MY SPIRITUAL GENEALOGY

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.”  (2 Timothy 2:2 NLT)
 
Every family tree has branches, names, and stories that brought us to where we stand today. I have been working on my family tree, which now has over 2100 people in it, and in some cases goes back seven generations. And as I celebrate my 75^th birthday tomorrow, I am very appreciative of that lineage that has gotten me to this point.
 
But there is another lineage -- one not recorded in dusty archives or online databases. It is our spiritual genealogy, the sacred chain of grace that stretches from Christ Himself all the way to us.
 
It began with Jesus, who entrusted His gospel to a handful of ordinary men and women. They carried His message with trembling hands and burning hearts. They shared it with neighbors, strangers, and nations. One person told another. Parents told their children. A friend told a friend. A preacher proclaimed it to a crowd. A missionary whispered it on the other side of an ocean. A Sunday school teacher planted it in a young heart. A coworker shared it over lunch. A grandparent prayed it over a crib. A chaplain comforted a hospice patient.
 
Somewhere in that unbroken line of Christ’s faithful witnesses, someone told the person who told the person who eventually told me. There were actually many persons who showed me The Way.
 
I may never know all their names. I may never see their faces. But heaven knows every one of them and I hope to meet them there and thank them. God saw each conversation, each prayer, each act of courage that carried the gospel one link further down the chain until it reached my life.
 
And now, by grace, I am part of that lineage. The story didn’t end when the gospel reached me and I received it. It continues every time I share Christ’s love, speak His name, share a SOUND BITES quote, or live out His truth. I am both a recipient and a steward of a life-changing message that has traveled across centuries to find me.
 
My spiritual genealogy is a reminder that faith is never an accident. It is a gift, intentionally passed down through generations of faithful hearts, all rooted in the One who started it all -- Jesus Christ.
 
Lord, thank You for every person who carried Your gospel forward so it could reach me. Help me honor that legacy by sharing Your love with the next link in the sacred chain of grace. Let my life be part of someone else’s spiritual genealogy, pointing them back to You. 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry™

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THE CONVICTION OF THE SPIRIT

Jesus said, “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you. And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment… When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.”  (John 16:7,8,13 NLT)

Every year our entire church staff goes on a pilgrimage to the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  During one of the sessions this past year, our team was sitting in the balcony of the Gwinnett Center listening to my friend and pastor of LifeChurch, Craig Groeschel.  And he asked this question: “Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God?”

I felt a tremendous sense of conviction when Craig asked that question.  As I sat in that balcony, surrounded by twelve thousand other leaders, I heard the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit said to my spirit in His kind yet convicting voice, Mark, what happened to the college kid who used to pace the chapel balcony seeking My face?

There are few things I hate more or appreciate more than the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  It is so painful.  But it is so necessary.  And I’m so grateful that God loves me enough to break me where I need to be broken.  Can I make an observation?  You cannot listen to just half of what the Holy Spirit has to say.  It’s a package deal.  If you aren’t willing to listen to everything He has to say, you won’t hear anything He has to say.  If you tune out His convicting voice, you won’t hear His comforting voice or guiding voice either.  As I was seated in the balcony, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the raw spiritual intensity I once had.  He revealed how calloused my heart had become.  And I realized that I had somehow lost my soul while serving God.  And it wrecked me.

Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God?  

-- Mark Batterson in “PRIMAL: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity”

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THE COMING OF THE SPIRIT

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NIV)

The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost instilled in the church its mission and ministry. Our purpose is to be Christ’s witnesses -- beginning in our community and extending throughout all the world.

The continued growth of the church and proclamation of the gospel is dependent upon us. The gospel is no longer dependent upon Peter, James, John, Paul, and Silas, and all the early Christians. It is dependent upon each one of us in our life and witness. It is an awesome task and incredible responsibility, but remember we are not alone in this. The Spirit is always with us, and that’s what keeps us going.

Pentecost is about power, the coming of the Spirit to empower the church to fulfill its purpose and calling. 

-- Adapted  from James W. Moore and Bob J. Moore in “Lord, Give Me Patience!... And Give It to Me Right Now!”  

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BREAKING OUT

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”  (1 Peter 2:2-3 NIV)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:2 NIV)

We must try to break out of our culture’s mindset and seek to discover “that good and perfect will of God.” In short, we must somehow get hold of “the pure spiritual milk” of the Word, as opposed to the diluted baby formula that has become the diet prescribed by society. We must escape the tendency to conform to society – even within our most crucial spiritual disciplines.

