An Apprentice to Jesus says "Thank you"

 

Dear Submissive Brothers and Sisters,  

I have a habit of making lists of things I am thankful for. I put the list in my pocket, and carry it with me. I pull it out and re-read it. As a disciple of Jesus, He has given me much to be thankful for!

I was taught thankfulness by my parents. They trained me to say the words, "Thank you." Whenever I received a gift, my mother would make me write a thank you note to the giver. Thank you, mom, for doing this.  My parents had thankful hearts. I remember my mother telling me how, when a little girl, she once received an orange from her parents as a Christmas gift. That was it! Her family was poor. She treasured the gift, and was thankful.  Whenever someone helped my dad by lending him a tool, or working on a project, I could see gratitude on his face, and in the way he talked about the people who helped him. Dad lent tools out to many people. At his funeral, I addressed the people and said, "If any of you has some of my father's tools, please return them."

The attitude of a disciple is one of gratitude. I could never understand the ingratitude of nine of the ten lepers in Luke 17.  They see Jesus, and call from a distance because they are unclean, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" The Greek word for 'pity' is eleison, like "Kyrie eleison" - "Lord, have mercy!" "Bend down to our level and rescue us!"  

He does. Jesus heals them. And then, nine of them just walk away, without saying even a simply "Thanks for the healing."    

Then we read: One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him...  And here is the shocker - he was a Samaritan.  

When I wake in the morning, get out of bed, walk down the stairs, prepare breakfast, I find myself, in my mind, and sometimes whispering quietly, these words: "Thank 

you." Jesus rescued me and became my lifetime Mentor. Thank you!  

For Linda and I, one of our Christian heroes is Dallas Willard. Even though we never met him, he is a mentor to us. Not just with his words, but with his life. We both read Gary Moon's excellent book on Willard. Gary Black, one of Dallas's close friends, was with Dallas when he died. Moon writes:  

"Then, as Gary [Black] describes, “in a voice clearer than I had heard in days, he leaned his head back slightly and with his eyes closed said, ‘Thank you.’” Gary did not feel that Dallas was talking to him, but to another presence that Dallas seemed to sense in the room."  (Moon, Becoming Dallas Willard, p. 240)

 Thank You Jesus.

 I bless you with a renewed heart of gratitude.

Love,

 PJ

 DECLARATIONS

 I am going through this day with a heart overflowing with thankfulness.

 My constant attitude is one of gratitude to God.

 I remember what God has done for me and given me.

 I am thankful for knowing Jesus, my Lord and my Savior!

 I have lists of things to thank God for.

 The words "Thank you" are never far from my lips.

 I throw myself at the feet of Jesus, and praise Him, with thanksgiving!

From my book Letters to the Church on Discipleship (pp. 64-65). 

A Disciple Lives in the Presence of God

(To my church family, and you, too.)

I wish I was with you as I share this next part of being a disciple. For it would be better to be in your presence, than apart. 

Linda and I love gathering with you on Sundays. To see you, to speak with many of you, to hear your voices as we worship together – how beautiful this is to us! Better is a Sunday morning in the house of the Lord than a thousand mornings elsewhere!  

My Jesus-following life began in 1970, when I heard God tell me, “John, I love you.” Let me repeat: I heard this. It astonished me! I would never make something like this up. I felt God close to me, like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Good-bye, religion. Welcome, relationship.

This began what has become a love affair with God, in His presence. As one of Jesus’s disciples, He has made it clear to me that He is with me. And, that He will never abandon me.   

I understand “He is with me” to mean, I am in His presence. (How weird to have someone be with you, and not with you at the same time.) My Teacher has taught me that all that is of value and worth is found in His presence.  

Soon I will be seventy-five years old. I feel the things of this world dropping off me as my desire for His presence increases.  

To know Him. In experience.  

To experience God, knowing and searching me out.  

The reason the psalmist declares “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere” is because of the earth-shattering, loving, presence of God in the Temple.  

I resonate with the plea of Moses in Exodus 33 – “Lord, if Your presence does not go with us, we’re not going!”

