BILL’S BLOG ENTRY #77

From “Discipleship and Discipline” by William H Hicks, copyright March, 2005:

“CHAPTER FOUR: The Love of Disciples: The Key to Release God’s Power In Our Lives

“”The Lord addresses the power for discipleship as being aligned exactly with our abiding in His word. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you”. The power extended in II Timothy 1:7 is inseparable from the Spirit of love we have received. And that Spirit of love enables us and encourages us to “abide in His word.” The Word gives power, motivation and discipline towards fulfillment of its purposes. The discipline is the “how to”, the “game plan”, the way we execute the Lord’s commandment to “abide in His word.”

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

“Jesus here explains that disciples are called to a higher form of friendship. Our friendship is more accurately characterized as kinship. Would any of us hesitate to sacrifice our lives for one of our children? Would we run into a burning house to save our baby? Would we rush into oncoming traffic to snatch our child from the path of an onrushing automobile? God forbid that we should ever have to face such circumstances! But Jesus commands us to act towards one another the way He acts towards us. He puts us first. He seeks us out to bless us. He laid down His life that we might have a right to the Tree of Life.””

About THE DISCIPLE

William H. “Bill” Hicks is a graduate of Wesleyan University, BA, Religion, 1971 who also holds a Masters in Public Health Degree (MPH) from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health (1973). Bill also has studied at the Dallas Theological Seminary. He grew up in Harlem, New York City, USA during the 1950s and 1960s, graduating from high school before attending Mount Hermon Preparatory School and undergraduate school in Connecticut. He has spent most of his professional life in the public health arena, while being constantly in ministry. He received his license to preach the Gospel at Oklahoma City, OK in 1971. He has written extensively on Christian topics. He enjoys life in Chattanooga, TN with former District Public Defender Ardena Garth Hicks, his wife of 30 years. They have two daughters, Rachel (BA, University of Memphis magna cum laude, 2014) and Sarah (Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, Global Scholar, University of Tulsa, 2017).

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