If You Disciple Well There Will Be Push Back

Pharaoh not only said no to Moses but made things worse for the Hebrews.

When we do what God wants we will get push back from those around and those we are serving.

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Rejoice When All is Well

Moses and Aaron and the people took time to celebrate when all was going well.  We celebrate with the children we love when there is a reason to.  Celebrate now -- don't wait!

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Win the Lost With LOVE

Proverbs 29:10

Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright.

Bloodthirsty men hate.  Have you ever seen hatred?  Real, burning hatred makes men do unspeakable things.  Bloodthirsty men hate; and men who hate are bloodthirsty.  

Maybe no one has ever threatened your life, but has anyone ever tried to kill your reputation, or kill you emotionally?  In our society most of the attacks by bloodthirsty people are done with words.  Words hurt.  Words kill.  Words cut deep, and the scars last a lifetime.  Hateful words can destroy a life.  They certainly destroy relationships.  

Why do people hate?  In a society that preaches tolerance and that life is meaningless- that it doesn't matter what you believe or what you do, because when you die you die.  That's all there is-  Why do people even care enough about others to hate them?  Why do they even bother to take notice?

The apostle John answers this question in 1 John 3:12-13:

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.  Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

Ultimately, people hate because of sin.  God is love, but sin separates us from God.  Because of sin, we are all naturally bent toward sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21).  Without God we are incapable of love.  "This is how we know what love is:  Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." (1 John 3:16) and "We love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).  It is only by the grace of God that we are not all "bloodthirsty men" who hate.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

When you see hatred, or are the victim of hatred, don't respond with hatred.  Jesus tells us to love our enemies.  Hateful people are to be pitied.  They are children of satan on their way to hell.  So don't respond to hatred with hatred.  Respond with love.  Let the love of Jesus shine through you in situations like this.  Love that hateful person enough to share Jesus with them.  God did not put you in that spot to justify that other person's hatred; He put you there to tell that person about what Jesus has done for him.  God wants all people to be saved.  It is our responsibility to respond to every difficult person and situation with love and God's Word.  Every act of hatred is our opportunity to win another soul for heaven, but the Holy Spirit can only work if we open our mouth tell that person, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Jesus died for the bloodthirsty just as He died for you and me.  It is the unbelievers who need to hear this message, believers already know it, and they will only hear it if you respond with love.

God bless

Jason Fredrick

What's Your Parental Blindspot?

Moses was sent by God to lead His people out of slavery, but he failed to have his son take a big step of discipleship.  Thankfully Moses' wife fixed the situation.

We need others (often spouses or teachers) to help us disciple the next generation and avoid our blindspots.

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Send Someone Else to Disciple Your Children?

After God answered Moses excuses, he finally admitted he didn't want to go to do God's work.  God gave Moses a partner, his brother Aaron, to go with him.  We may be hesitant to do what God wants but he sends us family and others to be with us so we can bravely God where God is leading.  We are that initial partner with our children and then we aim to connect them with others who will be that needed friend to keep them walking God's way.

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Do Not Let Our Children Run Away

Moses was afraid his people would not listen to his message.  When God gave him power to persuade, he was afraid of that power.  We need to help our children embrace the power God will work through them.

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Connect Our Children to the God of the Burning Bush

Moses met God in power and as one who keeps his promises to his people.  That God is the same God we need to introduce and connect more and more to our children.

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A Multi-Cultural Life is A Good Life

Moses added to his cultural diversity by moving to a foreign land and marrying a woman from a different people.  This helped form him into a leader who could navigate different cultures.  As disciplers we would be wise to help our disciples engage as many cultures as possible so they can lead where God wants them to go.

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A Leader With No Followers?

Moses wanted to be a leader but was not ready until God prepared him.  God still prepares and calls people to lead others.  Parents and educators today need to train people to be leaders.

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Cross Cultural Parenting

Moses was raised biculturally -- learning he was a Hebrew and who the LORD was from his mother, but legally being an Egyptian raised in Pharaoh's house and education.  God equipped him to change the world and get it ready for Jesus.  Today children discipled in more than one culture are uniquely equipped to serve Jesus into the future.

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Piece of Life's Puzzle

God used many different people to spare Moses.  God still uses many different people today to save lives and connect people to eternal lives.  You are one of those pieces.  Thank God for the other pieces.

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Boys Are Dangerous

Pharaoh told his people to kill all the boy Hebrews and to save the girls.  Why?  Because he was afraid of their potential.  Modern disciplers need to see boys as dangerous tools that God can use for his kingdom and train them for Jesus.

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A Podcast Equipping Parents and Educators To Disciple the Next Generation

   
For years I have been looking for a solid podcast to get a daily dose of Jesus.  A couple of months ago when Pastor Steinberg decided to start producing Christ for Disciplers, I got really excited about the possibilities.  Once he started releasing episodes I was hooked! Now I start every day with breakfast and Christ for Disciplers.

Christ for Disciplers is now available in iTunes and Google Play, as well at Stitcher, Tune In, PodBean and Spotify.  Listeners can go to http://ChristForDisciplers.com for the direct feed or be directed to the different providers.

In just two months, over 1500 listeners have downloaded over fifty 600 second episodes.  Most listeners are from the USA but a number are from Australia, Germany, France, Zambia, Canada, Indonesia and a total of 24 other countries.

