Pastor Pusch

Discipleship: Believe and Follow

A simple question: Can one merely believe and not follow?

An Internal Discussion: The inquiries of my mind cannot leave this question alone. I have so many follow up questions that I cannot seem to put together. The reason I struggle with this notion is because I have never really been challenged by it. I always consider belief in Christ and following Him to go hand in hand. This is what supposed to happen. By grace I am saved through faith. It only seems natural to me that salvation be put into practice. It is not perfect; it is a work in progress. It is a work that demands my undivided attention and a walk that follows after Him. It is what we believers do. Or is it? I would wholeheartedly submit to you that if one truly believes, one will want to follow. A real encounter with the Lord of Hosts will leave us desiring more. Anything less is what my friend describes as designer religion.

“Designer Religion like designer clothes is fashionable and very comfortable. It is a religion that suggests a loose affiliation with a church where commitment is not required and encourages a faith belief systems that does not require any change in one’s lifestyle nor does it require any substantive belief in God.”

Bloggers Unite Against World Hunger

Today I am joining thousands of bloggers from around the world to help raise awareness concerning the seriousness world hunger. I thought about several different ways I could have approached this subject; eye-catching facts and figures or a guilt trip plea, but finally decided that I would simply recommend to you an organization where you could can help make a difference.

Heifer International is a unique way for you to get involved in this world challenge. Would you consider buying a heifer, a llama, or even a water buffalo? Perhaps you would rather buy a flock of geese, chicks, or a trio of rabbits. Maybe you could go in with friends or as a congregation and purchase the Gift Ark, a gift to change the world two by two. Whatever you do, big or small, you are bound the change the life of one or more communities around the world. Would you consider joining me today to make an impact?

Blessings, PastorPusch

“Heifer International is a nonprofit that alleviates hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation through gifts of food and income producing farm animals and training. These animals provide a source of protein, such as eggs and milk, for children and generate income for families through the sale of animal products. Since 1944 Heifer has helped over 4 million families in 125 countries become self-reliant. Each family “passes on the gift” by giving one or more of its animal’s offspring to another family in need.” 

Have you ever been confronted by someone in regards to your spiritual life? Maybe you have been the one to confront someone else. In either case, it is not easy task, is it? Confrontation has to be one of the most difficult challenges one can face as they walk life’s journey. I have never met anyone who enjoys an encounter with confrontation, the giving or receiving. Nobody likes it when others begin to shine a light in on the dark spots of the heart. For those faced with having to confront, there are concerns of what may happen in the end. What are your thoughts concerning confrontation? How do you approach the subject? Below are three thoughts that come to mind when dealing with confronting others.

1. Confrontation and Perfection. ”I have no right confronting anyone when my life is nowhere near being perfect.”  Have you ever had those thoughts? I have. The truth is that we are sort of right. Everyone has skeletons in their closet; I included. In other words, we all have our struggle with the sin we face in life. We fall constantly. When we fall down, we get back up only to eventually repeat the cycle. We are not perfect, nor will we ever be this side of heaven. So, how do we deal with this issue  and feelings of spiritual inadequacy? I believe the answer comes in the form of humility and self-analysis. Having these thoughts is a good thing. While we may feel the need to confront our brother, in the same process, the Lord may be trying to capture our attention by bringing to light our own sin. This provides an excellent opportunity for a “self check-up”; a time to humble ourselves before God and share with Him our thoughts and feelings and even confess our own struggles and shortcomings. I truly believe one of the reasons confrontation is so tough is because it causes us to reflect on our own lives to see where we too have fallen.

2. Confrontation and Protection. Many times people shy away from confrontation because we are afraid of ruining relationships. We fear that the one whom are confronting will turn away in anger, thus ending a relationship thought to be great. There is a fear that the individual may feel like he is being attacked and with that comes the “counter-attack”. Again, we are right. Confrontation always runs those type of risks; however, this should not prevent us from trying to protect our brother. Protection should be our motive to confront. We do this in love and with great humility. We do not confront others in order to make ourselves look good or because we feel that the Great Shepherd has bestowed upon us His staff and rod. We confront in order to protect the fellow believer. Many times confrontation does not happen this way. Instead it has been used to settle a grudge, dig for dirt, or simply to “out” someone in order to prove a point. There is no humility or love in that, yet this type of confrontation happens all the time. Confront to protect. Confrontation should be done as a help, not as a hurt or a hindrance.  

3. Confrontation and Preservation. Webster defines preservation as acting “to keep alive; intact; or free from decay”, “to keep or save from decomposition.” Confrontation should come as a means to save someone from going astray or in many cases, continuing to go astray. When confrontation takes place, it should be done in effort to help that individual remain “alive” in Christ, free from the decay and ruin of sin. Similarly to what I mentioned in the previous paragraph, confrontation is not a tactic for us to use to kick a man while he’s down. God forbid. It is a time to save the individual from the pit of despair and the path of destruction. The book of James says it best, “that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

Stew on Scripture:
Proverbs 27:17 – “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” - Perfection
Proverbs 27:6 – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” - Protection
James 5:19-20 - “Brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let the him know that he who turns a sinner from the errors of his way will say a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” – Preservation