Many of us just celebrated Rosh Hashanah. This is the Hebrew/ Jewish new year. This is also known as the Feast of trumpets. New year often comes with new goals and new hopes. It can be hard for some to blow the trumpet with joy when we think about the times we are living in.
The only thing that keeps me stable in these days of uncertainty is the absolute dependability of God’s Word. -Elizabeth Elliot
I wish I could say that most things in our world are running smooth and exactly how we want them to run. They are not. We have had a very trying couple of years. I wanted to share a few numbers with you.
Notable violence numbers from 2019: 2,983 Christians were killed for their faith 8,537 Christians were raped or sexually harassed for their faith 9,488 Churches or Christian buildings were attacked 3,711 Christians were unjustly arrested or imprisoned 1,052 Christians were abducted for faith-related reasons 3,315 Christian homes were attacked, burned or destroyed
Before you read any further… Pray.
We have these violent acts going around the whole world. I don’t have the answer for what you can do other than pray. The violence of this world is nothing new. People have been killing each other since Cain and Able. We can not look at these numbers and be surprised. Only a little over 30% of the worlds population is a Christian. Only about 65% of the US is Christian. That number is declining every year. These numbers should not scare you, but they should stir you. They should stir you to be in the Word so that you are also… prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
I recently when through Ephesians 4 with the Family Life Assembly of God in Choctaw, OK. The whole chapter is so rich and gives a great playbook for the Christian. One thing that we discussed every night was that the first three chapters of the book are the why and the next three are the how. As in, why we are Christians and how we walk that out. The biggest things that we have to understand is that we can not begin to walk out out faith, if we don’t know why we have our faith. My friend Maria shared the biblical definition of faith with us; confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. The only way that we can live in these trying times is by faith with hope. Not faith in a government to protect us and provide for us, but faith in our God to do that. Not hope that things will be how we want them to be and that we wont face trials and persecution, but Hope that Christ’s will be done in our lives.
One of the most powerful things that was ever told to the Hebrews that were being persecuted and were filled with righteous anger was; We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. When we have Christ as an anchor in our life, the storms and waves of the evil in this world don’t shift our faith. The frustrations of mundane daily tasks don’t distract us from the mission we are on.
What mission are you on?
Is your mission Christ centered?
What distractions from the enemy, stumbling blocks or briars of rebellion do you need to address?
Stand firm in your faith. Pray for the persecuted. Pray for those that persecute. Blow the trumpet of the Lord. Loudly!
It is interesting when we look back at the Old Testament and read through the genealogy of God’s people. There is significance in knowing the origins of things and people alike. It is amazing to watch how many lives can be changed when one person hears the voice of the Lord and obeys. One woman, Rachel Moix, heard the calling on her life and walked it out. She walked with as many women as she could until the good Lord took her home. A few of the people she walked with included Kellie Lemen, Trista Voos, and myself. We did not all walk with Rachel at the same time, but we all have that same genealogical connection. This connection knits our hearts together in the sweetest way. I was going to interview Kellie later on this summer, but as the Lord would have it, he called another Saint, Jill Lee, home. With that, I found myself up in Kansas City to pay my respects.
Kellie lives on the Missouri side of Kansas City in an amazing historical bungalow that was built in 1915. Anyone that knows me well, knows I LOVE historical things. SO, getting to stay in this home and not some cheap motel was extra special to me. The home looks to have the original floors and windows that I can still picture in my head. I woke up at 4am and got in the car to head to KC from Harrah, ok. When I got there I spent a little time with the Lord and went in the church for the funeral. After the funeral I got to go to dinner with Trista, Summer (another Disciple maker), and Kellie at a great pizza place, that I highly recommend; 1889 Pizza Napoletana.
Chorley: How did you get involved with Disciple making?
Kellie: I hit a phase in my life where I became super hungry. I wouldn’t get enough of the Word. I was being fed but didn’t know how to self-feed. Rachel got diagnosed with Cancer and I remember being called to pray for her. I sent her a package in the mail and gave her scripture. I went to a women’s conference and there was a sermon about getting off the fence. I had been in a phase where I had a double life. I made the decision to be all in and started praying about being discipled. Rachel invited me in after meeting with me one on one.
Chorley: How long did you agree to walk together?
Kellie: We didn’t have a covenant at that time. It was agreed that we would walk as long as we would walk.
