DISCIPLINE #6 OF 12 - FELLOWSHIP

 THE BMIC BLAST, APRIL 2025

TEXT: HEBREWS 10:23-25

A WALK THROUGH ROMANS 15 (Verse 2)

LIFT UP TO BUILD UP

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up...Romans 15:2 (ESV)

Have you ever been asked by someone the following questions:
"Why should I believe you?"

"Why should I believe your Jesus?"

"Why should I go to church, all they want is my money?"

"Why should I go where all the hypocrites go?"

All good questions these are, and for some reason, most professing Christians cannot answer even one of them!

I will attempt to answer each of the above in one short paragraph each:

"Why believe me" - Don't believe me, believe God! If you wish to live Romans 15:2 to your "neighbor" tell them your story through HIS story! Tell what God has done in your life!

"Why believe your Jesus" - Because I know He is real, He is my Savior and the King of the World! Every prophesy from Genesis 3 to the end of the Book of the Revelation, written over 1500 by 40 different authors, point to Jesus!

"Why go to church...all they want is my money" - Do not confuse crooked TV evangelists and their jets and Bentleys with the local corner pastor, who works harder than most men about 8 days a week. When someone is sick, guess who they call! Most people who go to church do not even tithe or give even close to the expected 10%...it is more like between 1%-2% in America! Most people spend more at McDonald's than they give to the church.

"Why should I go where the hypocrites go" - Are you sure you want to go there? Not all people are hypocrites. If someone has been treated rudely, unchristian-like or just plain inhuman by 'church' people, do you blame God for that? If one day, you drink a warm cup of milk from your broken fridge, do you give up drinking milk for life?

These are just some of the examples of things thrown at us all the time, by those we wish to reach out to, both with kindness in their time of need and/or the Gospel. The above attempted responses are equal to the second part of Verse 2 where he says "to build him up" for his own good.

The first part, when actually translated in the spirit of the message from the Lord is "do all you can to "aresketo" or meet with someone's or gain their approval, in order to do what I just said - build them up, lift them up, be an encouragement to them ....and therefore, love them to Jesus! This is the Spirit of the Great Commission!

TOMORROW: VERSE 3

(image courtesy google images)

HOW DO I THINK ON THESE THINGS?

Part 2......THE  MINDSET......

Many have made a living for decades, teaching others how to think positively. As we say yesterday, Dale Carnegie is probably the best known as one of the earliest, to do this in an organized fashion.

While he and Norman Vincent Peale are the most famous, over the years, many have used various techniques to fire up folks from Aunt Betty to those in corporate boardrooms across America. Tony Robbins and his big presence has made millions so doing. As has Ken Blanchard (the One Minute Manager guy); Steven Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People; Dr. Phil; Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the ...you name it) and on and on.

Most of these men and women may use a bible verse or two, but these two men stand out for their long term walk with the Lord and basing their entire career on the Bible: Zig Ziglar and Dave Ramsey! This piece is not about biographies but about where the source of both men's strength comes from - the Word of God.


Men like us (and actually there are more women motivational speakers/life coaches than men) believe completely in the Sufficiency of Scripture. This means the Word of the Lord has the answers to ALL Life's great issues, problems and more.


Today, I wish to focus us on the following passage of Philippians with as little comment as possible. In fact, today, I will lay out the two part passage to Biblical Positive Thinking and tomorrow, briefly explain, in one sentence- what it means.
FROM THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS:


A. THE FOUNDATION FOR THE RIGHT MINDSET:


⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 
⁵ Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 
⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.


B. THE FORMULA FOR THE RIGHT MINDSET:
   
⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things arepure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.


TOMORROW: "What Does It Mean?" 

THINK ON THESE THINGS - SATURDAY

ARE YOU GOING THROUGH THE STORMS OF LIFE?

How are you managing the storms of life? They come, well, fast and furious! Some are just a drizzle. Some are downpours. Some are hurricanes. Some are typhoons which can take you out to a sea of despair really quickly, if you are caught unaware.


Continuing our series on encouragement, frequent guest DERRICK BOYD, a man of God and a High School science teacher from North Carolina, has a unique perspective on Hurricanes. He lives through them endlessly! Yet, Derrick is a man with his eyes on Christ. I think you will like this short offering to the table of discussion! By the way, I tell you what, you don't find too many Science teachers in the Fellowship of Christians Athletes, or who love Jesus!! :-)

HURRICANES

It is never a dull moment when you live near the coast of North Carolina. I have lived through several hurricanes in my time. I can remember when Hugo hit when I was a child. I can even better remember Bertha and Fran two weeks apart, Bonnie the next year and Floyd two years later. So when we learned that Irene was on the way, it was just another storm. 


One of the observations that I made with this latest hurricane, is the number of people in the area that seemed to be so frightened by the thought of a hurricane hitting the coast. People felt that there was emminant danger ahead and feared for the worst. Now don't get me wrong, a hurricane is a serious affair, and not to be triffled with. 


But, it seems that all of the people that I noticed this way, have not had much experience with hurricanes. Either it be that they have not been a resident for long, or they are just too young to remember some of the storms in the past. This got me to thinking about Paul being shipwrecked on his way to Rome, and all that he went through for his faith. In a letter to the church at Corinth, he summed up what he had gone through. 


2 Corinthians 11:23-29 "23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 


I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?" 


Paul had gone through more than any other apostle. Yet he still continued. He took it in his stride. You see, the more we are exposed to the storms of this life, and persevere through them, the stronger we become. 


The less the storms have an affect on us. We face these battles daily over our faith. When these storms do come, we need to keep our eyes on God. He knows what is going on. He understands everything that is happening to us better than we do. 


By keeping our faith and trust in the Lord, we will survive these storms, and become strengthen by them. 


If Paul can do it, so can we. 


So I encourage you today, if you are going through a trial, if the storm seems too great to overcome, turn to God and put your faith in Him. And He will see you through. 

(Image by Google)