It seems to me that only a strong doctrine of the Holy Spirit offers us any hope of reading Scripture without being influenced by our culture. There has to be something of a miracle involved in true revelatory Bible reading. And the good news is that such miracles happen. As I read the Scriptures, without the help of commentaries or interpreter’s notes, more times than not, I am conscious of the Spirit’s presence. There is revelation, and in it the Spirit applies what I read to my life. I sense I am “breaking out” of culturally controlled modes of interpretation, even as I sense the “breaking in” of God. 

-- Adapted from an article by Tony Campolo (1935-2924) entitled “Getting Out of the World Alive” in Discipleship Journal, No. 86

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IN JARS OF CLAY

“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)

In this passage, we find Paul trying to help his readers see the glory of our heavenly Father in the dust of everyday experience. That’s what makes a huge difference in this life: seeing things from God’s perspective. Paul was showing that it can be done because God has been revealed in human form through Jesus Christ, the ultimate Treasure in an earthly vessel -- flesh and blood. All the eternal and infinite glory of God shined through the humanity of His Son, who was fully human and yet fully divine. Jesus’ enemies saw Him as just another man, but behind those eyes dwelt the one true God… We have this treasure, the ministry of Christ, in our “earthly vessels,” our frail and imperfect human bodies.

This is a difficult concept to understand, but Paul always had a handy word picture available. This time he used the idea of a clay jar. If there was one absolutely ordinary, run-of-the-mill object that everyone in the Middle East could understand it was the clay jar. Cheap pottery was everywhere and used for everything. The jars were breakable, but it didn’t matter because it was so easy to get another one. Clay earthenware was as common as -- well, as the clay beneath one’s feet.

A clay pot had absolutely no value in itself. Everyone knew that. On the other hand, it could hold a priceless pearl, a gold piece, a bite of bread to fend of hunger, a day’s drink of water, a wedding ring… It wasn’t the jar but the treasure inside that counted. 

-- David Jeremiah in “Keep the Faith: How to Stand Strong in a World Turned Upside Down” 

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COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

“The king rejoices in Your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories You give!... Surely You have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of Your presence.”  (Psalm 21:1,6 NIV)

“Count your blessings” is a popular phrase I’ve never related well to. The moment I try to list all God has done for me, I realize how woefully short my efforts fall. I can thank Him for my salvation, for the blessings of home, relationships, work, and ministry. But I know His grace extends far beyond that. Even if I spent a week, I could hardly cover everything adequately. And when I came to an end, all I’d have would be a mechanical list -- the exercise itself would take the delight out of my praise.

Yet even joy-filled King David didn’t attempt to cram all God’s wonders in a single hymn. Though he rejoices throughout Psalm 21, he hardly describes everything God has done for him. The king’s adulation rings through much of the psalter -- as if he couldn’t contain it in one place or time. But his masterful adoration is more than a list of thank-yous. David knew a secret of thanks it took me a while to uncover. Real thanks are tied to the nature of God. Here David offers gratitude to his Lord for specific blessings in verses 1-6 and ends describing God’s eternal gifts. All the psalmist’s joy cannot be separated from his Master’s presence. Without God, the king understands, even the richest gain would be empty. To know God deeply is the greatest blessing of all, and intimate knowledge comes with a lifetime of loving Him.

So instead of detailing every benefit God provides, like David I’ll thank Him for a few big ones today and spend time basking in His love. As I look closely into my Lord’s face, I can’t help but delight in His presence. 

-- Pamela McQuade, from “Daily Wisdom to Satisfy the Soul,” published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

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DON’T SETTLE FOR LESS

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”  (Ephesians 1:3)

What are you settling for in your life? What are you willing to compromise for comfort? For happiness? For prestige or wealth?

It’s far too easy to settle for less. Less than the fullness of God’s blessing. Less than God’s purpose for your life. And soon what matters to others seems more important than what matters to God.

Surfing the Internet becomes more important than reading your Bible. Going to the gym seems more important than early-morning prayer. A good tee-time is suddenly the priority over worship time.

Jesus opened His heart to His Father and prayed, “And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began” (John 15:5). Jesus was asking His Father to give Him more! More glory! More blessing!

Don’t settle for less than everything your Heavenly Father wants to give you.

– Adapted from “Fixing My Eyes on Jesus” by Anne Graham Lotz

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OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"  (1 John 3:1 NIV)

To be called a “child of God” is not a title we earn through merit or moral achievement -- it’s a gift of grace. It’s the result of God’s lavish love, poured out through His Son Jesus Christ, who made a way for us to be adopted into His family. John 1:12-13 says, “To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

This identity is not symbolic -- it’s spiritual reality. We are not merely followers or servants; we are sons and daughters of the King. That changes everything.

In a world that often leaves us feeling isolated or unseen, God offers belonging. As His children, we are known, loved, and never alone. We are engraved on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8), and heirs of His promises (Romans 8:17). Being a child of God means we have a place at His table, a voice in His presence, and a purpose in His kingdom.

Children often reflect their parents and as children of God, we are called to reflect His character. That means living lives marked by love, grace, truth, and holiness. It’s not about perfection, but transformation. The Spirit within us shapes us to look more like Jesus, day by day.

Galatians 4:6 reminds us, “And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” This intimate cry – “Abba” -- is the heartbeat of our identity. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 2 of 2

God nudges. God speaks. And God also corrects. I’m thankful for that. Sometimes I miss His nudges. Sometimes I misunderstand His words. And so He needs to correct. But God’s correction is not a frightening thing. Rather, it is freeing and invigorating.

Christians who want to reach out to their friends and help them grow sometimes make the mistake of thinking that it’s their job to convict their friends of sin. But this is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:7-10). Our job, if we have the gift of exhortation, is to “stimulate the faith of others” (Romans 12:9 PH), to stand on the sidelines and cheer: “Yes, my friends! Be free! Listen to the conviction of the Spirit! Follow the Word of the Lord!”

Most of the time God’s nudging, speaking, and correcting take place in the ordinary moments of our days. Sometimes God seems especially present in a conversation. Occasionally, I sense God leading me to suggest meeting a friend five or six times to discuss a particular issue, book or passage of Scripture. When that happens, I usually tell my friend that I’d like to give her the gift of focusing on her agenda when we get together. This is not chitchat time. It’s not even sharing time. It’s a time to look at her life to see if we can discover what God is saying to her. I love it when people show that kind of interest in me. And you can be sure that others will respond enthusiastically to your interest in them.

Thinking back on my childhood, I’m thankful for those who God has used to nudge me towards the kingdom. I’m delighted that in the years since, God has used me to help others “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30: 19).

God uses ordinary people like you and me, to urge others to follow Him. What a privilege to be a part of His work in the world today!

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 1 of 2

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”  (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a NIV)

God gives all of us a choice to follow Him: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16; 30:19)  Along the way, people have helped me to choose life by gently “nudging” me to want to be like them.

On the other hand, I can think of too many friends who have turned away from God because of someone’s ill-suited attempts to “disciple” them. In our well-intentioned determination to “clean up” a new believer’s life, we may impose standards and expectations that God never intended.

This, I believe, is because we forget how God works in our lives. He usually works slowly and quietly. He uses circumstances to pattern His own intervention. And He never speaks to me in exactly the same way He speaks to you.

Most important, we must remember that He does the work. It isn’t our work, our influence, or our ideas that cause real growth in another’s life. If we forget that, we can be tempted to manipulate others, and we risk becoming caricatures of people of faith.

As I’ve experienced God’s work in my own life and seen Him work in the lives of others, I’ve noticed that He does three things: He nudges, He speaks, and He corrects. We grow -- we choose life -- when we respond to His activity in our lives. We help others choose life, too, when we understand and participate in God’s work as He nudges them, speaks to them, and corrects them. 

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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OFFERING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, Jesus went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”  (Luke 7:36-38 NIV)

In Luke’s Gospel, we read the story of a woman who brought to Jesus a jar of expensive perfume which she broke open and poured out on Him… as an offering. She did not have to give it, but she made a choice. She did not give from obligation, but an open heart. She did not come for an hour, put her offering in a basket, and immediately leave to go back to her daily activities. She stopped. She wasn’t too busy or distracted by the world to surrender her thanksgiving and linger with her Savior as an act of worship. This outpouring of her time cost her, but it would be repaid by an outpouring of mercy and peace from Jesus.

There are many contrasts in the passage. The Pharisees were religious and educated. The woman was sinful and wasn’t allowed to study. The Pharisees were there to question Jesus. The woman was there to worship Jesus. The Pharisees were prideful. The woman was humble. The Pharisees shunned the sinful woman. Jesus showed her mercy. Because the woman was willing to come before Jesus with her broken offering, she received wholeness and redemption. What a moment. 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent

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THE WAY TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY

“We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:3b-5 NIV)

Imagine you are walking through a garden and you notice a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. What would happen if, in an effort to help it, you took some scissors and snipped the cocoon away?

In a few hours you would witness a tragedy. The wings, shrunken and shriveled, would not fill out with all their potential beauty. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the butterfly would drag a broken body through its short life. The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to be free from it are God’s way of forcing fluid into the butterfly’s wings. The “merciful” snip would have been in reality quite cruel.

The way to spiritual maturity is often difficult and ugly, forcing us to embrace our poverty before God and our dependence upon Him. We must learn to struggle well, not avoid the fight while building a shining exterior. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.  

-- Adapted from an article entitled “Not According to Plan” by Jeff Jernigan in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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BUSYNESS AND THE CHURCH

We Christians in America often pride ourselves on being busy with church activities. It is a compliment to say So-and-so is “active in church.” In some megachurches it is almost possible to spend all one’s nonworking, nonsleeping hours at church.

That isn’t necessarily bad. We need fellowship with other Christians, and church activities are better than many secular alternatives. But it might be healthy to consider our motives for remaining busy with church activities. According to 1 Corinthians 13, doing a lot of things is no substitute for genuine Christian love -- even though a loving Christian will, of course, do good works.

In my youth in Germany, my impression was that churches are places of worship, not activity centers. Europeans (whose rates of church attendance are much lower than Americans) still puzzle that American churches schedule so many activities outside the worship times. Personally, I like busyness, since it dispels the notion that Christianity is strictly a Sunday morning affair. Bible studies, fellowship times, prayer groups, etc., are wonderful things. My chief criticism of church busyness is this: We can bury ourselves in activities and withdraw from a world that needs to hear the gospel. Busy churches can be like monasteries – beehives of activity, but forgetful of Jesus’ mandate to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). We can’t “let [our] light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16) if our lights only shine within the church fellowship hall.

-- George Strumpf and J. Stephen Lang, quoted in “Side by Side: Disciple-Making for a New Century,” Steve and Lois Rabey, General Editors 

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FAITHFUL WAITING

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near."  (James 5:7–8 NIV)

In a world of instant results and endless urgency, James draws us into the quiet strength of a farmer waiting for the rains. No crop matures overnight. No growth unfolds without trust in what’s unseen.

This is the rhythm of faith -- not passive resignation, but faithful anticipation. Patience and perseverance are not weak, but deeply courageous. We wait with hope. We endure with resolve. Because we know the harvest is promised by a God who never forgets His Word. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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BAKING A CAKE

“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NRSV)

The story is told of a very ill little boy who was telling his Grandma how "everything" was going wrong -- school was too hard, family problems, his severe pain, just all the hardships he was going through. Meanwhile, Grandma was baking a cake. She asked the child if he would like a snack, which of course he did.

"Here. Have some cooking oil."

"Yuck," said the boy.

"How about a couple of raw eggs?"

"Gross, Grandma."

"Would you like some flour then?  Or, maybe baking soda?"

"Grandma, those are all yucky!"

Grandma replied: "Yes, Sweetheart, those things seem bad all by themselves. But, when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He could let us go through such bad and difficult times, but God knows that, when He takes those things and puts them all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually the yucky stuff will be used to make something wonderful in our lives!"

God will work all things for our good if we but love and trust Him!

– Author Unknown

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THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me and for the gospel will save it.”  (Mark 8:34b-35 NIV)

As evidence that cross-bearing must become the true disciple’s way, Jesus offers His listeners the paradox of Mark 8:35. The “life” saved or lost is the Greek “psyche,” which includes a threefold dimension: “life,” “soul,” and “oneself.” Clearly, all three meanings are intended by Jesus’ declaration. The blatant expression of physical cost had already been highlighted by references to suffering and the focus on the cross, a device of physical torture. But here there is an additional sense of “life” as well.  A sense of individual identity, of “oneself” and the unique “soul” that animates every living person, is part of the natural desire of self-preservation that Jesus turns topsy-turvy with His words. Jesus’ rhetorical question, “What can they give in return for their life?” (Mark 8:37) leads His listeners to the conclusion that only “life itself” can be offered as an adequate response to the gift of life. For both the disciples and the crowds who had up to this point been enjoying a journey of triumph and miracles, Jesus’ new message was both sobering and hard to swallow.

Today the cost of discipleship is still sobering and hard to swallow... The final comment offered by Jesus, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulteress and sinful generation, of Him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father and the holy angels,” (Mark 8:38) reminds His listeners, and us, that whatever choice we make, for Jesus or against Him, there will be eternal consequences. 

-- Leonard Sweet in “A Cup of Coffee at the SoulCafe”

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