Our Identity

Our identity is in Christ. According to Galatians 2:20, “I was crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Most men’s identity is in what they do and the roles that they play. Many so-called Christians go through the motions to keep the Ten Commandments. They go to church and they try not to sin. However, it’s not sin that condemns us. Rather, it’s failure to accept the Savior from sin. When we confessed “Jesus is Lord” we received a new Lord and Master. Our identity is no longer “who we are” but rather “whose we are.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man is in Christ, he’s a new creature, old things are passed away, all things are become new.” To be in Christ means that we have become a new creation in Christ. He makes all things new. David’s prayer in Psalm 51:1-2 was, “HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Verse 10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

As we continue our series about vision and purpose, we need to remember our identity relative to Proverbs 29:18 “where there is no vision the people run wild.” Why are we here and where are we going as Christians and as Men of God? The answers to these questions will keep us on the narrow way, for Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life. In the midst of the crisis and in the heat of the spiritual battle, we need to be convinced of our mission and our purpose. We need to see ourselves and others, not as we are, but spiritually as God sees us. Ephesians says that from God’s perspective we are seated in heavenly places. God sees us not as we are, but as we will be at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:14 says that the love of God compels us to action. What is the reason for your action? Why do you do what you do? What motivates you? If the motive isn’t the love of Christ then why are you here? “For the love of Christ constraineth (compels) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

During a recent congressional appointment, one congressman did not approve a Christian’s appointment. The congressman argued that the Christian was “intolerant” and too “exclusive.” He believed that the Christian could not relate or empathize with others outside of his faith. The Christian was rejected for the appointment simply because he he identified with his Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re constantly being evaluated if we profess to be Christians. It matters whether we’re living for this life or the next life. If we compromise our Christian values and try to make a peace treaty with the devil, the God of this World, then we are not “sanctified” according to the truth of the Word of God. Sanctified starts with “discrimination.” It means to be set apart… separated to the purpose for which our Creator designed us. If we truly know our Lord Jesus Christ, we’ll allow the Word of God to rebuke and correct us and to restore us to an upright position. The purpose is so that we will walk in fellowship with our Heavenly Father. The narrow way is the only way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father except by me.”

God looks at us in our sin and our brokenness and has compassion. He did not come to judge us and to condemn us. Rather he sent his son Jesus Christ that the world through him might be saved. When we accept God’s offer of salvation through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on our behalf, God sees us clothed in white robes of his righteousness. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Romans 8 says that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

When a man first comes to Christ and the eyes of his understanding are enlightened, he “falls in love” with God, His Son Jesus Christ. He thrills at God’s truth and the revelation of His Word. We must guard our heart not to “lose our first love.” Love is the motivation for our actions. We need to remind ourselves not only “who we are” but also “whose we are.” If we’re not connected with like minded men in Christ, we’ll never grow up into the mature Christian that our Father wants us to be. We’re most like those with whom we spend the most time. Sin is crouching at the door if we don’t walk with others who walk in fellowship with him.

According to 1 John 1:7-9, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The devil’s job is to dim the light of the Word of God in our heart. We need men who will shine their light into our heart so that together we can walk in fellowship one with another.

God will restore us when we confess our sin, our broken fellowship. For if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If a man is in Christ, he will say, “for me to live is Christ and my purpose is to glorify God. My identity is the furtherance of the gospel of Christ.” We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Our purpose in life is to get others to know him, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship with our Heavenly Father through his son Jesus Christ.

Walking in the Word is abiding in Christ. Our exhortation is to fan the flame of our brothers in Christ to build up the body of Christ. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He has foreordained that we should walk therein. This is the purpose for which we were created, for what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Glen Megill’s Testimony:  Man of God

Glen Megill has been involved with Influencers in Irvine for many years.    He was invited to the Influencers Band of Brothers group in Irvine twelve times before finally accepting the invitation.  Glen will be moving to Texas to be closer to his extended family and to start Influencers’ chapters there.  He has a heart to serve men and was a driving force to develop and sustain Influencers groups in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

Glen studied at seminary and as a minister began “life groups” at Rock Harbor Church. He introduced men to these groups by showing  the movie “The Sandlot.”  The clip they emphasized was about the character named “Smalls” who didn’t think he was any good at baseball.  His team encouraged him and the movie chronicled Small’s journey to become a part of the team.  Encouragement is the key to growing into the man that God intended us to be.  When asked why we’re involved with Influencers, the response of many men is similar to dialogue from the movie “As Good As It Gets:  “I’m here because you’re here.  You make me want to be a better man.”  We’re most like those with whom we associate.  Who are your three and who are your twelve?  Influencers is designed for men who desire to “choke in the dust of other men in hot pursuit of their Lord Jesus Christ.”  Glen has taken his calling as an “ambassador for Christ” seriously.  His passion is to sow the Word of God into the lives of other men of God.

