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November 8, 2021

Joshua 1:7-9 (NIV)

7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

CONSIDER THIS

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

I will forever remember my first class of my first day of seminary. It was Asbury Theological Seminary and the class was Introduction to the New Testament. The professor was Dr. Robert Mulholland. His first words to the class that year (and every other year I learn all the time from other classes) were these: “The most important decision you must make in your time at seminary is this one: Will you be in the world for Christ, or will you be in Christ for the world? I am here to help you become the latter.”

To be in the world for Jesus implies that I will be doing good things “for” him. To be “in Jesus” for the world, implies that He will be doing God things “through” me. This may seem subtle. It is not. To be “in Christ” for the world means the discipleship journey of becoming a person “in Christ.” This is the second half of the gospel. The first half of the gospel is Jesus with us and Jesus for us. The second half of the gospel is Jesus in us and Jesus through us.

The story of the Christian faith and the church for the past hundred years is all about “Jesus with us,” and “Jesus for us,” but not so much about “Jesus in us,” and “Jesus through us.” I mean, we get it, but not really. In response to Jesus being with us and for us we have done our best to be “for Jesus” which has resulted in an enormous amount of religious activity with very little to show for it. 

Notice the progression of God’s Word to Joshua so far in chapter 1. Joshua, I am with you. Joshua, I am for you. Therefore, be strong and very courageous. Then note the exhortation toward discipleship—becoming the kind of person in whom and through whom God can live and move and have his being: 

Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.

It’s time to stop trying to do things for Jesus. It’s time to become the kind of people in whom Jesus is pleased to dwell and through whom he is delighted to work. It’s why Jesus is not looking for employees. He’s on the hunt for friends. 

THE PRAYER

Father, I think I get it. This is about an exchange of my old life for your new life which is my true self. I am weary of living out of my own ego strength. I want to one who is known by your deep humility and your profound authority and your breathtaking love. Come Holy Spirit and lead me deep into the well of becoming like the God who became like me. Thank you Jesus for becoming like me so I could become like you. In your name I pray, Amen. 

THE QUESTION

Make sense? In the world for Christ vs. In Christ for the world? How would you say it? Highly functioning religious employee vs. transcendent agent of Jesus presence?  

P.S. — ENCOURAGEMENT #8

ENCOURAGEMENT #8 TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SEEDBED ADVENT EXPERIENCE: I am going to be leading you into a different kind of morning meeting with Jesus. We are going from the “quiet time” model to a Communion-Consecration-Commissioning model. Will be life changing. Come on! I want to see you there. Deeper Advent = Better Christmas. You can see all the details here. If you already have the book, The Christian New Year, be sure to choose that option on the dropdown to avoid buying another book—OR EVEN BETTER—get another book and invite a friend to join us. COME ON!

For the Awakening,
J.D. Walt
Sower-in-Chief
seedbed.com

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WHAT IS THIS? Wake-Up Call is a daily encouragement to shake off the slumber of our busy lives and turn our eyes toward Jesus. Each morning our community gathers around a Scripture, a reflection, a prayer, and a few short questions, inviting us to reorient our lives around the love of Jesus that transforms our hearts, homes, churches, and cities.

Comments and Discussion

2 Responses

  1. JD, these are so profound though they sound so simple. You’re challenging me to go deeper while teaching me what it means.
    Thank you!
    One question. I bought a book for Advent because I want to share, but other than handing the book to someone, how can I share the videos that come with it, plus the 25 morning zoom calls? In other words, does buying the book entitle me to share the links to the videos and morning zoom calls?

    Here’s an alternate email address: orvcarole@icloud.com

  2. Growing up I tried to please my dad by fulfilling his athletic dreams by being extremely committed to in my case softball. When my dad dropped me off to college, his expressed expectation was I become an all-American…

    God set me free (awesome story but too long) and with my free identity I started working for God until He arrested me during a session at Missions Training School.

    He said, “All your life you have been trying to earn trophies for your father’s love and affection and now you are trying to earn trophies for Me. Stop trying to earn trophies. You are My trophy”.

    Believe it or not I still catch myself get in the mode of working for Him…but just about that time I get a reminder, like your devotion.

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