Me either.  

This is the disciple’s distinctive: the presence of God.  

My dear brothers and sisters, I want you to exist for His presence.

DECLARATIONS  

I desire nothing more than to be in the Lord’s presence. 

I sense God-with-me several times each day.

Because I dwell in God’s presence, I am an empowered person.  

Sometimes the presence of God overwhelms me.  

I’m not making a move without being in His presence!  (You can read more on God's presence in my book Leading the Presence-Driven Church.)

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.) 

A Disciple Follows Jesus as Their Lord

 

 

There is a old song called "Love and Marriage." The song says they "go together like a horse and carriage." Now that's old!

The song also says, "You can't have one without the other." That's not true. You can love people you are not married to, right? Otherwise, you don't love me, and I don't love you.  

Now, think of "Lord and Savior," in relation to Jesus. Can you have one without the other? The answer is: No. You cannot have Jesus as Savior, but not have Jesus as Lord.  

Thankfully, when I was a new Jesus-follower I had spiritual mentors who showed me the meaning of Savior, and the meaning of Lord, and that I can't have one without the other.  

"Savior" represents what Christ has done for me. When it comes to Jesus as my Savior, I have done nothing. He paid it all; I paid nothing.  

"Lord" represents what I do for Him. Here, I lay my entire self before Christ as a living sacrifice. The Lordship of Jesus is about discipleship. I position Jesus as Lord of my life, and Lord of all.  

"Jesus is Lord" demands my everything. "Jesus is Savior" does not. A disciple is someone who has been rescued by Jesus (Savior), and confesses and follows Him (Lord). "Jesus as Savior" requires a one-time decision. "Jesus as Lord" requires a lifetime of obedience. Jesus as Lord describes the position He holds in our lives, whereas Jesus as Savior describes the work he's done for us.  

Every so often, somebody will say something like, “You know, when I was a child I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and that settled whether I was going to heaven or hell, and now I have made Him my Lord.” I am sorry. If he is not my Lord, then he is not my Savior. I don't pick and choose what I want about Jesus. Lordship is not something optional, like extra sauce on a pizza.   

I am a disciple of Jesus. Therefore, I follow Jesus as my Lord. But why would I do this? Because, as A. W. Tozer said, "When God lays His hand on a person, they are never the same again." That's me. I was born again. I have never been the same since! Following what Paul wrote in Romans 10:10, my saving declaration was "Jesus is Lord!"

The Lordship of Christ is the end-game of life. God exalted Christ, and gave Him the name above all names: Jesus. Before Jesus, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess... what? That Jesus Christ is Savior? No. That JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! (Philippians 2:9-11)  

As disciples of Christ, I want you to get this right.  

Position your lives under the Lordship of Jesus.

DECLARATIONS

 Jesus, You are my Lord and my God!

 I am one of Your followers.

 To follow You as Lord has changed my life.

 Today is another adventure of following You.

 Where you lead me today, I will follow.

Since You touched me and rescued me, I have never been the same again!

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.) 

Join me at the Prayer Summit - April 5

 

 

Saturday, April 5

ABC-MI Prayer Summit

Come join us for a day of powerful prayer, worship, and fellowship at our First Annual Prayer Summit!

By American Baptist Churches of Michigan

Date and time

Saturday, April 5 · 10am - 12pm EDT

Location

West Highland Baptist Church

1116 South Hickory Ridge Road Milford, MI 48380

About this event

• Event lasts 2 hours

Welcome to the ABC-MI Prayer Summit! Join us at West Highland Baptist Church for a day filled with prayer, worship, and community. The people of ABC-MI churches will gather for the purpose of praying for the movement of God among & through us.

LUNCH PROVIDED

Defending Christian Morality (A Zoominar)

 

DEFENDING CHRISTIAN MORALITY    

John Piippo, PhD 

April 12, 2025

11AM - 1 PM

On Zoom. 

$5. Register HERE.