Today we witnessed Glen’s son Dustin anointing his son DJ as a man of God.  Influencers now has three generations of committed men in the Megill family.  As men of God, we’re blessed to pass on two sets of DNA:  that of our natural family, and also that of our Heavenly Father.  According to 1 Peter 1:23, “being born again not of corruptible seed (DNA), but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever.”  This is a fitting illustration for Father’s Day.  DNA is an encoded message to pass on biological information from one generation to the next.  Likewise, God’s message is passed on to those who are “born again” of incorruptible seed.  The principle is this:  you teach what you know but you reproduce who you are.  I’m no longer a slave to sin, I am a child of God.  I have inherited my Heavenly Father’s DNA, the incorruptible seed, the Word of God.

The anointing of a “Man of God” affirms our identity of who we are and whose we are.  It confirms that I’m a man after God’s own heart.  The first question is “Do you love Christ?”  This is the prerequisite for a Man of God.  The second question is. “Do you find your identity in Jesus?”  To get to know a man, what do I really need to know?  What’s your identity and what defines you?  The answer for a Man of God is, “I’m a disciple of my Lord Jesus Christ and a son of God.”  The third question is, “do you want to spend the rest of your life learning to become just like Christ?”  Real ministry is learning to say “Lord come help yourself to my life.”

All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.  Whether through pain or comfort, all things are for our learning to become just like our Lord Jesus Christ.  The response to the declaration, “man of God” is “absolutely.”

The phrase “Man of God” defines our relationship with God.  The word “of” is a preposition.  A preposition defines the relationship between the subject “man” and the object of the preposition “God.”  Grammatically the phrase “Man of God” is the “genitive of possession.”  Translated into common English it means God’s man.  It’s not who we are but rather WHOSE we are.  Our profession “Jesus is Lord” means that we are his.  1 Corinthians 3:23 summarizes this truth, “… ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”

Man of God?  ABSOLUTELY!

May God richly bless you this Father’s Day!

Your brother in Christ,

Michael

Our Identity

Our identity is in Christ. According to Galatians 2:20, “I was crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Most men’s identity is in what they do and the roles that they play. Many so-called Christians go through the motions to keep the Ten Commandments. They go to church and they try not to sin. However, it’s not sin that condemns us. Rather, it’s failure to accept the Savior from sin. When we confessed “Jesus is Lord” we received a new Lord and Master. Our identity is no longer “who we are” but rather “whose we are.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man is in Christ, he’s a new creature, old things are passed away, all things are become new.” To be in Christ means that we have become a new creation in Christ. He makes all things new. David’s prayer in Psalm 51:1-2 was, “HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Verse 10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

As we continue our series about vision and purpose, we need to remember our identity relative to Proverbs 29:18 “where there is no vision the people run wild.” Why are we here and where are we going as Christians and as Men of God? The answers to these questions will keep us on the narrow way, for Jesus Christ himself is the way, the truth and the life. In the midst of the crisis and in the heat of the spiritual battle, we need to be convinced of our mission and our purpose. We need to see ourselves and others, not as we are, but spiritually as God sees us. Ephesians says that from God’s perspective we are seated in heavenly places. God sees us not as we are, but as we will be at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:14 says that the love of God compels us to action. What is the reason for your action? Why do you do what you do? What motivates you? If the motive isn’t the love of Christ then why are you here? “For the love of Christ constraineth (compels) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

During a recent congressional appointment, one congressman did not approve a Christian’s appointment. The congressman argued that the Christian was “intolerant” and too “exclusive.” He believed that the Christian could not relate or empathize with others outside of his faith. The Christian was rejected for the appointment simply because he he identified with his Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re constantly being evaluated if we profess to be Christians. It matters whether we’re living for this life or the next life. If we compromise our Christian values and try to make a peace treaty with the devil, the God of this World, then we are not “sanctified” according to the truth of the Word of God. Sanctified starts with “discrimination.” It means to be set apart… separated to the purpose for which our Creator designed us. If we truly know our Lord Jesus Christ, we’ll allow the Word of God to rebuke and correct us and to restore us to an upright position. The purpose is so that we will walk in fellowship with our Heavenly Father. The narrow way is the only way. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father except by me.”

God looks at us in our sin and our brokenness and has compassion. He did not come to judge us and to condemn us. Rather he sent his son Jesus Christ that the world through him might be saved. When we accept God’s offer of salvation through the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on our behalf, God sees us clothed in white robes of his righteousness. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Romans 8 says that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.

