Fifty Years as a Disciple of Jesus – 1972-2022

For many decades I have used December to organize my life, plan and pray about the coming year, and set goals for God’s remaining “assignments” in my life.

Every year I create a list called “My Numbered Days” (Psalm 90:12) to fine-tune God’s priorities for the next twelve months. Then, I put those items in the front of my Prayer Diary and refer to it often.

This habit comes from a commitment to discipleship–living as a disciplined follower of Jesus for the days he gives me on earth.

2022 is a special year of discipleship for me. Here’s why.

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The Priority of Discipleship–for a Lifetime

The world in general and the people of God specifically have learned much from the global pandemic over the past year.

Though the United States is emerging from the crisis through mass vaccinations (thank you President Trump for Operation Warp Speed), many nations remain in crisis. In Mongolia, the failure of the Russian and Chinese vaccines has led to new lockdowns and Soviet-like controls on the people. There are many deep-seated problems in numerous nations.

What has the Church learned from this “pause” in world history? Yes, God has pruned us, re-prioritized our focus, released new technologies and emphases, and taught us to persevere.

But the biggest lesson is the call to discipleship. It must be our clarion priority–for a lifetime. Here’s how.

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Secrets to Fighting the Good Fight

We live in an age of great agitation–including political polarization, turning away” from Judeo-Christian values in the Western World, tremors of global economic problems and even threats of nuclear war.

At the same time, God is exploding His Kingdom all over the earth as multitudes put their faith in Jesus–especially in the two-thirds Majority World nations (in Africa, Latin America and Asia).

You could say it’s the “best of times and worst of times.” In light of these grave dangers and amazing possibilities, what can we do to find stability in our faith?

Here are some secrets to fighting the good fight.

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