• "How can we say that Christian morality is the true morality?"
• "Your morals may be true for you, but they are not true for me?"
• "Who are you to judge others?"
• "Who are you to impose your morality on others?"
• "Isn't that just your opinion?"
• "Why believe in any moral values when they are so different?"
• "Isn't it arrogant to say your values are better than others?"
• Can't we be good without God?"

You will learn what objective moral values are, how objective moral values are properly basic beliefs, and how the existence of objective moral values proves that God exists?

A Disciple Leaves Everything to Follow Jesus

 

 

I've been a disciple of Jesus for fifty-two years. Jesus has taught me many things! One thing I have learned is this: I'm not really one of Jesus' followers if I do not give everything up for his cause. 

This is not over-the-top Christianity for religious fanatics. This is mere Christianity. Jesus himself taught this, in Luke 14:33. The Message translation says it this way. 

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, 

whether plans or people,   

and kiss it good-bye,   

you can’t be my disciple."  

Linda and I have always believed that all we have, and all our time, and all our selves belong to Jesus. We are stewards of what we have and what we are. God owns us, and distributes his provision through us, his disciples.  

Have we been perfect at giving up everything for His cause? No. Do we believe this is what our Teacher expects of us? Yes. Have we given up our plans for his purposes? Yes.  

In 1975, when Linda and I lived in Joliet, Illinois, a band called “The Second Chapter of Acts” was scheduled to give a concert in our area. I knew the concert promoter. He asked me to do a thirty-minute set before The Second Chapter came on stage.

I was excited! Many of my friends came to support me. I arrived at the concert venue early to get set up. My friend, the concert promoter, greeted me with a not-so-happy face. He said, "The band's leader, Buck Herring, has requested that no one play before they come on."   

This was disappointing. So, I kissed it good-bye.  

Linda and I loved watching the Second Chapter that night! Their songs, and harmonies, were amazing. Matthew Ward's voice was ridiculously beautiful. 

Then, Buck Herring spoke. He talked about the cost of following Jesus. He gave an altar call, unlike most I had heard. He said, "If you are not willing to give up everything for Jesus, then do not come forward. Jesus is looking for followers tonight, not attenders or spectators."  

I remember thinking that this was not real seeker-friendly. I was wrong. Many came forward. Here were people looking for a great cause to spend their lives on. They found it, in the cause of Christ.

Is there anyone out there who will give their life, their being, their stuff, their time, their abilities, completely to Jesus as Lord of all?  

All to Jesus, a disciple surrenders, right?

DECLARATIONS  

I am giving everything I have for the sake of the Call.

I am turning my stuff over to Jesus, for his distribution.  

As a disciple of Jesus, I have discovered the art of letting things go.  

My time belongs to Jesus.  

All to Jesus, I gladly surrender.  

All to Jesus, I freely give.  

I surrender all.

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.) 

Sermon on FASTING and GIVING

Yesterday morning at Redeemer Tim preached on FASTING, and I preached on GIVING.  

The two messages are HERE.

Here are my slides for yesterday's sermon on GIVING.

A Disciple Experiences Union in Christ

 

I am a disciple in the School of Jesus. He has taught me many things. He has told me, "John, go deeper." I am still learning about the depth of living united to Christ.  

When I became a follower of Jesus, I became fascinated with words. Perhaps it was because I began studying harder and longer and deeper than I had before. Maybe because I changed my college major to philosophy, which is "the love of wisdom," and wisdom gets expressed in words. I even wrote a song called "Words." To top it off, my doctoral dissertation was on metaphor theory.

I felt called, by Jesus, to study words. Jesus told me, "John, I am the Word."   

As a new believer, I was drawn to something called the philosophy of language. How do words successfully refer to reality? What is the meaning of "literal" language? Why does figurative language speak so powerfully to people? Why did Jesus speak in parables?  And why, why, is the most important word in the letters of Paul the tiny, two-letter preposition 'in'?

In.

'In' is a container metaphor. I am now in my home office. Which means I share whatever is now transpiring in my home office.  

'In' is a participatory metaphor. Such as, I am in a marriage. I am a co-participant in a lifelong, covenantal union with my wife Linda.  

As my Teacher, Jesus teaches me about 'in'. Gary Moon writes:  

"According to [Lewis] Smedes, Paul’s writings are driven by one consuming theme. One hundred sixty-four times Paul makes reference either to our being “in Christ” or to Christ’s being “in” us. Apparently, the apostle believed there was something even more important and transforming than the moral teachings of Jesus. It was the great mystery revealed. It was the present possibility of entering into union with Christ—the center and condition of authentic human existence." (Moon, Apprenticeship with Jesus: Learning to Live Like the Master, pp. 44-45)

To be a disciple of Christ you do not have to study words as intensively as I have. But an apprentice to Jesus will be instructed about the importance and greatness of living in Christ.  

You are in Christ! You share in things that are now transpiring with the trinitarian being of God. Therefore, abide in him.  

Moon writes:  

"I don’t believe the transforming power of Christ is present with us now because he once said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” but because the living Christ can love my neighbor through me by being in me. The difference here can be as vast as the chasm that separates reading a prayer about God from experiencing prayer with God." (pp. 45-46; emphasis mine)   

This is big.  

I bless you with an abiding life of experiencing the reality of union with Christ!

DECLARATIONS

I experience Christ living in me.

Christ, the hope of glory, is in me! (Col. 1:27)

 I can do all things in Christ. (Phil. 4:13)

 In Christ I have been brought to fullness. (Colossians 2:9)

 I am united with the Lord, therefore I am one with him in spirit. (1 Cor. 6:17)

 I am a temple, and the Holy Spirit indwells me. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

 I do not live under condemnation, for I am in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Jesus, I want a total transfusion of your life into my life!

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.)

Confess and Forgive

 

(Store, in Ann Arbor)

When Linda and I are asked "What makes for a good marriage?" we respond: confession and forgiveness. C&F.

C&F is more important than clear communication. When X says to Y, "You are stupid" and Y responds with "I hate you" (with a four-letter word added), they are communicating clearly. But this kind of clear communication does not make for a good marriage. 

Here's how I confess to Linda (and she to me). I say the words, "I was wrong to (do or say this specific thing)."

Then I request, "Would you forgive me for doing/saying this?"

She responds with, "I forgive you."

C&F is more powerful than apologizing. Apologizing can be a one-way street; C&F moves two ways. Every confessor needs a forgiver. A certain kind of loving response is needed.

To confess requires humility. In confessing I take responsibility for my hurtful actions, and do not blame the other for "pushing my buttons." After all, those buttons are mine, and if I didn't have them I wouldn't have reacted the way I did. 

It's also destructive to look for hot buttons on others, and use words or actions to set them off. 

A confessor admits their own culpability in wrongdoing. This requires humility, accompanied by regret ("I am sorry I did that to you. Would you forgive me? I never want to treat someone I love that way.") Don't let pride keep you from doing this.

To forgive means: to cancel a debt. When Linda and I forgive one another (which we have done many times over 45 1/2 years), we release the other from any indebtedness. Forgiveness cancels indebtedness. If the Federal Government forgave your student loan you would not have to make any more payments. When X forgives Y, X will not in the future "make Y pay" for whatever Y did. Again, don't let pride keep you from doing this.

To forgive is not to forget. But our experience is that, when this is practiced as needed (and it is needed in every marriage and friendship), a lot of forgetting happens. This is because C&F cuts loose the heavy anchor that had us stuck in that bad place, and now we're moving free from it. We no longer spend our hearts and minds brooding over the details of the struggle, because the matter has been settled and healed.

Why practice C&F? Linda and I do this because we are like the sinful woman who kissed and poured perfume on  Jesus' feet. She had been forgiven much. Therefore she loved much.

(Note: If you repeatedly keep hurting your loved ones, then get help for yourself. If a loved one keeps hurting you with their words or actions then: 1) forgive them; and 2) assist them in getting help for their repetitive harmful behavior. If you live in our Southeast Michigan area make an appointment to get help here.)

