Christian Working Woman Transcript
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 -
Missions Impossible of Scripture- DO EVERYTHING WITHOUT COMPLAINING
Do everything without complaining or arguing. That's what Paul wrote to the Philippians (Philippians 2:14). Does that seem like mission impossible to you
Maybe the Apostle Paul just doesn't understand that complaining is the modern way! Why, without complaining what would we talk about at work, on breaks, with our friends? But when Paul uses the word "everything," he just doesn't give us much room to maneuver, does he?
Think with me: When was the last time you complained about something? Last week, yesterday, ten minutes ago? Often we just have no idea how much we complain. Here's a challenge for you: See if you can make it through one entire day–like today–without complaining about anything. That includes the weather, the job, the company, the boss, the customers, your children, your car–everything.
If you will take that challenge, it will show you just how often you complain and don't even realize it. Complaining is not something we plan to do, it just happens. But doing everything without complaining or arguing is something we must plan to do. It won't just happen. You've got to pray it into your life daily, and then be very conscious and aware of it all day long. If you tend to be a complainer, it's a bad habit and it won't break easily. You'll have to work at it.
Complaining is contagious; if you complain, you cause others to do the same. The cure for this disease is thankfulness. We're told in Colossians 3 to put on thankfulness, and if you're wearing thankfulness each day, you won't be a complainer. When you feel like complaining, start reciting what you have to be thankful for. It will cure your complaining spirit quickly.
So, here's our mission impossible today: Whatever you're doing, do it without complaining. Wow, what a difference others will see in us if we allow God to work this miracle through us. Though it is mission impossible humanly speaking, the life of Christ within us makes it a possibility for those who are born from above.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Spiritual Worship and Transformation
Excerpt from What Is the Will of God and How Do We Know It? by John Piper
The aim of Romans 12:1-2 is that all of life would become “spiritual worship.” Verse 1: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” The aim of all human life in God’s eyes is that Christ would be made to look as valuable as he is. Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. There is a way to live—a way to love—that does that. There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can’t find it, that may mean you should change jobs. Or it might mean that verse 2 is not happening to the degree it should.
Verse 2 is Paul’s answer to how we turn all of life into worship. We must be transformed. We must be transformed. Not just our external behavior, but the way we feel and think—our minds. Verse 2: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
The aim of Romans 12:1-2 is that all of life would become “spiritual worship.” Verse 1: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” The aim of all human life in God’s eyes is that Christ would be made to look as valuable as he is. Worship means using our minds and hearts and bodies to express the worth of God and all he is for us in Jesus. There is a way to live—a way to love—that does that. There is a way to do your job that expresses the true value of God. If you can’t find it, that may mean you should change jobs. Or it might mean that verse 2 is not happening to the degree it should.
Verse 2 is Paul’s answer to how we turn all of life into worship. We must be transformed. We must be transformed. Not just our external behavior, but the way we feel and think—our minds. Verse 2: “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Give Thanks
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 -
Missions Impossible of Scripture- GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
I have often read some passages in Scripture and said out loud, "Lord, that's impossible."
First Thessalonians 5:18 is a good example. It says: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I remember being with a friend who had just torn her favorite blouse on a table in a restaurant. Like any of us, she was fuming and fusing about it, and she said, "Lord, do I have to give thanks for this?" We both laughed, but isn't that so typical of us? Was Paul serious about giving thanks in all circumstances? Sure seems like mission impossible.
You'll notice one small word there–in. We give thanks in, not for, all circumstances. There are circumstances in our lives which are not from God; there are problems we encounter because others are doing wrong; there is evil all around us which is not of God. Therefore, we aren't expected to give thanks for all things, but in all things.
That means when I rip the blouse, when I've got a headache, when I've just received some bad news, when there's not enough money to pay the bills this month, when my health is poor, when someone dear to me has died, I still can say, "I thank you, Jesus, in the midst of this."
However, keep this in mind. God is not asking us to celebrate these poor circumstances. We don't have to pretend that everything's okay and we're happy, happy, happy about negative happenings. But, right in the midst of them, in spite of your feelings, you force the words of thankfulness from your mouth, and in obedience by faith, you give thanks in all circumstances.
God will honor your obedience. Don't wait until you feel thankful; it may never happen. Just obey God, and give thanks with the fruit of your lips: words. You'll be amazed to see what happens to you when you learn to live by this mission impossible: Give thanks in all circumstances.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 -
Missions Impossible of Scripture- GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
I have often read some passages in Scripture and said out loud, "Lord, that's impossible."
First Thessalonians 5:18 is a good example. It says: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I remember being with a friend who had just torn her favorite blouse on a table in a restaurant. Like any of us, she was fuming and fusing about it, and she said, "Lord, do I have to give thanks for this?" We both laughed, but isn't that so typical of us? Was Paul serious about giving thanks in all circumstances? Sure seems like mission impossible.
You'll notice one small word there–in. We give thanks in, not for, all circumstances. There are circumstances in our lives which are not from God; there are problems we encounter because others are doing wrong; there is evil all around us which is not of God. Therefore, we aren't expected to give thanks for all things, but in all things.
That means when I rip the blouse, when I've got a headache, when I've just received some bad news, when there's not enough money to pay the bills this month, when my health is poor, when someone dear to me has died, I still can say, "I thank you, Jesus, in the midst of this."
However, keep this in mind. God is not asking us to celebrate these poor circumstances. We don't have to pretend that everything's okay and we're happy, happy, happy about negative happenings. But, right in the midst of them, in spite of your feelings, you force the words of thankfulness from your mouth, and in obedience by faith, you give thanks in all circumstances.
God will honor your obedience. Don't wait until you feel thankful; it may never happen. Just obey God, and give thanks with the fruit of your lips: words. You'll be amazed to see what happens to you when you learn to live by this mission impossible: Give thanks in all circumstances.
Our Confidence is in God
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
WE ARE BUTTERFLIES
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure
We present Jesus as the Messiah who came to die for our sins. We tell people that if they accept Christ they will go to heaven when they die. What's wrong with that? First, it's only half the gospel. Second, it gives the impression that eternal life is something we get when we die. Jesus had to die for sins in order to cure the disease that caused us to die. Then He gave us life, making us new creations in Christ.
Suppose that you are a prostitute. One day you hear that the king has decreed that all prostitutes are forgiven. Since you're a prostitute, that's great news! But would it necessarily change your behavior or your self-perception? Probably not. You may dance in the streets for awhile, but chances are you would continue in your same vocation. You would see yourself as nothing more than a forgiven prostitute.
Now suppose the king not only forgave you, but he made you his bride as well. You're a queen. Would that change your behavior? Of course. Why would you want to live as a prostitute if you were a queen?
The church is the bride of Christ! You are far more likely to promote the kingdom if you are the queen rather than a forgiven prostitute. We are not redeemed caterpillars; we are butterflies. Why would you want to crawl in some false humility when you are called to mount up with wings as eagles?
"I would be filled with pride if I believed that," says the skeptic. You are defeated if you don't believe it! Humility is not putting yourself down when God is trying to build you up. Self-abasement has the appearance of wisdom, but it has no value against fleshly indulgence according to Colossians 2:23. Humility is confidence properly placed. We need to be like Paul and "put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Let's put our confidence in God: "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for not only forgiving me but also for taking me as Your bride. May this realization shape my walk with You today.
WE ARE BUTTERFLIES
Philippians 2:13 For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure
We present Jesus as the Messiah who came to die for our sins. We tell people that if they accept Christ they will go to heaven when they die. What's wrong with that? First, it's only half the gospel. Second, it gives the impression that eternal life is something we get when we die. Jesus had to die for sins in order to cure the disease that caused us to die. Then He gave us life, making us new creations in Christ.
Suppose that you are a prostitute. One day you hear that the king has decreed that all prostitutes are forgiven. Since you're a prostitute, that's great news! But would it necessarily change your behavior or your self-perception? Probably not. You may dance in the streets for awhile, but chances are you would continue in your same vocation. You would see yourself as nothing more than a forgiven prostitute.
