Should we be telling others about Jesus?   But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and raised up on the third day." Luke 9:21-22   Why did Jesus tell them to keep the secret of his true identity? I think it was because the time was not right. We're instructed to make disciples of all nations now. It was Jesus final command, the Great Commission. We were also told that we would be his witnesses. But at this point in time, to people who didn't know who Jesus really was, they were to keep quiet.   Jesus had enough distraction, and misunderstanding already. Even among the disciples, there was confusion. Before the Holy Spirit was given, telling others about Jesus would have been a distraction.   Besides, he points out that people don't receive this kind of news well. They were going to cause Jesus to suffer, be rejected and be killed. Everything has a time. Jesus was encouraging them to wait until the proper time.   But this is Luke Chapter 9. They don't understand. Do we understand what we will need to endure? That's our topic for tomorrow.   If you get a chance, go check out our friend Carey Green's podcast, the Morning Mindset. You can find a link to it at www.CareyGreen.com..   And also, please join us on our next Marketplace Mission Trip. This is a lab exercise for our faith. For 2 weeks, you can try some practical ideas to share Christ's love with the people you see every day. And I promise, you won't be asked to break any company policies, either. Check it out and request an invitation at https://MarketplaceMissionTrip.com.

I read “My Utmost for His Highest” every year and every year I take notes. So as I read through each passage the next year, I see those notes and think about how far I’ve come. Or, I see where I still struggle with the same problems.  When we started Follower of One six years ago, I was still working full-time. But I wanted to realize a way that my faith could take up more of my life. I was frustrated because I’d look at these notes and realize I still struggled with many of the same problems. It’s one of the reasons why I created Follower of One. Listen to this episode to learn more about building a community of like-minded people and the goal of this community.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... The purpose of Follower of One [1:05] Why Follower of One focuses on faith at work [3:24] Building a community of like-minded people [6:15] The goal of the Follower of One community [10:36] Resources & People Mentioned My Utmost for His Highest Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose In Their Work Connect with Mike Henry Sr. Follower of One The Follower of One Community Watch on YouTube Connect on LinkedIn Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast

Almost everyone who knows about Jesus has an opinion. Do you live your life according to your opinion of Jesus?   And it happened while he was praying alone , the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them saying, "Who do the people say that I am?" They answered and said, "John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again." And He said to the, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God." Luke 9:18-20 NASB   I ask the same first question of you. Look around you? Who do your friends say Jesus is? Who do the people in your community say that he is? Who do the people in your country, or on this planet say he is?   We all live our lives according to our real opinion of Jesus. What we say we think of him may not line up with how we live. So when you look at the world, what conclusion do you draw?   Notice how Jesus takes their answer and turns it. In the end, our eternal life, our happiness and our satisfaction, joy, peace, freedom all ride on one idea. Who do we say Jesus is?   Check out The Morning Mindset. This is another daily devotional podcast by my friend Carey Green. They're helping promote our next Marketplace Mission Trip, so please search for his podcast and check it out. You can find out more info at www.CareyGreen.com.

How do we join in God's vision for our world?   “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith." Habakkuk 2:4 NASB95   Would you like to see the best you can imagine come to pass? I believe what God is doing will end up being the best I can imagine. And I know in Romans 8:28 that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are called according to his purpose.   So the vision, God's plan as it is revealed to us, will come about. Those who are proud and arrogant will miss out. But those who want to be right with God humble themselves and listen to him out of faith in him. We benefit from the vision in the long run.   Now I confess, I wish I lived this way with confidence. And we can clearly get this wrong and suffer some pretty extreme consequences. But what gets us right with God is faith. It puts us on God's side of the vision.   Today in your interactions with others, remember we have been given some great promises and we can freely live serving others because we follow Jesus. How will you let your faith in Jesus change the way you live? Will you continue to live scared about the future, or can you open up and be more generous with your time and resources? Can you do something for someone even though they can't pay you back? Today is another day when you have the opportunity to live like you trust Jesus. What will you do?   Join us in Follower of One and let's live helping others move one notch closer to Jesus. Check it out at www.FollowerOfOne.org.

Can you be certain about the future?   For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. Habakkuk 2:3 CSB   Do you have trouble communicating the vision of things as you see them? When God gives us a vision it will come to pass. It has a time. I confess, this is a challenge for me. But I'm old enough now to have seen several ideas come to pass. Many didn't end up like I thought. I probably wasn't listening to God. Others happened much later than I thought or they took place differently than I thought.   I don't profess to know the future. I am certain about the future, but not my ability to see it or guess it. God's vision will in-fact happen. In fact, God, who is outside of time, has already seen to it. He's in charge. God is answering Habakkuk. He was asking God about the things he saw that were coming and he wasn't happy. But God's answer was about the certainty of God's plan. God will execute his plan. And his plan is to save all who will be saved.   Today, we can trust that God is on schedule and everything is A-O-K. He isn't surprised or frustrated in any way. What we face is part of his strategy. That's why we're free to forgive and love our enemies. God is driving.   Still, things can be hard. Let's look for God in what we do every day. Let's draw near to god and encourage others to do the same. We can be part of God's vision or we can miss it entirely.   Would you like to be in a community of people who live and work every day to walk in our eternal purpose? Check out our online community at https://community.followerofone.org.

How often do you write what God tells you?   "Then the Lord answered me and said, 'Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run.'" Habakkuk 2:2 NASB   Basically, the Lord tells Habakkuk to record the vision so that the runner may run. Messages were hand-carried in that day. They didn't have text messages, and email and smartphones. They didn't even have dial-up lines. Messages were carried.   God is telling Habakkuk that he needs to write down what the Lord says. It needs to be spread around. Our first principle two days ago was that we need to be patient and watch for a word from God. We want to hear him but it will require patience and perseverance. We need to look patiently. We also need to be open to hearing things we don't like.   Today, we're told to write down what we hear. If we don't write it, we'll miss out. Writing it makes it easier to remember and to carry with us. The messenger needed to take the message with them back in those days.   Today, take some time to write God's vision. What is he saying to you? Make some notes. Then, put his word to work in the lives of the people around you. We can all help others move closer to God. His vision is important. Let's listen to him and do what he says. Get quiet before him, wait on him and write what he says. Then, we're equipped to share it.   Some of these ideas on vision come from Mark Virkler's 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice at this link.

How do you handle bad news?   I will stand at my watch post; I will remain stationed on the city wall. I will keep watching, so I can see what he says to me and can know how I should answer when he counters my argument. Habakkuk 2:1 NET   In the previous episode, we talked about how to hear from God and how to use what we hear as part of our vision for the future. Sometimes we don't hear what we want or expect.   Habakkuk seems to me to be saying that he wants whatever God will share even if it's not what he wants to hear. This prayer and answer began in Chapter 1 of Habakkuk. He is asking God why let bad people, specifically the Chaldeans, to deliver God's punishment to Israel.   This is another in the discussion of why do bad things happen to good people. Except that we know God states pretty plainly elsewhere in scripture that he is punishing the Jewish people because they didn't obey him. See Hosea 4:6. which is one of the many verses on this subject.   Habakkuk was prepared for God to disagree with him or to correct him. In addition to understanding what God wants him to know, he also is asking God how he should respond. It's like he's saying, "God show me how to respond. "   Do you ask God to give you a response to the things that will happen to you today? Ask him to guide and direct you. Our willingness to obey is part of the reason we hear from God. I think we can be too quick to answer. I certainly need to be more precise, and I need to chose my words more carefully. In fact, I need God to choose my words.   Today, let God choose your words. Let him put words in your mouth. Ask Him for words and how to respond to every surprise and situation. Then ask him what actions you need to take. Many times, praying to hear him is all you need. Your next actions may even seem strange, but you reminded yourself that God is in charge.

What does it mean to be an image bearer? In a world where we feel like we’re missing the mark if we’re not called to pastoral ministry, how do we find our kingdom purpose? How do we become disciples of other disciples? These are a few of the topics Dr. Thomas (Tom) Lutz covers in his recently authored book, “Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work: A Guide for All Who Make Disciples.” We scratch the surface of his wonderful book in this episode of Follower of One. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [1:01] Learn more about Tom Lutz and Vision Planners [7:50] Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work [16:55] The three instructions God gives His image bearers [23:47] What you do is important to God Resources & People Mentioned Follow this link to get a 52% discount on Tom’s book: Equipping Christians for Kingdom Purpose in Their Work: A Guide for All Who Make Disciples Convene Connect with Tom Lutz Connect with Tom on LinkedIn Follow on Facebook Subscribe to Follower of One: A Faith at Work Podcast Audio Production and Show Notes by - PODCAST FAST TRACK

What's your vision for your future?   "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint." Habakkuk 2:1 ESV   Notice here and for the next couple of days, I want to talk about the importance of vision. Here, the prophet Habakkuk is asking God for direction. He says he will stand his post and look out to see what God will say to him.   Do you ever wait for God to give you direction? Are you someone who believes that God will guide you? Or are someone who believes that everything is outside of our understanding? For me, passages like this show me that others have struggled with what I struggle with. Can I trust God? Will he guide me?   We will discover this some in the next couple of days. But today, let's start with what this prophet did. He took his post. He did his job. You're called to do your job today. You may not like it. But it is there. We don't get a pass. He went to work and he waited to hear from God. He anticipated being able to communicate with God. Jeremiah 33:3 ESV says "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."   I confess, I know I will hear from God and yet, I don't spend much focused time listening. I want to hear him all the time. But I don't spend enough time just listening. I want to listen more. I want to dedicate time to hearing from God.   This passage shows us some things about listening to God. We must stand our post. We must anticipate hearing from Him. Tomorrow, we'll talk about how Habakkuk is bracing himself even though he doesn't expect a good or easy answer.   Will you listen to God. Do you want his vision? Would you like to understand him better? Why not join our community of Christ-followers who want their faith to impact their everyday life. Head over to www.FollowerOfOne.org to find out more.

What's the big deal about giving a gift?   "For this perhaps is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, no longer as a slave, but more than a slave- as a dearly loved brother- especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord." Philemon 15-16 CSB   Have you ever noticed how the choice makes something more valuable? If I give you $20, you would appreciate that more than if I was simply giving you a $20 bill that you had given me. If I owe you the $20, or if I purchase something from you for $20, it's different than if I just give you $20.   The same goes for just about anything else. We must choose to follow Jesus. One day, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess Jesus is Lord, (Isaiah 45:23, Philippians 2:10).   Our need to choose shows up over and over again. Some estimate thousands of times a day. When we choose to do the right things, the rewards are more valuable. If we do those right things under compulsion, well, not so much.   Today, because we follow Jesus, we can choose to do what he would want, or not. We can show love to others. We can live productive lives. We can serve others, ready to give a defense for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). Or we can choose to be selfish, self-centered, focused only on our own needs and desires.   The next choice you make can matter forever. You can choose to give a cup of cold water, just because you're a disciple of Jesus. And in Mark 10:45, Jesus said you will not lose your reward for that action. We can choose to obey the Holy Spirit. He is speaking to you. He is prompting you to make a difference in the lives of the people you work with. Make a choice. Take an action. Don't let another moment pass.   Let's focus on what we can do. Give something away. Choose to bless someone else today and watch God work. You will give up a little selfishness, but, if God is who he claims to be, the rewards will be great.