Christian Working Woman Transcript
Friday, September 28, 2007 - When the Foundations Are Crumbling
This is message number 5325. That is the number of these programs I have written since we began this daily edition of our ministry over twenty years ago. Often as I start to prepare the programs, I think, "I don't have anything new to say." And I start to panic because I haven't got a new idea or a new topic to present.
But God has been reminding me lately that repetition is the way we learn. Do you, like me, have to learn and re-learn and re-learn the lessons God wants to teach you? I'm amazed at the patience of our Lord, as I see how slow I am to truly learn and obey all that I know.
God will work on one area of my life, and I'll think we've made some progress. Then I look back a few weeks or months later, and realize that I need to learn again what God has already taught me. How easily I forget; how easily I go back into old habits and wrong ways of thinking.
What I'm learning from all this is that I must be prepared to re-learn many times the things I've already learned. I must go back and repeat, because repetition is absolutely essential for me. I think of the verse to the old hymn which says, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; prone to leave the Lord I love." Truly "prone to wander" is a good description of me. How about you?
Well, let me encourage you, if you find yourself in this same dilemma. Learn to re-learn. Go back and listen again to what God has already taught you. Do a lot of review. If there were books that spoke to your heart, read them again. If you've heard tapes or CDs of messages that made an impact on you, get them out and listen again and again. Repeat and repeat what you already know.
In the Bible God was constantly urging His people to remember, to recite, to re-learn what they had been dramatically taught already, because He knew that we are all prone to wander.
If you regularly subscribe to these program transcripts, you have undoubtedly seen me repeat what I've written before, packaged a little differently, but nonetheless repetitive of former programs. That's as much for my sake as for yours, for the things I teach are the things I'm learning, and I need lots of repetition. So, plan to be a re-learner, so that you're not so prone to wander from the good and basic lessons God has already taught you.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Comfort and Conversation
Excerpt of John Piper's response to the question: Being a Christian these days in America is very comfortable, middle-class, and respectable. What are the dangers in that?
"When Jesus said Matthew 6:31-33--"Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For all the nations seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"--he was pleading for us to not get into a situation where we're drowning in stuff. In other words, "Give yourself to mental and emotional energies that concern Kingdom issues, and let food and clothing and drink take care of themselves." And we get it almost entirely backwards.
We get into situations where we talk about what we wear, and about food and toys and houses, and only now and then a Kingdom issue arises and Christ comes into the conversation. I think Jesus is grieved by that and would have us turn it around.
Talk about Christ, and missions, and ministry, and making an impact for Jesus. Oh yes, you need a place to stay. Sure, you need a way to get around. Sure, you probably need a computer these days, so that you can communicate by email. But let your conversation and your energy flow mainly with Kingdom vision and Kingdom issues."
"When Jesus said Matthew 6:31-33--"Do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For all the nations seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"--he was pleading for us to not get into a situation where we're drowning in stuff. In other words, "Give yourself to mental and emotional energies that concern Kingdom issues, and let food and clothing and drink take care of themselves." And we get it almost entirely backwards.
We get into situations where we talk about what we wear, and about food and toys and houses, and only now and then a Kingdom issue arises and Christ comes into the conversation. I think Jesus is grieved by that and would have us turn it around.
Talk about Christ, and missions, and ministry, and making an impact for Jesus. Oh yes, you need a place to stay. Sure, you need a way to get around. Sure, you probably need a computer these days, so that you can communicate by email. But let your conversation and your energy flow mainly with Kingdom vision and Kingdom issues."
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Pews
An excerpt from this interesting post What are these strange things called "pews"? by Dan Kimball:
"The theology in this is fascinating - as how we sit when we meet reflects what we place as important in worship. The original vintage church met in homes, it was communal, looking at each other in small rooms, discussing and teaching Scripture, praying for one another and eating a meal together. You could walk around, have dialog etc. Then the church moved into buildings where the Table (the Lord's Supper) was the focal point and we stood, moved around the room, interacted etc. Then we moved into buildings where the pews caused people to sit in stationary positions, not looking at each other, but looking at the pulpit and all facing the same direction. This drastically changes the culture and climate of how we view when the church gathers to worship. It becomes more of a sit and watch and listen meeting, than an interactive community type of a meeting. "
"The theology in this is fascinating - as how we sit when we meet reflects what we place as important in worship. The original vintage church met in homes, it was communal, looking at each other in small rooms, discussing and teaching Scripture, praying for one another and eating a meal together. You could walk around, have dialog etc. Then the church moved into buildings where the Table (the Lord's Supper) was the focal point and we stood, moved around the room, interacted etc. Then we moved into buildings where the pews caused people to sit in stationary positions, not looking at each other, but looking at the pulpit and all facing the same direction. This drastically changes the culture and climate of how we view when the church gathers to worship. It becomes more of a sit and watch and listen meeting, than an interactive community type of a meeting. "
Altar of Grace
Excerpt from Be Strengthened by Grace by John Piper
Based on Hebrews 13: 7-16
"You are all ministers. And the glory of Christianity is that we have an altar - we have an old rugged cross. And there the Savior, Jesus Christ, serves inexhaustible helpings of grace. Do you want your heart to be strong? Do you want to be a strong person who has the resources to love each other, and take in strangers, and care for prisoners, and stay married or single and chaste, and not love money? Then stay close to the altar and eat and eat and eat again - the grace of God.
The only strength that really matters in life is the strength of heart that comes from feeding on grace and trusting in grace. All the way through life, it is not health and physical strength that God delights in. The Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in his grace (Psalm 147:11). And when we come to die, no food and no diet will matter at all. One thing will matter: are we nourished at the altar of grace?"
Based on Hebrews 13: 7-16
"You are all ministers. And the glory of Christianity is that we have an altar - we have an old rugged cross. And there the Savior, Jesus Christ, serves inexhaustible helpings of grace. Do you want your heart to be strong? Do you want to be a strong person who has the resources to love each other, and take in strangers, and care for prisoners, and stay married or single and chaste, and not love money? Then stay close to the altar and eat and eat and eat again - the grace of God.
The only strength that really matters in life is the strength of heart that comes from feeding on grace and trusting in grace. All the way through life, it is not health and physical strength that God delights in. The Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in his grace (Psalm 147:11). And when we come to die, no food and no diet will matter at all. One thing will matter: are we nourished at the altar of grace?"
Choice
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
YOUR CHOICE
Romans 6:12, 13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God
In Romans 6:1-11 Paul uses the past tense to emphasize that we died to sin the moment we placed faith in Christ. For example: "We who died to sin" (verse 2); "Our old self was crucified with Him" (verse 6); "For he who has died is freed from sin" (verse 7). Since these verses are past tense, indicating what is already true about us, we can only believe them.
On the basis of what Romans 6:1-11 instructs us to believe, Romans 6:12, 13, tells us how to relate to sin. Sin is a taskmaster which demands service from its subjects. You are dead to sin, but you still have the capacity to serve it by putting your body at sin's disposal. It's up to you to choose whether you're going to let your body be used for sin or for righteousness. Satan, who is at the root of all sin, will take advantage of anyone who uses their body as an instrument of unrighteousness. For example, it is impossible to commit a sexual sin and not use your body, and sin will reign in your mortal body.
To further illustrate, suppose your pastor asks to use your car to deliver food baskets to the needy, and a thief asks to use it to rob a bank. It's your car and you can choose to lend it however you want, for good or for evil. Which would you choose? There should be no question!
Your body is also yours to use to serve either God or sin and Satan, but the choice is up to you. That's why Paul wrote so insistently: "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1). Because of Christ's victory over sin, you are completely free to choose not to give yourself to obey sin as your master. It is your responsibility not to let sin reign in your mortal body.
Prayer:
Lord, I renounce every use of my body as an instrument of unrighteousness, and I yield it to You today as a living sacrifice.
YOUR CHOICE
Romans 6:12, 13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God
In Romans 6:1-11 Paul uses the past tense to emphasize that we died to sin the moment we placed faith in Christ. For example: "We who died to sin" (verse 2); "Our old self was crucified with Him" (verse 6); "For he who has died is freed from sin" (verse 7). Since these verses are past tense, indicating what is already true about us, we can only believe them.
On the basis of what Romans 6:1-11 instructs us to believe, Romans 6:12, 13, tells us how to relate to sin. Sin is a taskmaster which demands service from its subjects. You are dead to sin, but you still have the capacity to serve it by putting your body at sin's disposal. It's up to you to choose whether you're going to let your body be used for sin or for righteousness. Satan, who is at the root of all sin, will take advantage of anyone who uses their body as an instrument of unrighteousness. For example, it is impossible to commit a sexual sin and not use your body, and sin will reign in your mortal body.
To further illustrate, suppose your pastor asks to use your car to deliver food baskets to the needy, and a thief asks to use it to rob a bank. It's your car and you can choose to lend it however you want, for good or for evil. Which would you choose? There should be no question!
Your body is also yours to use to serve either God or sin and Satan, but the choice is up to you. That's why Paul wrote so insistently: "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Romans 12:1). Because of Christ's victory over sin, you are completely free to choose not to give yourself to obey sin as your master. It is your responsibility not to let sin reign in your mortal body.
Prayer:
Lord, I renounce every use of my body as an instrument of unrighteousness, and I yield it to You today as a living sacrifice.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Don't Be A "Christian"
Excerpt from a post by Dan Kimball from Vintage Faith Church on a vision/mission series:
"The series is called "Don't be a "Christian": Exchanging Religion for the Mission of God". ((Brian Jenson came up with the graphic as he does for each series. He is a volunteer on the creative team, I think 24 years old? How old are you Brian?))
What we mean by "Christian" (in quotation marks) is how we have culturalized "Christian" often into something that looks different than the adventure of worshipers on a mission in their world as described in the book of Acts and New Testament.
The word "Christian" was first mentioned in Scripture in Acts 11:26 for disciples of Jesus. We will not be trying to come up with a different word for Christian, I have no problem using the word Christian. I know some like using "Christ follower" or something like that instead of the word Christian. But I haven't had any issues with using the word Christian personally. But how it is defined is the issue.
I have realized that words mean different things to different people. You may say "Jesus", but what/who is the more defined Jesus we speak about? How much is how we define and think of Jesus specifically from the Bible and how much is our own imputing to how we hope or think He would be? Or if we say the word "hell", are we speaking of an eternal hell or do we mean a "hell" at is basically talking about suffering in this life and on earth only? etc. So words are important as we can say the same word, but mean different things. So I have been asking people to define the words a lot lately, especially with theology and the Bible, so I understand what they specifically they mean by the words they say.
So we will be using the word Christian, but trying to define what it means from the Bible and looking at what did the early followers of Jesus focus on and how did they live and what did they do - so we will contrast what can be a suburban-middle-class consumer "Christian" - to Christian as described in the Bible.
It starts Sunday, and each week we will be making contrasts of types. I am speaking this Sunday on worship and going to be tracing the word throughout the Hebrew Bible and New Testament and what the word means - and then contrast it to how we can become worship consumers more than actual worshipers of God. I know I sure fall so easily into more of a consuming selfish sort of life rather than an outward missional life. It is so easy to subtly become inward focused. I'll be teaching from Acts 8 and the story of Simon there and how he was viewing being a Christian. So, it shall be a hopefully good series encouraging us about what we are doing.
The series is laid out:
September 16 Worshiping: Don't be a consumer - Be a worshiper
September 23 Community: Don't go to church - Be the church
September 30 Missional: Don't exist in the bubble - Be in the world
October 7 Theologians: Don't close your mind - Be a theologian
October 14 Communion Sunday - "asking God to transform us"
"The series is called "Don't be a "Christian": Exchanging Religion for the Mission of God". ((Brian Jenson came up with the graphic as he does for each series. He is a volunteer on the creative team, I think 24 years old? How old are you Brian?))
What we mean by "Christian" (in quotation marks) is how we have culturalized "Christian" often into something that looks different than the adventure of worshipers on a mission in their world as described in the book of Acts and New Testament.
The word "Christian" was first mentioned in Scripture in Acts 11:26 for disciples of Jesus. We will not be trying to come up with a different word for Christian, I have no problem using the word Christian. I know some like using "Christ follower" or something like that instead of the word Christian. But I haven't had any issues with using the word Christian personally. But how it is defined is the issue.
I have realized that words mean different things to different people. You may say "Jesus", but what/who is the more defined Jesus we speak about? How much is how we define and think of Jesus specifically from the Bible and how much is our own imputing to how we hope or think He would be? Or if we say the word "hell", are we speaking of an eternal hell or do we mean a "hell" at is basically talking about suffering in this life and on earth only? etc. So words are important as we can say the same word, but mean different things. So I have been asking people to define the words a lot lately, especially with theology and the Bible, so I understand what they specifically they mean by the words they say.
So we will be using the word Christian, but trying to define what it means from the Bible and looking at what did the early followers of Jesus focus on and how did they live and what did they do - so we will contrast what can be a suburban-middle-class consumer "Christian" - to Christian as described in the Bible.
It starts Sunday, and each week we will be making contrasts of types. I am speaking this Sunday on worship and going to be tracing the word throughout the Hebrew Bible and New Testament and what the word means - and then contrast it to how we can become worship consumers more than actual worshipers of God. I know I sure fall so easily into more of a consuming selfish sort of life rather than an outward missional life. It is so easy to subtly become inward focused. I'll be teaching from Acts 8 and the story of Simon there and how he was viewing being a Christian. So, it shall be a hopefully good series encouraging us about what we are doing.
The series is laid out:
September 16 Worshiping: Don't be a consumer - Be a worshiper
September 23 Community: Don't go to church - Be the church
September 30 Missional: Don't exist in the bubble - Be in the world
October 7 Theologians: Don't close your mind - Be a theologian
October 14 Communion Sunday - "asking God to transform us"
Why Is It Hard to Get Excited? - Jerry Bridges
Preview video from this year's DG conference.
Quote: "You are going to be what you are now becoming."
I Am Clay
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: Ever Been Bitter?
Sometimes I've said, "O Lord, you wouldn't do this to me, would you? How could you, Lord?" I can recall such times later on and realize that my perspective was skewed. One Scripture passage which helps me rectify it is Isaiah 45:9-11 (NEB): "Will the pot contend with the potter, or the earthenware with the hand that shapes it? Will the clay ask the potter what he is making?... Thus says the Lord, would you dare question me concerning my children, or instruct me in my handiwork? I alone, I made the earth and created man upon it." He knows exactly what He is doing. I am clay.
The word humble comes from the root word humus, earth, clay. Let me remember that when I question God's dealings. I don't understand Him, but then I'm not asked to understand, only to trust. Bitterness dissolves when I remember the kind of love with which He has loved me--He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. Whatever He is doing now, therefore, is not cause for bitterness. It has to be designed for good, because He loved me and gave Himself for me.
Is it a sin to ask God why?
It is always best to go first for our answers to Jesus Himself. He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" It was a human cry, a cry of desperation, springing from His heart's agony at the prospect of being put into the hands of wicked men and actually becoming sin for you and me. We can never suffer anything like that, yet we do at times feel forsaken and cry, Why, Lord?
The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us. When we begin to doubt His love and imagine that He is cheating us of something we have a right to, we are guilty as Adam and Eve were guilty. They took the snake at his word rather than God. The same snake comes to us repeatedly with the same suggestions: Does God love you? Does He really want the best for you? Is His word trustworthy? Isn't He cheating you? Forget His promises. You'd be better off if you do it your way.
