Why we are reading 'A Meal With Jesus'

Another book...are you kidding me? Why this book? Is this just a casual read that I am going to read in a few days and then put down to never pick up again? Never apply, never change as a result of?

There are several reasons I chose to buy this book at this time in our life. I will seek to be as honest as possible and I am writing this because it will help me focus my thoughts about why I am going to spend time reading this book and what I hope to gain as a result of reading this.

A few reasons why we are going to read this:

1. The ministry of hospitality is obviously a huge priority in the life of Jesus and throughout the Bible and we are seeing that this is an area we need to grow in.

2. Eating and Meals happen every day, several times a day. Often we (and others I think) share excuses about being to busy, too much going on, but we eat every day having people into our home is a growing priority for us.



3. In all honesty, it is very easy to have people from church over for time together and fellowship. That should be a priority, but it also should be a priority to have our neighbors over for meals together, people I work with on a daily basis, and some of the guys who are on the corner of the streets holding signs about their needs. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord would have us have one of those guys over for a meal



What I hope to gain as a result of reading A Meal with Jesus.


1. In what ways was mealtime and hospitality a means of the Gospel going forth through a community, nation, and world?

2. In what ways can we use mealtime to serve and reach out to those who are in need of the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ?

3. In what ways does our mealtimes need to change for the purpose of spreading the Gospel, making disciples, etc.

4. How can our home be a centerpiece for ministry and outreach?

5. In this upcoming Holiday season, how can we serve others around us who need Jesus, not just let the season be about our immediate family?


In complete transparency, I feel like our time, schedule and commitments right now are too 'churchy' and our lives need to be lived more like missionaries. In Spokane WA. Right Now. I think it is a tool and tactic of Satan to get us drunk on ourselves by not being outward/others focused.

In this post I define 'churchy' as follows: A life, a schedule, and relationships that are only built on things that center around the local church you 'attend'. (I really kind of hate the word 'attend' because that is so ANTI-BIBLICAL.) For example, Sundays are at church, Tuesdays are with people from the church, Wednesdays a parenting class 'at church'). Each of these things are helpful and great, but AM I MISSING SOMETHING. ARE WE missing something? Where is it in our schedule that that we are 'going and making disciples of all the nations'? So much time and energy is spent is 'getting trained', 'taking classes', 'getting encouragement' that we forget that Jesus trained 'on the job', 'in the classroom of life', not in a class setting.



All that to say, mealtime, hospitality, "for the purpose of reaching the lost" is not a priority in our home and we want it to be. Repenting, thanking Him for his forgiveness, and asking Him tp do a powerful work in our home is where we are at.



I also am praying that this little book would be a source of encouragement, conviction and that the Spirit of God would do a work of faith in our lives as we seek to honor the King of Kings in our meals and in our home.

Listen to the Leading of the Holy Spirit

Let the Nations Be Glad: p.82

"There are hundreds of strange and radical things God is calling his people to do in the cause of world missions. Not everyone will hear the same call. Yours will be unique. It may be something you never dreamed of doing. It may be something you have only dreamed of doing. But I urge you to listen to the leading of the Spirit to see where "outside the camp" he may be taking you "to bear the reproach he endured."

Reading through the Gospel of John, the Book of Acts and the rest of the Bible for that matter, you see that God intimately leads people who follow Him & listen to HIM.

'Listening to the leading of the Spirit' is kind of a touchy subject in conservative non-charismatic churches, but you cannot deny it if you read the Bible.

God might be calling you to do something that no one else has ever done.

He might be calling you to something that no one on this earth will ever see or know about.

You might never get to share awesome stories that will get you attention or get you a published book or anything others might know about, but you'll be able to rest in the confidence that the Living God is leading you.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. 

Take your kids to the Zoo sometime instead of Sunday School

It would be more effective in seeking to communicate the cost of following Christ to take them to see lions eating, than sitting in a classroom.

While rereading Let the Nations Be Glad, Piper references Richard Wurmbrand in reference to how to prepare for suffering in your call to follow Christ:

"I remember my last confirmation class before I left for Romania. I took a group of ten to fifteen boys and girls on a Sunday morning, not to a church, but to the zoo. Before the cage of lions I told them, "Your forefathers in faith were thrown before such wild beasts for their faith. Know that you also will have to suffer. You will not be thrown before lions, but you will have to do with men who would be much worse than lions. Decide here and now if you wish to pledge allegiance to Christ."  They had tears in their eyes when they said yes.

Wurmbrand goes on to say...

