Morning Moments

Can you imagine a man in labor? Maybe there are some women who might say, "I wish". Paul said, "I travail in birth until now, that Christ be formed in you."

Today there seem to be more and more Caesarian sections, but initially it was for the purpose of saving the life of the child.

As the name "Caesarian" suggests, this is not exactly a new procedure. It was done in ancient civilizations upon the death of a pregnant woman who was near full term in order to salvage the baby. Julius Caesar (or one of his predecessors) was born by this procedure. Hence, the name "Caesarian."

I am by no means a medical doctor and my medical knowledge is not even enough to be dangerous, so I will leave that with the Physicians. BUT I do think there is a spiritual principle here that we should not and cannot afford to miss.

I have had kidney stone experience and women who have had both tell me they would rather have a baby any day. Be that as it may, it is a fact that birth comes through pain, AND so does growth. I am afraid that we just don't like pain in any shape or form, so we sometimes look for an easier way.

My point is that it "pained" or "hurt" Paul that those who received Christ might grow up in Him being established, rooted, and grounded and fruitful. It should effect us in the same way.

It is nothing to have a person make a decision by shaking your head and implying "yes" as if you were selling a car, but it is everything to make a disciple. It is not merely the "closing" but the follow-up that MAKES disciples. Everyone of us who "has a baby" also has the responsibility of "growing that baby." The sign of a true decision is discipleship for "the DISCIPlES were first called CHRISTIANS as Antioch." Someone can come if from somewhere, preach an emotionally moving message and report a NUMBER of decision, but the proof of the decisions is found in the discipleship.

For too long we have simply encouraged people to get out of hell but receiving Jesus, but truly receiving Jesus means He gets the hell out of the one making the decision.

Birth comes in crisis, but discipleship comes through process (a painful one at that). My friend reported over 100 baptisms a year for the past few years, but is running only about 250 to 300in church. He is certainly not the only one.

QUESTIONS: Could we be bypassing the responsibility of growth for birth? Is birth more important than growth? Is there any pain for US in the birth process? Dows not OUR pain come in the GROWTH process? Is it more important for us to get people into church than it is to have the Holy Spirit get them into Christ?

I am just wondering why there have been so many decisions and so little discipleship.

PRAYER: Lord, You said you WILL receive POWER from on high after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You said, follow me and I will make you to become fishers of men. Have we tried to train people to do what only the Holy Spirit can truly enable them to do and have we toiled all night and caught nothing? Please guide us and grow us that we might be YOUR disciples indeed, then reproduce after our kind.