Chorley: How long did yall walk together?
Kellie: Right around a year.
Chorley: When we begin to walk with people we don’t just walk with anyone, we are led by the Lord to invite people of peace to follow us as we follow Jesus. What does that look like for you?
Kellie: A lot of prayer. Listening prayer. Thinking about names, praying about names and being super open to who the Lord may be highlighting. The last group, I wrote down exactly how the Lord revealed them to me, so that when things got bad, I could look back to remind myself what the Lord said to me. The harvest is plentiful, and the workers are few, so you have to go up the mountain to find answers. Engaging in conversations to see if my words are big in their ears. If see if they come back to me after I have given them the Word. Watching how they respond to scripture I give them.
Kellie with her first group
Chorley: How long do you generally walk with your groups?
Kellie: It has been about 15-16 month.
Chorley: What is the biggest pillar of faith the Lord has built in you through discipleship?
Kellie: Honestly, some of the time you are feel like you have broken stuff, but you realize that the Lord wants it more than you, so he always makes it happen… There was someone I pushed too hard… and I thought they were going to walk away. When she left that night, she reached out to me to talk about how I handled things and she was super loving and awesome. A pillar was when I realized it isn’t on me.
Chorley: Are all the people that were discipled with you and the women you have released, now making disciples?
Kellie: No.
Chorley: Has that ever caused a shift in you?
Kellie: Yea, for sure. Especially my first group, I learned a lot and know things could have been done better. I wish I had done somethings differently and wonder if that would have spurred more things on.
Chorley: But like you said, it isn’t on you. You can pour into someone, but you can’t force them to pour into others. That is freedom for you and them.
Kellie with her second group
Chorley: What was the biggest lesson you had to learn about the truth of the Gospel?
Kellie: Everything we do matters. The shift of when the Gospel truly takes root in you, and you know what’s at stake. Souls. Everything else in life becomes a lot less important and you can see more clearly. You want to chase people down and show them what the Lord looks like and just love them. I have this saying, that I am always saying… “meanwhile, souls are perishing”. We should turn that into a shirt.
Chorley: Who do you lean on and confide in when you are struggling to make disciples and why?
Kellie: I have two good friends that also make disciples. Trista and Summer. I think it is important to have people who are also in the trenches and understand the process. The joys, the pains, the hurt and frustration. They are always able to encourage me with the Word.
Chorley: What is the slowest thing about making disciples?
Kellie: Depending on the person. The building of relationship and building trust can take a lot of time and it isn’t something you can rush. Also.. individuals learning how to abide.
Chorley: I agree 100%. Learning how to read the word and understand the voice of the Lord for yourself is what leads to true transformation. That is heaven breaking through in your life!
Chorley: Now that we have discussed the importance of being in the Word…How valuable is reading words from others?
Kellie: I think there is place for it and there is value, but it is also never a replacement for the word. I would say that if it isn’t scripture based, it doesn’t hold a lot of weight for me. I have read testimonies that are super important. Paul gave his testimony over and over in the word, so there can be power in our words too.
Chorley: What is the difference between discipleship and small groups?
Kellie: small groups are, low challenge. They are comfy and cozy. No one wants to challenge people with truth because they don’t want the environment to uncomfortable. Small groups are grace heavy and tend to not go as deep. Discipleship is a high challenge. It is very intentional. The people that are invited in, there are high expectations for them. There is high accountability. There are always trust for your information to stay in the room. Everyone knows that everyone in the room is fighting for them.
Chorley: Where have you seen discipleship spill onto different parts of your life that you didn’t expect?
Kellie: EVERYEHERE! When you realize that your life has purpose and that the Lord wants to use you, you seek out moments to be the church all the time! I did a bible study a few weeks ago and I saw fruit from it. I recently got to teach Eat the Word to a co-worker. I get to share Jesus with my very hard neighbors. Even if I am not discipling someone, I can still pour into them. Almost all of my friendships have changed because I can love my friends better and help show them the word and the truth.
Chorley: What advice do you have for people who are not sure about discipleship?
Kellie: You can count the cost but the pay out and the freedom that will come is better than you can ever imagine. It is in the word so why would be not strive for it. If we see Jesus walk with people, why would we not model that?
Chorley: DO you have any questions for me?
Kellie: What compels you to keep writing about discipleship?