When a man first comes to Christ and the eyes of his understanding are enlightened, he “falls in love” with God, His Son Jesus Christ. He thrills at God’s truth and the revelation of His Word. We must guard our heart not to “lose our first love.” Love is the motivation for our actions. We need to remind ourselves not only “who we are” but also “whose we are.” If we’re not connected with like minded men in Christ, we’ll never grow up into the mature Christian that our Father wants us to be. We’re most like those with whom we spend the most time. Sin is crouching at the door if we don’t walk with others who walk in fellowship with him.

According to 1 John 1:7-9, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The devil’s job is to dim the light of the Word of God in our heart. We need men who will shine their light into our heart so that together we can walk in fellowship one with another.

God will restore us when we confess our sin, our broken fellowship. For if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If a man is in Christ, he will say, “for me to live is Christ and my purpose is to glorify God. My identity is the furtherance of the gospel of Christ.” We have been given the ministry of reconciliation. Our purpose in life is to get others to know him, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship with our Heavenly Father through his son Jesus Christ.

Walking in the Word is abiding in Christ. Our exhortation is to fan the flame of our brothers in Christ to build up the body of Christ. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which He has foreordained that we should walk therein. This is the purpose for which we were created, for what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.

May God richly bless you,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

We Are the Plan

Pete’s wife Suzan has been blessed with a praise report this week. After 17 doctor visits in 25 days, Pete and Suzan finally received the results of her PET scan… there are no new cancers. The blood clot in her lung has disappeared. She still has challenges with her double vision and she will receive corrective glasses on Monday. They are encouraged for what the Lord is doing in their lives. They are grateful for Suzan’s prayer warriors who are carrying her through this ordeal. Pete and Suzan are t most thankful for their Lord Jesus Christ and that despite good news or bad news, the ultimate good news is the good news of the gospel: that Jesus Christ himself is the solution to the issues of life.

If you want to make God laugh, tell him what your plans are. We do not know the destinations in this life, but he does. He did not call us to reveal his plan. Rather he called us to BE his plan. Our challenge allow God to “come help himself to our lives.” He will continue to write each new chapter in the book of our lives. We are his epistles, written not with ink or in tables of stone, but written in our hearts. Whatever the “problem du jour” God says, “I’ve got this.” Our challenge is to trust God for wisdom to walk according to his will for our lives. As men of God, our freedom is to choose to walk one step at a time in fellowship with Him. Our goal is to “choke in the dust of those in hot pursuit of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians chapter 5 is about the Influencers’ vision. We see thousands of men not as they are but as they will be, making Jesus Christ Lord of their lives. Men who make decisions in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ in full view. Men secure in their identities in Jesus Christ. Men who are free in Christ committed to free others in Christ. Men who are alert, focused, and prepared, standing firm in the faith. Men dedicated to influence their world for Jesus Christ, becoming just like him. Men standing together with their band of brothers, faithful to the end to hear their master say, “well done my good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”

We need men with ministries within the body of Christ. Men in whom the spirit of the Lord resides for He has called apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:14-21:
For the love of Christ constraineth (compels) us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;”
“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

These verses summarize Influencers’ vision:
We see thousands of men, not as they are but as they will be in Christ.
Men who are seeking after righteousness.
Men hungry to grow in Christ.
Men who have been set free in Christ and who are dedicated to set others free.

We are new creatures in Christ according to verse 17. New Creatures are those whom God the creator has created with the newness of the spirit of life in Christ. Our calling is to be men who want to become just like Jesus. This starts with the love of Christ which compels and motivates us to action to follow him after him. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. This is the spirit of rejoicing in the Lord. It starts with denying myself, taking up my cross and following him. To walk with Christ we must crucify the old nature to walk in the newness of Life.

Purpose is the aim, goal, object, or end to be attained or achieved. What is the one thing that you cannot compromise? What is the one thing for which you give your life? “Sanctification” or “holiness” according to the Word is to be separated for the purpose intended by the Designer. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has prepared in advance that we should walk in them. The purpose is that the love of Christ compels us to die to self in order to live for Him. As King Solomon said at the end of Ecclesiastes, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear (love, reverence, and respect) God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Men of this world seek for power and selfish influence. They don’t understand the biblical concept of servant leadership. Jesus said, he who is chiefest among you shall be servant of all. Jesus also said, “the works that I do shall they do and greater works shall they do because I go unto my father.” The greater works is leading others to salvation through Jesus Christ.