Take a listen.  Subscribe. Think of others that could benefit from this Podcast and share via text, email or social media.

There is no cost or advertisements, just a sharing of the Gospel applied to those in the role of discipleship.

After listening please share any thoughts, questions or comments with pastorsteinberg@gmail.com to help improve the program.

Take 600 seconds each day so Christ will not take second in your life or the life of the next generation!

Jason Fredrick

http://ChristForDisciplers.com

Be a Life-Long Learner

Proverbs 16:10

The lips of a king speak as an oracle, and his mouth should not betray justice.

An oracle is a person who delivers authoritative, wise, or highly regarded and influential pronouncements.

When Solomon says that a "king speaks as an oracle" he is revealing the great responsibility of holding a position of authority.  All of you reading this right now hold a position of authority somewhere.  If you are a parent, teacher, pastor, an older sibling, or over the age of 12; this proverb is for you.  We all have influence in this world.  The only question is:  Are you intentional about how you are influencing others?

Most people want to hold the position of the king because all they see are the benefits and blessings of his success.  The problem is that few people want to do the heavy lifting of becoming worthy to be the king.  It is hard work to intentionally work on yourself.  It takes time, study, and hard work to develop the wisdom to lead effectively with love and justice.  Look at the definition of "oracle" above.  How many people do you know that meet those qualifications to be king.  Too many people don't care about justice.  All they care about is what they want, what benefits them personally.

Solomon makes it clear that with the blessing of authority comes great responsibility.  What are you currently doing to make sure that your lips are speaking wisdom and justice?
If your answer is, "uhhh" or "Nothing", then you are failing those who have been entrusted to your leadership.  If you are not reading, listening, and associating everyday with the intention of getting better, then you are taking your blessing of authority (leadership) for granted.

If your attitude is:  "The Holy Spirit will give me what I need when I need it", you are putting the Lord to the test.  It is true that the Holy Spirit can just give you the wisdom needed for your situation, but the reality is that the Holy Spirit generally, and almost always, works through a means.  He works through your hours of preparation.  He works through your daily Leadership Education (read, listen, associate).  The Holy Spirit gives wisdom and profound insights to those who are working at it through their daily self-directed education.  Being lazy in your education and study isn't faithfulness, it's arrogance. 

I encourage you not to put the Lord to the test.  Take responsibility for your life-long education and marvel at how He chooses to use you.  If you do this, you will be greatly blessed.

God bless
Jason Fredrick

Expect Others to Assume You Are Like Them

Joseph's brothers did not trust he had really forgiven them.  We need to practice forgiving others and continue to assure people so they trust our and God's forgiveness.

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Bless Your Family Members

Joseph gave his brothers, who had sold him as a slave, blessings and riches.  His love probably confused them. We look to Jesus who blesses us despite our rebellion for power to love our children when they do not deserve it.

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Make Time for Your Parents While There is Time

Joseph made sure to send for his father quickly.  Now is the time to spend with our parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren.

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What a Difference 13 Years makes

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Key Elements of Being a Hungry Student, and a Wise Mentor

Proverbs 23:9

Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.

This statement is one that I have learned the truth of firsthand.  If you have ever tried to coach someone, or just give advice to someone who wasn't really interested in fixing their situation, then you also have most likely learned this firsthand.  This Proverb holds practical advice for both the mentor and the protege.

First, the protege is well to realize that he doesn't know everything.  That's the whole reason why he is mentoring with the person that he is.  I have made the mistake several times in my career of trying to coach someone who didn't actually want coaching.  They just wanted someone to listen to their complaining.  This is very frustrating, but it teaches  an important lesson:

Make sure that the person who has come to you seeking advice is truly seeking advice.  Complaining about a problem is not the same as seeking counsel.

Generally there are some tell-tale signs as to whether a person is genuinely seeking counsel or just looking for a willing ear for their complaining.  

• If your advice is being constantly contradicted, you are dealing with a complainer.
• If excuses are made why your advice can't be implemented, you are dealing with a complainer.
• If the individual is taking notes on what you are saying, you have a hungry student.
• If the individual is asking quality questions, you have a hungry student.
• If you refer books or audios and the titles are written down, you have a hungry student.
• If the person is trying to sell you on their excuses or line of thinking, you are dealing with a complainer.

On this point, the mentor should never presume to know everything about the situation.  A good mentor patiently asks quality questions to gain as full an understanding of the situation as possible.  Before giving any advice the mentor needs to ask enough questions in order to be able to make a proper diagnosis.  Mentoring should almost always begin with the mentor asking questions and the student talking.  It is only after the mentor has listened and gained an understanding of the situation is it his turn to talk.  The mentor who doesn't first listen is just as annoying as the student who doesn't listen.  Unfortunately, we have all probably experienced bad examples of this principle.  That's why it is so important for each of us to do this well.  We should all be a student and a mentor in different areas of our life, as well as at different stages of our life.

The hungry student is humble enough to learn the wisdom of the mentor.

The wise mentor is patient enough to learn who his student really is and to build that relationship.

No matter what your role is, keep reading, listening, and associating.  Always be voraciously learning and growing yourself.

The Lord bless you and keep you

Jason Fredrick

The Saddest of Times

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When Groups Go Bad

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Cut the Bragging

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A Gift that Keeps on Taking

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The Tale of the Tattling

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