Chorley: I have lived a dozen lives in the span of 35 years. I have almost died more times than I can count. I have had medical scare after medical scare. I have this thought that I have one life to live and only so much time left. I never know when the Lord is going to call me home. In that time, I am going to do everything I can to teach the people in my life about Jesus. I want to die knowing that everything the Lord has shown me, I wrote down so that when I am gone there will be a record for my children and their children… for those that are in my genealogy.
Kellie is single and the questions that I have been asking I decided to ask the women that are closest to her. I aske Trista: What is the biggest transformation you have witnessed in Kellie since she has gone through discipleship and is now making Disciples?
Trista Voos, Summer Cole, Kellie Lemen
Trista: Kellie has grown in her confidence at letting the Lord lead her to the right people of peace. I’ve seen the joy in her as she lays her life down to find it. She is quick to repent when she gets sideways and shares her struggles with honest and vulnerable intentions to teach others. She’s consistent to show up for those she loves and relies on the Word to shine through in leading women.
Thank you all for continuing to read this blog and support Disciple making. The Lord has commissioned us all. If you are interested in learning more about making disciples, feel free to email me from the contact page. I know dozens of Disciple Makers that are looking for people that are hungry for the Lord. Be sure to check out the shop for some great shirts.
I wish I could say that I have suffered enough pain for my life, so I should be exempt from anymore. That is simply not the truth. The truth is that I have sinned over and over in my life and I, like most, deserve no grace. I have yet to find any place in the word that says that the I have earned the Lords love and kindness so he must make it possible for me to live happily ever after. The word paints quite a different picture for me. While it is not all sunshine and rainbows, it is still a picture that I choose to accept because it all works out for my good.
Back in 2007 I was quite the Soldier. (At least I thought so because you know… I’m prideful) I had made it through 3 years in the Army and 1 deployment without any knee pain. I bragged about it to my husband. He was going to regular doctors’ appointments for his knee problems. You were a unicorn if you didn’t have knee pain. Having been one with no knee pain and being a female, I got roped into a lot of extra training. We were gearing up for our next deployment. Most infantry companies now employ at least one female for combat missions. With tensions being as high as they are now, you don’t want a male soldier searching a female detainee. This is especially true for a female detainee that is Muslim. That is one reason that it is important for every unit to have at least one female. Well, for many missions, I was that one. While training I went on an Air Assault mission. The leadership decided not to waste time repelling from the Blackhawk. Instead, the helicopter swooped down as low as it could and we all jumped. The jump was probably five feet from the ground. I was wearing my vest, assault pack (backpack), rifle, and a 50-caliber barrel on my shoulder. The vest weighs 16 lbs., ammo in the vest adds about 7 lbs., the pack weighs 25, The rifle 11 lbs., the barrel weighs 24lbs. All together that is 83 lbs. on my (at the time) 113 lb. body. I’ll do the math for you, that is 73% of my weight. This small jump should have been fine and not injured anyone. Well…I have a genetic disorder called Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder. Basically, my joints bend further than they should because the ligaments in my body are too loose. This results in limbs moving into positions that they shouldn’t, which leads to sprains, breaks and a lot of pain. If I bend my knee a certain way, the ligament that is known as the hamstring (behind my knee) will get hooked on the side of my fibula (leg bone) and prevent me from standing up. If it gets hooked, when I try to stand it will feel like I am ripping my leg off. So, when I hit the ground with 73% of my body weight on my back, my knees buckled backwards which led to me fracturing both patella’s. I am no longer a unicorn. My knees have gotten worse over the years. Sometimes I just scream trying to stand, and sometimes they feel fine.
This morning I was sitting in Luke 9:23. And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” There is more to the conversation… but I narrowed in on this. I woke up this morning and felt okay. Sore from working out, but okay. As I read the scripture, I told myself that surly I pick up my cross daily. Surly I willingly pick it up. I looked into this word “cross” in the Strong’s concordance. Stauros. An instrument of crucifixion. The cross represents unspeakable pain, humiliation, and suffering- and ironically it is also the symbol of infinite love. It is not a symbol for suffering in general. Rather it refers to withstanding persecution (difficult times), by the Lord’s power, as he directs the circumstances of life. As Christ’s Disciples, believers are told to hold true even when attacked by the ungodly. I prayed for the Lord to remind me over and over to pick up my cross. I prayed for him to continue to humble me, and I thanked him for the blessings of his word. I stood up… and went downstairs. On my way down the stairs my ankle gave out and I started to fall. When I caught myself, my kneecap slipped out of place. I was able to slip it right back because I have those amazing Stretch Armstrong ligaments. I immediately thought… NOT THIS CROSS! I don’t want to pick this one up. This one is not convenient for me. This one shows my physical weakness. I tried to walk, and I could barely put weight on it. I was immediately annoyed by my minor inconvenience. While at church I stood and worshipped as I usually do. I was then annoyed again because it was too painful to kneel down to pray. “ Why am I feeling pain that is preventing me from worshipping as I desire to worship!” As soon as the thought hit my head, my other leg became too weak to stand and I was forced to sit down. As soon as I was able to catch my breath and feel a break from the pain and weakness I stood again. It wasn’t long before I had to sit again. I was frustrated and hurting and just wanted to cry. As soon as I said the words, “Why God?” He reminded me of the pain of the cross he bore. He reminded me of his questions to Job. He reminded me of his strength in my weakness. He reminded me that I should not be surprised when a fiery trial comes upon me. He reminded me to rejoice in my sufferings. He reminded me that I said I was willing to pick up my cross and follow him. I would pick up my pain. I would pick up my humiliation. I would pick up my suffering. And follow him. I immediately repented. The congregation was asked to stand. I stood up and tears just flowed from my eyes. They flowed with joy and thanksgiving because I was standing and putting weight on my knee and most of my pain had been removed.
I live most of my life in some type of physical pain. I have asked the Lord to take it many times. Often the answer is no. When the answer is no, I just remind myself that the Lord may have me suffer this pain to keep me humble. I am no Paul, far from it. But I do know that Paul’s thorn kept him humble. I can respect that. After all, no discipline feels good at the time. So, yes Lord, continue to break me to my knees and humble me. I witnessed a physical miracle this morning. How precious a gift is it to witness a miracle, let alone feel one. The weight of our load may seem heavy, but all things are possible through he who strengthens me.
What cross have you been asked to carry? Physical, Mental, Spiritual.
Do you pick it up willingly and daily?
How do you hold true when attacked, when in pain, when humiliated, when suffering?
I have a few things to go over for those of you that have yet to decided if you want to go on the journey of becoming a disciple maker and for those of you who are trying to figure out who you would like to disciple. While reading a book by J. Oswald Sanders I was reminded of the three types of people that may say yes to being discipled. We learn about three types straight from Christ himself. In Luke 9: 57-62 we see Jesus walking down the road. He is talking with those walking with him and one man declares to Jesus that he will follow him wherever he will go. This man is “The Impulsive” and has not counted the cost of following Christ. Jesus reminds him that the son of man has no where to lay his head. Jesus gives him a quick check to reality. We can see many people get wrapped up in the charisma of following someone. This discipling business is not to be romanced. You have the real question of would you give up everything to follow Christ? Never say yes just to please or impress someone else. The next type of person that we see tell Jesus that he will follow him is “The Reluctant”. This man tells Jesus that he should first let him go bury his father. This is the one who wants to settle things first. He wants to essentially finish doing all he wants to do before he will follow the Lord. He wants to follow the Lord when it is more convenient for him. I can tell you, there will never be a convenient time to follow. The next one that tells Jesus he will follow him is “The Halfhearted”. This is the man that tells Jesus he should let him go back and say bye to his family. When we look at the surface of this request, it seems like the man just wants to kiss his wife and kids’ goodbye. What could be wrong with that? Its sweet right? Well, nothing in the word is surface deep. This man is half concerned with following the Lord and half concerned with what he has left behind. I am reminded of Lot’s wife when I think of this man. The Lord tells us that “no one who puts his hand to plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom”. When you consider following Christ…
Have you counted the cost?
Are you waiting for a convenient time?
Is your heart torn between your old life and the possibility of a new life?
If you are looking for someone who modeled how deciding following Christ should look, I would suggest you reading through the story of how Elisha decided to follow Elijah. And listen to the popular song Burn the Ships. It is a nod to Cortez, who burnt his own ships when he arrived at the new world with hundreds of men. He made the visual statement that there is no turning back. If Discipling has taught me anything, it is that you will get tired. You will want to quit. You will die a thousand deaths. However, the Lord will grow you with each death. But first you have to make a decision on whether or not this is for you.
