Daily - 1/16/09

2 Timothy 2:1-2

1 So you, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And what you heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will have the ability to teach others as well.

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1 and 2 Timothy discuss in detail the responsibilities of a pastor to his flock. They also have a lot of useful information for us normal folks. You don’t have to be a priest or bishop or minister to be a “faithful person who has the ability to teach others.” We all have the ability to teach others, in one way or another. We all have the ability to share how we go about our spiritual lives, and how we’ve developed individual relationships with Christ.

This is why small faith groups are so important – they allow us to get into the nuts and bolts of how we live our Christian lives, and they allow us to learn from each other. In the weekly bible studies, one we try to do is have people discuss the details of their spiritual life. Christ clearly states that if we remain in Him, we will become his disciples (John 8:31). So … how exactly do we do that? Some questions that come up are:

- How do we discern God’s will?
- How exactly do we go about putting the flesh to death?
- What does “life in the spirit” mean?
- How do we know when we’re diverting from the path? What do we do then?
- How do we recognize the devil? What can we do when that happens?

I’m passionate about sharing as much of this type of information as I can, because I think it’s extremely valuable to learn from each other how we go about our spiritual walks. The more this happens, the stronger the community is – the more comfortable we are sharing our faith, and the more comfortable we are going to each other for help. And there’s no doubt, we all need help.

This is the process of discipleship. It “fans the flames” within our parish, and it bears spiritual fruit that we all can see. If we make the commitment to help each other grow, it generates light that can be seen by our families, our neighbors, and even our adversaries.

Daily - 12/1/08

Luke 10:17-22

17 The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."

18 Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

19 Behold, I have given you the power 'to tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.

20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

21 At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."

This passage shows EXACTLY how Christ works through believers. In this case, he chose 72 disciples, sent them on a mission of preaching and healing, and gave them great power. They returned, triumphant and rejoicing. This process has continued throughout history, and continues even today. So … who are Christ’s disciples today?

John 8:31-32

31 Jesus then said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Each and every one of us can be His disciple by believing in Him AND remaining in Him. This is why it is important to study scripture and understand what “remaining” in Christ truly means. Christ may not send us out on a dramatic healing mission, but no doubt, he will do great things through those who truly remain in Him. I’ve had moments in my life where I’ve felt that happening, and I can tell you that the joy is as great as I’ve ever experienced.

Daily - 10/15/08

Proverbs 27:17

17 As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens his fellow man.

This verse describes discipleship in a nutshell. Spiritual development occurs in many ways, and one of these ways is by spending time with people of faith and learning from them. The best spiritual growth I’ve had in my life has come through one-on-one relationships with folks who know more than me. The fact of the matter is that our priests just don’t have enough hours in the day to minister to everyone on an individual level.

Over the last few years I’ve developed a strong passion for discipleship. All of us have had great mentors in our lifetime, and we’ve learned so much from them. In my opinion, the best gift that we can give a person who has spiritual hunger is to commit our time to them. Walk together with them, be true friends to them, and minister to their needs. Pray with them, spend time in the Word with them, and discuss spirituality with them.

The investment of time with another Christian brother bears fruit that will last a lifetime. That’s a great way to pile up treasures in heaven.