For scholarly, empirical data on C&F see University of Wisconsin scholar Robert Enright's The Forgiving Life: A Pathway to Overcoming Resentment and Creating a Legacy of Love; and check out Enright's International Forgiveness Institute.

The best practical guide to C&F is David Augsburger's Caring Enough to Forgive. 

A Disciple Exercises in the Spiritual Gymnasium

 

My mentor, Jesus, taught me that I must exercise in the spiritual gymnasium. The game-changer for me was when I read Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. That was in 1982. Few books have caused me to do something in response to what I read. Foster's was one of them.  

I already knew that I must, as a disciple, be disciplined. I must discipline myself to dwell in the Lord's house, seeking his presence. I must abide in Jesus, like a branch, connected to the vine. What Foster gave me was that disciples of Christ must exercise spiritually, and that spiritual exercising was the way I abide in him. For example, praying connects me with Jesus. He gives himself to me, as I pray.

I am not doing spiritual exercises to earn God's love. But, because I love Him, and he has loved me, I desire to grow in him. More accurately, I long to have Christ formed, in me. (Galatians 4:19)  

I understand this to be the apostle Paul's idea when he writes, Train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7). What struck me about this verse was that the Greek word for "train" is gumnaze. Gymnasium!  

1 Corinthians 9:25 reads, Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. The Greek word for "compete" is agonizomenos. Agonize! Which means, to compete in the gymnastic games. Again, I am not competing for God's love. He loves me. I compete to be empowered, led, relevant, and anointed.  

After reading Foster I began to up my level of competing. I do worship reps in God's gymnasium. I do prayer reps, Bible reps, serving reps, solitude reps, listening reps, giving reps, thanksgiving reps, to grow stronger and be competitive in life.  

As Jesus' disciple, I long to be fit for his service.  

I want this for you, too.

DECLARATIONS

 I am a spiritual athlete!

 I train, every day, in God's Gym.

 I am growing in spiritual fitness.

 I am a competitor for the souls of women and men.

 I can feel my spirit getting stronger and stronger.

 I live and love the connected-to-Jesus life!

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.)

A Disciple Exercises in the Spiritual Gymnasium

 

My mentor, Jesus, taught me that I must exercise in the spiritual gymnasium. The game-changer for me was when I read Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. That was in 1982. Few books have caused me to do something in response to what I read. Foster's was one of them.  

I already knew that I must, as a disciple, be disciplined. I must discipline myself to dwell in the Lord's house, seeking his presence. I must abide in Jesus, like a branch, connected to the vine. What Foster gave me was that disciples of Christ must exercise spiritually, and that spiritual exercising was the way I abide in him. For example, praying connects me with Jesus. He gives himself to me, as I pray.

I am not doing spiritual exercises to earn God's love. But, because I love Him, and he has loved me, I desire to grow in him. More accurately, I long to have Christ formed, in me. (Galatians 4:19)  

I understand this to be the apostle Paul's idea when he writes, Train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7). What struck me about this verse was that the Greek word for "train" is gumnaze. Gymnasium!  

1 Corinthians 9:25 reads, Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. The Greek word for "compete" is agonizomenos. Agonize! Which means, to compete in the gymnastic games. Again, I am not competing for God's love. He loves me. I compete to be empowered, led, relevant, and anointed.  

After reading Foster I began to up my level of competing. I do worship reps in God's gymnasium. I do prayer reps, Bible reps, serving reps, solitude reps, listening reps, giving reps, thanksgiving reps, to grow stronger and be competitive in life.  

As Jesus' disciple, I long to be fit for his service.  

I want this for you, too.

DECLARATIONS

 I am a spiritual athlete!

 I train, every day, in God's Gym.

 I am growing in spiritual fitness.

 I am a competitor for the souls of women and men.

 I can feel my spirit getting stronger and stronger.

 I live and love the connected-to-Jesus life!

(From my book 31 Letters to the Church on Discipleship.)