allegory’ one step further:

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
2 Tim 2:4

Throughout my life as a soldier, I have lived in the tension between being ‘entangled in civilian affairs’ and the awareness of the fact that the will of the commander can drown in all the pending 'musts' in my life. The tension has increased proportionally with increased responsibility. In many of the letters Paul wrote, he focused on the importance of understanding the Lord's will (1). When he did his farewell speech to the local leaders of the church at Ephesus, he said:

I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
Acts 20:27

How a soldier gets an insight into the “will of the commander”, Paul described in this way:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13

If I give the Holy Spirit access to my life, the mysterious miracle is that I actually want to do that which is God's good will. It is a response of love and not a fulfillment of a duty requirement (2). It is liberation contrary to slavery under the law.

'Manna' for today:

It is my desire to do the commander’s will

-------------------------------------
(1) See e.g. Col 1:9 and Phil 1:9-11
(2) See Tomas Sjödin’s quote in “On the arena of faith”

Like a good soldier

NORSK
A few days back, I wrote about the calling to join in suffering. Today, the same calling reappears, and this time Paul uses soldiers as role models for joining in suffering:

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Tim 2:3

I have relatively limited experience from the military, and even though it was during the "Cold War", the wars were far away. My “suffering” was therefore limited to having to endure blisters and cramps during hard marches and drills, plus the encounter with my own conviction that even military combats are evil actions and not in congruence with the commandment to love one another.

However, I have also been a soldier for Jesus almost the whole of my life and have no problems with endorsing the comparison. As a soldier, I am visible. Thus, people will associate me with the negative experiences they have had with the Salvation Army in particular and Christianity in general, and I will be held accountable. This has led to physical assaults, spitting and lots of insults and profanity.

Fortunately, very many also have good experiences, and therefore they utter words of encouragement. The strange thing is that it can also be a painful challenge with 'popularity'. When "all" people like us, but few receives the gospel and even fewer are willing to join in the mission God has given us, it hurts. I believe that it was primarily this latter variant of "suffering", which Paul focused on. If I have a passion for the salvation of men, I will suffer when they reject the gospel. It is in such situations a good soldier does not lose heart, but looks up to “the commander of the army of the Lord” and asks:

“What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
Jos 5:14

Today 'manna':

I want to be a good soldier