Letter of a Disciple

Letter of a Disciple: Chaplain Mark                                                                      Rev. 2015

Just as the apostle Paul wrote:  From a disciple of God, Greetings to my friends faithful in Jesus Christ. Grace and peace to you.

I am writing from the heart to share my experience and joy in Jesus Christ. I humbling submit to you that I am no better than any other and there is often a plank in my eye. 

Over the past 3-4 years as I have been approaching  60 years on earth, I have found peace and have drawn closer to God than ever before. This peace results from a conscience decision to make God a priority, to concentrate less on secular activities and things of the world, to do more Christ like activities. It does not indicate a neglect of family or employment. But, that I would spend my personal time and money on less worldly things. For it is not my purpose to please men, but to please God. 

I have attended church and bible study for years and tithed consistently for many years. But God wants more than our money and just our attendance. Some of the disciples did not completely walk away from their families and obligations when they followed Christ. They continued to balance their lives. We can too.

My closer walk evolved thanks to my pastor’s awesome sermons on relinquishing control every day, building personal relationships with Christ and discipleship. It is not sufficient for my soul to just be a church goer. My soul requires an everyday walk and relationship with Christ.  By putting aside the distractions and digging into Gods word, biblically based sermons, mens retreats and bible studies, the growth becomes more and more real and authentic. It’s not just the growth, it’s the relationship. To have the close relationship with Jesus, is to seek him,  thank him, confess to him, and ask him to show you how to live according to his will, daily. This cannot be obtained by doing good works. Good works do come as a result of the heart that has been changed and relinquished control for God to open the doors that are waiting for you.

Tools for achieving what I have obtained, are daily bible reading plans, prayer multiple times per day, taking time during or after prayer to let the holy spirit speak back to me. As my soul thirsts for more information and hungers for more information. I seek out all the education possible within a given day or year. I attend Bible study classes, mens early morning studies, mens Saturday morning breakfast, mens retreat, other short studies with a one on one with another man and Alpha classes. (Emersion)

As my heart looked for ways to fulfill my calling, I was made aware through my work and community of a local mission network that created an outlet for serving others according to God’s will. Of the greatest commandments is love one another. Through this mission are many opportunities to help the less fortunate and the lost.   2 Corinthians 9:12 says: “This service you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.”   This mission is an avenue to serving in many capacities to plant seeds to the road of salvation by example. Furthermore, the doors continued to open to a calling to Chaplaincy. From inquiring with church pastors on how to fulfill this calling, contacts were made and God began to open doors.  The need to serve and share God’s word were fulfilled with Chaplain opportunities at Disaster relief events, Police Chaplaincy and mission chaplaincy. I continue to seek more education to increase my knowledge and effectiveness. The greatest of these is the education of God’s word. 

Some people might view all this activity as overwhelming and diluted. I pray for God’s strength and ask him to give me the health and stamina to carry out the work at hand. I ask God to lead me to focus on what area is within his will. So far, I have not felt led to reduce my efforts but to increase them and perfect them with continued efforts to seek more related education and mentors. Our calling is to fulfill the Great Commission. To do this one must be off the pew and working outside of the church building.

Volunteerism, aside from salvation and a relationship with God, is the greatest blessing and soul filled ministry that can give joy and peace to the soul. Volunteering presents many opportunities to serve close to home inexpensively or abroad to all nations if within ones resources and calling.

As i have pictured and pondered on Gods calling and mission for myself or others. I thought of how to illustrate it on paper. I pictured two ladders leading up towards the clouds. One ladder definitely leads up into the clouds and into heaven. The other does not go as high. On the different rungs to the heavenly ladder are written salvation, Jesus, growth, education, discipleship, service and maturity in walking with Christ. On the handrails are written distractions that might help or hurt in this climb. They are slippery and require you to hold tighter and not slip as you hold on and attempt to climb.  Once someone has climbed all those rungs representing maturity, growth and their walk with God, they complete the climb where heaven and eternal life waits. Right beside this ladder is a secular ladder. On its rungs are levels of achievements. Some of the rungs are labeled : jobs, success, wealth, nice homes or cars. The handrails have the same distractions that create a slippery climb. Unfortunately, even though success, homes and cars are necessary and not bad, the ladder stops short of the clouds and there is no where to go beyond the top rung once arrived because none of the climb involved Jesus. All the climbing success is only credited to the climber and the secular world.

These ladders are side by side which will allow a person to step over and change from one ladder to the other. This is a two way opportunity, A person climbing the secular ladder can step over at any time to the heavenly ladder by recognizing that it will take the help of Jesus Christ to complete the climb. Furthermore, the person climbing the heavenly ladder has the free will to step over to the secular ladder.  Someone may have one foot on each ladder and is contemplating a change or which way they want to go. Everyone is worthy of the heavenly ladder. EVERYONE.

As we climb the heavenly ladder, the great commission calls us to go and spread the joy and peace of salvation to all the world. As I work and desire to come closer to Jesus Christ, I have come to realize the work at hand to be done and the joy and peace in my heart from serving others. When you get this, it is so enlightening that you want everyone you know to share and feel this feeling and inner satisfaction. My heart is heavy for those who have yet to feel it. My heart breaks for Christians that are not taking their walk with God to the level to be able to have that ultimate experience that awaits them.  I feel sensitive to what I believe a pastor may feel  similarly for his congregation.

 The disciples were ordinary men. They did not have seminary degrees. To be a volunteer and a follower of Jesus Christ, the only prerequisite is to accept the grace he has offered unconditionally. Just jump in…

I neither volunteer or write this for recognition but as a testimony and encouragement to those who have not yet believed or recognized the goal for which they are called. I am a sinner and will not be perfect until I have reached that heavenly goal.   Romans 3:12 for All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The following may well be my personal theme:

Philippians 3:12-15

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Someday For My Epitaph :

2 Timothy 4: 7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Where are you?  Have you entered the race? Have you found your calling? Let’s climb the heavenly ladder together. I will help hold the ladder to make your climb steady.

Always remember no matter what:  God and his Son Jesus love you.

To God be the Glory. Have a blessed week!!

Chaplain Mark

Your feedback is cherished.