I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn't plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me. He knew that my question was not the challenge of unbelief or resentment. I have never doubted that He loves me, but I have sometimes felt like St. Teresa of Avila who, when she was dumped out of a carriage into a ditch, said, "If this is the way You treat your friends, no wonder You have so few!" Job was not, it seems to me, a very patient man. But he never gave up his conviction that he was in God's hands. God was big enough to take whatever Job dished out (see Job 16 for a sample). Do not be afraid to tell Him exactly how you feel (He's already read your thoughts anyway). Don't tell the whole world. God can take it--others can't. Then listen for His answer. Six scriptural answers to the question WHY come from: 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 14:31; Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24. There is mystery, but it is not all mystery. Here are clear reasons.
Title: Ever Been Bitter?
Sometimes I've said, "O Lord, you wouldn't do this to me, would you? How could you, Lord?" I can recall such times later on and realize that my perspective was skewed. One Scripture passage which helps me rectify it is Isaiah 45:9-11 (NEB): "Will the pot contend with the potter, or the earthenware with the hand that shapes it? Will the clay ask the potter what he is making?... Thus says the Lord, would you dare question me concerning my children, or instruct me in my handiwork? I alone, I made the earth and created man upon it." He knows exactly what He is doing. I am clay.
The word humble comes from the root word humus, earth, clay. Let me remember that when I question God's dealings. I don't understand Him, but then I'm not asked to understand, only to trust. Bitterness dissolves when I remember the kind of love with which He has loved me--He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. Whatever He is doing now, therefore, is not cause for bitterness. It has to be designed for good, because He loved me and gave Himself for me.
Is it a sin to ask God why?
It is always best to go first for our answers to Jesus Himself. He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" It was a human cry, a cry of desperation, springing from His heart's agony at the prospect of being put into the hands of wicked men and actually becoming sin for you and me. We can never suffer anything like that, yet we do at times feel forsaken and cry, Why, Lord?
The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us. When we begin to doubt His love and imagine that He is cheating us of something we have a right to, we are guilty as Adam and Eve were guilty. They took the snake at his word rather than God. The same snake comes to us repeatedly with the same suggestions: Does God love you? Does He really want the best for you? Is His word trustworthy? Isn't He cheating you? Forget His promises. You'd be better off if you do it your way.
I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn't plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me. He knew that my question was not the challenge of unbelief or resentment. I have never doubted that He loves me, but I have sometimes felt like St. Teresa of Avila who, when she was dumped out of a carriage into a ditch, said, "If this is the way You treat your friends, no wonder You have so few!" Job was not, it seems to me, a very patient man. But he never gave up his conviction that he was in God's hands. God was big enough to take whatever Job dished out (see Job 16 for a sample). Do not be afraid to tell Him exactly how you feel (He's already read your thoughts anyway). Don't tell the whole world. God can take it--others can't. Then listen for His answer. Six scriptural answers to the question WHY come from: 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 14:31; Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24. There is mystery, but it is not all mystery. Here are clear reasons.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Intensity and Focus
Introduction to the message "Boiling for Christ" by John Piper based on Romans 12:11.
Romans 12:11
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
"Now, at last, we go back to verse 11. We have been pondering verse 12 for a long time: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” I tried to show that Christ has come into the world of sin and sickness and Satan and sabotage and taken all this on himself and died to deliver us from it partly now and completely at the resurrection. This is the foundation of our hope. In this we rejoice. In this joy we endure tribulation. With this endurance we love when it is hard to love, and with this love we glorify God.
Then we posed the question: if hope is that foundational to all of Christian life, how do you waken and sustain hope? We answered: “Be constant in prayer” (Ephesians 1:18) and meditate on the Scriptures (Romans 15:4). Now we go back to verse 11, and we will find that these two strategies of spiritual warfare are foundational for this verse as well. Verse 11 says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,serve the Lord.” He has already struck this note once in this chapter. Remember verse 8: “Let the one who leads, lead with zeal.” Now he says to all of us: “Don’t be slothful in zeal.”
So one way to think of the relationship between the command to rejoice and endure and pray in verse 12 and the commands in verse 11 is that verse 11 simply says: Do it all passionately. Verse 11 gives intensity and focus. The intensity is: Not slothful but fervent. And the focus is the Lord, Jesus Christ. Let it all be in service of him. "
Romans 12:11
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
"Now, at last, we go back to verse 11. We have been pondering verse 12 for a long time: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” I tried to show that Christ has come into the world of sin and sickness and Satan and sabotage and taken all this on himself and died to deliver us from it partly now and completely at the resurrection. This is the foundation of our hope. In this we rejoice. In this joy we endure tribulation. With this endurance we love when it is hard to love, and with this love we glorify God.
Then we posed the question: if hope is that foundational to all of Christian life, how do you waken and sustain hope? We answered: “Be constant in prayer” (Ephesians 1:18) and meditate on the Scriptures (Romans 15:4). Now we go back to verse 11, and we will find that these two strategies of spiritual warfare are foundational for this verse as well. Verse 11 says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,serve the Lord.” He has already struck this note once in this chapter. Remember verse 8: “Let the one who leads, lead with zeal.” Now he says to all of us: “Don’t be slothful in zeal.”
So one way to think of the relationship between the command to rejoice and endure and pray in verse 12 and the commands in verse 11 is that verse 11 simply says: Do it all passionately. Verse 11 gives intensity and focus. The intensity is: Not slothful but fervent. And the focus is the Lord, Jesus Christ. Let it all be in service of him. "
Compassion for the Lost
From Between Two Worlds: This is the forward by C.J. Mahaney to a new book by Mark Dever
"One of the first things I discovered about my very good friend Mark Dever is that he walks as fast as he talks. It was over ten years ago that I drove from my home church in the suburbs of Washington DC to meet Mark at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where he serves as senior pastor. It was a pleasant day, so Mark suggested we walk the short distance from his church’s historic building to a nearby Subway restaurant. Even though I usually walk at a brisk pace myself, I had trouble keeping up with Mark.
Moments before entering the fast-food establishment, Mark explained that he ate there often, not because of the fine cuisine, but for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Inside, he greeted the owners—a Muslim couple from India—by name and engaged them in friendly conversation. As we sat down, I began to quiz Mark about his heart for unbelievers and his strategy for sharing the gospel. He told me that he intentionally frequents the same restaurants and businessesso he can develop relationships and hopefully create evangelistic opportunities.
Since that day, I’ve attempted to follow Mark’s example and had the joy of sharing the good news with many people I meet along the seemingly uneventful route of daily life.
If you, like me, have walked through entire days unconcerned and unaware of the lost sinners all around you, or if you desire to share the gospel but are unsure how to build a relationship or start a conversation, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism will encourage and equip you. As you read, you will catch Mark’s contagious passion to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive practical instruction in personal evangelism.
While this book is for all Christians, it is also a gift to pastors. Cultivating evangelism in the local church is one of a pastor’s most important responsibilities and difficult challenges. Perhaps the most difficult. However, through the pages of The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Mark’s wisdom, teaching, and experience will support you in this vital work of ministry.
That’s why, for many years now, I’ve been pestering Mark to write this book. It’s so that by the grace of God, church members and pastors and you and I will notice those we once ignored. It’s so that we will befriend sinners who are without hope and without God. It’s so that we will share with them the good news of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. It’s so that someday those lost souls might turn from their sins and trust in the Savior’s death and resurrection on their behalf. And then, there will be some serious rejoicing—on earth and in heaven (Luke 15:10)!
Mark, thank you for writing The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. Thank you even more for your compelling example of compassion for the lost and for your faithfulness to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. May there be many gospel conversations and abundant evangelistic fruit as a result of this book.
I’m looking forward to our next lunch together, my friend. Let’s walk to Subway.
C.J. Mahaney"
"One of the first things I discovered about my very good friend Mark Dever is that he walks as fast as he talks. It was over ten years ago that I drove from my home church in the suburbs of Washington DC to meet Mark at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, where he serves as senior pastor. It was a pleasant day, so Mark suggested we walk the short distance from his church’s historic building to a nearby Subway restaurant. Even though I usually walk at a brisk pace myself, I had trouble keeping up with Mark.
Moments before entering the fast-food establishment, Mark explained that he ate there often, not because of the fine cuisine, but for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Inside, he greeted the owners—a Muslim couple from India—by name and engaged them in friendly conversation. As we sat down, I began to quiz Mark about his heart for unbelievers and his strategy for sharing the gospel. He told me that he intentionally frequents the same restaurants and businessesso he can develop relationships and hopefully create evangelistic opportunities.
Since that day, I’ve attempted to follow Mark’s example and had the joy of sharing the good news with many people I meet along the seemingly uneventful route of daily life.
If you, like me, have walked through entire days unconcerned and unaware of the lost sinners all around you, or if you desire to share the gospel but are unsure how to build a relationship or start a conversation, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism will encourage and equip you. As you read, you will catch Mark’s contagious passion to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and receive practical instruction in personal evangelism.
While this book is for all Christians, it is also a gift to pastors. Cultivating evangelism in the local church is one of a pastor’s most important responsibilities and difficult challenges. Perhaps the most difficult. However, through the pages of The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Mark’s wisdom, teaching, and experience will support you in this vital work of ministry.
That’s why, for many years now, I’ve been pestering Mark to write this book. It’s so that by the grace of God, church members and pastors and you and I will notice those we once ignored. It’s so that we will befriend sinners who are without hope and without God. It’s so that we will share with them the good news of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. It’s so that someday those lost souls might turn from their sins and trust in the Savior’s death and resurrection on their behalf. And then, there will be some serious rejoicing—on earth and in heaven (Luke 15:10)!
Mark, thank you for writing The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. Thank you even more for your compelling example of compassion for the lost and for your faithfulness to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. May there be many gospel conversations and abundant evangelistic fruit as a result of this book.
I’m looking forward to our next lunch together, my friend. Let’s walk to Subway.
C.J. Mahaney"
Foundations
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 - When the Foundations Are Crumbling
The earthquakes which happen all around the world remind us that the earth beneath our feet is not reliable, our economy is like a roller-coaster, ethics and morality which were basic to our national heritage are quickly disappearing, and personal relationships seem to be under heavy attack.
David expressed the same consternation we feel today when he wrote, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" What can we do? Well, as I started to search God's Word for some answers, I found a very comforting passage in Hebrews 11:8-10:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tent, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Abraham, the great man of faith, lived in a tent; his lot in life on this earth was very shaky–temporary and changing. But he knew his destination was God's city, with unshakable foundations. You see, when God builds the foundation, you can be very certain that it is secure. In Hebrews 12 we read that everything which can be shaken will be destroyed, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. And Hebrews also clearly tells us that created things are the things that can be shaken.
It should not surprise us to discover that all these created things are shakable. That piece of land you own, the house in which you live, the job you go to each day, your money in the bank, your investments in the stock market, that relationship which means so much to you–all of those created things are shakable.
But the good news we read in Hebrews 12:28 is that we who are born from above, who truly are disciples of Jesus Christ, are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We've already begun to receive that kingdom, and it will be ours completely when we join our Lord in that New City which will be unshakable.
What are you trusting in? Make certain that you're not putting your eggs in a basket that is vulnerable and shakable. Be sure you are placing all your hopes in God's eternal foundations, for everything else around you is undependable and will someday be destroyed.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 - When the Foundations Are Crumbling
The earthquakes which happen all around the world remind us that the earth beneath our feet is not reliable, our economy is like a roller-coaster, ethics and morality which were basic to our national heritage are quickly disappearing, and personal relationships seem to be under heavy attack.
David expressed the same consternation we feel today when he wrote, "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" What can we do? Well, as I started to search God's Word for some answers, I found a very comforting passage in Hebrews 11:8-10:
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tent, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Abraham, the great man of faith, lived in a tent; his lot in life on this earth was very shaky–temporary and changing. But he knew his destination was God's city, with unshakable foundations. You see, when God builds the foundation, you can be very certain that it is secure. In Hebrews 12 we read that everything which can be shaken will be destroyed, so that what cannot be shaken may remain. And Hebrews also clearly tells us that created things are the things that can be shaken.
It should not surprise us to discover that all these created things are shakable. That piece of land you own, the house in which you live, the job you go to each day, your money in the bank, your investments in the stock market, that relationship which means so much to you–all of those created things are shakable.
But the good news we read in Hebrews 12:28 is that we who are born from above, who truly are disciples of Jesus Christ, are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We've already begun to receive that kingdom, and it will be ours completely when we join our Lord in that New City which will be unshakable.
What are you trusting in? Make certain that you're not putting your eggs in a basket that is vulnerable and shakable. Be sure you are placing all your hopes in God's eternal foundations, for everything else around you is undependable and will someday be destroyed.
Success
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
SUCCESS IN GOD'S EYES
Joshua 1:7, 8 ". . . Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you . . . then you will have success"
A helpful perspective of success in the Christian life is seen in Joshua's experience of leading Israel into the Promised Land. God said to him: "Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success" (Joshua 1:7, 8).
Was Joshua's success dependent on other people or circumstances? Absolutely not. Success hinged entirely on his obedience. If Joshua believed what God said and did what God told him to do, he would succeed. Sounds simple enough, but God immediately put Joshua to the test by giving him a rather unorthodox battle plan for conquering Jericho. Marching around the city for seven days, then blowing a horn, wasn't exactly an approved military tactic in Joshua's day!
But Joshua's success was conditional on obeying God regardless of how foolish His plan seemed. As Joshua 6 records, Joshua's success had nothing to do with the circumstances of the battle and everything to do with obedience. That should be your pattern too. Accept God's goal for your life and follow it obediently.
Don't take this truth lightly. You can be successful if you commit yourself to being what God has called you to be and follow Him obediently. You can be successful in business and remain in God's will even when your competition conducts business under the table and cheats on taxes. You can run for public office and win with a campaign that doesn't compromise God's will.
Remember: You can be a failure in the eyes of the world and a success in the eyes of God--and vice versa.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to be a success in Your eyes. Help me to be strong and courageous in doing Your will.
SUCCESS IN GOD'S EYES
Joshua 1:7, 8 ". . . Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you . . . then you will have success"
A helpful perspective of success in the Christian life is seen in Joshua's experience of leading Israel into the Promised Land. God said to him: "Be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success" (Joshua 1:7, 8).
Was Joshua's success dependent on other people or circumstances? Absolutely not. Success hinged entirely on his obedience. If Joshua believed what God said and did what God told him to do, he would succeed. Sounds simple enough, but God immediately put Joshua to the test by giving him a rather unorthodox battle plan for conquering Jericho. Marching around the city for seven days, then blowing a horn, wasn't exactly an approved military tactic in Joshua's day!
But Joshua's success was conditional on obeying God regardless of how foolish His plan seemed. As Joshua 6 records, Joshua's success had nothing to do with the circumstances of the battle and everything to do with obedience. That should be your pattern too. Accept God's goal for your life and follow it obediently.
Don't take this truth lightly. You can be successful if you commit yourself to being what God has called you to be and follow Him obediently. You can be successful in business and remain in God's will even when your competition conducts business under the table and cheats on taxes. You can run for public office and win with a campaign that doesn't compromise God's will.
Remember: You can be a failure in the eyes of the world and a success in the eyes of God--and vice versa.
Prayer:
Lord, I want to be a success in Your eyes. Help me to be strong and courageous in doing Your will.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Poverty
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: Does God Allow His Children to Be Poor?
God allows both Christians and non-Christians to experience every form of suffering known to the human race, just as He allows His blessings to fall on both. Poverty, like other forms of suffering, is relative, as Lars and I were reminded while we were in India. Our country's definition of the "poverty level" would mean unimaginable affluence to the girls we saw working next to our hotel. For nine hours a day they carried wet concrete in wooden basins on their heads, pouring it into the forms for the foundation of a large building. They were paid thirty cents a day.
