"Little Foxes Destroy the Vine"

For more than a week the Lord has had on my mind the fact that is mentioned in the "Song of Solomon" - "Little foxes destroy the vine" (3:15).
This morning I awoke with a start because of a dream in which I had observed children being abducted. I had been able to follow the abductors, but was seen and went home to change cars in order to continue following them. They were going to be in the same location, and I had enough time to accomplish the exchange. At the right moment I would have the ability to set them free.
While at home, I saw a fire beginning in a house that was literally falling down. I called 911 for the fire department and noticed that the fire was already spreading to more houses on the block, but it was only on the exterior of the other houses. I waited for the firemen so I could help them identify which houses were on fire. They began putting out fires quickly. My window of opportunity to help the abducted children was closing rapidly and I was standing around helping firemen that didn't need my help.
I sensed there was a spiritual nature to this dream that related to the truth about "Little Foxes." As I thought it through, I saw the theme that had been on my heart about the verse from "Song of Solomon." We let little things get our attention, become the focus of our limited time resources, and draw us away from more important things. In Church we allow the 75% of people who are not going to bear fruit (Jesus' parable of the sower in Matt. 13) take our time so that we do not fulfill the call to "make disciples" (Matt. 28) and help people find life and freedom in Christ. There are so many "fires" that are just distractions and smoke screens the Body of Christ, as well as regular life. In life, this is like fictional TV shows or other meaningless activities we allow to take our time.
Jesus said that He is the vine and we are the banches (John 15). When the vine is destroyed , we are cut off from our life sources and cannot bear fruit ourselves. Furthermore, in Matt. 8:22 He said to a disciple who wanted to stop following Him until he could bury a dead person, "Let the dead bury the dead." Again, a situation we cannont change or help can take us away from following the Lord. Little foxes truly will destroy the vine.

Disciples of the Lord

Having just returned from a trip to Mexico, there is a lot stirring inside of me. While I was part of a team with the assignment of teaching about Five-Fold and Team Ministry, I think I'm the one that got the most out of it. Not that I learned a lot of new things, but having to dwell on the subject made me evaluate some of the things we ARE NOT doing well at the Church of LIFE.
For instance, we are not "making disciples" very well, which was the "Great Commission" of the Lord. Rather than focusing on discipling people in living by the word of God, we are hung up on solving petty problems that would be solved by a proper focus on the word and perhaps a little bit of specialty teaching/treaining. So..... back to the basics on making disciples, which involves being a disciple, discipling others, and releasing them to make disciples (of the Lord, not ourselves). A historical danger is that people begin to make disciples of themselves or a doctrine and become unbalanced, downright heretical, focused on a person other than Christ, or judgmental. We must keep the danger in mind and press forward with making disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sent Out

Today I travel to Mexico for the privilege of teaching in Pastors' Conferences in Sumidero and Oaxaca. We will be with Jeff Kindrick in Cordoba. It is also a privilege to have been sent out and covered by the Church of LIFE and the Tuesday night Bible study group.

It is so important to be undercover and sent to wherever we go. So often we are uncovered, which makes us vulnerable both to the enemy and our own flesh. When we go without being sent, we are out of order and also vulnerable. Operating on our own is simply rebellion. If what we are doing is of the Lord, those who are spiritual will be supportive because they discern spiritually and are true brothers and sisters (1 Cor. 2:12-14).

I will miss my beloved wife terribly! It is such a joy and so fulfilling to walk together in the Lord and ministry. It has taken years to develop that, but it has been worth the work and wait. She has been patient with me!!!

Refuse to Forget

Our Tuesday night Bible study has begun a study of Deuteronomy after finishing Hebrews. As the book begins, Moses recounts some of the major events in the forty year journey back to the doorway of entering the "promised land."

The first time they were in position to go in and "possess the land which the Lord swore to your fathers," they allowed fear to rob them of their blessing. Even though they had been reminded that God would go before them and fight for them "according to all He did in Egypt before your eyes." Moses commented in 1:32, "Yet, for all that, you did not beieve the Lord your God."

Our group began to share all the ways God has provided, protected and led us. There were some amazing and miraculous stories told. We committed ourselves to spend the week thinking of these events in our lives, thanking Him, and using them to move forward with faith rather than fear.