Now suppose the king not only forgave you, but he made you his bride as well. You're a queen. Would that change your behavior? Of course. Why would you want to live as a prostitute if you were a queen?
The church is the bride of Christ! You are far more likely to promote the kingdom if you are the queen rather than a forgiven prostitute. We are not redeemed caterpillars; we are butterflies. Why would you want to crawl in some false humility when you are called to mount up with wings as eagles?
"I would be filled with pride if I believed that," says the skeptic. You are defeated if you don't believe it! Humility is not putting yourself down when God is trying to build you up. Self-abasement has the appearance of wisdom, but it has no value against fleshly indulgence according to Colossians 2:23. Humility is confidence properly placed. We need to be like Paul and "put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Let's put our confidence in God: "For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for not only forgiving me but also for taking me as Your bride. May this realization shape my walk with You today.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Quest for Christ-Likeness
Excerpt from The Aim of Dr Luke by John Piper
In the past month or so I have been spending much of my personal devotional time meditating on the words of Jesus and the way he acted. The result has been that I love this man with a newly felt longing. I long for his single-minded devotion to his Father's will to rub off on me. I long to share his profound understanding of the human heart and his ability to see through all the outer layers of our lives and into our heart. I long to have his way with words—words that always laid bare a person's real loves. I long, like Mary, to sit at his feet and drink in the living water of his teaching, until it so satisfies my heart that I can be as free as he was from the love of money and from the love of the praise of men and from anxiety about tomorrow. I have come away from the gospels hungry to be holy, to be real and authentic, not to play church or play religion, and not to fritter away my short life with nonessentials. And all these longings and this hunger have driven me to prayer that God would work me over and not allow me to creep along so slowly in my quest for Christ-likeness. Out of this meditation and prayer has emerged the desire to study and preach from one of the gospels.
In the past month or so I have been spending much of my personal devotional time meditating on the words of Jesus and the way he acted. The result has been that I love this man with a newly felt longing. I long for his single-minded devotion to his Father's will to rub off on me. I long to share his profound understanding of the human heart and his ability to see through all the outer layers of our lives and into our heart. I long to have his way with words—words that always laid bare a person's real loves. I long, like Mary, to sit at his feet and drink in the living water of his teaching, until it so satisfies my heart that I can be as free as he was from the love of money and from the love of the praise of men and from anxiety about tomorrow. I have come away from the gospels hungry to be holy, to be real and authentic, not to play church or play religion, and not to fritter away my short life with nonessentials. And all these longings and this hunger have driven me to prayer that God would work me over and not allow me to creep along so slowly in my quest for Christ-likeness. Out of this meditation and prayer has emerged the desire to study and preach from one of the gospels.
Hanging Out
Excerpt from The Value of Hanging Out by Jim Elliff
... Not long ago I wrote this in my Commonplace Book, the notebook I use to record my observations from my reading and thinking: "It is an interesting question: What did Jesus do in a given week?"
That simple question was answered by going through the book of Matthew. I wrote fourteen pages of observations on the peripatetic life of Christ as to how Christ employed his time. As a conclusion to it all I had to say that Jesus basically just hung out. Of course, it was "divine" hanging out.
Christ constantly moved about a small area, especially around Capernaum, which could be considered his home town, and Bethany, the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, a favorite hub close to Jerusalem down south. He never kept hours or had an office. He always "ate out." He never seemed to have organizational meetings. He spent lots of time with his followers, dined with "sinners," answered lots of questions, taught when he could get a crowd or small group of listeners, took special times to pray and get away to stay focused, made use of the synagogues to raise issues, healed and did miracles. It seems that much of his time was spent just being among people, and in that context he did what he was sent to do. Paul, of course, did similarly. ...
If God has planted his love and the fruit of his spirit into you, that amazing work of God is largely wasted if we stay away from people. When a man or woman is full of godly character, that simply must be seen somehow or it is like "hiding our light under a bushel." If you are somebody in Christ (and you are), then let it be observed by getting in the right context. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Here is the idea:
1. Find a hanging out place, or several, in your area. This will be easier for some than others. I've even spent some time in the local hamburger place. For most this will have to be early in the morning before work, but others may be able to invest a bit more. The morning usually attracts the "regulars" that you will be best able to connect with.
2. Learn the names of the people you meet. It is good to jot their names down somewhere for reference.
3. Take your Bible and spend time reading it, writing notes in your notebook, or reading a good Christian book while out.
4. Keep a friendly, approachable look about you. Speak to people. Introduce yourself and find out about them. Focus much of your talk on them. They'll also be curious about you.
5. Seek to get to the layer of philosophical talk. What do these new friends believe about important issues of life and death? This makes for deeper and more significant relationships.
6. You will find that they will be curious about you and your beliefs also. Talk freely about what you believe and how you approach life.
7. Make friends, real friends, who will be important to you no matter what their spiritual preferences are. Love them for who they are.
If you have read something interesting that you can pass on, by all means do so, especially if it has something to do with the true love of your life, Jesus Christ.
Expect God to do something. Christians make a difference! You might help a fellow believer or a person who does not have a spiritual bone in his body. You never know what God may be doing. The world reacts and responds to "lighted" Christians.
If you had just three years to make a major impact on the world, what would you do? Jesus spent His three years in constant motion, being with people as much as possible, and pulling away as necessary to pray and meditate. He gave special attention to the disciples, but, regardless, it was people that Jesus was about. ...
... Not long ago I wrote this in my Commonplace Book, the notebook I use to record my observations from my reading and thinking: "It is an interesting question: What did Jesus do in a given week?"
That simple question was answered by going through the book of Matthew. I wrote fourteen pages of observations on the peripatetic life of Christ as to how Christ employed his time. As a conclusion to it all I had to say that Jesus basically just hung out. Of course, it was "divine" hanging out.
Christ constantly moved about a small area, especially around Capernaum, which could be considered his home town, and Bethany, the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, a favorite hub close to Jerusalem down south. He never kept hours or had an office. He always "ate out." He never seemed to have organizational meetings. He spent lots of time with his followers, dined with "sinners," answered lots of questions, taught when he could get a crowd or small group of listeners, took special times to pray and get away to stay focused, made use of the synagogues to raise issues, healed and did miracles. It seems that much of his time was spent just being among people, and in that context he did what he was sent to do. Paul, of course, did similarly. ...
If God has planted his love and the fruit of his spirit into you, that amazing work of God is largely wasted if we stay away from people. When a man or woman is full of godly character, that simply must be seen somehow or it is like "hiding our light under a bushel." If you are somebody in Christ (and you are), then let it be observed by getting in the right context. "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Here is the idea:
1. Find a hanging out place, or several, in your area. This will be easier for some than others. I've even spent some time in the local hamburger place. For most this will have to be early in the morning before work, but others may be able to invest a bit more. The morning usually attracts the "regulars" that you will be best able to connect with.
2. Learn the names of the people you meet. It is good to jot their names down somewhere for reference.
3. Take your Bible and spend time reading it, writing notes in your notebook, or reading a good Christian book while out.
4. Keep a friendly, approachable look about you. Speak to people. Introduce yourself and find out about them. Focus much of your talk on them. They'll also be curious about you.
5. Seek to get to the layer of philosophical talk. What do these new friends believe about important issues of life and death? This makes for deeper and more significant relationships.
6. You will find that they will be curious about you and your beliefs also. Talk freely about what you believe and how you approach life.
7. Make friends, real friends, who will be important to you no matter what their spiritual preferences are. Love them for who they are.
If you have read something interesting that you can pass on, by all means do so, especially if it has something to do with the true love of your life, Jesus Christ.
Expect God to do something. Christians make a difference! You might help a fellow believer or a person who does not have a spiritual bone in his body. You never know what God may be doing. The world reacts and responds to "lighted" Christians.
If you had just three years to make a major impact on the world, what would you do? Jesus spent His three years in constant motion, being with people as much as possible, and pulling away as necessary to pray and meditate. He gave special attention to the disciples, but, regardless, it was people that Jesus was about. ...