On my list of Scriptures which give clues to some of God's reasons for allowing His children to suffer is 2 Corinthians 8:2: "Somehow, in most difficult circumstances, their joy and the fact of being down to their last penny themselves, produced a magnificent concern for other people" (PHILLIPS). It was the Macedonian churches that Paul was talking about, living proof that it is not poverty or riches that determine generosity, and sometimes those who suffer the most financially are the ones most ready to share what they have. "They simply begged us to accept their gifts and so let them share the honors of supporting their brothers in Christ" (v. 4).
Money holds terrible power when it is loved. It can blind us, shackle us, fill us with anxiety and fear, torment our days and nights with misery, wear us out with chasing it. The Macedonian Christians, possessing little of it, accepted their lot with faith and trust. Their eyes were opened to see past their own misery. They saw what mattered far more than a bank account, and, out of "magnificent concern," contributed to the needs of their brothers.
If through losing what this world prizes we are enabled to gain what it despises--treasure in heaven, invisible and incorruptible--isn't it worth any kind of suffering? What is it worth to us to learn a little bit more of what the Cross means--life out of death, the transformation of earth's losses and heartbreaks and tragedies?
Poverty has not been my experience, but God has allowed in the lives of each of us some sort of loss, the withdrawal of something we valued, in order that we may learn to offer ourselves a little more willingly, to allow the touch of death on one more thing we have clutched so tightly, and thus know fullness and freedom and joy that much sooner. We're not naturally inclined to love God and seek His Kingdom. Trouble may help to incline us--that is, it may tip us over, put some pressure on us, lean us in the right direction.
Title: Does God Allow His Children to Be Poor?
God allows both Christians and non-Christians to experience every form of suffering known to the human race, just as He allows His blessings to fall on both. Poverty, like other forms of suffering, is relative, as Lars and I were reminded while we were in India. Our country's definition of the "poverty level" would mean unimaginable affluence to the girls we saw working next to our hotel. For nine hours a day they carried wet concrete in wooden basins on their heads, pouring it into the forms for the foundation of a large building. They were paid thirty cents a day.
On my list of Scriptures which give clues to some of God's reasons for allowing His children to suffer is 2 Corinthians 8:2: "Somehow, in most difficult circumstances, their joy and the fact of being down to their last penny themselves, produced a magnificent concern for other people" (PHILLIPS). It was the Macedonian churches that Paul was talking about, living proof that it is not poverty or riches that determine generosity, and sometimes those who suffer the most financially are the ones most ready to share what they have. "They simply begged us to accept their gifts and so let them share the honors of supporting their brothers in Christ" (v. 4).
Money holds terrible power when it is loved. It can blind us, shackle us, fill us with anxiety and fear, torment our days and nights with misery, wear us out with chasing it. The Macedonian Christians, possessing little of it, accepted their lot with faith and trust. Their eyes were opened to see past their own misery. They saw what mattered far more than a bank account, and, out of "magnificent concern," contributed to the needs of their brothers.
If through losing what this world prizes we are enabled to gain what it despises--treasure in heaven, invisible and incorruptible--isn't it worth any kind of suffering? What is it worth to us to learn a little bit more of what the Cross means--life out of death, the transformation of earth's losses and heartbreaks and tragedies?
Poverty has not been my experience, but God has allowed in the lives of each of us some sort of loss, the withdrawal of something we valued, in order that we may learn to offer ourselves a little more willingly, to allow the touch of death on one more thing we have clutched so tightly, and thus know fullness and freedom and joy that much sooner. We're not naturally inclined to love God and seek His Kingdom. Trouble may help to incline us--that is, it may tip us over, put some pressure on us, lean us in the right direction.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Running Aground
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: Nevertheless We Must Run Aground
Have you ever put heart and soul into something, prayed over it, worked at it with a good heart because you believed it to be what God wanted, and finally seen it "run aground"?
The story of Paul's voyage as a prisoner across the Adriatic Sea tells how an angel stood beside him and told him not to be afraid (in spite of winds of hurricane force), for God would spare his life and the lives of all with him on board ship. Paul cheered his guards and fellow passengers with that word, but added, "Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island" (Acts 27:26, NIV).
It would seem that the God who promises to spare all hands might have "done the job right," saved the ship as well, and spared them the ignominy of having to make it to land on the flotsam and jetsam that was left. The fact is He did not, nor does He always spare us.
Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.
"Running aground," then, is not the end of the world. But it helps to make the world a bit less appealing. It may even be God's answer to "Lead us not into temptation"--the temptation complacently to settle for visible things.
Title: Nevertheless We Must Run Aground
Have you ever put heart and soul into something, prayed over it, worked at it with a good heart because you believed it to be what God wanted, and finally seen it "run aground"?
The story of Paul's voyage as a prisoner across the Adriatic Sea tells how an angel stood beside him and told him not to be afraid (in spite of winds of hurricane force), for God would spare his life and the lives of all with him on board ship. Paul cheered his guards and fellow passengers with that word, but added, "Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island" (Acts 27:26, NIV).
It would seem that the God who promises to spare all hands might have "done the job right," saved the ship as well, and spared them the ignominy of having to make it to land on the flotsam and jetsam that was left. The fact is He did not, nor does He always spare us.
Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.
"Running aground," then, is not the end of the world. But it helps to make the world a bit less appealing. It may even be God's answer to "Lead us not into temptation"--the temptation complacently to settle for visible things.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Missional
Excerpt from What Is A Missional Church? (Acts 29 Network)
Missional-Is that a Real Word?
A church that is not missional is not really a church. A church exists by mission as the sun exists by burning. When the sun loses its burn it ceases to be the sun. When a church loses its mission, it ceases to be a church.
Missional is an adjective describing all of the activities of the church body as they are brought under the mission of God (missio dei) to proclaim the good news of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Being on mission very easily becomes one activity in church among many others vying for attention. Over time churches allow meetings, programs, traditions and other good things to cumulatively move the church from missional mode to maintenance mode. A church must continuously see itself as missionaries and all of its energies must be missionary.
A missional church understands it has been sent into an irreligious world to proclaim the Gospel of Redemption that is made possible by the Son's sacrifice for our sins and the Father's love for us. Every believer is sent on this mission by God just as Jesus was sent on this mission (John 17:14-16, 18; 20:21). To respond to this calling is to be missional. To neglect it is to disregard the mission of God and to cease being the kind of church that is following Jesus.
Definition of the Missional Church
A missional church is a theologically-formed, Gospel-centered, Spirit-led fellowship who seeks to faithfully incarnate the purposes of Christ. The mission of the church is found in the mission of God who is calling the church to passionately participate in God's redemptive mission in the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) - a world that has radically changed in North American in the last 50 years.
Called to be Missional
The church in every generation is called to bring the good news of the kingdom into a spiritual encounter with the aspirations and challenges of that culture where it resides. Believers are on a mission from God.
To engage today's world with the good news requires the formation of a gospel community - the church of Jesus Christ - to be a visible representation, witness and instrument of the sovereign outreaching hand of God in our culture.
In many churches this may require a new vision, new ways of thinking, and new patterns of behavior (Matt. 9:16-17). This means pre-believers are encouraged to be included in the context of all of the church functions as they make small steps toward Christ (Luke 19:10).
Since Christianity is a minority voice in this post-Christian culture, the church must adopt an approach to ministry learned from the foreign missionaries who communicate and relate in understandable ways to the godless inhabitants in their respective cultures (1 Cor. 9:22).
The culture around us sees the church as weak and irrelevant. As Christians we have all been sent by God to go into our own city and communities as missionaries. We are to be culturally entrenched and personally involved. We must incarnate Christ's life in our culture in order to impact this culture that is pagan in every way. ...
Missional-Is that a Real Word?
A church that is not missional is not really a church. A church exists by mission as the sun exists by burning. When the sun loses its burn it ceases to be the sun. When a church loses its mission, it ceases to be a church.
Missional is an adjective describing all of the activities of the church body as they are brought under the mission of God (missio dei) to proclaim the good news of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Being on mission very easily becomes one activity in church among many others vying for attention. Over time churches allow meetings, programs, traditions and other good things to cumulatively move the church from missional mode to maintenance mode. A church must continuously see itself as missionaries and all of its energies must be missionary.
A missional church understands it has been sent into an irreligious world to proclaim the Gospel of Redemption that is made possible by the Son's sacrifice for our sins and the Father's love for us. Every believer is sent on this mission by God just as Jesus was sent on this mission (John 17:14-16, 18; 20:21). To respond to this calling is to be missional. To neglect it is to disregard the mission of God and to cease being the kind of church that is following Jesus.
Definition of the Missional Church
A missional church is a theologically-formed, Gospel-centered, Spirit-led fellowship who seeks to faithfully incarnate the purposes of Christ. The mission of the church is found in the mission of God who is calling the church to passionately participate in God's redemptive mission in the world (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) - a world that has radically changed in North American in the last 50 years.
Called to be Missional
The church in every generation is called to bring the good news of the kingdom into a spiritual encounter with the aspirations and challenges of that culture where it resides. Believers are on a mission from God.
To engage today's world with the good news requires the formation of a gospel community - the church of Jesus Christ - to be a visible representation, witness and instrument of the sovereign outreaching hand of God in our culture.
In many churches this may require a new vision, new ways of thinking, and new patterns of behavior (Matt. 9:16-17). This means pre-believers are encouraged to be included in the context of all of the church functions as they make small steps toward Christ (Luke 19:10).
Since Christianity is a minority voice in this post-Christian culture, the church must adopt an approach to ministry learned from the foreign missionaries who communicate and relate in understandable ways to the godless inhabitants in their respective cultures (1 Cor. 9:22).
The culture around us sees the church as weak and irrelevant. As Christians we have all been sent by God to go into our own city and communities as missionaries. We are to be culturally entrenched and personally involved. We must incarnate Christ's life in our culture in order to impact this culture that is pagan in every way. ...
Prayer Verse for This Week
Our prayer verse for the week is from Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Books
Excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian on recommended good books:
Spiritual Disciplines
E.M. Bounds, “Power Through Prayer”
John Piper, “A Hunger for God”
Donald Whitney, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”
T.M. Moore, “The Disciplines of Grace”
Matthew Henry, “A Method for Prayer”
Devotional
J.I. Packer, “Knowing and Doing the Will of God”
Arthur Bennett, “The Valley of Vision”
Charles Spurgeon, “Morning and Evening”
John Piper, “A Godward Life” (Book 1 and Book 2)
J.C. Ryle, “Expository Thoughts on the Gospels” (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Christian Living
J.C. Ryle, “Practical Religion”
J.C. Ryle, “Holiness”John Piper, “Desiring God”
J.I. Packer, “God’s Plans for You”
J.I. Packer, “Rediscovering Holiness”
Jerry Bridges, “The Pursuit of Holiness”
Jerry Bridges, “Discipline of Grace”
Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life”
C.J. Mahaney, “Living The Cross Centered Life”
Joshua Harris, “Stop Dating the Church”
Spiritual Disciplines
E.M. Bounds, “Power Through Prayer”
John Piper, “A Hunger for God”
Donald Whitney, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”
T.M. Moore, “The Disciplines of Grace”
Matthew Henry, “A Method for Prayer”
Devotional
J.I. Packer, “Knowing and Doing the Will of God”
Arthur Bennett, “The Valley of Vision”
Charles Spurgeon, “Morning and Evening”
John Piper, “A Godward Life” (Book 1 and Book 2)
J.C. Ryle, “Expository Thoughts on the Gospels” (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Christian Living
J.C. Ryle, “Practical Religion”
J.C. Ryle, “Holiness”John Piper, “Desiring God”
J.I. Packer, “God’s Plans for You”
J.I. Packer, “Rediscovering Holiness”
Jerry Bridges, “The Pursuit of Holiness”
Jerry Bridges, “Discipline of Grace”
Jerry Bridges, “The Gospel for Real Life”
C.J. Mahaney, “Living The Cross Centered Life”
Joshua Harris, “Stop Dating the Church”
Security
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
SECURITY IN ETERNITY
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
The key to experiencing security in your life is to depend on things that are eternal, not temporal. Christians often feel insecure because they are depending on temporal things they have no right or ability to control. For example, some people rely on their money for material security instead of relying on God's promise to supply all our needs. The safest place to keep money a few years ago was a savings and loan institution. But many have failed and the security people had placed in them was shattered. Only eternal investments are secure.
I believe God is shaking the foundations of the world. Natural disasters are on the increase, kingdoms are being toppled, political boundaries are being redrawn, and anarchy reigns in many poor countries. Scripture warns us that such conditions would precede the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24). This shouldn't alarm us; we should be excited. Christ's return will be the day of the church for those who have stored up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
Security only comes from relating to that which is anchored in eternity. Jesus said that we have eternal life and that no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27-29). Paul declared that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:35-39) and that we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14). How much more secure can you get than that?
When your ultimate trust is in temporal values and relationships, you are always subject to insecurity because these things are subject to failure and can be lost. The greatest sense of security you can experience is the byproduct of taking a firm grip on values and relationships which will endure as long as God Himself.
Prayer:
Lord, my Rock, thank You for the peace and security that comes from trusting in You instead of temporal values.
SECURITY IN ETERNITY
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold
The key to experiencing security in your life is to depend on things that are eternal, not temporal. Christians often feel insecure because they are depending on temporal things they have no right or ability to control. For example, some people rely on their money for material security instead of relying on God's promise to supply all our needs. The safest place to keep money a few years ago was a savings and loan institution. But many have failed and the security people had placed in them was shattered. Only eternal investments are secure.
I believe God is shaking the foundations of the world. Natural disasters are on the increase, kingdoms are being toppled, political boundaries are being redrawn, and anarchy reigns in many poor countries. Scripture warns us that such conditions would precede the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24). This shouldn't alarm us; we should be excited. Christ's return will be the day of the church for those who have stored up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
Security only comes from relating to that which is anchored in eternity. Jesus said that we have eternal life and that no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27-29). Paul declared that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:35-39) and that we are sealed in Him by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14). How much more secure can you get than that?
When your ultimate trust is in temporal values and relationships, you are always subject to insecurity because these things are subject to failure and can be lost. The greatest sense of security you can experience is the byproduct of taking a firm grip on values and relationships which will endure as long as God Himself.
Prayer:
Lord, my Rock, thank You for the peace and security that comes from trusting in You instead of temporal values.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Contextualization
I've been listening to an excellent series on The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (2006 Conference). Apparently these conference messages are now assembled in a forthcoming book (same title). The excerpt below is from D.A. Carson as found at Between Two Worlds.
"Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, even when it was demanded by many in the Jerusalem crowd, not because it didn’t matter to them, but because it mattered so much that if he acquiesced, he would have been giving the impression that faith in Jesus is not enough for salvation: one has to become a Jew first, before one can become a Christian. That would jeopardize the exclusive sufficiency of Jesus.
To create a contemporary analogy: If I’m called to preach the gospel among a lot of people who are cultural teetotallers, I’ll give up alcohol for the sake of the gospel. But if they start saying, “You cannot be a Christian and drink alcohol,” I’ll reply, “Pass the port” or “I’ll think I’ll have a glass of Beaujolais with my meal.” Paul is flexible and therefore prepared to circumcise Timothy when the exclusive sufficiency of Christ is not at stake and when a little cultural accommodation will advance the gospel; he is rigidly inflexible and therefore refuses to circumcise Titus when people are saying that Gentiles must be circumcised and become Jews to accept the Jewish Messiah."
"Paul refuses to circumcise Titus, even when it was demanded by many in the Jerusalem crowd, not because it didn’t matter to them, but because it mattered so much that if he acquiesced, he would have been giving the impression that faith in Jesus is not enough for salvation: one has to become a Jew first, before one can become a Christian. That would jeopardize the exclusive sufficiency of Jesus.
