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THE UNITED STATES -- A DISCIPLED NATION

A Call to - THE BLESSINGS OF DISCIPLING MYSELF

1. As I pray for the United States- a discipled nation, a sense of being in harmony with the vision of God, the mission of Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit comes over me.

2. As I read at least one chapter of God's word every day, I become increasingly effective and productive in my knowledge of Jesus Christ.

3. In regular confession and repentance of the blatant and subtle sin in my life, I experience forgiveness, freedom from guilt, meaning in life, and an experience of peace unknown before.

4. As a forgiving spirit begins to ascend in my life, my mind is freed from harbored animosities and resentments. I am more creative, patient, loving, and productive.

5. As I seek out and become open to biblical wisdom, my understanding and effectiveness improves.

6. As I work to overcome intellectual laziness, I have greater insight to the work God is doing all around me. I become increasingly involved in teaching obedience.

7. As my awareness and gratitude for His goodness and mercy grows, my desire to please him intensifies. This becomes evident in heightened love for those around me.

8. Understanding the central purpose of a Christian life [being obedient and teaching obedience to Jesus' commandments] gives me direction, purpose and the answer to life's three major questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? And where am I going? My life becomes significant.

9. Through prayer, I am in direct, loving communication with my heavenly Father. I learn that in the quiet moments of prayer he leads me. I am overwhelmed and comforted by the knowledge that I serve a prayer-answering God.

A Call to - THE BLESSINGS OF DISCIPLING MY FAMILY

1. As I pray and work for discipling obedience in my family, my love and devotion for each of them is enriched as God works to answer this prayer so pleasing to his ear.

2. As our family becomes more disciplined in reading at least one chapter of God's truth daily, our expectations, understanding and love for one another become more meaningful as Jesus' behavioral standards become our common goal.

3. Prayer, expressing our gratitude and seeking his blessing before every meal, reminds us who created the food and contributes to the development of Godly and peaceful discussion at our family meals.

4. To consciously pray every day for my family, spouse, children, parents, brothers and sisters and to be genuinely and sincerely willing to be the first to say "I'm sorry" leads to a spiritual bonding of love and trust toward one another. Quickness to forgive brings freedom from suppressed guilt, resentment, anger and bitterness, and fosters peace of mind and the joy of family harmony.

5. As we pray and read God's truth together, we develop a common understanding of what God wants the interrelationship of parents and children to be. We recognize that parents need to define behavioral boundaries and administer fair, decisive, and timely discipline to their children until they leave home as young adults. The resulting love, admiration and respect for one another builds a lifelong friendship and has no satisfying equal. In a disciplined family, children obey their parents and parents do not exasperate their children.

6. As prayer together becomes Christ-centered, family relationships are strengthened and the expression of love between family members increases. One cannot pray for one's family, pray with one's family, and be available for conversation with one's family [listening to them, not just talking to them] without family relationships being strengthened. A greater expression of love will be the natural result.

7. The spiritual well-being of my family is the key to the health of the congregation, the neighborhood, and the nation. As I openly, patiently, lovingly show my desire to engage in thoughtful discussion of biblical truth centered around Jesus' commandments, such dialogue becomes more frequent, easy, and helpful. No problem solution is beyond the authority of truth found in the words and life of our perfect model, Jesus of Nazareth.

8. As our family life surrenders to the discipling obedience of Jesus' commandments, a dimension of harmony, peace and joy descends upon our family, enabling us to live in the world, not with a spirit of fear, but with a spirit of power, and of love and sound reasoning. The solid base of security in our home, centered on biblical truth and the principles of Jesus' authority, give us direction and purpose in the world. Truly the divine institution of marriage and family life is among the greatest blessings of the human experience.

 

A Call to - THE BLESSINGS OF A DISCIPLED CONGREGATION

1. As I pray every day for the discipling effectiveness of our congregation, the Holy Spirit increases my sensitivity for the needs of others related to teaching obedience of the commandments of Jesus.

2. As we look to our pastor for guidance in how we can serve in discipling our congregation [teaching obedience of Jesus' commandments], our growing love for our pastor and fellow disciplers inspires a unity of purpose equipping us for our neighborhood mission. As one prays for the congregation, supports one's pastor, and seeks to call one's congregation to the unity of discipleship, the vanity and selfishness of friction, dissention and factions among congregation members goes down. Our pastor can focus on Christ's ministry. The obedient Christian practicing this will find a Christ-centered unity of mission with other believers, strengthening his/her relationship with them. This brings less stress, more love, and deeper spiritual relationships into each person's life and strengthens the vitality of our congregation.

