Robert E Rasmussen.com

I hope I can help you see the beauty of this thought!

As important as it is to understand each part individually, the genius of God’s method of discipling us is fully appreciated as we view all the parts as one whole. And because this whole repeats itself frequently in the life of every disciple, I call it “the gospel cycle.” Taken together, this cycle is one that you will encounter many times over on your trek around every bend of the Jesus trail.

You will recognize that the pattern of following the Jesus way is identical to the core elements of the gospel as taught by the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:1-4, emphasis mine).

Death. Burial. Resurrection. These form the rock-solid core of Jesus’ work. As I began studying the implications of the gospel in discipleship, it became evident to me that Jesus’ surrender in Gethsemane was the essential prerequisite which led Him to the obedience of death. I have therefore come to understand surrender as the first element of the gospel cycle which was necessary for Jesus, and is necessary for us, if we are to follow His way.

This simple insight will lead to great benefits in understanding what God is doing in our lives!

Watch for signs of Jesus’ life.  You experience more of the risen Christ, not because of your actions, but because God has chosen the time and means for displaying Jesus in you. One of the main tasks of the disciple therefore is to watch for signs of Christ’s life emerging in you. Pay attention to small ways that God gives you hope. Have faith to whatever degree you can. You may have been in a burial-like season for so long that you can’t recognize the dawning of change. Don’t let the darkness of the tomb become your personality.

Share the victory including the struggles. As you come into the light of resurrection, you have a story to share. As Christ manifests Himself in you in new ways, tell others of what He has done. Share what He means as you have come to know Him better. Remember, your story is not just the victory of your healing, promotion, or reconciliation. Your story goes all the way back to your Gethsemane and Golgotha. These harder sections of the path give the background to the good that God has done for you. Revealing the difficulty of the journey helps others identify their struggle with yours, and increases their hope.

Find various ways to memorialize what God has done.  In the Old Testament, the people of Israel built monuments to remember the mighty acts of God. Consider ways you can memorialize your major gospel cycles. You might have a celebration meal, or have a plaque made to hang on your wall. You might write up the story and send it to friends. If an opportunity arises to share what you have been up to, take the bold step and tell of your recent encounters along the Jesus way. Resurrection merits praise! My wife, normally shy in large groups, would sometimes be in a worship service and would be gripped by the truth in a song. She was so full of worship to God for saving her life that she would extend both arms energetically into the air. A few times, when the song called for humility, she would lower to her knees as her expression of worship.

Stay at the new level of maturity God has brought you to. Let thankfulness become deeply embedded in your soul. God has counted you worthy to serve as a display case for His wonderful Son! Yes it has been difficult, perhaps beyond words. But God has brought you through, and Jesus has been manifested in you. Hold on to this privilege and let gratitude be your new normal. Don’t slide back to a former critical complainer. Don’t succumb to judgmentalism or self-righteousness. Instead, step into the greater love that comes with knowing Christ more intimately. Did you abide with Christ as you grieved and waited? Stay at rest in Him now that you have emerged into a lighter time. This is how you are transformed by your gospel cycles. God has invested in you. Now be the more mature person He expects.

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This will be a SIDEBAR in the book

Possible experiences at the Marker of Manifestation

• Jesus proclaimed
• Jesus displayed in me
• Power
• Love
• Joy
• Set free
• New direction
• Clarity
• More of Christ
• Abundance
• Contentment
• Worth it
• Move forward
• Gratitude
• Worship
• God did it
• Run and shout
• Celebrate

(your experience?)

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A friend shared this story with me. He was a pastor who had a moral failure in his personal life and had to leave the ministry. He and his family went through a deeply difficult valley of repentance and shame. His wife stayed by his side, and his young children weathered the transition from respected ministry to uncertainty. The family very nearly lost their home. They were shunned by many friends and former church members. My friend did not have a marketable skill, but his wife got a job as a school teacher. They were barely able to make it through. After many months he was invited to teach a Bible study, which after two years led to his being invited to serve as the pastor of a small congregation.

While all of this was going on, my friend came back to the foot of the cross in deep repentance. He listened to recorded sermons, sometimes four or five in a day, while he watched the children at home. He said that the temptation to return to his former sin diminished as he filled his soul with the truth of God’s Word. He realized that his broken soul was being healed by the grace of God.

The Word of God comes to us in deeper meaning as we go through these cycles of death, burial, and resurrection. In reading through the gospels, my friend was struck by the fact that when Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection that His body was changed. Jesus could appear in a room when the doors were shut. Yet even in His post-resurrection body, Jesus still had the scars of crucifixion. When Jesus appeared to Thomas, who said he needed physical proof if he was to believe in the resurrection, He said, “Reach your fingers here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27).

My friend illustrates a vital truth about our resurrection-like experiences. As we manifest the risen Christ, our scars authenticate our witness. They prove that we are not propounding theory, but are speaking out of our own stories. The scars show that we are genuine people who have gone to Golgotha and sacrificed. We have grappled with the will of God and surrendered. We have failed, denied, and doubted. But God has been faithful. The wounds of Jesus’ cross have healed our failings. His grace has replaced our shame with honor. When people see our scars, they gain hope that God can also accept them with all of their faults. Resurrection does not happen to the strong. It raises those who were dead and buried. Our story of struggle is the hopeful news that earns a hearing from genuine seekers.

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Using our own story (from 2001), I’m continuing to illustrate practical ways resurrection can show up out of difficult circumstances. (see previous post here)

Lyn’s recovery from cancer’s invasion was a picture of the greater deliverance from hopelessness. In other words, the physical healing she received was emblematic of the soul healing which God longs to grant everyone. There were, of course, many praises lifted up to God for Lyn’s recovery. Together we went on and served in active ministry with newfound appreciation.

Ever since that cancer battle, we have treasured each day as a gift from God. No longer could we assume another day to live. Gratitude spread to all areas of our life. We appreciated our parents, siblings and children more. We valued the added years to serve our Lord. And the risen Christ became more obvious in the writings of the Bible. I began to see the implications of His gospel work on virtually every page of scripture. I began weaving this theme into opportunities I was given to teach. I’m afraid I have probably worn out my family and friends repeating this theme!

Our resurrection-like experience on earth has brought our future resurrection nearer. Our taste of life out of death has strengthened our faith that God will one day raise us to eternal life. So I would say that our saga with leukemia changed us in significant ways. We were less confident in our ability to control our own health and circumstance. In society today there exists great emphasis on eating and living healthily. This is wise, but all the supplements and regimens in the world do not put you in charge of your own longevity.

The corollary to this is that we grew more dependent on God if He chose to bring us into, and out from, difficult gospel cycles. It did not seem logical for God to strike our family with cancer after 18 years of service in pastoring and missions. But we concluded that God is not required to fit within our logical categories. So I would conclude that one of the manifestations of the risen Christ in our story has been increased faith. Others have observed this, and taken courage from it. We are glad that in some small way the kingdom of Jesus was expanded through our journey.

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