God reconciled us to himself through the supreme sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, we were reunited with God because Jesus Christ who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Because we have been reconciled through Christ he has given us the ministry of reconciliation and has committed unto us the Word of reconciliation.

The challenges and trials of life are opportunities to prove the power of God to deliver. He is working in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure. The spirit that we have been given is to serve our Lord by serving those whom he has given us to minister the word of reconciliation. Those whom God has called will receive us as God’s epistles, his love letters known and read of all men. We may not understand what God is doing in our own lives to influence others for Him. God has called us to plant and water the seed of the Word of reconciliation even if we never see the harvest.

Our purpose is to be secure in the calling wherewith he has called us. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which he’s committed to me against that day of righteous judgement. Our confidence is in him and the power of his gift of the Holy Spirit.

God will reveal to us the shortcomings of others so that we will know how to pray for them. For God’s desire is that all would be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. He has called us for this purpose: to reconcile others unto him. God didn’t call us to develop a “plan of action.” Rather he called us to be his plan. He has given us the ministry of reconciliation and has committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. Our purpose and our plan is to “pray ye in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” In other words, give ’em Heaven!

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Compelled by Love

Pastor Pete gives a positive report from Suzan’s appointments with her doctors this week. Her oncologist says that her CAT scans were all negative: there are no new cancers in her body. The clot she had in her lung has now disappeared and she no longer needs blood thinners. The nodules in her lungs are being analyzed to see if she is a candidate for clinical trials to treat these nodules. Pete and Suzan request prayers for the results of her ophthalmologists tests to determine if glasses will be able to correct her double vision. They also request prayer for improvement to her episodes of memory loss and confusion. Life is a marathon and not a sprint.

God has given us a vision for Influencers. We’re making disciples and calling men for intimacy with Christ. We want to stay on target to walk in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The word of God is the focus for our vision because Jesus Christ himself is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without a vision according to the Word of God, the people go unrestrained.

We see thousands of men:
Men not as they are but as they will be in Christ.
Men of God Making decisions with Jesus in full view.
Men who are hungry for the Word.
Men Secure in their identity in Christ.
Men who are Free in Jesus Christ committed to free other men.
Men who stand firm in their faith, alert and on their guard to be about their father’s business, on point for their Lord.
Men serving in the church exercising their God given passions and enablements in Christ.
Men who stand firm faithfully in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5 says that the love of Christ constrains us. The Love of Christ compels and stimulates us to action. We see men not as they are but as God intended them to be. In this verse, Paul is talking about growing in the spirit of God in Christ. David Roper wrote a book about Psalm 23. He said, “I find in myself an instinct toward a higher spiritual life. Also in myself a baser instinct.” This summarizes Romans 7 about the old nature of the flesh that wrestles against the new nature of the spirit of life in Christ. According to Romans 8, the new life of the spirit of life in Christ has made me free from the old nature and the “law of sin and death.”

Michelangelo sculpted his celebrated marble statue of King David. The real magnitude of King David’s life was that he was a “man after God’s own heart.” However, he also was a man of many earthly passions and he often gave in to these lusts of the flesh. Ah, the fools that God chooses! Michelangelo took four years to sculpt his masterpiece of King David. He worked from a flawed block of marble. Like the marble that was deeply flawed, The man David himself was also deeply deeply flawed in the hand of his sculptor, His Lord God Jehovah. Like David, we are in the process of being sculpted by the Master’s hand. We are all works in process. Thou art the Potter…. I am the clay.

We men are most like those with whom we associate. Jesus set the example living life with his apostles. The question is, “who are your three and who are your twelve.” As we run the marathon of life, distractions will cause us to run off course if we’re not focused on running together toward the prize of the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. We need to surround ourselves with other men whose desire is to “choke in the dust” of those in “hot pursuit” of their Lord Jesus Christ. God set men within the body of Christ to “fan each other’s flame.” We associate with like minded men to share our purpose in life. We see each other not as we are but as we will be. We give men of God time to grow into the “God’s helmet of salvation.” He who has begun a good work in us will complete it. The good work is that we will be conformed not to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds. God gives us the grace to grow in his will through the trial of the marathon of life.

In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Take no thought for the affairs of this world.” Our Lord says, “I’ve got this.” Our desire is to follow his will and not my own. The conclusion is the same as the apostle Paul’s, “thy strength is made perfect in my weakness, thy grace is sufficient for me.”

