Best of June: Part 2

Random Thoughts 6/20/08 11:14 pm
This is a continuation of the previous entry dealing with Paul and Timothy. I’ve learned that all good study of God’s word, you have to read before and after to get full understanding. In the last entry I came from Acts 16, so I went to Acts 15 first. In this chapter Paul is meeting with the assembly discussing how people are distorting God’s word. The assembly then wrote letters to others and sent some of their own men to be a witness with the letters that were written. As the chapter comes to an end Paul and Barnabas have a disagreement. Barnabas wanted to take John with them but Paul disagreed because he remembered how John deserted them the last time.
What caused their disagreement to be so great that co-laborers in the faith had to part ways?
Chapter 16 starts off with Paul going out and finding a new leader to replace Barnabas. There was not a period of sulking or stagnation in what he was called to do. He simply took it as part of the ministry and kept moving; it wasn’t personal.
The previous journal entry will fill you in on what I got from the first part of chapter 16. I took a look forward to see where Paul Timothy’s relationship went to and in 1 Corinthians 4:17, Paul refers to Timothy as a son and faithful in the Lord.
So as we go forth to disciple and mentor those people we must not dwell on the past and who is no longer there. Dwelling on the past can prevent you from embracing what God has in the future. When they those who used to walk with you leave don’t feel as though you have to wait before you begin looking for someone else just to keep them from feeling whatever. Keep your eyes on what’s in front of you, keep moving. There were numerous times when Jesus had followers and co-laborers leave him but he did not dwell on who left, he just continued to move forward and develop people to take their place.
Great leaders don’t just develop other great leaders but develop great people. By allowing those you disciple to walk closely with you and see all aspects of your living then you develop them holistically. You never develop just leaders but people so allow them to follow your example in every area of life.

Random Thoughts 6/22/08 7:27 am
I am currently on a train on my way back to Greensboro from Raleigh. I spent Saturday at a business meeting in Sunset Beach on the coast. On the drive up there I can’t remember if I was praying or if I was just having some quiet time but God dropped something in my spirit. I want to become contagious. When I first heard it, I immediately started thinking about verbally telling people about my zeal for God but He checked me. He told me to look at someone who has a contagious virus or anything, they do not tell people they’re contagious, they’re lives or their appearance speaks for them. Others see a distinguishable difference with someone who is contagious. That’s how we must be, it’s time out for talking, and we have to have lives where people notice a distinguishable difference. The only time you tell someone you’re contagious is when you don’t want them to catch what you have and it keeps them from getting too close to you. We have to stop talking because when we tell people we’re on fire for God or serious about our walk then it keeps them away. How is it transferred? A person who is not contagious gets close enough to the one who is and it automatically transfers. We have to allow people to get close enough to us to have what we have transfer to them. If we’re truly contagious than there is nothing the other person can do to not be affected by being close to us. Notice I said affected, not infected. We have infected too many people with church, religion, and a distorted view of a true relationship with Christ. Let’s get contagious and start affecting people and make it impossible for them to stay the same.