Robert E Rasmussen.com

What will this trail guide contribute to readers?

Jesus told his disciples something that he intended them to tell the next generation, “Follow Me.” This invitation was to be offered from generation to generation until Jesus would return. We find ourselves in that interim period, waiting for His return. What were His instructions to the disciples? To follow Him. As common as this thought is, we would be wise to reflect on it.

Did Jesus mean to follow Him at a great distance, where we could barely see Him before He went over a rise or rounded a bend? That’s not the picture we get from the gospel accounts. Jesus kept His disciples near Him. They ate together, walked and talked together. They sailed together, endured storms together, and fed multitudes together. So close did they follow Jesus that when His mother and siblings came looking for Him Jesus said that these men and women – His “disciples” – were his mother and brothers.

We can conclude that when Jesus wants His disciples to follow Him, He means that they – we—are to stay near. Near enough that He would say of us: these are my brothers and sisters. Following Jesus Christ, nearly 2,000 years after His death, likely sounds like a crazy concept to some. But our belief that He rose from the dead and lives today means that, in the mystery of spiritual things, Jesus can be in heaven with the Father while living inside and alongside His followers. That being our conviction, we are able to follow His teachings and emulate His character. We can believe in Him for miracles as we employ His name which carries supreme weight in the heavenly power structure. We can stay so close to Jesus as to hear His whisperings into our heart.

No wonder, in the months after Jesus ascended into heaven, the cluster of followers started to describe their new lifestyle as “the way.” Jesus Christ created a new way of living, a new way of being, a new way of thinking. The next generation of believers, in another culture and country, continued living in this new way. The people of that city, Antioch, searched for a label for the people living this “way” and rightly identified the source of their uniqueness. They called them “Christians.” Christ-folk, that’s what they were.

This trail guide shows disciples today how to regain and retain our bearings along the Jesus way. In these pages we remember how to follow Him, to stay close to Him. In fact, the journey described in this guide takes us further into spirituality because it takes us further into Jesus Himself. This is as it should be, for Jesus was bold to say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a). The path for following Jesus is the path into Jesus Himself. This is the mystery we will attempt to explore in this guide.

To be continued…

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THE PITCH

Here is the brief description of the core of this book:

Jesus said to follow Him, but where is He leading us?  TRAIL GUIDE FOR THE JESUS WAY will equip you to recognize markers on the trail, to navigate any terrain, and to pack the necessary provisions.

Or again,

Q: “What is your book called?”
A: TRAIL GUIDE FOR THE JESUS WAY

Q: “What’s it about?”
A: “It’s about what to expect when you follow Jesus, and what to do at each stage of the journey.”

SUBTITLE (options)

Trail Guide For the Jesus Way
…Survival skills for the intrepid disciple

OR

Trail Guide For the Jesus Way
…If I follow Jesus, where will He take me?

(Please vote or add your thoughts)

STRUCTURE

The TRAIL GUIDE will have three parts:

1. THE MARKERS ON THE JESUS WAY
This will be an overview of the pattern I have discovered in the Bible that helps us as disciples to know where we have been, where we are, and where we are headed.

2. THE TERRAIN OF THE JESUS WAY
There are ten life experiences which every believer will encounter on the trail in one way or another. “Terrain” seems to describe the kind of conditions in which we will need the guidance of the trail guide. These will be very substantive chapters, rather like quality trail mix — a lot of scripture to chew on.

3. PROVISIONS FOR THE JESUS WAY
This section will include a hefty section with different ways to implement the markers on the Jesus way in its variegated terrain. So “Provisions” will include: Prayers (written), Disciplines, Meditations, Retreat ideas, Studies to do, Conversations (to have with others), and Online tools.

AUDIENCE

TRAIL GUIDE deals with the essence of following Jesus. As such, it relates to a large swath of people in North America and around the world who are doing their best to align their lives with Jesus’ teachings.

This involves huge segments of today’s population. The number of evangelicals in America in 2014 was 62 million (according to Pew Research Center, cited in Christianity today, 5/11/2015). The World Christian Database estimates the number of Evangelicals globally is 300 million (wikipedia “Evangelicalism” accessed 1/24/16).

One cannot determine how many believers, whether Protestant or Catholic,  currently feel the need to better understand how Jesus is leading in their everyday lives, but we can surmise that it would include tens of millions.

Experience suggests that one of the recurring questions in the life of believers has to do with knowing God’s will. Many desire to understand the purpose of the difficulties they are going through. Most believers long to draw closer to Christ and grow in maturity as His disciples.

TRAIL GUIDE is written with these millions in mind. More importantly, the book draws out and connects scripture passages which are given by God to bring clarity to the lives of those who love Christ and long to follow Him more ardently.

Working title:  TRAIL GUIDE FOR THE JESUS WAY

Concept:

TRAIL GUIDE FOR THE JESUS WAY is emerging out of my prayer in college to live radically for Jesus. God took that prayer seriously and brought me deeper in faith through some amazing years as a pastor and missionary in Africa, and through some severe testing of my faith particularly through my wife’s two battles with cancer.

I can trace the beginning of my TRAIL GUIDE journey back to the time when, in deep anguish, I wrote in my journal, “This seems like a death.” During that season, God took me back to the cross and re-introduced me to the Jesus who said that anyone wanting to really be His disciple needs to deny self, take up his cross and follow Him.

The seed had been planted in my mind and soul. For 15 years now I have been exploring in my own life this question “where does Jesus lead the serious disciple?” I’ve found the answer is quite predictable. And glorious.

Why does this subject deserve a book? Because there is a Biblical theme which is crucial for disciples yet hidden in plain sight.

I’m using a “trail guide” approach because this is a journey on which one can get disoriented. You and I need a reliable compass for direction no matter where our path has taken us. You need to know where you’ve been, where you’re stuck, and what’s next.

A trail guide sticks to the facts and skips a lot of fluff. So this book will be a handy reference guide that quickly delivers insight.

That’s where I’m headed.

You coming?