We have to make the preparation now, before we are imprisoned. In prison you lose everything. You are undressed and given a prisoner's suit. No more nice furniture, nice carpets, or nice curtains. You do have a wife any more and you do not have your children. You do not have your library and you never see a flower. Nothing of what makes life pleasant remains. Nobody resists who has not renounced the pleasures of life beforehand.."

This is a quote from 'Let the Nations be Glad' 

Practically, Christians in Spokane could take their kids to Cat Tales (Not exactly 'Wild Beasts', but there are not a lot of other alternatives in the Spokane area) for a spiritual lesson and tell them about Daniel and his trust of God, Foxe's Book of Martyr's, and Hebrews 11, Luke 9, and a whole lot of other Scriptures.

It might be the most relevant Sunday School Lesson of their life.

"Father, I ask and pray that you would help us count the cost of following you. The cost won't be felt in the comfy church seats/pews, in church programs, or in in a 'go to' church culture, but in front of lions, in front of adversaries of the cross, in front of having to deny ourselves and what we love, for the greater treasure, Christ Himself. May I lead my children in such as way that demonstrates in the steps of my life that I treasure King Jesus over comfort, family, the niceties of this life here in the U.S., more than living to an old age, more than paying off my home mortgage, more than ANYTHING or ANYONE. You are the pearl of greatest prize, the hidden treasure worth selling all to gain, the one who had freed my soul from the domain of darkness and Satan and given me the Kingdom. O that love would compel me and others to live resolved to bring you glory by denying myself, taking up the cross, and following You."

Where is the line over which it is no longer worth it to go with the Gospel?

Reckless Abandon, p. 23

"If we, as Gospel ambassadors, are unwilling to suffer even as much as soldiers and fireman, could the reason be that we don't treasure Christ enough or value the Gospel enough to sacrifice significantly for its advancement into unreached regions? Is Jesus simply not worth the risk to many of us? Where is the line over which it is no longer worth it to go with the Gospel?" David Sitton

There is none. O Father, let me live like this. By Your Grace, For Your Glory.

Dave Ramsey's New Book 'Entreleadership' is his best yet

You might not know how much you need this book in the same way that you might not know you need chemotherapy because you don't know you have cancer.

Whether you are a parent, business owners, sole proprietor, have a home business, etc. this book is worth reading.

Dave Ramsey is a skillful surgeon, often with frank bluntness. He addresses the cancer, explains how it kills you if unaddressed, and explains what will need to happen to get you on to the road of healing.

Dave shares with humility and 20 years of experience. He is a proven leader in business, in leadership, entrepreneurship and personal finance. He is worth listening to and learning from.

Dave Ramsey is kind of the hero for bootstrapping entrepreneurs he lost it all in real estate and then he's calling in life got defined by that by helping people get out of that stay at a debt and pay off debt and never to go get you in debt again.

He is honest about his mistakes, doesn't hide from them, and uses them as a tool to help teach others to learn from his mistakes.

   

This book is almost free, $14. Free in that the lessons shared, principles proclaimed, and vision cast are worth countless more than you could ever pay for the cost of the book. His writing of this book is a true gift.

Entreleadership is Dave's business autobiography and reads as if you were having a conversation with him. In fact, I kept turning the pages, reading it like one would read Lord of the Rings. 

His chapter on goal setting, the importance of mission statement, casting a vision for your company, were priceless. Whether or not one does anything with it after they read it is a totally different questions.

Whenever I read a book, I ask myself...What needs to change in my life as a result of reading this book?

The answer to that question after reading Entreleadership is....A LOT.

1. I need a clearly written mission statement (For My Family, and as a Realtor)

2. I need to write down goals in all areas of my life.

3. I need to keep more specific track of my time and what I have been devoting time and attention to.

4. I need to have a clean office space. (Ouch) 

5. I need to make sure that my Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statements, and my Dustin Greenup, Inc. Quickbooks are in good standing.

The 2nd chapter of the book, Start with a Dream, End with a Goal was probably the most helpful/challenging and inspiring in the whole book.

You won't be wasting your time or money by getting this book...in fact, you could be wasting lots of time and money if you don't get this book, read it, and apply it. 

Remember...it hurts to be told that you have cancer, but it is a lot worse if it is not dealt with.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the book:

Dave Ramsey, Entreleadership:

"Dreaming is the lifeblood of people and organizations that are alive and thriving." Page 24

"The Mission Statement is further clarification and definition of your dreams and vision and assures you that your goals are aimed at the right target"  Page 27

"Personal Finance is not a Math Problem, it is a Behavior Problem" P.38

"If you don't own the goal and it doesn't come from your dream, then you won't have the toughness to persevere when the going gets tough" P.37