3. Through our SWOT study related to our discipling mission, we understand the biblical and spiritual strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Prayerfully we make the most of our strengths, work to overcome our weaknesses, pour spiritual and material resources into our opportunities, and with prayer and fasting neutralize Satan's threatening strategies.

4. With great joy I am discovering that love is expressed by investing time and energy in others lives through obeying, learning, and teaching the commandments of Jesus, our perfect model.

5. Every small group in our congregation recognizes the main purpose in Bible study is to prepare and equip each Christian for the work of making disciples by teaching obedience of all Jesus commands us. We will never have perfect knowledge, so rather than wait until we gain a certain level of knowledge, we do this discipling work now! At least half of all small group meeting time is spent discussing the discipling activity that took place in our lives last week and that which we are planning for the coming week in joyful obedience to all that Jesus commands us to do.

6. Because I have taken the subtle sin inventory, I find confession and repentance produces an empowering state of cleansing and forgiveness in my life. God is blessing me with increased effectiveness and productivity in my knowledge of Jesus Christ.

7. We are reminded in regular Pastoral prayer and the ongoing prayers of other believers that our never changing mission and goal is the grandest of all causes: the United States - a discipled nation in this generation!

8. The influence of our Church Writing Group is growing as the numbers of its participants increases. Discipling thousands with every letter to the editor, book review, and guest editorial is truly a rewarding investment of my love. A beautiful change is occurring in our local newspaper where inspiring stories of answered prayer, victories of faith, and the goodness of God are replacing the anguish of evil, violence, corruption, greed and immorality.

9. As our congregation develops effective, organized efforts to serve the poor, eliminate the welfare rolls, provide mentoring assistance to the addicted, training guidance to the jobless, comfort and hope to the prisoners, and compassion for all those Jesus loved and served, we are always engaged in making disciples by teaching the need for understanding and obedience to the commandments of Jesus.

10. As each member becomes captivated by our Savior's instruction to disciple our nation, our research produces discipling materials enabling each person to participate in one-on-one teaching of others. We learn to adopt a dual learning posture and attitude toward the discipling experience and a partnering relationship develops. Our congregation grows in the love and favor of our heavenly Father as we carry on the discipling work of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

A Call to - THE BLESSINGS OF A DISCIPLED NEIGHBORHOOD

1. As I continue to pray every day for spiritual guidance in defining and doing the work of discipling our neighborhood, I am blessed by the evidence of God's transforming work in the lives of people around me.

2. As believers become involved in discipling our neighborhood [always teaching obedience of all that Jesus commands], they find to their surprise that things can change in the press, in the schools, in the neighborhood, in the workplace, in clubs and other social/recreational organizations, and in the government. Realizing things can get better and that we have played a part in making them better is a marvelous antidote to pessimism and frustration. There are fewer "highs" in the world better than feeling that you are working in harmony and purpose with the vision and mission of our heavenly Father. That your obedience is being effective, your prayer life has made a difference and God is being glorified in the work you are doing. That the instructions of Jesus are being carried out and glorious wonder of wonders our nation is being discipled.

3. Character of life in the United States turns around. As Christians become obedient to Jesus' commandments, positive change becomes the norm. Marriages are based on honoring biblical truth, love and respect for one another, and a life-long commitment to faithfulness. Divorces plummet. Single parent homes become rare. Biblical wisdom dominates parent-child relationships. Love, respect, harmony and obedience to biblical truth leads family discussion. Teen pregnancies become uncommon. Child abuse is unheard of. The mind of God revealed in his word dominates the thinking and actions of the Christian majority.

4. Revitalization of the Christian congregation in America leads to profound character change in all U.S. vital institutions. Near absence of crime, fraud, deception, immorality, perversion, addiction, intemperance, infidelity, and abortion require a complete redefinition of what is newsworthy. Decadent values, the evil result of disobedience, are replaced by Christ-centered values of truth and love. Christian thought and action are the prevailing influence across the nation. Change dominated by the biblical qualities presented in Php. 4:8 reign as evil is replaced by that which is 'true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy." Events and happenings featuring such virtues are news stories of interest to a noble people. The decadent mind does not comprehend their inspirational newsworthiness.

5. A state of righteousness exalts our nation. Political processes produce leaders of integrity, fidelity, and nobility of purpose. Legislation is based on biblical standards of truth. God is returned to the educational system, scholastic excellence in an atmosphere of respectful behavior is restored. The nation's judicial system recovers its reputation for justice as judges, lawyers and juries pursue God-honoring wisdom in all their decision making. American business leads all nations in a global economy as the entrepreneurial work ethic of the American people produce a voluntarily shared wealth eliminating poverty and hardship. Blessed is our nation whose God is the Lord!