Forgiveness
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS
Luke 6:27, 28 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you
Here are 12 simple steps you can use to walk through the process of forgiving someone who hurt you in the past. Ask the Lord to reveal the names of the persons who offended you and the specific wrongs you suffered. Face the hurt and the hate. If you are going to forgive from your heart, you must let God search the depths of your heart. Acknowledge the significance of the cross. It is the cross of Christ that makes forgiveness legally and morally right. Decide that you will not retaliate by using the information about the offender's sin against them (Luke 6:27-34). Decide to forgive. Forgiveness is a conscious choice to let the other person off the hook and free yourself from the past. Take your list of names to God and pray the following: "I forgive ___(name)___ for ___(specifically identify every remembered pain)__ ." Destroy the list. You are now free. Do not tell the offenders what you have done. Your forgiveness is between you and God unless the offenders have asked you for forgiveness. Do not expect that your decision to forgive will result in major changes in the other persons. Instead, pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Try to understand the people you have forgiven. They are victims also. Freedom is a result of forgiveness in you. In time you will be able to think about the people who offended you without feeling hurt or anger. Thank God for the lessons you have learned and the maturity you have gained. When appropriate, accept your part of the blame for the offenses you suffered. Confess your failure to God and to others (1 John 1:9) and realize that if someone has something against you, you must go to that person (Matthew 5:23-26).
Prayer:
Lord, teach me how to love unconditionally and forgive quickly those who hate me, curse me or mistreat me.
THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS
Luke 6:27, 28 Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you
Here are 12 simple steps you can use to walk through the process of forgiving someone who hurt you in the past. Ask the Lord to reveal the names of the persons who offended you and the specific wrongs you suffered. Face the hurt and the hate. If you are going to forgive from your heart, you must let God search the depths of your heart. Acknowledge the significance of the cross. It is the cross of Christ that makes forgiveness legally and morally right. Decide that you will not retaliate by using the information about the offender's sin against them (Luke 6:27-34). Decide to forgive. Forgiveness is a conscious choice to let the other person off the hook and free yourself from the past. Take your list of names to God and pray the following: "I forgive ___(name)___ for ___(specifically identify every remembered pain)__ ." Destroy the list. You are now free. Do not tell the offenders what you have done. Your forgiveness is between you and God unless the offenders have asked you for forgiveness. Do not expect that your decision to forgive will result in major changes in the other persons. Instead, pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Try to understand the people you have forgiven. They are victims also. Freedom is a result of forgiveness in you. In time you will be able to think about the people who offended you without feeling hurt or anger. Thank God for the lessons you have learned and the maturity you have gained. When appropriate, accept your part of the blame for the offenses you suffered. Confess your failure to God and to others (1 John 1:9) and realize that if someone has something against you, you must go to that person (Matthew 5:23-26).
Prayer:
Lord, teach me how to love unconditionally and forgive quickly those who hate me, curse me or mistreat me.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Overflow
Excerpt from Assessing Ourselves with Our God Assigned Measure of Faith by John Piper
Christian living is not will-power religion. It’s the overflow of a new mind and new heart created by the Holy Spirit. It is supernatural. You can’t produce it on your own. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). So “we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit” (Romans 7:6). “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). “You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10).
Christian living is not will-power religion. It’s the overflow of a new mind and new heart created by the Holy Spirit. It is supernatural. You can’t produce it on your own. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). So “we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit” (Romans 7:6). “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). “You have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10).
New Creations
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
EVALUATING YOUR PAST
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free
How does God intend for you to resolve hurtful, controlling past experiences? In two ways which we shall consider today and tomorrow.
First, you have the privilege of evaluating your past experience in the light of who you are now, as opposed to who you were then. The intensity of the primary emotion was established by how you perceived the event at the time it happened. Remember: Your emotions are a product of how you perceived the event, not the event itself. As a Christian, you are not primarily a product of your past; you are primarily the product of the work of Christ on the cross. The flesh, which represents how you processed those events according to the world and without Christ, remains. But you are able to render it inoperative.
When a present event activates that primary emotion, many people believe what they feel instead of believing what is true. For example, people who have been verbally abused by their parents have a hard time believing they are unconditionally loved by Father God. Their primary emotions argue that they are unlovable to a parent figure. They believe what they feel and their walk is off course. Believing the truth and walking by faith is what sets us free.
Now that you are in Christ, you can look at those events from the perspective of who you are today. Christ is in your life right now desiring to set you free from your past. That is the gospel, the good news that Christ has come to set the captives free. Perceiving those events from the perspective of your new identity in Christ is what starts the process of healing those damaged emotions.
God's good news about our identity is revealed in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." This is what you must believe first in order to be set free from your past.
Prayer:
Loving Lord, thank You for making me a new creation in Christ. Help me walk away from anything in my past that is restricting my freedom.
EVALUATING YOUR PAST
Galatians 5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free
How does God intend for you to resolve hurtful, controlling past experiences? In two ways which we shall consider today and tomorrow.
First, you have the privilege of evaluating your past experience in the light of who you are now, as opposed to who you were then. The intensity of the primary emotion was established by how you perceived the event at the time it happened. Remember: Your emotions are a product of how you perceived the event, not the event itself. As a Christian, you are not primarily a product of your past; you are primarily the product of the work of Christ on the cross. The flesh, which represents how you processed those events according to the world and without Christ, remains. But you are able to render it inoperative.
When a present event activates that primary emotion, many people believe what they feel instead of believing what is true. For example, people who have been verbally abused by their parents have a hard time believing they are unconditionally loved by Father God. Their primary emotions argue that they are unlovable to a parent figure. They believe what they feel and their walk is off course. Believing the truth and walking by faith is what sets us free.
Now that you are in Christ, you can look at those events from the perspective of who you are today. Christ is in your life right now desiring to set you free from your past. That is the gospel, the good news that Christ has come to set the captives free. Perceiving those events from the perspective of your new identity in Christ is what starts the process of healing those damaged emotions.
God's good news about our identity is revealed in 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." This is what you must believe first in order to be set free from your past.
Prayer:
Loving Lord, thank You for making me a new creation in Christ. Help me walk away from anything in my past that is restricting my freedom.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Good Deeds
Excerpt from The Local Church: Minimum Vs. Maximum by John Piper
The most common NT answer to the question, "What makes a maximum local church?" is good deeds: doing good things for other people. Keep in mind that the question now is not, What is the ultimate goal of the church? That was last week: the ultimate goal of the church is to live in such a way that God's wisdom (and all the other aspects of his glory) will be displayed to the world and to the hosts of heaven. The church's job is to live so that people can see that God is real. The question now is: What does that life look like? And the answer again and again in the NT is that it looks like good deeds.
Jesus said, for example, in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven." Are there any deeds that you have planned into your life which you think it would be reasonable for people to look at and then conclude that because of your deeds God deserves their praise? Or is your life made up only of deeds which don't take any power beyond human nature? According to Jesus the good deeds of his disciples are the window in this world through which people come to see and adore the glory of God. Therefore, if maximum church means maximum glory for God, then maximum church must also mean maximum good deeds.
Other texts in the NT are in perfect harmony with Jesus' command. According to Ephesians 2:10, the church is "God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus for good deeds." God made us to do good deeds. We exist as Christians for that purpose. And this is not at all in conflict with the first chapter of Ephesians, which says that we exist "for the praise of God's glory," because Jesus showed us that it is precisely the good deeds of his disciples which convince people that our heavenly Father is glorious.
The most common NT answer to the question, "What makes a maximum local church?" is good deeds: doing good things for other people. Keep in mind that the question now is not, What is the ultimate goal of the church? That was last week: the ultimate goal of the church is to live in such a way that God's wisdom (and all the other aspects of his glory) will be displayed to the world and to the hosts of heaven. The church's job is to live so that people can see that God is real. The question now is: What does that life look like? And the answer again and again in the NT is that it looks like good deeds.
Jesus said, for example, in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven." Are there any deeds that you have planned into your life which you think it would be reasonable for people to look at and then conclude that because of your deeds God deserves their praise? Or is your life made up only of deeds which don't take any power beyond human nature? According to Jesus the good deeds of his disciples are the window in this world through which people come to see and adore the glory of God. Therefore, if maximum church means maximum glory for God, then maximum church must also mean maximum good deeds.
Other texts in the NT are in perfect harmony with Jesus' command. According to Ephesians 2:10, the church is "God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus for good deeds." God made us to do good deeds. We exist as Christians for that purpose. And this is not at all in conflict with the first chapter of Ephesians, which says that we exist "for the praise of God's glory," because Jesus showed us that it is precisely the good deeds of his disciples which convince people that our heavenly Father is glorious.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Your Life
Announcement (excerpt below) of new releases of Don't Waste Your Life podcasts.
"Here's the gist of the message you will hear in these videos:
Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who “took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” At first, when I read it I thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn’t. Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “Look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life. (Don't Waste Your Life, 45-46)"
"Here's the gist of the message you will hear in these videos:
Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Reader’s Digest, which tells about a couple who “took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.” At first, when I read it I thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn’t. Tragically, this was the dream: Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: “Look, Lord. See my shells.” That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life. (Don't Waste Your Life, 45-46)"
Cultural Engagement
Excerpt from Six Rules of Cultural Engagement from Joe Thorn
What do people mean when they say “cultural engagement?” That phrase is often spurned as if it means thoughtless syncretism between the church and culture. In my reading it rarely means that. It is certainly not what I mean. I am a fan of that three-fold approach to engaging culture: reject what is evil, receive what is good, and redeem what is broken/lost. I think this is a healthy way of thinking about how we should respond to our culture, because our culture(s) is not one thing. It is made up of hundreds of things, bad and good, that demand our attention. I recently spent some time going over this three-fold approach with the folks at Redeemer, but wanted to emphasize that agreeing that we will need to respond by rejecting, receiving, and redeeming actually requires a lot of us. Before I get to that, let me summarize my take on the three responses. ...
What do people mean when they say “cultural engagement?” That phrase is often spurned as if it means thoughtless syncretism between the church and culture. In my reading it rarely means that. It is certainly not what I mean. I am a fan of that three-fold approach to engaging culture: reject what is evil, receive what is good, and redeem what is broken/lost. I think this is a healthy way of thinking about how we should respond to our culture, because our culture(s) is not one thing. It is made up of hundreds of things, bad and good, that demand our attention. I recently spent some time going over this three-fold approach with the folks at Redeemer, but wanted to emphasize that agreeing that we will need to respond by rejecting, receiving, and redeeming actually requires a lot of us. Before I get to that, let me summarize my take on the three responses. ...
Christ and Culture
Excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian at On Earth As It Is From Heaven post on John Frame on Christ and Culture
"I find myself supporting the view that Christians should be seeking to transform culture according to the standards of God’s Word. This simply means that if you are a Christian artist, car repairman, government official, or whatever, you should be seeking to do this work as a Christian, to apply God’s standards to your work. As Paul says, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Christians have always sought to do this, and in seeking to do this, they have had a huge impact on culture. They haven’t turned earth into heaven, or the world into the church. And sometimes they have made tragic mistakes. But they have also done a great deal of good."
...
"I find myself supporting the view that Christians should be seeking to transform culture according to the standards of God’s Word. This simply means that if you are a Christian artist, car repairman, government official, or whatever, you should be seeking to do this work as a Christian, to apply God’s standards to your work. As Paul says, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Christians have always sought to do this, and in seeking to do this, they have had a huge impact on culture. They haven’t turned earth into heaven, or the world into the church. And sometimes they have made tragic mistakes. But they have also done a great deal of good."
...
The Potter's Wheel
James MacDonald Walk in the Word Weekly Walk
The Potter's Wheel
But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
Sanctification is the term that describes the process by which God takes converted sinners and transforms their character. If you’re in Christ, that’s the program you’re on. God is sanctifying you—little by little molding you into the image of His own Son.
Picture a potter’s wheel. The potter spins the turnstile and shapes a mound of clay into a vase, a cup, or a dish. By applying the appropriate pressure from his hands, he works the clay into a work of art.
Now picture your life on that wheel. God’s hand is purposeful, the pressure is the right amount in the right places. Is it sometimes painful? Almost always. Do you want to resist the process?
Naturally you do.
Isaiah 45:9 addresses that issue: “I, the Lord, have created it. Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker.”
What does it means to quarrel with God? Isaiah continues . . .
“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?
Like a Disney cartoon come to life, Isaiah imagines a vessel on the potter’s wheel screaming, “Get your hands off me, I don’t want a handle there!” Isaiah illustrates how silly we sound when we try to direct God’s hand.
Look at the verse 9 again. “Woe to the one who quarrels with His Maker.” After more than two decades of pastoral experience, I can report this as the place where most people struggle spiritually. God has allowed something in your life. Maybe it’s your work situation. Maybe it’s a marital struggle, or a prolonged health crisis. You could be facing a profound loneliness that won’t go away. The choice is easy to understand but tough to make—either I will get bent and eventually bitter or I will allow God to be God.
I know these questions are not easy but you need to answer them for yourself. Am I going to embrace my life situation as something that God is using for good? Or will I fight and resist and spend my whole life wondering why I can’t be the lady across the street? Will I trust that He will bring a good result through my willingness to yield to Him?
The Potter's Wheel
But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
Sanctification is the term that describes the process by which God takes converted sinners and transforms their character. If you’re in Christ, that’s the program you’re on. God is sanctifying you—little by little molding you into the image of His own Son.
Picture a potter’s wheel. The potter spins the turnstile and shapes a mound of clay into a vase, a cup, or a dish. By applying the appropriate pressure from his hands, he works the clay into a work of art.
Now picture your life on that wheel. God’s hand is purposeful, the pressure is the right amount in the right places. Is it sometimes painful? Almost always. Do you want to resist the process?
Naturally you do.
Isaiah 45:9 addresses that issue: “I, the Lord, have created it. Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker.”
What does it means to quarrel with God? Isaiah continues . . .
“Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?
Like a Disney cartoon come to life, Isaiah imagines a vessel on the potter’s wheel screaming, “Get your hands off me, I don’t want a handle there!” Isaiah illustrates how silly we sound when we try to direct God’s hand.
Look at the verse 9 again. “Woe to the one who quarrels with His Maker.” After more than two decades of pastoral experience, I can report this as the place where most people struggle spiritually. God has allowed something in your life. Maybe it’s your work situation. Maybe it’s a marital struggle, or a prolonged health crisis. You could be facing a profound loneliness that won’t go away. The choice is easy to understand but tough to make—either I will get bent and eventually bitter or I will allow God to be God.
I know these questions are not easy but you need to answer them for yourself. Am I going to embrace my life situation as something that God is using for good? Or will I fight and resist and spend my whole life wondering why I can’t be the lady across the street? Will I trust that He will bring a good result through my willingness to yield to Him?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
His Word
Excerpt from The Ripple Effect of the Word by John Piper
...
Combine this with what Paul says in Ephesians 3:3-4, "By revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ." The early church was established by apostolic writing as well as apostolic preaching. God chose to send his living Word into the world for 30 years, and his written Word into the world for 2000+ years. Think of the assumption behind this divine decision. People in each generation would be dependent on those who read. Some people, if not all, would have to learn to read—and read well, in order to be faithful to God.
So it has been for thousands of years. Generation after generation has read the insights of its writers. This is why fresh statements of old truth are always needed. Without them people will read error. Daniel Webster once said,
If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; if God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; if the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will.
...
...
Combine this with what Paul says in Ephesians 3:3-4, "By revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ." The early church was established by apostolic writing as well as apostolic preaching. God chose to send his living Word into the world for 30 years, and his written Word into the world for 2000+ years. Think of the assumption behind this divine decision. People in each generation would be dependent on those who read. Some people, if not all, would have to learn to read—and read well, in order to be faithful to God.
So it has been for thousands of years. Generation after generation has read the insights of its writers. This is why fresh statements of old truth are always needed. Without them people will read error. Daniel Webster once said,
If religious books are not widely circulated among the masses in this country, I do not know what is going to become of us as a nation. If truth be not diffused, error will be; if God and His Word are not known and received, the devil and his works will gain the ascendancy; if the evangelical volume does not reach every hamlet, the pages of a corrupt and licentious literature will.
...
Jesus Prayer
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: An Old Prayer
Christians in the Orthodox Church use a prayer called the Jesus Prayer. Sometimes they pray it in the rhythm of breathing, learning in this way almost to "pray without ceasing." The words are simple, but they cover everything we need to ask for ourselves and others: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us."
The Lord did not say we should not use repetition. He said we should not use vain repetition. A prayer prayed from the heart of the child to the Father is never vain.
The Very Reverend Kenneth R. Waldron, a priest of both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and of the Anglican Church, wrote to me of his having had surgery. "The last moment of consciousness before the anaesthetic took over, I heard my surgeon repeating in a whisper GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY [Dr. Waldron put the Russian words into phonetic spelling]--Lord, have mercy on us.... It is wonderful to drift off into unconsciousness hearing these words on the lips of the man whose hands you trust to bring you out of your troubles. It is great to have a surgeon who knows how to pray at such a time. Think of the comfort and help that this simple prayer has brought to thousands through the years, a prayer that was a big help to me in January 1982. Some of my hospital friends thought they would not see me alive again, but the good Lord had a bit more work for this old priest to do."
The Jesus Prayer was one my husband Add and I often used together when he was dying of cancer, when we seemed to have "used up" all the other prayers. I recommend it to you.
Title: An Old Prayer
Christians in the Orthodox Church use a prayer called the Jesus Prayer. Sometimes they pray it in the rhythm of breathing, learning in this way almost to "pray without ceasing." The words are simple, but they cover everything we need to ask for ourselves and others: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us."
The Lord did not say we should not use repetition. He said we should not use vain repetition. A prayer prayed from the heart of the child to the Father is never vain.
The Very Reverend Kenneth R. Waldron, a priest of both the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and of the Anglican Church, wrote to me of his having had surgery. "The last moment of consciousness before the anaesthetic took over, I heard my surgeon repeating in a whisper GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY, GOSPODI POMILUY [Dr. Waldron put the Russian words into phonetic spelling]--Lord, have mercy on us.... It is wonderful to drift off into unconsciousness hearing these words on the lips of the man whose hands you trust to bring you out of your troubles. It is great to have a surgeon who knows how to pray at such a time. Think of the comfort and help that this simple prayer has brought to thousands through the years, a prayer that was a big help to me in January 1982. Some of my hospital friends thought they would not see me alive again, but the good Lord had a bit more work for this old priest to do."
The Jesus Prayer was one my husband Add and I often used together when he was dying of cancer, when we seemed to have "used up" all the other prayers. I recommend it to you.
Age Old Spiritual Practices
Excerpts from Willow Creek Repents? from Out of Ur
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years. Willow, through its association, has promoted a vision of church that is big, programmatic, and comprehensive. This vision has been heavily influenced by the methods of secular business. James Twitchell, in his new book Shopping for God, reports that outside Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” Directly or indirectly, this philosophy of ministry—church should be a big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage—has impacted every evangelical church in the country.
So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?
...
Hybels confesses:
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.
In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage. ...
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years. Willow, through its association, has promoted a vision of church that is big, programmatic, and comprehensive. This vision has been heavily influenced by the methods of secular business. James Twitchell, in his new book Shopping for God, reports that outside Bill Hybels’ office hangs a poster that says: “What is our business? Who is our customer? What does the customer consider value?” Directly or indirectly, this philosophy of ministry—church should be a big box with programs for people at every level of spiritual maturity to consume and engage—has impacted every evangelical church in the country.
So what happens when leaders of Willow Creek stand up and say, “We made a mistake”?
...
Hybels confesses:
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.
In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage. ...
Living
Excerpt from conversation with Dan Kimball in New Wineskins
Fred: What practices have you incorporated in your day-to-day ministry that keeps you in touch with non-Christians?
Dan: I try to once a week meet in some context with someone outside the church relationally. I have a list of 7 people I pray for regularly and keep in touch with. I spend two days outside the office in local coffee houses to be out in the world and there do sermon prep or hold meetings with people. So I do have days at the church building and office, but I bridge it with spending time in other locations. It is weird pastors spend all their time locked up in a room studying, when we can be out among the people doing the same thing studying next to university students in a coffee house, getting to know the baristas, hearing little bits of conversations, sensing what is going on in our culture rather than only being in the Christian bubble all week long. I also try and make any opportunity I can to develop friendships with those outside the church. The girl who cuts my hair is not a Christian. I hope to join a bowling league, but it won't be a Christian bowling team. I want to be with those outside the church. I might have a friend join me, but why do we constantly surround ourselves with Christians when the world around us needs the gospel? I just talked to a really great guy who was telling me about a Christian car club he is part of and that they meet once every two weeks or something like that in a coffee house to chat about cars. I didn't say it, but I wanted to say "Why don't you and another Christian join a non-Christian car club?" That way you can be with unbelievers and have them get to know you? Why isolate yourselves in this way, when you can have those who have poor stereotypes of Christians learn that not all Christians are homophobic, judgmental etc." I didn't say anything, but next time I see him I think I will. It's this type of thing that I think is the source of what is happening out there, where we really have created a non-missional way of thinking and living out our lives as followers of Jesus.
Fred: What practices have you incorporated in your day-to-day ministry that keeps you in touch with non-Christians?
Dan: I try to once a week meet in some context with someone outside the church relationally. I have a list of 7 people I pray for regularly and keep in touch with. I spend two days outside the office in local coffee houses to be out in the world and there do sermon prep or hold meetings with people. So I do have days at the church building and office, but I bridge it with spending time in other locations. It is weird pastors spend all their time locked up in a room studying, when we can be out among the people doing the same thing studying next to university students in a coffee house, getting to know the baristas, hearing little bits of conversations, sensing what is going on in our culture rather than only being in the Christian bubble all week long. I also try and make any opportunity I can to develop friendships with those outside the church. The girl who cuts my hair is not a Christian. I hope to join a bowling league, but it won't be a Christian bowling team. I want to be with those outside the church. I might have a friend join me, but why do we constantly surround ourselves with Christians when the world around us needs the gospel? I just talked to a really great guy who was telling me about a Christian car club he is part of and that they meet once every two weeks or something like that in a coffee house to chat about cars. I didn't say it, but I wanted to say "Why don't you and another Christian join a non-Christian car club?" That way you can be with unbelievers and have them get to know you? Why isolate yourselves in this way, when you can have those who have poor stereotypes of Christians learn that not all Christians are homophobic, judgmental etc." I didn't say anything, but next time I see him I think I will. It's this type of thing that I think is the source of what is happening out there, where we really have created a non-missional way of thinking and living out our lives as followers of Jesus.
Power for a Transformed Life
One last set of quotes from the New Wineskins interview cited last week in A Conversation with Edward Fudge
(Fred) I can remember my early Christian days. Like so many of us, I believed that we were the only ones going to heaven and actually spend my time using the Open Bible Study (OBS) to proselytize others. I often wondered how I was so wrong! I'm a free thinker? Yet, I believe it's an oversimplification to say this was all caused by preachers alone. What were some of the contributing factors to our pitiful legalistic bent?
(Edward) Our problem was that we confused the body of Christ with our particular historical movement. We were neither the first group nor the last to make that mistake. We also erroneously thought that “restoring the church” was the way to salvation and mistakenly supposed that we had accomplished that goal. Such bad thinking has little need for God – Father, Son or Holy Spirit. It results in a rationalistic form of external righteousness but denies the power needed for a transformed life.
Not only did we often displace Christ with “the church,” we also frequently put baptism in the position the New Testament puts trust or faith. Sometimes we insisted that a person not only must be baptized but must understand and express that understanding of baptism in just the “right” way to be saved. The New Testament sees baptism as an integral initial part of the process of discipleship but always as an outward expression of the heart’s absolute trust in and dependence on Jesus Christ and him alone as the one whose work sets us right with God. We still have some work to do in biblically relating this gospel ordinance to what Luther called “the empty hands of faith” that receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
(Fred) I can remember my early Christian days. Like so many of us, I believed that we were the only ones going to heaven and actually spend my time using the Open Bible Study (OBS) to proselytize others. I often wondered how I was so wrong! I'm a free thinker? Yet, I believe it's an oversimplification to say this was all caused by preachers alone. What were some of the contributing factors to our pitiful legalistic bent?
(Edward) Our problem was that we confused the body of Christ with our particular historical movement. We were neither the first group nor the last to make that mistake. We also erroneously thought that “restoring the church” was the way to salvation and mistakenly supposed that we had accomplished that goal. Such bad thinking has little need for God – Father, Son or Holy Spirit. It results in a rationalistic form of external righteousness but denies the power needed for a transformed life.
Not only did we often displace Christ with “the church,” we also frequently put baptism in the position the New Testament puts trust or faith. Sometimes we insisted that a person not only must be baptized but must understand and express that understanding of baptism in just the “right” way to be saved. The New Testament sees baptism as an integral initial part of the process of discipleship but always as an outward expression of the heart’s absolute trust in and dependence on Jesus Christ and him alone as the one whose work sets us right with God. We still have some work to do in biblically relating this gospel ordinance to what Luther called “the empty hands of faith” that receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Mueller
George Mueller Quotes from A Taste of Mueller and His God by John Piper
For the first four years after my conversion I made no progress, because I neglected the Bible. But when I regularly read on through the whole with reference to my own heart and soul, I directly made progress. Then my peace and joy continued more and more. Now I have been doing this for 47 years. I have read through the whole Bible about 100 times and I always find it fresh when I begin again. Thus my peace and joy have increased more and more. (Vol. 2, p. 834)
According to my judgement the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord's work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. (Vol. 2, p. 731).
In what way shall we attain to this settled happiness of soul? How shall we learn to enjoy God? How obtain such an all-sufficient soul-satisfying portion in him as shall enable us to let go the things of this world as vain and worthless in comparison? I answer, This happiness is to be obtained through the study of the Holy Scriptures. God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ. (Vol. 2, p. 731)
For the first four years after my conversion I made no progress, because I neglected the Bible. But when I regularly read on through the whole with reference to my own heart and soul, I directly made progress. Then my peace and joy continued more and more. Now I have been doing this for 47 years. I have read through the whole Bible about 100 times and I always find it fresh when I begin again. Thus my peace and joy have increased more and more. (Vol. 2, p. 834)
According to my judgement the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord's work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. (Vol. 2, p. 731).
In what way shall we attain to this settled happiness of soul? How shall we learn to enjoy God? How obtain such an all-sufficient soul-satisfying portion in him as shall enable us to let go the things of this world as vain and worthless in comparison? I answer, This happiness is to be obtained through the study of the Holy Scriptures. God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ. (Vol. 2, p. 731)
Music
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
SING AND MAKE MELODY
Ephesians 5:18, 19 Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord
How pathetically unaware we are of the biblical prominence of music in the spiritual realm. It is interesting to note that whenever the evil spirit came upon King Saul, David (the heir apparent to Israel's throne) would play his harp and the evil spirit would depart (1 Samuel 16:23). When Elisha was about to inquire of God, he said, "'Now bring me a minstrel.' And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him" (2 Kings 3:15). During the reign of David, more than 4000 musicians were assigned to sing in the temple night and day (1 Chronicles 9:33; 23:5). It is the mark of Spirit-filled Christians to sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord and speak to each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18, 19).
On the other side of the truth lies the destructive power of secular music. A former satanic high priest showed me numerous symbols on popular record albums indicating commitment and bondage to Satanism. He told me that about 85 percent of today's heavy metal and punk music groups are "owned" by Satanists. They have unwittingly sold themselves to Satanism in exchange for fame and fortune. Few of these artists actually practice Satanism, but most are hopelessly lost and lead others astray through the godless message in their music.
God created sound and formed our bodies to respond to it. Our ears pick up the sound around us and send a signal to the brain. Some sounds irritate us; others soothe us. There is music that makes you want to march and music that puts you to sleep. Even without lyrics, music with harmony and order can affect the nervous system positively while discord produces a negative effect.
What role does music play in your life? Are you filling your mind and home with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs? Or are you allowing destructive secular music to rob you of your joy and vitality in the Lord?
Prayer:
You are the God who sings over me, Lord. Thank You for the gift of music and for the songs You give me in the night.
SING AND MAKE MELODY
Ephesians 5:18, 19 Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord
How pathetically unaware we are of the biblical prominence of music in the spiritual realm. It is interesting to note that whenever the evil spirit came upon King Saul, David (the heir apparent to Israel's throne) would play his harp and the evil spirit would depart (1 Samuel 16:23). When Elisha was about to inquire of God, he said, "'Now bring me a minstrel.' And it came about, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him" (2 Kings 3:15). During the reign of David, more than 4000 musicians were assigned to sing in the temple night and day (1 Chronicles 9:33; 23:5). It is the mark of Spirit-filled Christians to sing and make melody in their hearts to the Lord and speak to each other in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18, 19).
On the other side of the truth lies the destructive power of secular music. A former satanic high priest showed me numerous symbols on popular record albums indicating commitment and bondage to Satanism. He told me that about 85 percent of today's heavy metal and punk music groups are "owned" by Satanists. They have unwittingly sold themselves to Satanism in exchange for fame and fortune. Few of these artists actually practice Satanism, but most are hopelessly lost and lead others astray through the godless message in their music.
God created sound and formed our bodies to respond to it. Our ears pick up the sound around us and send a signal to the brain. Some sounds irritate us; others soothe us. There is music that makes you want to march and music that puts you to sleep. Even without lyrics, music with harmony and order can affect the nervous system positively while discord produces a negative effect.
What role does music play in your life? Are you filling your mind and home with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs? Or are you allowing destructive secular music to rob you of your joy and vitality in the Lord?
Prayer:
You are the God who sings over me, Lord. Thank You for the gift of music and for the songs You give me in the night.
Fishing
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Monday, October 22, 2007 - Jesus Teaches Peter How To Fish- Part 1
Do you remember when Jesus taught Peter how to fish? I'm sure Peter must have thought, "You're a carpenter, not a fisherman; what do you know about fishing?" But he soon learned that Jesus could be trusted to help him in his chosen profession. I think we can learn from Peter's experience.
In Luke 5 we read how Peter had fished all night and caught nothing, and he was ready to give up and go home. But Jesus said to him, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Peter didn't go to Him for fishing advice, because he'd never thought of the Lord as an expert on fishing.
No, instead Jesus intervened in this business dilemma without being asked. And He gave Peter some strange instructions. Peter knew that you don't fish in mid-day, you fish at night. And you don't catch fish in the deep waters.
Reading between the lines a bit, he says to Jesus, in effect, "Lord, it's not going to do any good. I appreciate your concern, but you just don't understand fish, Lord. However, I'll give you a lesson in fishing, and since you asked me, I'll go through this futile exercise and take the boat out, though of course it's just a waste of time."
So weary Peter, having worked a futile night, obeys the Lord, probably with a martyr's complex. And, of course, he learns a great lesson: Jesus knows how to fish, because He is God and He controls the fish. Peter broke all the fishing rules, and he almost broke his nets because he caught so many fish.
Do you and I do the same thing? Do we exclude Jesus and His authority from certain areas. After all, what does Jesus know about my difficulty at work? How could He help me with my job, or coworker, or manager? So we go on in our own strength, fishing all night, working hard, and finding few if any solutions or answers or success.
Jesus has authority, power and knowledge of all things, and if we allow Him to guide us in all areas, we will discover, like Peter, that He knows what He's talking about. His methods are usually unorthodox. Our faith will be tested. But then, how else would we know who was in control? If we succeeded by our own methods, we'd take the credit. But when Jesus intervenes and we follow His non-traditional instructions, we learn who He is and who we are, just as Peter did.
Monday, October 22, 2007 - Jesus Teaches Peter How To Fish- Part 1
Do you remember when Jesus taught Peter how to fish? I'm sure Peter must have thought, "You're a carpenter, not a fisherman; what do you know about fishing?" But he soon learned that Jesus could be trusted to help him in his chosen profession. I think we can learn from Peter's experience.
In Luke 5 we read how Peter had fished all night and caught nothing, and he was ready to give up and go home. But Jesus said to him, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Peter didn't go to Him for fishing advice, because he'd never thought of the Lord as an expert on fishing.
No, instead Jesus intervened in this business dilemma without being asked. And He gave Peter some strange instructions. Peter knew that you don't fish in mid-day, you fish at night. And you don't catch fish in the deep waters.
Reading between the lines a bit, he says to Jesus, in effect, "Lord, it's not going to do any good. I appreciate your concern, but you just don't understand fish, Lord. However, I'll give you a lesson in fishing, and since you asked me, I'll go through this futile exercise and take the boat out, though of course it's just a waste of time."
So weary Peter, having worked a futile night, obeys the Lord, probably with a martyr's complex. And, of course, he learns a great lesson: Jesus knows how to fish, because He is God and He controls the fish. Peter broke all the fishing rules, and he almost broke his nets because he caught so many fish.
Do you and I do the same thing? Do we exclude Jesus and His authority from certain areas. After all, what does Jesus know about my difficulty at work? How could He help me with my job, or coworker, or manager? So we go on in our own strength, fishing all night, working hard, and finding few if any solutions or answers or success.
Jesus has authority, power and knowledge of all things, and if we allow Him to guide us in all areas, we will discover, like Peter, that He knows what He's talking about. His methods are usually unorthodox. Our faith will be tested. But then, how else would we know who was in control? If we succeeded by our own methods, we'd take the credit. But when Jesus intervenes and we follow His non-traditional instructions, we learn who He is and who we are, just as Peter did.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Ardent Discipleship
A few excerpts from an interesting interview with Edward Fudge in New Wineskins
(Fred) I don't know if it's fair of me to say that our heritage has a checkered history. So Edward, you can either correct me or help those who listen in our conversation understand how our tribe has navigated the last two hundred years. I guess what I'm asking is—have we been guiltier of polarization or galvanizing a movement born of the 1800s.
(Edward) “Our tribe” and “our heritage” would be the Churches of Christ, the traditionally non-instrumental descendants of the Stone-Campbell renewal movement that sprang up on the early 19-century American frontier and today is most heavily concentrated in a geographic belt stretching from Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky westward through Texas and Oklahoma. Yes, our history is as checkered as our origins, which involved the merger of two distinctly different “restoration” efforts led by Barton W. Stone of Kentucky and Alexander Campbell of what is now West Virginia.
As individuals, Stone and Campbell presented a major study in contrasts. Campbell was a northerner and Stone a southerner. Campbell was a well-educated and prosperous land owner who associated with the political and social movers and shakers of the time. Stone represented the poor and humbler elements of society in every way. Campbell was a man of this world; Stone’s perspective was other-worldly. Campbell’s “restoration” of primitive Christianity focused on external forms and rituals of the organized church. Stone’s “restoration” emphasized inward attitudes and the heart. Campbell utilized the power of logic and language; Stone looked to the Holy Spirit for results. Although they formally joined in their efforts, Campbell’s influence overpowered Stone’s in many respects in what came to be known as Churches of Christ. ...
...
(Fred) With all our history, now decades later, what feelings do you have about our heritage's direction?
(Edward) I praise God that many Churches of Christ have escaped the sectarian attitudes and legalistic understandings that once held general sway. It is so very important that these evil spirits be replaced by the Christ-centered gospel of grace and the new life which that gospel engenders, lest other demons swoop in to fill the vacuum. We must learn that the proper alternative to legalism is neither indifference nor permissiveness but ardent discipleship in the context of a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. ...
(Fred) I don't know if it's fair of me to say that our heritage has a checkered history. So Edward, you can either correct me or help those who listen in our conversation understand how our tribe has navigated the last two hundred years. I guess what I'm asking is—have we been guiltier of polarization or galvanizing a movement born of the 1800s.
(Edward) “Our tribe” and “our heritage” would be the Churches of Christ, the traditionally non-instrumental descendants of the Stone-Campbell renewal movement that sprang up on the early 19-century American frontier and today is most heavily concentrated in a geographic belt stretching from Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky westward through Texas and Oklahoma. Yes, our history is as checkered as our origins, which involved the merger of two distinctly different “restoration” efforts led by Barton W. Stone of Kentucky and Alexander Campbell of what is now West Virginia.
As individuals, Stone and Campbell presented a major study in contrasts. Campbell was a northerner and Stone a southerner. Campbell was a well-educated and prosperous land owner who associated with the political and social movers and shakers of the time. Stone represented the poor and humbler elements of society in every way. Campbell was a man of this world; Stone’s perspective was other-worldly. Campbell’s “restoration” of primitive Christianity focused on external forms and rituals of the organized church. Stone’s “restoration” emphasized inward attitudes and the heart. Campbell utilized the power of logic and language; Stone looked to the Holy Spirit for results. Although they formally joined in their efforts, Campbell’s influence overpowered Stone’s in many respects in what came to be known as Churches of Christ. ...
...
(Fred) With all our history, now decades later, what feelings do you have about our heritage's direction?
(Edward) I praise God that many Churches of Christ have escaped the sectarian attitudes and legalistic understandings that once held general sway. It is so very important that these evil spirits be replaced by the Christ-centered gospel of grace and the new life which that gospel engenders, lest other demons swoop in to fill the vacuum. We must learn that the proper alternative to legalism is neither indifference nor permissiveness but ardent discipleship in the context of a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. ...
Finish
Weekly Walk, Walk in the Word with Dr. James MacDonald
Finish the Race
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
I’ve been around long enough to know some men and women whose lives were totally sold out to God a few years ago who have since walked off the track in the middle of the race. They’ve given up. They’ve lost their longing for God and all that He is. They’re awol from the Christian life . . .
The fear of following in their footsteps haunts me. It should you, too. The possibility is real for all of us unless we allow our hearts to be completely gripped by God . . . today— now. The faithfulness of my walk with God in the next year and the next decades depends on my willingness to stay current with God. In a word—to stay in relationship with Him.
I never want to lose the hold God’s greatness has on my life and the supreme privilege it is to be in relationship with Him and to serve Him faithfully till the day I am welcomed into His presence. That passion compels me. It keeps me very honest and very humble before God.
The last thing I want to do is crawl across the finish line a defeated, derailed Christian or worse—give up the race before my life is over. I want to break that tape with arms high and my face to the sun and say with the apostle Paul, “I have finished the course; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 3:7).
Finish the Race
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
I’ve been around long enough to know some men and women whose lives were totally sold out to God a few years ago who have since walked off the track in the middle of the race. They’ve given up. They’ve lost their longing for God and all that He is. They’re awol from the Christian life . . .
The fear of following in their footsteps haunts me. It should you, too. The possibility is real for all of us unless we allow our hearts to be completely gripped by God . . . today— now. The faithfulness of my walk with God in the next year and the next decades depends on my willingness to stay current with God. In a word—to stay in relationship with Him.
I never want to lose the hold God’s greatness has on my life and the supreme privilege it is to be in relationship with Him and to serve Him faithfully till the day I am welcomed into His presence. That passion compels me. It keeps me very honest and very humble before God.
The last thing I want to do is crawl across the finish line a defeated, derailed Christian or worse—give up the race before my life is over. I want to break that tape with arms high and my face to the sun and say with the apostle Paul, “I have finished the course; I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 3:7).
So what can we do now to ensure that finish line victory? We can get back to basics: Honestly answer these seven questions:
* Do I hunger after God?
* Does God’s Word govern my life?
* Do I grieve over sin?
* How quickly do I repent when I see my wrong?
* Am I sensitive to the Spirit’s prompt in me?
* Do I obey?
* Is my faith growing?
Tough Love
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Friday, October 19, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Tough Love
One of the great truths of scripture is that God does not deal with His children through condemnation. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. So, if we’re feeling condemned, it’s either because we’re allowing someone else to condemn us, or we’re condemning ourselves.
God deals with us through conviction, and as soon as we obey, that guilt feeling goes away. But conviction is always specific and clear. Condemnation, on the other hand, is vague and foreboding. We feel like we don’t measure up, but we’re not sure what to do about it.
