Month: July 2022

Episode 269-War Stories: The Foolishness of God

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Disciple Up # 269: War Stories #2
The Foolishness of God – Joshua 5:13-6:25
By Louie Marsh, 7-28-2022

Slide One: A college student in Mexico survived after reportedly falling 80 feet from a sixth-floor balcony. broke 110 bones and underwent 11 hours of surgery following the fall. She will face years of recovery.

  1. Following Jesus always seems FOOLISH

 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (CSBBible)

  1. Make no mistake, God DESIGNED IT THAT WAY!

 27  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV)

3) Why does God do this?

  • To show me WHO’S IN CHARGE.

13  When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14  And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” Joshua 5:13-14 (ESV)

  • So I’ll trust Him & NOTHING OR NO ONE  ELSE!

2  And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. Joshua 6:2 (ESV)

  • So I’ll give HIM the credit ALONE!

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. Psalm 98:1 (ESV)

  • To show His Power DRAMATICALLY.

20  So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. Joshua 6:20 (ESV)

4) God is calling me to LIVE OUT HIS FOOLISHNESS!

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (ESV)

5) To do this I must change and become LIKE A CHILD.

Then he said to them, “I can guarantee this truth: Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4 (GW)

but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14 (ESV)

6) What foolish thing is Jesus calling me to do next?  ___________________

“Make a boat from resinous wood and seal it with tar, inside and out. Then construct decks and stalls throughout its interior. Make it 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Construct an opening all the way around the boat, 18 inches below the roof. Then put three decks inside the boat—bottom, middle, and upper—and put a door in the side. Genesis 6:14-16 (NLT)

1  Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1 (ESV)

Some examples or ideas –

  • Forgive someone who’s hurt you
  • Risk telling someone about Jesus
  • Admit you are in denial – and need help!
  • Draw some boundaries or enforce the ones you have!
  • Confess your failure to someone you’ve failed or let down.
  • Love that unlovable person
  • Ignore your fear & obey God!

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


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Episode 268 -War Stories – Necessity of Worship

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Disciple Up # 268: War Stories #1
The Necessity of Worship
By Louie Marsh, 7-20-2022

Intro – Wayback Machine (Mr. Peabody & Sherman). My early lack of understanding of worship.

6  And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah 8:6 (ESV)

 Hands Raised = WORSHIP

 Some Components of Worship:

 1) Music –  No such thing as WORSHIP MUSIC.

 2) PRAYER

8  I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 1 Timothy 2:8 (ESV)

 3) Blessing God – PRAISING GOD

 4  So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:4 (ESV)

21  And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:21 (ESV)

4) DEPENDENCE on God

7  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (ESV)

5) RECEIVING from God

6  I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Psalm 143:6 (ESV)

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul! Isaiah 55:1-2 (NLT)

6) Blessing OTHERS:

50  Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Luke 24:50 (ESV)

  • Worship is a LIFESTYLE!

33  Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35  “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36  For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. 1  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 11:33 -12:2 (ESV)

Three Critical Questions:

  • Is what I’m doing truly HELPFUL & SCRIPTURAL?

 10  Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Matthew 4:10 (ESV)

 Who or what am I FOCUSED ON?

17  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 (ESV)

  • What kind of ATTITUDE DO I HAVE?

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


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07 When Faith & Reality Collide: Victims By Faith

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Disciple Up # 267
When Faith & Reality Collide
Part 7: Victims by Faith
By Louie Marsh, 7-13-2022

Intro. End of this series. Where to next?

32  And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— Hebrews 11:32 (ESV)

We saw last week that strength comes through weakness, this week we’re going to see that God defines victory a little bit differently than we do.

1) When you live by faith you don’t escape SUFFERING.

35 … Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. Hebrews 11:35-36 (ESV)

 ‘Parisates, King of Persia, caused Roxana to be sawn in two, alive’; ‘Sabacus, King of Egypt, who received an order in a dream, to cut in two all the priests in his country.’

Roman Emperor Caius Caligula condemned to death many of his own relatives, suffered death by being sawn in two across the middle.

Of the two methods, lengthways or across the body, the thought of the saw penetrating the skull would seem to be the most horrific, yet that method at least brought total oblivion rather quicker than one’s torso being subdivided.

The Chinese, their victims being secured in a standing position, pinned between two wide boards firmly fixed between stakes driven deep into the ground. The two executioners, one on each side, would then wield a long, two-handled saw, working downwards through the boards, cleaving them and the enclosed victim into two halves. No lubrication for the saw was necessary.

Where are people suffering for their faith today?

Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Myanmar, Iran, Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nigeria: These states exercise the greatest constraints on the freedom of religion, according to the report. In 64 other countries, significant restrictions by the government – anti-blasphemy legislation or privileges for certain communities – are verifiable. They include states with large populations like China, India and Russia. As a result, about 70 percent of the world population is subject to great or extreme restrictions.

https://www.dw.com/en/persecuted-christians-suffer-for-their-faith/a-17306297

 This includes being REJECTED & CASTOUT.