To create a contemporary analogy: If I’m called to preach the gospel among a lot of people who are cultural teetotallers, I’ll give up alcohol for the sake of the gospel. But if they start saying, “You cannot be a Christian and drink alcohol,” I’ll reply, “Pass the port” or “I’ll think I’ll have a glass of Beaujolais with my meal.” Paul is flexible and therefore prepared to circumcise Timothy when the exclusive sufficiency of Christ is not at stake and when a little cultural accommodation will advance the gospel; he is rigidly inflexible and therefore refuses to circumcise Titus when people are saying that Gentiles must be circumcised and become Jews to accept the Jewish Messiah."
Identity
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
SPIRITUAL IDENTITY
Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God
As you consider the importance of your spiritual identity and the spiritual identity of your children, meditate on these passages: The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:26, 27). And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:6, 7). But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9, 10). See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. . . . Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And anyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (1 John 3:1-3).
Mom and Dad, do you want your sons and daughters to purify themselves? Then find out who you are as a child of God, and help your children establish the same eternal relationship by discovering their identity in Him.
Prayer:
Lord, continue to show me who I am in Christ that I may encourage my children in their relationship with You.
SPIRITUAL IDENTITY
Galatians 4:7 Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God
As you consider the importance of your spiritual identity and the spiritual identity of your children, meditate on these passages: The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:26, 27). And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God (Galatians 4:6, 7). But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9, 10). See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. . . . Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And anyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (1 John 3:1-3).
Mom and Dad, do you want your sons and daughters to purify themselves? Then find out who you are as a child of God, and help your children establish the same eternal relationship by discovering their identity in Him.
Prayer:
Lord, continue to show me who I am in Christ that I may encourage my children in their relationship with You.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Creative - Real - Spiritual - Community
Thoughts from Donald Miller in Blue Like Jazz on the church Imago Dei
"Here's what I love about Imago-Dei.
First: It is spiritual. What I mean is the people at Imago pray and fast about things. ...
Second: Art. Imago supports the arts. ...
Third: Community. Rick [pastor] is very, very serious about people living together, eating together, and playing together. ...
Fourth: Authenticity. ..."
"Here's what I love about Imago-Dei.
First: It is spiritual. What I mean is the people at Imago pray and fast about things. ...
Second: Art. Imago supports the arts. ...
Third: Community. Rick [pastor] is very, very serious about people living together, eating together, and playing together. ...
Fourth: Authenticity. ..."
Encourage One Another
Excerpt from Encouraging Each Other at the End of the Age by John Piper
"I want to try in this message to awaken in you a deep, joyful, confident sense that being in a small group of Christians for prayer and ministry to each other would be one of the best things you could do for your own soul and for the good of those around you and for the glory of Christ. Hundreds of you know this already. So just enjoy being affirmed in the path you have chosen. But others of you have perhaps grown up in homes or in churches where this simply was not part of what it meant to be a Christian—to meet regularly with a small group of believers to pray for each other and strengthen each other and help each other grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. So my aim for you is to introduce you to this normal Christian practice and awaken a deep, joyful, confident sense that this would be a really good and helpful thing to do. ...
Verse 24-25 [Hebrews 10], “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
1) We Encourage One Another
Notice four things in verses 24-25. First, God calls us to encourage one another. Verse 24b: “encouraging one another.” God’s plan for our good is that much of our encouragement come from other Christians speaking the word of God into our lives and praying for us.
2) We Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Works
Second, God’s purpose is that this mutual encouragement functions to stir us up to love and good works. Verse 24: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” In other words, the aim of the mutual encouragement is not just for the good of the members of the group but for the world. And that too is good for us, because Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). It’s like the widow’s jar of flour and jug of oil in the story of Elijah: The more she gave, the more God gave. They never ran out (1 Kings 17:16). So we encourage each other, and we stir each other up to love.
3) We Gather
And third, we gather to do this encouraging and this stirring up to love and good works. Verse 25: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” This meeting together is not merely the big gathering for corporate worship, as we do on Sunday mornings; it is the kind of gathering where the pattern of ministry is each person ministering to the others. Notice how verse 25 continues: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” The meeting, in this case, is the kind of meeting that necessarily implies encouraging one another. So God is telling us that it is good for us to gather in smaller groups and minister to each other. This is his way of caring for us. He calls elders to oversee this, but it is the smaller, one-another ministry of all the members that completes the shepherding work.
4) Especially as the End Approaches
Fourth, notice that this kind of gathering in smaller groups to encourage each other is increasingly urgent as the end of the times draws near. Verse 25 once more: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:1, “In the last days there will come times of difficulty.” Times of stress and tremendous pressure and hardship and darkness and evil. It will not get easier to be a Christian. And God is telling us what we will need to do to hold fast to our confession of hope (v. 23): Meet. Meet. Meet. And encourage one another. And stir each other up to love. Lone-ranger Christians will drop like flies in those days. ... "
"I want to try in this message to awaken in you a deep, joyful, confident sense that being in a small group of Christians for prayer and ministry to each other would be one of the best things you could do for your own soul and for the good of those around you and for the glory of Christ. Hundreds of you know this already. So just enjoy being affirmed in the path you have chosen. But others of you have perhaps grown up in homes or in churches where this simply was not part of what it meant to be a Christian—to meet regularly with a small group of believers to pray for each other and strengthen each other and help each other grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. So my aim for you is to introduce you to this normal Christian practice and awaken a deep, joyful, confident sense that this would be a really good and helpful thing to do. ...
Verse 24-25 [Hebrews 10], “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
1) We Encourage One Another
Notice four things in verses 24-25. First, God calls us to encourage one another. Verse 24b: “encouraging one another.” God’s plan for our good is that much of our encouragement come from other Christians speaking the word of God into our lives and praying for us.
2) We Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Works
Second, God’s purpose is that this mutual encouragement functions to stir us up to love and good works. Verse 24: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” In other words, the aim of the mutual encouragement is not just for the good of the members of the group but for the world. And that too is good for us, because Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). It’s like the widow’s jar of flour and jug of oil in the story of Elijah: The more she gave, the more God gave. They never ran out (1 Kings 17:16). So we encourage each other, and we stir each other up to love.
3) We Gather
And third, we gather to do this encouraging and this stirring up to love and good works. Verse 25: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.” This meeting together is not merely the big gathering for corporate worship, as we do on Sunday mornings; it is the kind of gathering where the pattern of ministry is each person ministering to the others. Notice how verse 25 continues: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” The meeting, in this case, is the kind of meeting that necessarily implies encouraging one another. So God is telling us that it is good for us to gather in smaller groups and minister to each other. This is his way of caring for us. He calls elders to oversee this, but it is the smaller, one-another ministry of all the members that completes the shepherding work.
4) Especially as the End Approaches
Fourth, notice that this kind of gathering in smaller groups to encourage each other is increasingly urgent as the end of the times draws near. Verse 25 once more: “. . . not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:1, “In the last days there will come times of difficulty.” Times of stress and tremendous pressure and hardship and darkness and evil. It will not get easier to be a Christian. And God is telling us what we will need to do to hold fast to our confession of hope (v. 23): Meet. Meet. Meet. And encourage one another. And stir each other up to love. Lone-ranger Christians will drop like flies in those days. ... "
Being Vulnerable About Ourselves
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - Leadership Principles from Nehemiah
Now, maybe you’re thinking that you’re not a leader, but all of us are in some way or another. And these principles are relevant to everyone.
In the second chapter of Nehemiah, we find that he was open and vulnerable. You see, he worked for King Artaxerxes, and nobody was allowed to look sad or unhappy in the king’s presence. In fact, the death penalty was the punishment for sad-looking servants. But with a heavy heart about his people and the condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah looked sad in the king’s presence.
Nehemiah did not hide his grief and sadness. He wasn’t trying to make others feel bad, but he wasn’t putting on a “happy face,” as we say.
Psychologists say that 80 percent of our emotional strength frequently goes into wearing a mask, pretending to be someone we are not. Think about it–when you ask someone “How are you?”, how often does anyone say anything except “Fine.” Now, I’m not suggesting that we change the way we greet each other and start dumping our problems on anyone who says, “How are you?” But I do believe that far too often we put on a mask and pretend to be who we are not, when we need to be openly honest and vulnerable about ourselves.
There is great relief in developing this characteristic of not being afraid to reveal who we really are. You can be much more relaxed when you accept yourself the way you are, acknowledging your weaknesses and also recognizing your strengths. It is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity to be honest about yourself.
I went to Uganda and Kenya to minister to women in Christian leadership this past summer, and the women were kind enough to write notes of appreciation for our teaching. I noticed that many of them said things like, “Thank you for opening up to us,” and “Thank you for speaking from personal experience.” Being real and open can be used mightily by God to build bridges to other people and open up possibilities for ministry that would otherwise be closed.
So remember, God has called us to be authentic and not to wear a mask. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “By the grace of God I am who I am,” and there is no reason to cover up who we are in Christ.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - Leadership Principles from Nehemiah
Now, maybe you’re thinking that you’re not a leader, but all of us are in some way or another. And these principles are relevant to everyone.
In the second chapter of Nehemiah, we find that he was open and vulnerable. You see, he worked for King Artaxerxes, and nobody was allowed to look sad or unhappy in the king’s presence. In fact, the death penalty was the punishment for sad-looking servants. But with a heavy heart about his people and the condition of Jerusalem, Nehemiah looked sad in the king’s presence.
Nehemiah did not hide his grief and sadness. He wasn’t trying to make others feel bad, but he wasn’t putting on a “happy face,” as we say.
Psychologists say that 80 percent of our emotional strength frequently goes into wearing a mask, pretending to be someone we are not. Think about it–when you ask someone “How are you?”, how often does anyone say anything except “Fine.” Now, I’m not suggesting that we change the way we greet each other and start dumping our problems on anyone who says, “How are you?” But I do believe that far too often we put on a mask and pretend to be who we are not, when we need to be openly honest and vulnerable about ourselves.
There is great relief in developing this characteristic of not being afraid to reveal who we really are. You can be much more relaxed when you accept yourself the way you are, acknowledging your weaknesses and also recognizing your strengths. It is a sign of spiritual and emotional maturity to be honest about yourself.
I went to Uganda and Kenya to minister to women in Christian leadership this past summer, and the women were kind enough to write notes of appreciation for our teaching. I noticed that many of them said things like, “Thank you for opening up to us,” and “Thank you for speaking from personal experience.” Being real and open can be used mightily by God to build bridges to other people and open up possibilities for ministry that would otherwise be closed.
So remember, God has called us to be authentic and not to wear a mask. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “By the grace of God I am who I am,” and there is no reason to cover up who we are in Christ.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Led by the Spirit or by the Flesh?
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
RIGHTING WRONGS
John 15:8 By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples
How can you know if you're being led by the Spirit or the flesh? Very simple: Look at your behavior. If you respond to a given situation by exercising love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, you are following the Spirit's lead (Galatians 5:22, 23). If your reactions and responses reflect the deeds of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21, you are following the flesh.
What do you do when you discover you are not walking by the Spirit? Acknowledge it for what it is. You have consciously or unconsciously chosen to live independently of God by walking according to the flesh. Walking according to the Spirit is a moment-by-moment, day-by-day experience. Acknowledge your sin to God, seek the forgiveness of anyone you may have offended, receive forgiveness, and be filled with the Spirit.
Here are a couple of things to consider when you are faced with righting fleshly wrongs.
First, the scope of your confession should only be as broad as the scope of your offense. If you lashed out at a relative with angry words, you need only confess to God and that relative. If you entertain a secret, lustful thought or proud attitude without any overt, offensive behavior, you need only confess it to God. Confession literally means to agree with God. When you recognize an internal fleshly response, immediately acknowledge it in your mind. That's it; just agree with God and walk in the light.
Second, the process of restoring a relationship through confession and forgiveness is a step of spiritual growth. Your role as a spouse, parent, friend, coworker, or fellow-Christian is to model growth, not perfection. If you're trying to keep up a front of Christian perfection in order to encourage saints and win sinners, forget it; it will never happen. But when you openly admit and ask forgiveness for your fleshly choices, you model the kind of spiritual growth which will touch saints and sinners alike.
Prayer:
Lord, I sometimes walk according to the flesh. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in my life today.
RIGHTING WRONGS
John 15:8 By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples
How can you know if you're being led by the Spirit or the flesh? Very simple: Look at your behavior. If you respond to a given situation by exercising love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, you are following the Spirit's lead (Galatians 5:22, 23). If your reactions and responses reflect the deeds of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21, you are following the flesh.
What do you do when you discover you are not walking by the Spirit? Acknowledge it for what it is. You have consciously or unconsciously chosen to live independently of God by walking according to the flesh. Walking according to the Spirit is a moment-by-moment, day-by-day experience. Acknowledge your sin to God, seek the forgiveness of anyone you may have offended, receive forgiveness, and be filled with the Spirit.
Here are a couple of things to consider when you are faced with righting fleshly wrongs.
First, the scope of your confession should only be as broad as the scope of your offense. If you lashed out at a relative with angry words, you need only confess to God and that relative. If you entertain a secret, lustful thought or proud attitude without any overt, offensive behavior, you need only confess it to God. Confession literally means to agree with God. When you recognize an internal fleshly response, immediately acknowledge it in your mind. That's it; just agree with God and walk in the light.
Second, the process of restoring a relationship through confession and forgiveness is a step of spiritual growth. Your role as a spouse, parent, friend, coworker, or fellow-Christian is to model growth, not perfection. If you're trying to keep up a front of Christian perfection in order to encourage saints and win sinners, forget it; it will never happen. But when you openly admit and ask forgiveness for your fleshly choices, you model the kind of spiritual growth which will touch saints and sinners alike.
Prayer:
Lord, I sometimes walk according to the flesh. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in my life today.
Leadership Principles from Nehemiah: Bad News
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Monday, September 17, 2007 - Leadership Principles from Nehemiah
You may wonder what an Old Testament saint could teach us about leadership today, but you’ll discover that these truths are timeless. Nehemiah was both an outstanding spiritual leader and a very good business manager, and we can learn a great deal from him.
One of the first principles we learn from Nehemiah is that he knew how to handle bad news. We read in chapter one that his brother brought him the bad news that Jerusalem’s wall was broken down, its gates had been burned, and those who survived were in great trouble. Well, that would be enough to discourage anyone. But Nehemiah does not fall apart, even at this bad news.
Life is full of bad news. It could be a small disappointment to a catastrophic occurrence, but when bad news comes your way, how do you respond? A strong leader is not only able to take the bad news, but wants to know it. Sticking your head in the sand is a sure sign of immaturity and lack of trust in God.
If you are a manager on your job, or a leader in your church, or have an influential position of any kind, you need to make certain that people around you don’t hide the bad news from you. That is a recipe for disaster. The only way to resolve a problem is to face it head on and not to live in denial. So, make certain that people who work for you or with you know that you want to hear when things are going wrong.
Of course, they’ll be more likely to tell you the bad news if they are confident that your reaction will be reasonable and controlled. You can’t let bad news rattle you, or you will lose the confidence of those who look up to you, and it will make matters worse.
David gives us a good example of how to handle bad news, as he had to face many bad news situations while he was running from Saul. In one case, he returned with his 600 soldiers to Ziklag and found that the enemy had robbed them of everything and set fire to the city. His men were so upset at this bad news that they wanted to kill David. But David did not panic. The Bible says simply: David found strength in the Lord his God
(1 Samuel 30:6b). Then he asks the Lord what to do, and under God’s direction he pursued the enemy and recovered all that was lost.
Nehemiah immediately turned to the Lord for guidance when he heard this bad news. Interestingly, both David and Nehemiah mourned and wept at their bad news, but they didn’t stay there. They prayed for guidance and obeyed the Lord.Do you fall into depression when things do not go well? We can learn a very valuable lesson from Nehemiah in how to handle bad news.
Monday, September 17, 2007 - Leadership Principles from Nehemiah
You may wonder what an Old Testament saint could teach us about leadership today, but you’ll discover that these truths are timeless. Nehemiah was both an outstanding spiritual leader and a very good business manager, and we can learn a great deal from him.
One of the first principles we learn from Nehemiah is that he knew how to handle bad news. We read in chapter one that his brother brought him the bad news that Jerusalem’s wall was broken down, its gates had been burned, and those who survived were in great trouble. Well, that would be enough to discourage anyone. But Nehemiah does not fall apart, even at this bad news.
Life is full of bad news. It could be a small disappointment to a catastrophic occurrence, but when bad news comes your way, how do you respond? A strong leader is not only able to take the bad news, but wants to know it. Sticking your head in the sand is a sure sign of immaturity and lack of trust in God.
If you are a manager on your job, or a leader in your church, or have an influential position of any kind, you need to make certain that people around you don’t hide the bad news from you. That is a recipe for disaster. The only way to resolve a problem is to face it head on and not to live in denial. So, make certain that people who work for you or with you know that you want to hear when things are going wrong.
Of course, they’ll be more likely to tell you the bad news if they are confident that your reaction will be reasonable and controlled. You can’t let bad news rattle you, or you will lose the confidence of those who look up to you, and it will make matters worse.
David gives us a good example of how to handle bad news, as he had to face many bad news situations while he was running from Saul. In one case, he returned with his 600 soldiers to Ziklag and found that the enemy had robbed them of everything and set fire to the city. His men were so upset at this bad news that they wanted to kill David. But David did not panic. The Bible says simply: David found strength in the Lord his God
(1 Samuel 30:6b). Then he asks the Lord what to do, and under God’s direction he pursued the enemy and recovered all that was lost.
Nehemiah immediately turned to the Lord for guidance when he heard this bad news. Interestingly, both David and Nehemiah mourned and wept at their bad news, but they didn’t stay there. They prayed for guidance and obeyed the Lord.Do you fall into depression when things do not go well? We can learn a very valuable lesson from Nehemiah in how to handle bad news.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Christianity Is A Singing Religion
Excerpt from John Piper's response to the following question:
I once heard that one of Christianity's great uniquenesses is that it is a singing faith and a rejoicing faith. Would you agree with that assessment?
"Absolutely. I don't think there are any other religions that sing like Christians sing. Christians really make music over their faith. Even the sheer radio reality of Christian contemporary music is an interesting phenomenon. It has many pitfalls because of, perhaps, the way that theology is dumbed down in it or the way it is infected with an entertainment mindset; but the sheer existence of Christians who are always looking for ways to make melody about their faith and find inspiring tunes growing out of their convictions about God and Christ and forgiveness and eternal life--I think that is an amazing and unique thing. I don't think there are any other faiths in the world that come close. ...
So absolutely, the fact that Christianity is a singing religion bears witness, not only to the way we're wired as human beings, but to the kind of God we have: namely, a God who is one day, according to Zephaniah 3:17, going to sing over us. He is going to lead a choir and celebrate the fact that we are his. ...
So I really don't have a lot of patience, frankly, even with Christians who want to put a lid on music and singing, or put it back five centuries, or limit it to one kind of instrument, or take away all instrumental music and just let it be voice. I just think all of that is hopelessly defeatist, because we are an explosive soul; and the reason we are is because God is explosively beautiful and great and glorious. ... "
I once heard that one of Christianity's great uniquenesses is that it is a singing faith and a rejoicing faith. Would you agree with that assessment?
"Absolutely. I don't think there are any other religions that sing like Christians sing. Christians really make music over their faith. Even the sheer radio reality of Christian contemporary music is an interesting phenomenon. It has many pitfalls because of, perhaps, the way that theology is dumbed down in it or the way it is infected with an entertainment mindset; but the sheer existence of Christians who are always looking for ways to make melody about their faith and find inspiring tunes growing out of their convictions about God and Christ and forgiveness and eternal life--I think that is an amazing and unique thing. I don't think there are any other faiths in the world that come close. ...
So absolutely, the fact that Christianity is a singing religion bears witness, not only to the way we're wired as human beings, but to the kind of God we have: namely, a God who is one day, according to Zephaniah 3:17, going to sing over us. He is going to lead a choir and celebrate the fact that we are his. ...
So I really don't have a lot of patience, frankly, even with Christians who want to put a lid on music and singing, or put it back five centuries, or limit it to one kind of instrument, or take away all instrumental music and just let it be voice. I just think all of that is hopelessly defeatist, because we are an explosive soul; and the reason we are is because God is explosively beautiful and great and glorious. ... "
Redeemed Ambassadors
Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
Ps 107:1-2
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
2 Corinthians 5:20
for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
Ps 107:1-2
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.
2 Corinthians 5:20
Hurt Feelings
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Friday, September 14, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Hurt Feelings
When someone hurts your feelings and accuses you of things of which you know you're not guilty, what do you do? Hurt feelings are difficult to deal with. Often we don't handle them well.
Fran's feelings have been hurt badly by someone she thought was a friend–Deborah. Fran had befriended Deborah, called her frequently, done a few things with her, but all of a sudden Deborah unloaded on her with anger and accusations of selfishness and lack of caring on Fran's part toward Deborah.
The verse which Jesus has emphasized to Fran through all of this has been Romans 15:1: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Fran has been meditating on that verse all week. On this Friday morning, in her time alone with Jesus, she says, "This is not the easiest verse to apply to my life, Lord. I still struggle with what Deborah said to me last night. You know it wasn't true."
"I know that you never intended to give her the impression that you were too busy for her, and I know that you went out of your way for her. But," Jesus says, "you must remember that she has had a lot of time to think about some little things that happened, and the more she has thought about them, the bigger they have become in her mind until she is convinced that you have not been a good friend to her."
"Lord, do I give the impression that I think I'm more important...." Fran considers Deborah's accusations. "Oh, my, I hope not, but I bet I do sometimes. Oh, Lord, please forgive me for thinking that I'm more important than someone else. I really am sorry."
"It's a good lesson to learn from all this, Fran," Jesus says with great comfort in His voice. "So learn it and then move on. Don't wallow in false guilt. The ball is now in Deborah's court."
"But what if she just continues to be cold and unfriendly to me? What am I supposed to do?" Fran asks.
"Wait," Jesus says.
"Several times I've asked her to take on a job at church and she always turns them down. I think if she got busy doing something positive, she wouldn't feel so sorry for herself," Fran says.
"You're right about that Fran," Jesus says; "it's often true that idle minds create a great many misunderstandings and hurt feelings. So, it's time to fill your mind with the Word of God so that doesn't happen to you."
And with that Fran gets into her Bible reading for the day.
If you've ever had your feelings hurt, you can understand how Fran feels. But take a step back, pray about it, ask God to teach you what you need to learn, and then stop focusing on the bad reports, but as Philippians 4:8 says, think about the lovely things–the good reports.
Friday, September 14, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Hurt Feelings
When someone hurts your feelings and accuses you of things of which you know you're not guilty, what do you do? Hurt feelings are difficult to deal with. Often we don't handle them well.
Fran's feelings have been hurt badly by someone she thought was a friend–Deborah. Fran had befriended Deborah, called her frequently, done a few things with her, but all of a sudden Deborah unloaded on her with anger and accusations of selfishness and lack of caring on Fran's part toward Deborah.
The verse which Jesus has emphasized to Fran through all of this has been Romans 15:1: We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Fran has been meditating on that verse all week. On this Friday morning, in her time alone with Jesus, she says, "This is not the easiest verse to apply to my life, Lord. I still struggle with what Deborah said to me last night. You know it wasn't true."
"I know that you never intended to give her the impression that you were too busy for her, and I know that you went out of your way for her. But," Jesus says, "you must remember that she has had a lot of time to think about some little things that happened, and the more she has thought about them, the bigger they have become in her mind until she is convinced that you have not been a good friend to her."
"Lord, do I give the impression that I think I'm more important...." Fran considers Deborah's accusations. "Oh, my, I hope not, but I bet I do sometimes. Oh, Lord, please forgive me for thinking that I'm more important than someone else. I really am sorry."
"It's a good lesson to learn from all this, Fran," Jesus says with great comfort in His voice. "So learn it and then move on. Don't wallow in false guilt. The ball is now in Deborah's court."
"But what if she just continues to be cold and unfriendly to me? What am I supposed to do?" Fran asks.
"Wait," Jesus says.
"Several times I've asked her to take on a job at church and she always turns them down. I think if she got busy doing something positive, she wouldn't feel so sorry for herself," Fran says.
"You're right about that Fran," Jesus says; "it's often true that idle minds create a great many misunderstandings and hurt feelings. So, it's time to fill your mind with the Word of God so that doesn't happen to you."
And with that Fran gets into her Bible reading for the day.
If you've ever had your feelings hurt, you can understand how Fran feels. But take a step back, pray about it, ask God to teach you what you need to learn, and then stop focusing on the bad reports, but as Philippians 4:8 says, think about the lovely things–the good reports.
Life Only Finds Meaning in Christ
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
PICKING UP THE CROSS DAILY
Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him . . . take up his cross
The cross we are to pick up on a daily basis is not our own cross but Christ's cross. We are closely identified with His cross, however, because we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live; Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). His cross provided forgiveness from what we have done and deliverance from what we were. We are forgiven because He died in our place; we are delivered because we died with Him. We are both justified and sanctified as a result of the cross.
To pick up the cross daily means to acknowledge every day that we belong to God. We have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18, 19). When we pick up the cross, we affirm that our identity is not based in our physical existence but in our relationship with God. We are identified as children of God (1 John 3:1-3) and our life is in Christ, who is our life (Colossians 3:3, 4).
As a result of this acknowledgment, we stop trying to do our own thing in order to live daily to please our heavenly Father. We stop trying to become something we aren't, and we rest in the finished work of Christ, who made us something very special.
Jesus said, "Whoever wishes to save his [natural] life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). Those who strive to establish their identity and seek to establish purpose and meaning in their natural life will someday lose it. We can't take it with us! We must take up our cross daily by acknowledging that life only finds meaning in Christ.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that because of the cross, I can soar in the heavenlies with You. You are my life.
PICKING UP THE CROSS DAILY
Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him . . . take up his cross
The cross we are to pick up on a daily basis is not our own cross but Christ's cross. We are closely identified with His cross, however, because we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live; Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20). His cross provided forgiveness from what we have done and deliverance from what we were. We are forgiven because He died in our place; we are delivered because we died with Him. We are both justified and sanctified as a result of the cross.
To pick up the cross daily means to acknowledge every day that we belong to God. We have been purchased by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18, 19). When we pick up the cross, we affirm that our identity is not based in our physical existence but in our relationship with God. We are identified as children of God (1 John 3:1-3) and our life is in Christ, who is our life (Colossians 3:3, 4).
As a result of this acknowledgment, we stop trying to do our own thing in order to live daily to please our heavenly Father. We stop trying to become something we aren't, and we rest in the finished work of Christ, who made us something very special.
Jesus said, "Whoever wishes to save his [natural] life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:25). Those who strive to establish their identity and seek to establish purpose and meaning in their natural life will someday lose it. We can't take it with us! We must take up our cross daily by acknowledging that life only finds meaning in Christ.
Prayer:
Thank You, Lord, that because of the cross, I can soar in the heavenlies with You. You are my life.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Metaphors
"The problem with Christian culture is we think of love as a commodity. We use it like money. ... I could see it so clearly, and I could feel it in the pages of my life. This was the thing that had smelled so rotten all these years. I used love like money. The church used love like money. With love, we withheld affirmation from the people who did not agree with us, but we lavishly financed the ones who did. ...
I was making a mess of everything. And I was disobeying God. I became convicted about these things. ... It was clear that I was to love everybody, be delighted at everybody's existence, and I had falled miles short of God's aim. The power of Christian spirituality has always rested in repentance, so that's what I did. I repented. I told God I was sorry. I replaced the economic metaphor, in my mind, with something different, a free gift metaphor or a magnet metaphor. That is, instead of withholding love to change somebody, I poured it on, lavishly. I knew this was the way God loved me. God had never withheld love to teach me a lesson.
Here is something very simple about relationships that Spencer helped me discover: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them."
Excerpt from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
I was making a mess of everything. And I was disobeying God. I became convicted about these things. ... It was clear that I was to love everybody, be delighted at everybody's existence, and I had falled miles short of God's aim. The power of Christian spirituality has always rested in repentance, so that's what I did. I repented. I told God I was sorry. I replaced the economic metaphor, in my mind, with something different, a free gift metaphor or a magnet metaphor. That is, instead of withholding love to change somebody, I poured it on, lavishly. I knew this was the way God loved me. God had never withheld love to teach me a lesson.
Here is something very simple about relationships that Spencer helped me discover: Nobody will listen to you unless they sense that you like them."
Excerpt from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
A Great Omission
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
DENYING SELF
Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself
A primary reason why we struggle to fulfill Christ's Great Commission is because we are guilty of a great omission : We fail to deny ourselves.
Denying yourself is not the same as self-denial. Students, athletes and cult members practice self-denial, restricting themselves from substances and activities which keep them from reaching their goals. But the ultimate purpose of self-denial is self-glorification. The ultimate purpose of denying self is to glorify God.
Jesus was talking about denying yourself in the essential battle of life: the scramble for the throne, the struggle over who is going to be God. Jesus doesn't enter into that battle; He's already won it. He occupies the throne and graciously offers to share it with us. But we want to be king in our lives by ourselves. Until we deny ourselves that which was never meant to be ours--the role of being God in our lives--we will never be at peace with ourselves or God, and we will never be free.
You were not designed to function independently of God, nor was your soul designed to function as master. You will either serve God and His kingdom or Satan and his kingdom. Self-seeking, self-serving, self-justifying, self-glorifying, self-centered and self-confident living is in actuality living and serving the world, the flesh and the devil. On the other hand, denying yourself is not self-mortification. God is not trying to annihilate you; He is trying to restore you.
When you deny yourself, you invite God to take the throne of your life, to occupy what is rightfully His, so that you may function as a person who is spiritually alive in Christ. Denying yourself is essential to spiritual freedom.
Prayer:
Lord, too many times I have tried to live independently of You. I deny myself today and yield the throne of my life to You.
DENYING SELF
Matthew 16:24 If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself
A primary reason why we struggle to fulfill Christ's Great Commission is because we are guilty of a great omission : We fail to deny ourselves.
Denying yourself is not the same as self-denial. Students, athletes and cult members practice self-denial, restricting themselves from substances and activities which keep them from reaching their goals. But the ultimate purpose of self-denial is self-glorification. The ultimate purpose of denying self is to glorify God.
Jesus was talking about denying yourself in the essential battle of life: the scramble for the throne, the struggle over who is going to be God. Jesus doesn't enter into that battle; He's already won it. He occupies the throne and graciously offers to share it with us. But we want to be king in our lives by ourselves. Until we deny ourselves that which was never meant to be ours--the role of being God in our lives--we will never be at peace with ourselves or God, and we will never be free.
You were not designed to function independently of God, nor was your soul designed to function as master. You will either serve God and His kingdom or Satan and his kingdom. Self-seeking, self-serving, self-justifying, self-glorifying, self-centered and self-confident living is in actuality living and serving the world, the flesh and the devil. On the other hand, denying yourself is not self-mortification. God is not trying to annihilate you; He is trying to restore you.
When you deny yourself, you invite God to take the throne of your life, to occupy what is rightfully His, so that you may function as a person who is spiritually alive in Christ. Denying yourself is essential to spiritual freedom.
Prayer:
Lord, too many times I have tried to live independently of You. I deny myself today and yield the throne of my life to You.
Hurt Feelings
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Thursday, September 13, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Hurt Feelings
When someone hurts my feelings, my natural response is to have a pity party and then to get even. I think that's probably true for most of us. However, as believers, that is not a Spirit-controlled response, and so we must learn how to handle hurt feelings. Fran is learning that painful lesson.
It's Monday morning, and her friend Deborah said some hurtful and unfair things to Fran on the phone yesterday, after treating her very coldly at church. She talks with Jesus about the situation. "Lord, what should I do? I honestly don't feel I have anything to apologize for to Deborah; it's her perception that has created this problem. Besides, if she had something against me, the Bible says she should have come to me and told me in love, not in the sarcastic way she dumped it on me."
"That's absolutely true, Fran," Jesus agrees, "but just because she didn't behave biblically is no excuse for you to do the same."
"Yes, you're right, Lord, but it's so hard to swallow your pride and act like you're wrong when you know you're not," Fran says.
"I'm not asking you to apologize for something you didn't do, but I am asking you who are strong to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please yourself," Jesus again reminds her of the verse from Romans 15:1.
"Okay, what should I do? Call her?" Fran asks.
"Why not find a really nice card and send that first. Then follow-up with a phone call," Jesus suggests.
At lunch Fran writes a note on a card: Deborah, I'm so sorry something has come between us and I want you to know I'm willing to do whatever I can to restore our relationship. I hope you'll give me an opportunity; I'll call soon. Love, Fran.
She mails the card, and then all week long she prays for Deborah and for their relationship. She prays that God will help her see Deborah as He sees her and that God will give her compassion and true love for Deborah. On Thursday evening she gives Deborah a call.
"Hi, Deborah," Fran begins, and they have a lengthy conversation. Fran mostly listens as Deborah dumps some pretty difficult things on Fran, accusing her of not ever being available when Deborah needs a friend, and thinking that her life is more important that Deborah's. Fran says she is sorry for all the misunderstanding, and invites her home after church Sunday. Deborah says she can't this Sunday, but maybe another time.
Fran hangs up the phone, and says, "Lord, I don't feel as though there was any real closure. Deborah still believes I'm to blame for our relationship problems, and she wouldn't accept my invitation."
"You're not responsible for her reaction, just yours. This is not the end of the story, Fran; entrust it into my hands, and keep praying about Deborah. Right now, do nothing," Jesus says.
"But surely I have to do something..." Fran insists."
No, not now," and with that, Fran drops the subject.
Thursday, September 13, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Hurt Feelings
When someone hurts my feelings, my natural response is to have a pity party and then to get even. I think that's probably true for most of us. However, as believers, that is not a Spirit-controlled response, and so we must learn how to handle hurt feelings. Fran is learning that painful lesson.
It's Monday morning, and her friend Deborah said some hurtful and unfair things to Fran on the phone yesterday, after treating her very coldly at church. She talks with Jesus about the situation. "Lord, what should I do? I honestly don't feel I have anything to apologize for to Deborah; it's her perception that has created this problem. Besides, if she had something against me, the Bible says she should have come to me and told me in love, not in the sarcastic way she dumped it on me."
"That's absolutely true, Fran," Jesus agrees, "but just because she didn't behave biblically is no excuse for you to do the same."
"Yes, you're right, Lord, but it's so hard to swallow your pride and act like you're wrong when you know you're not," Fran says.
"I'm not asking you to apologize for something you didn't do, but I am asking you who are strong to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please yourself," Jesus again reminds her of the verse from Romans 15:1.
"Okay, what should I do? Call her?" Fran asks.
"Why not find a really nice card and send that first. Then follow-up with a phone call," Jesus suggests.
At lunch Fran writes a note on a card: Deborah, I'm so sorry something has come between us and I want you to know I'm willing to do whatever I can to restore our relationship. I hope you'll give me an opportunity; I'll call soon. Love, Fran.
She mails the card, and then all week long she prays for Deborah and for their relationship. She prays that God will help her see Deborah as He sees her and that God will give her compassion and true love for Deborah. On Thursday evening she gives Deborah a call.
"Hi, Deborah," Fran begins, and they have a lengthy conversation. Fran mostly listens as Deborah dumps some pretty difficult things on Fran, accusing her of not ever being available when Deborah needs a friend, and thinking that her life is more important that Deborah's. Fran says she is sorry for all the misunderstanding, and invites her home after church Sunday. Deborah says she can't this Sunday, but maybe another time.
Fran hangs up the phone, and says, "Lord, I don't feel as though there was any real closure. Deborah still believes I'm to blame for our relationship problems, and she wouldn't accept my invitation."
"You're not responsible for her reaction, just yours. This is not the end of the story, Fran; entrust it into my hands, and keep praying about Deborah. Right now, do nothing," Jesus says.
"But surely I have to do something..." Fran insists."
No, not now," and with that, Fran drops the subject.
Limitations Are Gifts
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Yesterday as I was reading my brother Tom's book, The Achievement of C.S. Lewis, I was admiring again the scope of his knowledge, his ability to comprehend another's genius, and his wonderful command of English. By contrast my own limitations seemed severe indeed. They are of many kinds--analytical, critical, articulatory, not to mention educational. But my limitations, placing me in a different category from Tom Howard's or anyone else's, become, in the sovereignty of God, gifts. For it is with the equipment that I have been given that I am to glorify God. It is this job, not that one, that He gave me.
For some, the limitations are not intellectual but physical. The same truth applies. Within the context of their suffering, with whatever strength they have, be it ever so small, they are to glorify God. The apostle Paul actually claimed that he "gloried" in infirmities, because it was there that the power of Christ was made known to him.
If we regard each limitation which we are conscious of today as a gift--that is, as one of the terms of our particular service to the Master--we won't complain or pity or excuse ourselves. We will rather offer up those gifts as a sacrifice, with thanksgiving.
Yesterday as I was reading my brother Tom's book, The Achievement of C.S. Lewis, I was admiring again the scope of his knowledge, his ability to comprehend another's genius, and his wonderful command of English. By contrast my own limitations seemed severe indeed. They are of many kinds--analytical, critical, articulatory, not to mention educational. But my limitations, placing me in a different category from Tom Howard's or anyone else's, become, in the sovereignty of God, gifts. For it is with the equipment that I have been given that I am to glorify God. It is this job, not that one, that He gave me.
For some, the limitations are not intellectual but physical. The same truth applies. Within the context of their suffering, with whatever strength they have, be it ever so small, they are to glorify God. The apostle Paul actually claimed that he "gloried" in infirmities, because it was there that the power of Christ was made known to him.
If we regard each limitation which we are conscious of today as a gift--that is, as one of the terms of our particular service to the Master--we won't complain or pity or excuse ourselves. We will rather offer up those gifts as a sacrifice, with thanksgiving.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Wonder
"I like that scene in the movie Dead Poets Society in which Mr. Keating, an English instructor at an elite preparatory school, asks his students to rip out the "Introduction to Poetry" essay from their literature textbooks. The essayist had instructed students in a method of grading poems on a sliding scale, complete with the use of a grid, thus reducing art for the heart into arithmetic for the head. The students looked around at each other in confusion as their teacher dismissed the essay as rubbish and ordered them to rip these pages from their books. And at their teacher's loud prodding, the students began to rip. Mr. Keating paced the aisle with a trash can and reminded the students that poetry is not algebra, not songs on American Bandstand that can be rated on a scale from one to ten, but rather they are pieces of art that plunge the depths of the heart to stir vigor in men and woo women.
Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little time is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder."
Excerpt from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Too much of our time is spent trying to chart God on a grid, and too little time is spent allowing our hearts to feel awe. By reducing Christian spirituality to formula, we deprive our hearts of wonder."
Excerpt from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Compromise
Greg Laurie Daily Devotional
One Bite at a Time
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
—Ephesians 5:15
If you find a person who has fallen into gross sin, I would say that in every situation that you can think of, it began with compromise. Very rarely do people fall away from God overnight. Sometimes it appears they do, but in reality, it doesn’t happen that way.
For instance, you may have seen someone at church last week, only to discover the next week they have gotten into some immoral lifestyle or are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. You think, I don’t get it. I just saw them in church last week. They were doing fine. I propose that compromise has been taking place over a long period of time in that person’s life, and he or she finally just caved in.
It is like a massive tree that had stood for some 400 years in Colorado, only to come crashing to the ground one day. No one could understand why a tree of that size would crash to the ground. After all, this tree had been struck by lightning on 14 different occasions. It had weathered countless storms and had never fallen. But one day, without warning, it just crashed. It turned out that the tree had been killed by beetles. Little insects had, over a prolonged period of time, chewed their way through its mighty fibers until it came crashing down.
That is how compromise works. The devil may be wicked, but he is not an idiot. He knows how to rip people off. He doesn’t tell you what he is up to in the beginning. Instead, he comes to you with a little enticement. He will infiltrate through compromise and then take you down, one bite at a time.
One Bite at a Time
So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
—Ephesians 5:15
If you find a person who has fallen into gross sin, I would say that in every situation that you can think of, it began with compromise. Very rarely do people fall away from God overnight. Sometimes it appears they do, but in reality, it doesn’t happen that way.
For instance, you may have seen someone at church last week, only to discover the next week they have gotten into some immoral lifestyle or are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. You think, I don’t get it. I just saw them in church last week. They were doing fine. I propose that compromise has been taking place over a long period of time in that person’s life, and he or she finally just caved in.
It is like a massive tree that had stood for some 400 years in Colorado, only to come crashing to the ground one day. No one could understand why a tree of that size would crash to the ground. After all, this tree had been struck by lightning on 14 different occasions. It had weathered countless storms and had never fallen. But one day, without warning, it just crashed. It turned out that the tree had been killed by beetles. Little insects had, over a prolonged period of time, chewed their way through its mighty fibers until it came crashing down.
That is how compromise works. The devil may be wicked, but he is not an idiot. He knows how to rip people off. He doesn’t tell you what he is up to in the beginning. Instead, he comes to you with a little enticement. He will infiltrate through compromise and then take you down, one bite at a time.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Deeds and Wonders of God
Excerpt from Educating for Hope by John Piper
"Now the second section of the psalm [Psalm 78] that we look at is verses 1–4, which we will call Asaph's act. We call it Asaph's act because these verses describe what Asaph does in response to God's work in verse 5. In a word, Asaph obeys the command of verse 5 and makes known God's will and work to the next generation.
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders which he has wrought.
The Deeds and Wonders of God
Two things stand out in these verses. One is that when Asaph teaches the coming generation, he focuses on the deeds and wonders of God, not first the commandments. Notice verse 4: " . . . tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought." This is why I said it would be important to remember that the testimony referred to in verse 5 is more than commandments.
The Ten Commandments begin, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." So Asaph first declares to the next generation the great stories of rescue and judgment and the glorious deeds of God: like the ten plagues of frogs and gnats and flies and bloody water and darkness and hail, and like the dividing of the Red Sea and the miraculous manna and water from the rock, etc.
That's the first thing that stands out in Asaph's act: in obedience to God's command in verse 5, he teaches the next generation about the greatness of God rather than just about what God demands in his law."
"Now the second section of the psalm [Psalm 78] that we look at is verses 1–4, which we will call Asaph's act. We call it Asaph's act because these verses describe what Asaph does in response to God's work in verse 5. In a word, Asaph obeys the command of verse 5 and makes known God's will and work to the next generation.
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
and the wonders which he has wrought.
The Deeds and Wonders of God
Two things stand out in these verses. One is that when Asaph teaches the coming generation, he focuses on the deeds and wonders of God, not first the commandments. Notice verse 4: " . . . tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought." This is why I said it would be important to remember that the testimony referred to in verse 5 is more than commandments.
The Ten Commandments begin, "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." So Asaph first declares to the next generation the great stories of rescue and judgment and the glorious deeds of God: like the ten plagues of frogs and gnats and flies and bloody water and darkness and hail, and like the dividing of the Red Sea and the miraculous manna and water from the rock, etc.
That's the first thing that stands out in Asaph's act: in obedience to God's command in verse 5, he teaches the next generation about the greatness of God rather than just about what God demands in his law."
Truth
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
John 16:13 When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth
It's not hard to know the truth if You are the truth, and speaking with authority would come quite naturally if you're God! Discernment is also easier if you know, as Jesus does, what's in the hearts of men (John 2:24, 25). Though we don't possess those attributes, we do have the Holy Spirit. If we are going to continue the work of Jesus, we must yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to control and guide us. Then we can know the truth, speak with authority, and discern good and evil.
We have as our guide the Spirit of truth. When Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, He said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth . . . He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you" (John 16:13, 14). This promise has primary reference to the apostles, but its application extends to all Spirit-filled believers (1 John 2:20-27). The Holy Spirit is first and foremost the Spirit of truth, and He will lead us into all truth.
When Jesus prayed, He requested, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:15, 17). Truth is what keeps us from the evil one. John wrote, "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), because Satan "deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). The only way to overcome the father of lies is by revelation, not research or reasoning. Many in higher education lean on their own understanding and believe only in what can be validated by research. Truth is God's will made known through His Word. The Holy Spirit's role is to enable us to understand the Word of God from God's perspective. Jesus says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for leaning on my own understanding. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me into all truth today.
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH
John 16:13 When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth
It's not hard to know the truth if You are the truth, and speaking with authority would come quite naturally if you're God! Discernment is also easier if you know, as Jesus does, what's in the hearts of men (John 2:24, 25). Though we don't possess those attributes, we do have the Holy Spirit. If we are going to continue the work of Jesus, we must yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to control and guide us. Then we can know the truth, speak with authority, and discern good and evil.
We have as our guide the Spirit of truth. When Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, He said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth . . . He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you" (John 16:13, 14). This promise has primary reference to the apostles, but its application extends to all Spirit-filled believers (1 John 2:20-27). The Holy Spirit is first and foremost the Spirit of truth, and He will lead us into all truth.
When Jesus prayed, He requested, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:15, 17). Truth is what keeps us from the evil one. John wrote, "The whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19), because Satan "deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). The only way to overcome the father of lies is by revelation, not research or reasoning. Many in higher education lean on their own understanding and believe only in what can be validated by research. Truth is God's will made known through His Word. The Holy Spirit's role is to enable us to understand the Word of God from God's perspective. Jesus says, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Prayer:
Father, forgive me for leaning on my own understanding. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me into all truth today.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sharing Your Own Soul
Excerpt from John Piper "On Sharing Your Own Soul"
"1. What Is It to Share Your Own Soul?
It is NOT just sharing the gospel. "We were eager to share not only the gospel, but also our own souls." You have not shared your own soul when you have only shared information—even the most valuable information.
It is NOT just working hard for someone. Verse 9 [2 Thessalonians 2] says this is part of what Paul gave of himself: "For you remember our labor and toil." But this is not the heart of Paul's self-giving. Notice verse 17: "But since we were bereft (literally: "orphaned") from you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face." These are the words of a friend, not an employee. The giving of his soul was not just information and not just work.
When you share your soul, you let a person in to see what is really there. You do not conceal your true feelings about things. A shared soul is a shared passion or a shared fear or a shared guilt or a shared longing or a shared joy. Where the gospel flourishes, people share their own souls—their joy and guilt and fear and longing and passion.
You can see Paul doing that in the first three chapters of this letter. In 2:17 he shares his great desire to see them. In 2:20 he says that they are his joy. In 3:5 he shares the intolerable burden it was in Athens not knowing how they were doing: "When I could bear it no longer, I sent that I might know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor would be in vain." In 3:7 he speaks of the comfort of his soul and in verse 10 he shares his deep longing to see them face to face.
We would do well to ask whether we are writing or speaking that way to anyone. Is the gospel flourishing in your life?
Are you sharing your own soul with anyone?
2. How Does the Gospel Cause This to Happen?
We can see in 2:7 and 8 at least two things that moved Paul to share his own soul with the Thessalonians.
2.1. First, when the gospel flourishes, it makes a person gentle. Verse 7: "We were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children." The gospel imparts a nurturing spirit to those who believe. The closest thing Paul can think of to describe what the gospel does to the heart when the gospel flourishes in it is the tender-heartedness of a nursing mother with her suckling child. True gospel gentleness begets a holy intimacy. It inclines the soul to share itself with other believers.
2.2. Second, when the gospel flourishes, it gives a person sweet affections and kindly feelings toward other believers. Verse 8: "So, being affectionately desirous of you . . . you had become very dear to us." We hear a lot today about love being a decision or an act. So you can act in a loving way even when you are feeling out of sorts with someone. Well, that's true as far as it goes. But it is not all that happens when the gospel really flourishes.
The gospel causes believers to feel affection for one another. Someone may say, "Well that's just Paul's response to the gospel. He must have been an emotional sort." No, both Paul and Peter command all Christians to experience affection for fellow Christians. Romans 12:10, "Love one another with brotherly affection." (This represents two Greek words: philadelphia, which means brotherly love, and philostorgoi, which means loving with strong affection.) Christians should have a heart for each other, not just a dispassionate commitment to do good. 1 Peter 1:22, "Love one another earnestly from the heart." Not just love each other with dutiful deeds and decisions, but EARNESTLY, FROM THE HEART!
When the gospel flourishes, it has the same effect on the heart as a great tragedy like death. Those of you who have ever been sick enough to think that you might be dying know what I mean. When the world starts to pass away before your eyes, some things become extraordinarily precious—like fellow believers, even ornery ones. Brothers and sisters that were annoying, or frustrating, or unreliable, or homely, or callous—somehow now in the face of death, their abrasive oddities are turned to precious imperfections, like the torn doll, or the moldy scrapbook, or the crib in the attic covered with dust.
"Everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ has crucified the flesh" (Galatians 5:24). And so where the gospel flourishes, people live in the constant presence of death and resurrection. Their minds and hearts return again and again to the terrible and wonderful realities of death and life. And so we live on the brink of eternity and we look at each other with a kind of constant wistfulness and there arises in our hearts again and again the sweet affections of some long farewell or some wonderful reunion.
Where the gospel flourishes, there are sweet affections and kindly feelings for our comrades in the cause of Christ. And where there are sweet affections, people share their own souls. "
"1. What Is It to Share Your Own Soul?
It is NOT just sharing the gospel. "We were eager to share not only the gospel, but also our own souls." You have not shared your own soul when you have only shared information—even the most valuable information.
It is NOT just working hard for someone. Verse 9 [2 Thessalonians 2] says this is part of what Paul gave of himself: "For you remember our labor and toil." But this is not the heart of Paul's self-giving. Notice verse 17: "But since we were bereft (literally: "orphaned") from you, brethren, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face." These are the words of a friend, not an employee. The giving of his soul was not just information and not just work.
When you share your soul, you let a person in to see what is really there. You do not conceal your true feelings about things. A shared soul is a shared passion or a shared fear or a shared guilt or a shared longing or a shared joy. Where the gospel flourishes, people share their own souls—their joy and guilt and fear and longing and passion.
You can see Paul doing that in the first three chapters of this letter. In 2:17 he shares his great desire to see them. In 2:20 he says that they are his joy. In 3:5 he shares the intolerable burden it was in Athens not knowing how they were doing: "When I could bear it no longer, I sent that I might know your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor would be in vain." In 3:7 he speaks of the comfort of his soul and in verse 10 he shares his deep longing to see them face to face.
We would do well to ask whether we are writing or speaking that way to anyone. Is the gospel flourishing in your life?
Are you sharing your own soul with anyone?
2. How Does the Gospel Cause This to Happen?
We can see in 2:7 and 8 at least two things that moved Paul to share his own soul with the Thessalonians.
2.1. First, when the gospel flourishes, it makes a person gentle. Verse 7: "We were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children." The gospel imparts a nurturing spirit to those who believe. The closest thing Paul can think of to describe what the gospel does to the heart when the gospel flourishes in it is the tender-heartedness of a nursing mother with her suckling child. True gospel gentleness begets a holy intimacy. It inclines the soul to share itself with other believers.
2.2. Second, when the gospel flourishes, it gives a person sweet affections and kindly feelings toward other believers. Verse 8: "So, being affectionately desirous of you . . . you had become very dear to us." We hear a lot today about love being a decision or an act. So you can act in a loving way even when you are feeling out of sorts with someone. Well, that's true as far as it goes. But it is not all that happens when the gospel really flourishes.
The gospel causes believers to feel affection for one another. Someone may say, "Well that's just Paul's response to the gospel. He must have been an emotional sort." No, both Paul and Peter command all Christians to experience affection for fellow Christians. Romans 12:10, "Love one another with brotherly affection." (This represents two Greek words: philadelphia, which means brotherly love, and philostorgoi, which means loving with strong affection.) Christians should have a heart for each other, not just a dispassionate commitment to do good. 1 Peter 1:22, "Love one another earnestly from the heart." Not just love each other with dutiful deeds and decisions, but EARNESTLY, FROM THE HEART!
When the gospel flourishes, it has the same effect on the heart as a great tragedy like death. Those of you who have ever been sick enough to think that you might be dying know what I mean. When the world starts to pass away before your eyes, some things become extraordinarily precious—like fellow believers, even ornery ones. Brothers and sisters that were annoying, or frustrating, or unreliable, or homely, or callous—somehow now in the face of death, their abrasive oddities are turned to precious imperfections, like the torn doll, or the moldy scrapbook, or the crib in the attic covered with dust.
"Everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ has crucified the flesh" (Galatians 5:24). And so where the gospel flourishes, people live in the constant presence of death and resurrection. Their minds and hearts return again and again to the terrible and wonderful realities of death and life. And so we live on the brink of eternity and we look at each other with a kind of constant wistfulness and there arises in our hearts again and again the sweet affections of some long farewell or some wonderful reunion.
Where the gospel flourishes, there are sweet affections and kindly feelings for our comrades in the cause of Christ. And where there are sweet affections, people share their own souls. "
Will Alignment
Greg Laurie Daily Devotional
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Right Way to Pray
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
—John 15:7
When it comes to prayer, people sometimes mistakenly think they can first come up with a plan and then get God to do what they want Him to do. They think that if they really pester God through prayer, He will finally cave in.
Others would teach that if we have enough faith, we can speak something into existence. We can just say it, and it will be ours.
Of course, both concepts are false. The fact of the matter is that prayer is not for the purpose of moving God your way. It is for moving you God’s way.
Do you want to know the key to answered prayer? Then line yourself up with the will of God and start praying for what God wants you to have.
Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). A literal translation of this verse would read, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home in you, you can ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires and it will be yours.”
When we hear this verse, we immediately gravitate toward the part about asking whatever our heart desires. But here is what it comes down to. If you are maintaining a living communion with God, and His words are at home with you, then your prayers will change. You won’t be praying for self-indulgent things. Instead, you will be praying for the things God wants you to have.
This is what prayer is really all about. It is about getting our will into alignment with the will of God.
Monday, September 10, 2007
The Right Way to Pray
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
—John 15:7
When it comes to prayer, people sometimes mistakenly think they can first come up with a plan and then get God to do what they want Him to do. They think that if they really pester God through prayer, He will finally cave in.
Others would teach that if we have enough faith, we can speak something into existence. We can just say it, and it will be ours.
Of course, both concepts are false. The fact of the matter is that prayer is not for the purpose of moving God your way. It is for moving you God’s way.
Do you want to know the key to answered prayer? Then line yourself up with the will of God and start praying for what God wants you to have.
Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). A literal translation of this verse would read, “If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My Word is at home in you, you can ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires and it will be yours.”
When we hear this verse, we immediately gravitate toward the part about asking whatever our heart desires. But here is what it comes down to. If you are maintaining a living communion with God, and His words are at home with you, then your prayers will change. You won’t be praying for self-indulgent things. Instead, you will be praying for the things God wants you to have.
This is what prayer is really all about. It is about getting our will into alignment with the will of God.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
So Long Self - MercyMe
I like this song. Some of the lyrics are:
Believe it or not but life is not apparently
About me anyways
But I have met the One who really is worthy
So let me say
Chorus:
So long self
Well it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me farewell
Oh well, Goodbye, don't cry
So Long Self
Friday, September 07, 2007
It Is What God Is Doing
For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!
Galatians 6: 14-16, The Message
Galatians 6: 14-16, The Message
Missional Lives
An excerpt from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
"We didn't grow much, to be honest. We stayed at about thirty or so, all Christians who had moved to Imago [Imago Dei Community] from other churches. I know that numbers shouldn't matter very much, but to be honest I kind of wanted Imago to grow because I wanted my friends at my old church to know we were successful; but we didn't grow, we stayed at about thirty.
We'd meet on Sunday nights and then again on Wednesday nights for prayer. A lot less people showed up for prayer. There were only about ten of us, and it was pretty boring. It felt like an AA meeting gone bad. We'd sit around and talk about the crap in our lives, and then we'd pray for a little while, and then we would go home. One night Rick showed up sort of beaten-looking. He had been to some sort of pastors reception where a guy spoke about how the church has lost touch with people who didn't know about Jesus. Rick said he was really convicted about this and asked us if we thought we needed to repent and start loving people who were very different from us. We all told him yes, we did, but I don't think any of us knew what that meant. Rick said he thought it meant we should live missional lives, that we should intentionally befriend people who are different from us. I didn't like the sound of that, to be honest. I didn't want to befriend somebody just to trick them into going to my church. Rick said that was not what he was talking about. He said he was talking about loving people just because they exist -- homeless people and Gothic people and gays and fruit nuts. And then I liked the sound of it. I liked the idea of loving people just to love them, not to get them to come to church. If the subject of church came up, I could tell them about Imago, but until then, who cared. So we started praying every week that God would teach us to live missional lives, to notice people who needed to be loved.
Lots of people started coming to church after that. I don't know why, honestly, except that we all agreed we would love people and be nice to them and listen and make friends."
"We didn't grow much, to be honest. We stayed at about thirty or so, all Christians who had moved to Imago [Imago Dei Community] from other churches. I know that numbers shouldn't matter very much, but to be honest I kind of wanted Imago to grow because I wanted my friends at my old church to know we were successful; but we didn't grow, we stayed at about thirty.
We'd meet on Sunday nights and then again on Wednesday nights for prayer. A lot less people showed up for prayer. There were only about ten of us, and it was pretty boring. It felt like an AA meeting gone bad. We'd sit around and talk about the crap in our lives, and then we'd pray for a little while, and then we would go home. One night Rick showed up sort of beaten-looking. He had been to some sort of pastors reception where a guy spoke about how the church has lost touch with people who didn't know about Jesus. Rick said he was really convicted about this and asked us if we thought we needed to repent and start loving people who were very different from us. We all told him yes, we did, but I don't think any of us knew what that meant. Rick said he thought it meant we should live missional lives, that we should intentionally befriend people who are different from us. I didn't like the sound of that, to be honest. I didn't want to befriend somebody just to trick them into going to my church. Rick said that was not what he was talking about. He said he was talking about loving people just because they exist -- homeless people and Gothic people and gays and fruit nuts. And then I liked the sound of it. I liked the idea of loving people just to love them, not to get them to come to church. If the subject of church came up, I could tell them about Imago, but until then, who cared. So we started praying every week that God would teach us to live missional lives, to notice people who needed to be loved.
Lots of people started coming to church after that. I don't know why, honestly, except that we all agreed we would love people and be nice to them and listen and make friends."
Being His Disciple: Trust
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: Responsibility
An important sign of maturity is the acceptance of responsibility. One quits depending on everybody else and acknowledges that certain duties are his alone. If he doesn't do them, nobody will. Every day there is, for example, a "cross" to take up. Who else is going to carry it? It is mine. It lies in my pathway, and unless I accept it--and accept it gladly for Christ--I simply am not following Him. He has made it perfectly clear that there are two prerequisites to following, that is, to being his disciple: denying oneself, and taking up one's cross. To know yourself is to know your cross. Francois Mauriac says, "to flee one's sorrow and evade and ignore one's cross is the whole occupation of the world; but that occupation is at the same time a fleeing from one's own self"--or, we may say, from our proper and assigned responsibility. We may not always see a particular task laid before us, but one thing is sure: to trust Him is a task, proper to every Christian, assigned to us every minute of every hour of every day, and to flee this task is worldly, irresponsible, and immature.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?" (Ps 27:1 AV).
"I will trust, and not be afraid" (Is 12:2 AV).
Title: Responsibility
An important sign of maturity is the acceptance of responsibility. One quits depending on everybody else and acknowledges that certain duties are his alone. If he doesn't do them, nobody will. Every day there is, for example, a "cross" to take up. Who else is going to carry it? It is mine. It lies in my pathway, and unless I accept it--and accept it gladly for Christ--I simply am not following Him. He has made it perfectly clear that there are two prerequisites to following, that is, to being his disciple: denying oneself, and taking up one's cross. To know yourself is to know your cross. Francois Mauriac says, "to flee one's sorrow and evade and ignore one's cross is the whole occupation of the world; but that occupation is at the same time a fleeing from one's own self"--or, we may say, from our proper and assigned responsibility. We may not always see a particular task laid before us, but one thing is sure: to trust Him is a task, proper to every Christian, assigned to us every minute of every hour of every day, and to flee this task is worldly, irresponsible, and immature.
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear?" (Ps 27:1 AV).
"I will trust, and not be afraid" (Is 12:2 AV).
Indiscriminate Expression
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
INDISCRIMINATE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS
James 1:19, 20 Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God
Another unhealthy way to respond to emotions is to thoughtlessly let it all hang out, to tell anybody and everybody exactly how you feel. The apostle Peter is a great example of indiscriminate expression. Peter was the John Wayne of the New Testament--a real door slammer. He had no problem telling anyone what was on his mind or how he felt. I like to refer to him as the one-legged apostle because he always had one foot in his mouth.
Peter's impulsive nature got him into trouble more than once. In one setting, he was the spokesperson for God, and Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). Then moments later he spoke for Satan, and Jesus had to rebuke him: "Get behind me, Satan!" (verses 22, 23).
It was Peter who missed the point on the Mount of Transfiguration by suggesting that they build three tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah and the Master. It was Peter who impulsively whacked off the ear of Caiaphas' servant during Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane. And it was Peter who promised to follow Jesus anywhere, even to the death, then swearing only hours later that he never knew Him. The fact that Peter became a leader in the New Testament church is evidence of the powerful transformation effected by the Holy Spirit.
Indiscriminate expression of emotions may be somewhat healthy for you, but it may be unhealthy for others. "There, I'm glad I got that off my chest," you may say after an outburst. But in the process you just destroyed your wife, husband, or children. Paul admonished: "Be angry, and yet do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26). If you wish to be angry and not sin, then be angry the way Christ was: Be angry at sin. He turned over the tables, not the money changers.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, teach me to express myself in a gracious way so I don't hurt others as I seek emotional release.
INDISCRIMINATE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS
James 1:19, 20 Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God
Another unhealthy way to respond to emotions is to thoughtlessly let it all hang out, to tell anybody and everybody exactly how you feel. The apostle Peter is a great example of indiscriminate expression. Peter was the John Wayne of the New Testament--a real door slammer. He had no problem telling anyone what was on his mind or how he felt. I like to refer to him as the one-legged apostle because he always had one foot in his mouth.