When Jesus confronted the Pharisees and religious leaders of his time, he called their bluff. The light came into the world and the darkness comprehended it not. They did not understand him but they could not stand up against the truth of the Word of God… Jesus Christ himself is Truth and Light. No one can deny the Truth of the Word of God. The same spirit of Christ is in us, for we have been made the righteousness of God in him. We need not fear the fiery darts of the wicked one. Cancer, disease, death and destruction are fiery darts. We must put on the full armor of God. The shield of faith quenches the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Like the flawed block of marble from which Michelangelo carved his masterpiece the statue of King David, God is working in and within us to will and to do of his good pleasure. Our responsibility is to make his good pleasure our good pleasure. Delight thyself also in the Lord and he will give thee the desires of thine heart. When his delight is our delight and our will is his will, then he will will work within to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The love of God compels us to die to the old nature so that we can live according to the new nature of spirit of life in Christ. God will take our sin and iniquity, and when we confess with a broken and a contrite heart, he will use us to fulfill his promise in Romans 12: be not overcome with evil but overcome evil with good.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Influencers Ministry to Men: The Vision

Pastor Pete responded to God’s call to start Influencers ministry to men in Southern California about eleven years ago. His friend Rocky Fleming had started Journey groups in Arkansas and thousands of men around the country were starting or had completed the Journey. Rocky contacted Pete to start a similar ministry in Southern California.

Each minister who has been called of God must write down a vision to define the ministry’s purpose. According to Proverbs, where there is no vision, the people run wild. If we’re confused about our identity, we’ll proceed in the wrong direction without constraint. What’s the end game? What are we trying to produce? What difference will it make in a man’s life if he hangs around the ministry for several years. We must know our identity and our purpose if we’re going to finish the course. Paul was intentional about the course that he completed when he said in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”

Pete wrote down ten things related to the vision for Influencers eleven years ago. The vision was thousands of men going into the inner chamber of fellowship with their Lord Jesus Christ. Thousands of men, not as they are, but as they will be when they live in proximity with Jesus Christ. Thousands of men hungry to grow and become the men of God whom God intended them to be. Men of God who are Spiritual leaders in their homes and their churches. Faithful men who serve faithfully to the finish line. Men who have been set free in Christ and are committed to set others free. Men influencing their world for Jesus Christ to become just like him.

If this is the vision, then what’s the cost? It will cost everything we’ve got. To commit to the Journey to become just like Christ we must be “all in.” Jesus said, he who seeks his life shall lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake shall find it.

When Jesus called his disciples, he did not choose them for their worldly credentials and accomplishments. He saw them not as they were but as they would become… transformed according to God’s purpose for their lives. We see thousands of men not as they are. Men who are not content spiritually where they are today. Men who desire to continue to grow. As Paul said, I count myself not to have arrived but I press toward the mark of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Journey for proximity to our Lord is not a sprint. It takes persistence, patience, long suffering and endurance.

2 Corinthians 5:14 says, “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:”

The love of God compels us… compel means that the we strive in the race toward the prize of the upward calling. We may not know the exact destination, but we’re called to run the race and stay the course. The love of Christ is the motivation. We’re convinced that Christ died for all men who put their faith in Him…. he gave his life for others, not because they were deserving but because of His love, mercy and grace. He was bruised and crushed for our transgressions, and upon him was laid the iniquity of us all. We’re compelled to stay the course because he gave his all for us. Verse 15-16 says: “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.”

We have been called to love others because of the love with which He loved us. King David was known as a man after God’s own Heart. His obsession was to follow after God. However, he was also a man of worldly passion and often gave in to his lust. Ah, the fools that God chooses. Michelangelo worked with a piece of flawed marble when he sculpted his masterpiece, the statue of David. Likewise, God himself worked with David to shape him into the man that God intended him to be. He who began a good work in us will perform until the day of Christ so that we may be presentable unto him. God sees our perfection in Christ and not the flaws in our human nature. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Galatians 2:20 says, I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live, I live by faith of the one who loved me and gave himself for me. According to 2 Corinthians 5:21, For He who was without sin was made the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

God always makes decisions for us with our best interest in mind. As sovereign Lord, He orchestrates things behind the scene that we will never know this side of heaven. Even though things might look like bad news from our earthly perspective, all things work together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose. When we come to the place that we need no validation or vindication for ourselves, and we look to bless others and not ourselves, we will share in the fellowship of Christ. We will be able to see from the perspective of the love of God when we focus on the first commandment: thou shalt have no other Gods between God’s face and my face.

Influencers’ purpose is to create an environment where God can “come himself to our lives.” Our challenge is to see ourselves, not as a flawed chunk of marble, but rather as a “man after God’s own heart.” For we, having been saved by his grace, are his poema, his poem, his masterpiece, his magnum opus created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he has foreordained that we should walk therein.

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael