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For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19
The birth of inLight Consulting came when God asked me, “What is the desire of your heart?” I looked into my heart to find that He was stirring the desire “to help Christian leaders find joyful, Spirit-filled ministry” (and yes, that is a quote).
Through many subsequent conversations with Him, and His careful orchestration of events, I discovered that His mission for us is to “encourage, edify and equip workplace leaders to become disciple makers and transformation agents in their spheres of influence.” One product of our mission has been the capture and communication of a disciple-making and transformation process, in a book entitled The Map Maker. Note: I was just the pen.
Several years ago, God began stirring a new and related desire: To be His instrument in building houses that will stand in a storm (from Matthew 7:24-27). When storms come into the lives of individuals and groups in our spheres of influence, many will experience the destruction of their house. In that season of chaos, they will turn to God or to the world for help. My hope is there will be a strong house standing nearby – a Christian leader that can show them the way to restoration; and to walk with them into a strong relationship with the LORD.
The Church at this moment needs men, the right kind of men, bold men… They will make no decisions out of fear, take no course out of a desire to please, accept no service for financial considerations, perform no religious act out of mere custom; nor will they allow themselves to be influenced by the love of publicity or the desire for reputation (A. W. Tozer; Of God and Men, pp. 11-13).
Tozer wrote Of God and Men in the middle of the 20th Century. “The right kind of men, bold men” are needed now more than ever before. For some reason only known to Him, God has determined to use me to help Christian leaders become bold and courageous. If you want that kind of help, here is your invitation.
The Invitation
An individual I have been discipling for some time recently asked me to teach The Map Maker to a group of workplace leaders in his church. This has been a triple blessing: Coming along-side a disciple to help him make disciples is what inLight is all about. Being used by God to teach the foundations and mysteries of the Kingdom is my passion. Developing new approaches to teaching The Map Maker will enable us to reach similar groups.
I believe God would have me continue teaching The Map Maker to small groups – either in person or online. This can be done in as little as eight weeks. As always, He would have me do it at no charge. It is His investment of me for the advancement of His kingdom. That is blessing enough.
This offer is my part. I will wait to hear from those that desire to be encouraged, edified and equipped. Please share this with Christian leaders that God puts on your heart.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
The desire of my heart is to help Christian Leaders find joyful, Spirit-filled ministry; and to be used by God in building houses that will stand in the storms of life (Matthew 7:24-25). I believe that is God’s purpose in this blog (I am just a pen).
Many times, the best way to disciple someone is to share a resource with them. It is cost and time efficient. Many times, others share the truth in ways that are beyond my gifting. This is one of those times.
So, in the hopes of your encouragement and edification, I offer to you a link to Ten Shekels and a Shirt (once the webpage opens, click the title, and then “open”, to start the audio). You will notice that this sermon is from a website – sermonindex.net – that promotes genuine Biblical revival, by offering some of the best sermons of the past 100 years. I promise, you will enjoy this one immensely.
I suspect you will want to listen to others, after you have heard from Paris Reidhead. You can do that through their website and their podcast channel. Let me now if you need help setting that up.
I also hope and pray that you will pass this sermon on to those you are discipling.
Humbly yours and forever His,
Rob
You are not making disciples if the disciples you think you are making are not, themselves, making disciples.
I have been communicating this word of encouragement for years now. Someone finally challenged me on it – his conviction being that making disciples is reserved for a select group of Christians, that have been given a select group of gifts.
As I understand it, his concern is that I am encouraging disciple makers to expect others to pursue areas of giftedness that God does not have for them. I highly respect this man’s opinion and concern; and recognize that others may share it.
Our conversation has caused me to reexamine my position. I hope you will consider the following.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
The Great Commission means a lot of different things to different people. Some haven’t thought much about it. Others have assumed that their teachers and preachers were experts in its meaning.
I don’t expect you will make that mistake with me. In fact, I strongly encourage you to consider the meaning for yourself. Does our Lord’s commission – given with all authority in heaven and on earth – apply to you (and to everyone you are discipling)? Read the rest of this entry »
One of the coolest things about searching the Scriptures is finding passages that expand and/or connect some bit of truth that has been previously discovered. For your encouragement, I offer two examples. First, we have two very familiar passages:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2Corinthians 3:18
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 2:12
Most of you know that one of my favorite Greek words is metamorphoō; translated in these verses as “transformed”. The fact that metamorphoō is only used three times in the New Testament is enough to suggest that these passages are connected in their meaning. For example, transformation includes the renewal of our minds, and the Holy Spirit plays a part in that transformation. (BTW: The third use will blow your mind. I will let you search it out on your own.)
For now, take a look at this connecting passage:
Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him… Colossians 3:10
Beholding the image of Him (His glory) we are renewed in knowledge (in our minds). How cool is that? Renewal of our minds and our transformation; both connected by our beholding Him. It begs the question, “How do we behold Him?” Read the rest of this entry »
A storm has come to a dear friend of mine and his family. He has been diagnosed with cancer – one of the most challenging and threatening storms a person can face. The peace he has in the midst of his storm is noticeable and encouraging. It is the mark of someone who trusts in his God.
There are other storms, and most in the body of Christ have faced them. There are personal storms, storms that affect families, and storms that impact an entire fellowship community. The way we live through these storms says much about our faith – the depth of our trust in God.
The next storm you face may be personal, familial or broader in its impact. Your trust in God will be evidenced by the peace you experience, and the peace others see in you. Inexplicable peace will be one of the strongest characteristics in those whose houses are standing in the storm. It will draw others to Him.
With that in mind, I would like to share the promise, provision and way of peace for every child of God. It starts with the prophecy of His coming.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
This much quoted verse contains something I had not noticed until recently. Not only was the Messiah to be wounded, bruised and scourged, but he was also promised to be chastised for our peace. He took on our chastisement (correction, reproof, rebuke) of the Father; that we might have peace with Him. Read the rest of this entry »
For most Christians, the Day of Pentecost was/is the day the Holy Spirit “came in power” upon those who were obediently waiting. This is true, but not the whole story. For many Christians today, Pentecost is about what we have been given. Again true, but limited… and a bit self-centered.
What if Pentecost is about something else; not something different, but something else important to the kingdom of God? Have you ever wondered why God chose the Festival of Weeks for the promised coming of the Holy Spirit? Have you ever considered His perspective of Pentecost? Have you ever considered what was in it for Him?
The Festival of Weeks was one of the three great celebrations of the Jewish year; given by God for “a new grain offering to the LORD” (Leviticus 23:15-21), “the firstfruits of wheat harvest” (Exodus 34:22). It was (is?) about the harvest. Is it possible that Pentecost is as much about the harvest of souls for God’s kingdom as it is about what we have been given (as great as that gift is)?
The Festival of Weeks was also the time of commemoration for the giving of the Law to Moses. In Jeremiah 31:33, we learn that God intends to write His law on our hearts. We know from John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit is our teacher. Is it possible that Pentecost, from God’s perspective, is as much about our “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded” (Matthew 28:20) as what we personally receive from the Holy Spirit?
Many in the church are crying out for revival in America; for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Why? I can’t help but wonder if our subconscious hope is for the return of “the good old days”; a day when Christians were respected, protected and comfortable. Could it be that God is waiting for us to align our purpose with His perspective?
Just something to think about.
Humbly yours and forever His,
The way we think about the United States of America and the church that resides here is becoming ever more important. Only when we come to understand the relationship and separation of the kingdom of God and America, can we rightly assess the value and danger of our patriotism. An important question is coming to the foreground: In this day, can we give our hearts’ allegiance to both America and the kingdom of God?
Many of America’s values and beliefs have become contrary to those in the kingdom of God. Two of the most damaging are the spirit of independence and the belief that man has the right to establish his own rule. Without God, the tensions between the two become unmanageable. The United State of America is swiftly becoming an example and object lesson in this regard. Read the rest of this entry »
I believe a storm is coming. That storm will test what we believe in our hearts – about the LORD and His kingdom. We will learn just how spiritually prepared we have become. That storm will test our houses.
It is comforting to know that I am not alone in my beliefs about the storm; nor am I alone in my preparation. Just in my community, God is raising up a good number of houses that will stand in the storm. He is preparing a people that will be a light and a refuge to those who lose their houses – perhaps even those that have no houses at all. I am sure He is doing the same all over the country.
As we explored earlier, spiritual preparation is paramount. Yes, as with any storm, there are physical/practical things that God has given us wisdom to pursue. Still, we must ensure that these are done in faith, with God’s wisdom. We must be careful to avoid ungodly fear and the wisdom of man.
So, how does one prepare for a storm? I have been thinking about this a lot lately (no surprise there); and I have been discussing the subject with everyone that seems interested. I recently met with 21 other mature Christian men to discuss what it means to be spiritually prepared. You can review the notes from that meeting here.
One of the things I have learned, and humbly offer to you today, is what I believe to be the obvious first step in building a house that will withstand the storm. It comes to us from Matthew 7:24-27. Read the rest of this entry »
All followers of Jesus Christ eventually recognize that there is a fierce battle being waged for the kingdom of God. It is the responsibility of Leaders in the Workplace to wade into the battle with truth, faith and courage; while encouraging others to do the same. God has promised to go before them, and be their rear guard.
The Scriptures hold great encouragement in regards to the battle preparations that have already been made, as well as the weapons that have been provided for our participation. There is nothing to fear. Those that answer the call to war will discover that David’s Mighty Men are but a shadow of what God has empowered us to be as His Mighty Men, Women and Children.
This lesson explores the Bible’s great encouragements for those engaged in the battle, and God’s way for fighting our enemies. Read the rest of this entry »
Recently, I was encouraged to write my testimony. Like me, you may have done this sometime in the past. If so, then I am writing to encourage you to write it again. This time, write it with the understanding that your testimony is an asset for the kingdom of God – a disciple making asset. Use it to encourage others and bring glory to our Father in heaven. If you have not written your testimony, then I am writing to ask you, “What are you waiting for?”
I humbly offer my own as an example.
This is a story about the making of a man. This man’s name is Rob Streetman. Rob is not a great deal unlike many men; but Rob is unique. Consequently, parts of Rob’s story – His being made – will be familiar, and parts will be strange. Hopefully, you will be encouraged by the former, and challenged by the later.
The important thing to keep in mind is that we are all being made into something… by someone. We are all “in process”. As you will see in his story, Rob is not a self-made man; and he is most grateful to God for that. He tried that approach for a season. It didn’t go well for him or anyone else. Fortunately, The Maker is patient and persistent in His love. That is the testimony of Rob’s making.
Read the rest of this entry »
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