Peter's impulsive nature got him into trouble more than once. In one setting, he was the spokesperson for God, and Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). Then moments later he spoke for Satan, and Jesus had to rebuke him: "Get behind me, Satan!" (verses 22, 23).
It was Peter who missed the point on the Mount of Transfiguration by suggesting that they build three tabernacles to honor Moses, Elijah and the Master. It was Peter who impulsively whacked off the ear of Caiaphas' servant during Jesus' arrest in Gethsemane. And it was Peter who promised to follow Jesus anywhere, even to the death, then swearing only hours later that he never knew Him. The fact that Peter became a leader in the New Testament church is evidence of the powerful transformation effected by the Holy Spirit.
Indiscriminate expression of emotions may be somewhat healthy for you, but it may be unhealthy for others. "There, I'm glad I got that off my chest," you may say after an outburst. But in the process you just destroyed your wife, husband, or children. Paul admonished: "Be angry, and yet do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26). If you wish to be angry and not sin, then be angry the way Christ was: Be angry at sin. He turned over the tables, not the money changers.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, teach me to express myself in a gracious way so I don't hurt others as I seek emotional release.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Be God's People
Excerpt from David Wells' God in the Wasteland (found on Between Two Worlds):
"I want the evangelical church to be the church. I want it to embody a vibrant spirituality. I want the church to be an alternative to post-modern culture, not a mere echo of it. I want a church that is bold to be different and unafraid to be faithful . . . a church that reflects an integral and undiminished confidence in the power of God’s Word, a church that can find in the midst of our present cultural breakdown the opportunity to be God’s people in a world that has abandoned God.
To be the church in this way, it is also going to have to find in the coming generation, leaders who exemplify this hope for its future and who will devote themselves to seeing it realized. To lead the church in the way that it needs to be led, they will have to rise above the internal politics of the evangelical world and refuse to accept the status quo where that no longer serves the vital interest of the kingdom of God. They will have to decline to spend themselves in the building of their own private kingdoms and refuse to be intimidated into giving the church less and other than what it needs. Instead, they will have to begin to build afresh, in cogently biblical ways, among the decaying structures that now clutter the evangelical landscape. To succeed, they will have to be people of large vision, people of courage, people who have learned again what it means to live by the Word of God, and, most importantly, what it means to live before the Holy God of that Word."
"I want the evangelical church to be the church. I want it to embody a vibrant spirituality. I want the church to be an alternative to post-modern culture, not a mere echo of it. I want a church that is bold to be different and unafraid to be faithful . . . a church that reflects an integral and undiminished confidence in the power of God’s Word, a church that can find in the midst of our present cultural breakdown the opportunity to be God’s people in a world that has abandoned God.
To be the church in this way, it is also going to have to find in the coming generation, leaders who exemplify this hope for its future and who will devote themselves to seeing it realized. To lead the church in the way that it needs to be led, they will have to rise above the internal politics of the evangelical world and refuse to accept the status quo where that no longer serves the vital interest of the kingdom of God. They will have to decline to spend themselves in the building of their own private kingdoms and refuse to be intimidated into giving the church less and other than what it needs. Instead, they will have to begin to build afresh, in cogently biblical ways, among the decaying structures that now clutter the evangelical landscape. To succeed, they will have to be people of large vision, people of courage, people who have learned again what it means to live by the Word of God, and, most importantly, what it means to live before the Holy God of that Word."
Live Creatively
Live creatively, friends.
Galatians 6:1, The Message
"I believe that we are made in the image of God and that because God is a creator, we are creators.
Our early experience often does not encourage that. We are instructed to stay within the lines. In school and at church, at home and at work, we are handed someone else's outline and told to learn, pray, play, work -- whatever -- within it. The intimidation is appallingly successful.
In Christ we are set free to create. He sets us free to live -- toward God, with people, in the world -- as artists, not as copiers. He sets us free to use the stuff that God gives us to live something original."
Traveling Light
"Free to Create", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Galatians 6:1, The Message
"I believe that we are made in the image of God and that because God is a creator, we are creators.
Our early experience often does not encourage that. We are instructed to stay within the lines. In school and at church, at home and at work, we are handed someone else's outline and told to learn, pray, play, work -- whatever -- within it. The intimidation is appallingly successful.
In Christ we are set free to create. He sets us free to live -- toward God, with people, in the world -- as artists, not as copiers. He sets us free to use the stuff that God gives us to live something original."
Traveling Light
"Free to Create", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.
Suppression of Emotions
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
SUPPRESSION OF EMOTIONS
Psalm 32:3 NIV When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long
Suppression of emotions is a conscious denial of feelings (repression is an un conscious denial). Those who suppress their emotions ignore their feelings and choose not to deal with them. Suppression is an unhealthy response to your emotions.
King David had something to say about the negative impact of suppressing his feelings in his relationship with God: "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. . . . Let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him" (Psalm 32:3, 6 NIV ). David is not saying that God takes Himself out of our reach. When extraneous circumstances loom larger to you than God, it will not take long for your emotions to overcome you. When suppressed emotions build up within you like "mighty waters," you won't turn to God. Your emotions will be in control. It's important to open up to God while you can, because if you bottle up your feelings too long, it will disrupt the harmony of your relationship with Him.
David also commented on the impact of suppression on relationships with people: "I said, 'I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle, while the wicked are in my presence.' I was dumb and silent, I refrained every from good; and my sorrow grew worse" (Psalm 39:1, 2).
Don't cover over your emotions. Suppression isn't good for you, for others, or for your relationship with God. God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and others can sense that something is wrong, because more is communicated nonverbally than verbally. When the verbal doesn't match the nonverbal, people believe the nonverbal. If we don't accurately express what we believe, people will believe our nonverbal messages about what we believe. Don't leave room for guesswork. Instead, "Speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).
Prayer:
Lord, I want to live in honest agreement with You and others. Give me the grace to speak the truth in love.
SUPPRESSION OF EMOTIONS
Psalm 32:3 NIV When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long
Suppression of emotions is a conscious denial of feelings (repression is an un conscious denial). Those who suppress their emotions ignore their feelings and choose not to deal with them. Suppression is an unhealthy response to your emotions.
King David had something to say about the negative impact of suppressing his feelings in his relationship with God: "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. . . . Let everyone who is godly pray to You while You may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him" (Psalm 32:3, 6 NIV ). David is not saying that God takes Himself out of our reach. When extraneous circumstances loom larger to you than God, it will not take long for your emotions to overcome you. When suppressed emotions build up within you like "mighty waters," you won't turn to God. Your emotions will be in control. It's important to open up to God while you can, because if you bottle up your feelings too long, it will disrupt the harmony of your relationship with Him.
David also commented on the impact of suppression on relationships with people: "I said, 'I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle, while the wicked are in my presence.' I was dumb and silent, I refrained every from good; and my sorrow grew worse" (Psalm 39:1, 2).
Don't cover over your emotions. Suppression isn't good for you, for others, or for your relationship with God. God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, and others can sense that something is wrong, because more is communicated nonverbally than verbally. When the verbal doesn't match the nonverbal, people believe the nonverbal. If we don't accurately express what we believe, people will believe our nonverbal messages about what we believe. Don't leave room for guesswork. Instead, "Speak truth, each one of you, with his neighbor, for we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).
Prayer:
Lord, I want to live in honest agreement with You and others. Give me the grace to speak the truth in love.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Acknowledge Him
Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to "... lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him ... "
Perhaps stated negatively is this warning from Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the LORD!
Perhaps stated negatively is this warning from Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help
and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel
or consult the LORD!
Show His Glory
Jesus came to show us the Father:
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
And now we are to do the same .. show the world the Father:
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
And now we are to do the same .. show the world the Father:
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12
Stumbling But Not Falling
The Christian Working Woman Transcript
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - Various Topics: Stumbling But Not Falling
Have you ever stumbled? Isn't it embarrassing? I remember stumbling over my long dress at a piano recital as a young girl, and I can still feel the embarrassment of that moment.
In Psalm 37:23-24 we read, If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. When I recently read this verse I thought of many stumbles I've made in my walk with the Lord: Decisions that weren't the best, words that should not have been said, ventures that were less than successful.
But it was a great encouragement and comfort to realize that stumbling is not the end of the road. We can stumble without falling, if we're walking hand-in-hand with the Lord on a daily basis.
Those of us with children well remember walking along with their little hands in ours, and even then they would stumble quite frequently. But our sturdy hold on them lifted them up before their knees hit the ground and prevented them from falling.
That's what our heavenly Father does for us. We'll stumble, as children do, from time to time, and it's embarrassing. But if the Lord is delighting in our ways, we won't take a fall. Of course, that qualifying statement is important: "If the Lord delights in a person's way..." If we live in disobedience to God, we cannot claim this promise, and we will be vulnerable to falling.
However, walking daily with our hands in His doesn't mean we never get things wrong. It doesn't mean we always have everything together. It doesn't mean we are immune from stumbling. But we'll be upheld through those stumbles by that mighty hand of God, and He won't allow us to fall flat on our face and be totally disgraced.
Stumbles are humbling experiences. They teach us anew how inadequate we are in ourselves, and then we place our hands more tightly in His, walking in His way, so that even though we stumble, we won't fall. Ah, I love it. What a great and compassionate God we have who, though we stumble, upholds us with His hand.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - Various Topics: Stumbling But Not Falling
Have you ever stumbled? Isn't it embarrassing? I remember stumbling over my long dress at a piano recital as a young girl, and I can still feel the embarrassment of that moment.
In Psalm 37:23-24 we read, If the Lord delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. When I recently read this verse I thought of many stumbles I've made in my walk with the Lord: Decisions that weren't the best, words that should not have been said, ventures that were less than successful.
But it was a great encouragement and comfort to realize that stumbling is not the end of the road. We can stumble without falling, if we're walking hand-in-hand with the Lord on a daily basis.
Those of us with children well remember walking along with their little hands in ours, and even then they would stumble quite frequently. But our sturdy hold on them lifted them up before their knees hit the ground and prevented them from falling.
That's what our heavenly Father does for us. We'll stumble, as children do, from time to time, and it's embarrassing. But if the Lord is delighting in our ways, we won't take a fall. Of course, that qualifying statement is important: "If the Lord delights in a person's way..." If we live in disobedience to God, we cannot claim this promise, and we will be vulnerable to falling.
However, walking daily with our hands in His doesn't mean we never get things wrong. It doesn't mean we always have everything together. It doesn't mean we are immune from stumbling. But we'll be upheld through those stumbles by that mighty hand of God, and He won't allow us to fall flat on our face and be totally disgraced.
Stumbles are humbling experiences. They teach us anew how inadequate we are in ourselves, and then we place our hands more tightly in His, walking in His way, so that even though we stumble, we won't fall. Ah, I love it. What a great and compassionate God we have who, though we stumble, upholds us with His hand.
Your Dashboard
Neil Anderson's Daily in Christ
GOD'S INDICATORS
Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life
I played sports as a young man and I have the scars on my knees to prove it. The incision of my first knee surgery cut across a nerve and I had no feeling around that area of my leg for several months. Sometimes I would sit down to watch TV and, without thinking, rest a cup of hot coffee on my numb knee. I couldn't feel anything, but before long I could sure smell something: my skin burning! For awhile I had a neat little brown ring on the top of my knee.
Your emotions are to your soul what your physical feelings are to your body. Nobody in their right mind enjoys pain. But if you didn't feel pain, you would be in danger of serious injury and infection. And if you didn't feel anger, sorrow, joy, etc. your soul would be in trouble. Emotions are God's indicators to let you know what is going on inside. They are neither good nor bad; they're amoral, just part of your humanity. Just like you respond to the warnings of physical pain, so you need to learn to respond to your emotional indicators.
Someone has likened emotions to the red light on the dashboard of a car which indicates an engine problem. There are several ways you can respond to the red light's warning. You can cover it with a piece of duct tape, "I can't see the light now," you say, "so I don't have to think about the problem." You can smash out the light with a hammer. "That'll teach you for glaring in my face!" Or you can respond to the light as the manufacturers intended for you to respond by looking under the hood and fixing the problem.
You have the same three options in responding to your emotions. You can respond by covering over them, ignoring them, stifling them. That's called suppression . You can respond by thoughtlessly lashing out, giving someone a piece of your mind, flying off at the handle. I call that indiscriminate expression . Or you can peer inside to see what's going on. That's called acknowledgment.
For the next few days, we will explore these responses and see why the first two are inappropriate.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for my emotions. Give me the courage to be emotionally honest and the grace to face the truth.
GOD'S INDICATORS
Proverbs 4:23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life
I played sports as a young man and I have the scars on my knees to prove it. The incision of my first knee surgery cut across a nerve and I had no feeling around that area of my leg for several months. Sometimes I would sit down to watch TV and, without thinking, rest a cup of hot coffee on my numb knee. I couldn't feel anything, but before long I could sure smell something: my skin burning! For awhile I had a neat little brown ring on the top of my knee.
Your emotions are to your soul what your physical feelings are to your body. Nobody in their right mind enjoys pain. But if you didn't feel pain, you would be in danger of serious injury and infection. And if you didn't feel anger, sorrow, joy, etc. your soul would be in trouble. Emotions are God's indicators to let you know what is going on inside. They are neither good nor bad; they're amoral, just part of your humanity. Just like you respond to the warnings of physical pain, so you need to learn to respond to your emotional indicators.
Someone has likened emotions to the red light on the dashboard of a car which indicates an engine problem. There are several ways you can respond to the red light's warning. You can cover it with a piece of duct tape, "I can't see the light now," you say, "so I don't have to think about the problem." You can smash out the light with a hammer. "That'll teach you for glaring in my face!" Or you can respond to the light as the manufacturers intended for you to respond by looking under the hood and fixing the problem.
You have the same three options in responding to your emotions. You can respond by covering over them, ignoring them, stifling them. That's called suppression . You can respond by thoughtlessly lashing out, giving someone a piece of your mind, flying off at the handle. I call that indiscriminate expression . Or you can peer inside to see what's going on. That's called acknowledgment.
For the next few days, we will explore these responses and see why the first two are inappropriate.
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for my emotions. Give me the courage to be emotionally honest and the grace to face the truth.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
He "fixes"
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: All Things Serve Thee
During my husband Addison's terminal illness, everything in our lives was changing. The cancer had spread with a speed which startled the doctors. I found during those hard days and nights strength in the ringing words of the liturgy, proclaimed aloud as the congregation knelt: "Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again." I could hold onto those immutable facts.
The psalmist found the same strength in the Lord's infrangible decrees: "This day, as ever, Thy decrees stand fast: for all things serve Thee" (Ps 119:91 NEB). The Lord is not subject to vicissitudes, exigencies, and contingencies. "Accidents" are, in fact, subject to the Lord of the universe, the blessed Controller of all things.
"Thy promise endures for all time, stable as the earth which Thou hast fixed" (Ps 119:90 NEB).
He "fixes," that is, He sets in place, the whole earth. Surely He can fix and establish my heart. Every "happening" serves Him.
Title: All Things Serve Thee
During my husband Addison's terminal illness, everything in our lives was changing. The cancer had spread with a speed which startled the doctors. I found during those hard days and nights strength in the ringing words of the liturgy, proclaimed aloud as the congregation knelt: "Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again." I could hold onto those immutable facts.
The psalmist found the same strength in the Lord's infrangible decrees: "This day, as ever, Thy decrees stand fast: for all things serve Thee" (Ps 119:91 NEB). The Lord is not subject to vicissitudes, exigencies, and contingencies. "Accidents" are, in fact, subject to the Lord of the universe, the blessed Controller of all things.
"Thy promise endures for all time, stable as the earth which Thou hast fixed" (Ps 119:90 NEB).
He "fixes," that is, He sets in place, the whole earth. Surely He can fix and establish my heart. Every "happening" serves Him.
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