  They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38  of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11: 37-38 (ESV)

This is different from today’s emphasis in much of the church – for example here’s the lyrics to a new song by Kirk Franklin

Bless me!

[Verse 1: Mav City Gospel Choir, Kirk Franklin]
Bless me, bless me, bless me, God, indeed
Death has been defeated, He is our victory (Come on!)
Bless me, bless me, God, not just for me
But so everyone around me can have everything they need
(Let all these folks) Let all these folks that’s with me, God, have everything they need
(Sing it again) REPEAT

[Verse 2: Mav City Gospel Choir, Kirk Franklin]
Favor, favor (Woo!), let it fall on me
Till I’m the conversation of all my enemies (Woo!)
Favor, favor, God, not just for me
But so everyone around me can have everything they need
(Let all these folk) Let all these folks that’s with me, God, have everything they need
(Favor, favor, favor, favor) Favor, favor, let it fall on me
Till I’m the conversation of all my enemies (Come on)
Favor, favor, God, not just for me
But so everyone around me can have everything they need
(Let all these folk) Let all these folks that’s with me, God, have everything they need (Take it up, bless me)

[Interlude: Mav City Gospel Choir, Kirk Franklin]
Hey, hey, [?]
Persecuted, not abandoned
We got all that we need
Hey, hey, [?] (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Persecuted, not abandoned (Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go)
We got all that we need

[Chorus: Kirk Franklin, Mav City Gospel Choir]
Persecuted, not abandoned (We got everything we need)
Criticized, never forsaken (We got everything we need)
Because God’s a promise keeper (We got everything we need)
I got victory because (Our God’s got everything we need)
I shall live and not die (We got everything we need)
Because Jehovah’s by my side (We got everything we need)
Did I tell you He’s a friend of mine? (We got everything we need)
Lift Him up, lift Him up (Our God’s got everything we need)
Take it up, take it up (We got everything we need)
Take it up, take it up (We got everything we need)
Take it up, take it up (We got everything we need)
Yeah, take it up! (Our God’s got everything we need)
And I never should forget (We got everything we need)
He’s never failed me yet (We got everything we need)
Every trial, every test (We got everything we need)
We bless, we bless, we bless, we bless (Our God’s got everything we need)
We bless, we bless, we bless, we bless (We got everything we need)
We bless, we bless, we bless, we bless (We got everything we need)
We bless, we bless, we bless, we bless (We got everything we need)
Yeah, we bless, we bless! (Our God’s got everything we need)
Take it up! (We got everything we need)
We got everything we need (We got everything we need)
We got everything we need (We got everything we need)
We got everything we need (Our God’s got everything we need)
We got– (We got everything we need)
We got everything we need (We got everything we need)
We got every, every (We got everything we need)
Every, every (Our God’s got everything we need)
Ooh!

2) God ALLOWS His servants to suffer – remember Jesus?

 31  And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32  For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33  And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” Luke 18:31-33 (ESV)

40  and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41  Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42  And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. Acts 5:40-42 (ESV)

 3) This rejection & suffering is the inevitable result of FOLLOWING JESUS.

19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19 (ESV)

  • This hurts but should be viewed as a BLESSING.

11  “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Matthew 5:11 (ESV)

  • This cannot hurt my relationship with God unless I LET IT.

 35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37 (ESV)

4) Unlike the Old Testament people, we have received the promised GOSPEL.

39  And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, Hebrews 11:39 (ESV)

22  But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:22 (NIV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


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266 When Faith & Reality Collide Pt. 6-The Victories of Faith

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Disciple Up # 266
When Faith & Reality Collide
Part 6th: The Victories of Faith
By Louie Marsh, 7-6-2022

1) When I live by faith God’s power is ACTIVATED in my life.

33  who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, Hebrews 11:33-34a (ESV)

  • Conquered kingdoms – David

 1  After this David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and David took Metheg-ammah out of the hand of the Philistines. 2 Samuel 8:1 (ESV)

  • Enforced justice – Samuel

9  Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:9 (ESV)

  • Obtained promises – Abraham

 15  And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:15 (ESV)

  • Stopped lions, quenched fire – Daniel (David, Samson, 3 Hebrews)

2) When I live by faith I trust in GOD NOT MYSELF.

were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Hebrews 11:34b-35 (ESV)

“out of weakness”  =   “from weakness.” The main reference is probably to Samson. – Word Studies in the New Testament.

  • This is the

8  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (ESV)

18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19  For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:18-19 (ESV)

  • Faith comes from and works through

4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:4-5 (ESV)

  • Don’t despair about weakness – WALLOW IN IT!

8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (ESV)

3) Living by faith is me and God WORKING TOGETHER as partners.

9  For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9 (CSB)

5  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:5 (ESV)

“9And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” (Colossians 1:9–11, ESV)

“28Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Colossians 1:28–29, ESV)

  • God’s power & mine WORK TOGETHER.

11  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, Colossians 1:11 (ESV)

Please Get In Touch!

Email – louie@discipleup.org

 


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