Fran has been dealing with a new woman in their church, Sally, who has managed to bring a condemning spirit to Fran’s Tuesday night Bible study group. Through a conversation with one of her pastors, Fran sees that while she is required to love Sally and treat her kindly, it is wrong to allow her to interfere with the fellowship of the group and destroy the sweet oneness they have. So she has decided, after much prayer, that she must ask Sally not to be a part of the group.
“Lord,” she prays, “I need great wisdom in how to do this. Please guide me.” She decides to buy a gift for Sally and take her to lunch after church one Sunday. Sally accepts her invitation, and after the meal is served, Fran gets out the few notes she has made to help her choose her words carefully. She begins by telling Sally how difficult this is to do, but she is convinced it is necessary and right.
And so, with as loving and kind words as possible, Fran acknowledges that the Tuesday night group doesn’t seem to be meeting Sally’s expectations, and it might be best for her to drop out of the group. In spite of Fran’s carefully chosen words, Sally does not receive it well.
“I knew it,” she says, “you people are just like every other church I’ve been in. You don’t want to hear the truth and you don’t want to do it God’s way.” After a few more choice accusations, she abruptly departs from the restaurant.
Fran feels terrible. “Lord, surely there was a better way to do this,” she says. But she recognizes that sometimes it’s not possible to tie a bow on every package, and she will have to leave the results in the Lord’s hands. Sally belongs to Him, and only the Lord can reach her. It’s sad, but true.
Fran leaves the restaurant feeling sad about the encounter, but knowing in her spirit that she did the right thing.
Friday, October 19, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Tough Love
One of the great truths of scripture is that God does not deal with His children through condemnation. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. So, if we’re feeling condemned, it’s either because we’re allowing someone else to condemn us, or we’re condemning ourselves.
God deals with us through conviction, and as soon as we obey, that guilt feeling goes away. But conviction is always specific and clear. Condemnation, on the other hand, is vague and foreboding. We feel like we don’t measure up, but we’re not sure what to do about it.
Fran has been dealing with a new woman in their church, Sally, who has managed to bring a condemning spirit to Fran’s Tuesday night Bible study group. Through a conversation with one of her pastors, Fran sees that while she is required to love Sally and treat her kindly, it is wrong to allow her to interfere with the fellowship of the group and destroy the sweet oneness they have. So she has decided, after much prayer, that she must ask Sally not to be a part of the group.
“Lord,” she prays, “I need great wisdom in how to do this. Please guide me.” She decides to buy a gift for Sally and take her to lunch after church one Sunday. Sally accepts her invitation, and after the meal is served, Fran gets out the few notes she has made to help her choose her words carefully. She begins by telling Sally how difficult this is to do, but she is convinced it is necessary and right.
And so, with as loving and kind words as possible, Fran acknowledges that the Tuesday night group doesn’t seem to be meeting Sally’s expectations, and it might be best for her to drop out of the group. In spite of Fran’s carefully chosen words, Sally does not receive it well.
“I knew it,” she says, “you people are just like every other church I’ve been in. You don’t want to hear the truth and you don’t want to do it God’s way.” After a few more choice accusations, she abruptly departs from the restaurant.
Fran feels terrible. “Lord, surely there was a better way to do this,” she says. But she recognizes that sometimes it’s not possible to tie a bow on every package, and she will have to leave the results in the Lord’s hands. Sally belongs to Him, and only the Lord can reach her. It’s sad, but true.
Fran leaves the restaurant feeling sad about the encounter, but knowing in her spirit that she did the right thing.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Living
Excerpt from Present Your Bodies As A Living Sacrifice to God by John Piper
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
A life of visible, lived-out, physical actions of mercy might result in the death of a believer. There have always been martyrs. But that is not mainly what Paul has in mind here. Here he has in mind a lifestyle. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. It is your living that is the act of worship.
Let every act of your body in living be an act of worship. That is, let every act of your living body be a demonstration that God is your treasure. Let every act of your living body show that Christ is more precious to you than anything else. Let every act of your living body be a death to all that dishonors Christ.
“Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
A life of visible, lived-out, physical actions of mercy might result in the death of a believer. There have always been martyrs. But that is not mainly what Paul has in mind here. Here he has in mind a lifestyle. Present your bodies a living sacrifice. It is your living that is the act of worship.
Let every act of your body in living be an act of worship. That is, let every act of your living body be a demonstration that God is your treasure. Let every act of your living body show that Christ is more precious to you than anything else. Let every act of your living body be a death to all that dishonors Christ.
Tough Love
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Thursday, October 18, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Tough Love
For several weeks Fran has sought to reach out to Sally with the love of Jesus, including her in her Tuesday night Bible study group. But Sally’s presence seems to bring disharmony, and it is affecting the fellowship of the group. Fran recognizes that it is time to do something, but what?
Should she ask Sally not to be a part of the group? For what reason? Shouldn’t the love of Jesus overcome all of this? The questions haunt Fran, and she decides it’s time to go to one of her pastors for counsel.
Pastor Ron Jenkins is in charge of small group ministries, so she makes an appointment with him. As she tells him about Sally and her effect on the group, Pastor Ron says to Fran, “I think you’re encountering a person with a critical and judgmental spirit. You know, Fran, there are people who thrive on making others feel guilty.”
“They do?” Fran is shocked. “You mean, they try to spread condemnation?”
“Yes,” Ron replies. “For whatever reason, they can only find self-worth by constantly judging others. That is how they feel good about themselves. It’s very sad to see, but it’s not that uncommon, Fran.”
“Well, her judgmental spirit is ruining our fellowship, Pastor Ron,” Fran says. “What should I do?”
“First, you need to get the women together separately and explain what is happening. You know, Fran, no one can condemn us if we don’t let them. Romans 8 says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, so if we feel condemned, it’s either because we allow someone else to condemn us or we condemn ourselves.”
“Yeah, but we’re not perfect, Pastor Ron,” Fran says. “I mean, maybe if we were the Christians we should be, Sally wouldn’t have a problem with us.”
“Oh, that is where your thinking needs to be changed, Fran,” Pastor Ron replies. “Sure, we all need to be open to honest, constructive criticism and to God’s convicting voice in our lives, but God never deals with us through these vague feelings of condemnation. That is not God dealing with you; it is Sally’s way of dealing with life–by making herself a victim and laying judgment on others.”
Pastor Ron has given Fran a whole new perspective of this situation. Now she must decide what move to make next.
Thursday, October 18, 2007 - Fran & Jesus on the Job – Tough Love
For several weeks Fran has sought to reach out to Sally with the love of Jesus, including her in her Tuesday night Bible study group. But Sally’s presence seems to bring disharmony, and it is affecting the fellowship of the group. Fran recognizes that it is time to do something, but what?
Should she ask Sally not to be a part of the group? For what reason? Shouldn’t the love of Jesus overcome all of this? The questions haunt Fran, and she decides it’s time to go to one of her pastors for counsel.
Pastor Ron Jenkins is in charge of small group ministries, so she makes an appointment with him. As she tells him about Sally and her effect on the group, Pastor Ron says to Fran, “I think you’re encountering a person with a critical and judgmental spirit. You know, Fran, there are people who thrive on making others feel guilty.”
“They do?” Fran is shocked. “You mean, they try to spread condemnation?”
“Yes,” Ron replies. “For whatever reason, they can only find self-worth by constantly judging others. That is how they feel good about themselves. It’s very sad to see, but it’s not that uncommon, Fran.”
“Well, her judgmental spirit is ruining our fellowship, Pastor Ron,” Fran says. “What should I do?”
“First, you need to get the women together separately and explain what is happening. You know, Fran, no one can condemn us if we don’t let them. Romans 8 says there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ, so if we feel condemned, it’s either because we allow someone else to condemn us or we condemn ourselves.”
“Yeah, but we’re not perfect, Pastor Ron,” Fran says. “I mean, maybe if we were the Christians we should be, Sally wouldn’t have a problem with us.”
“Oh, that is where your thinking needs to be changed, Fran,” Pastor Ron replies. “Sure, we all need to be open to honest, constructive criticism and to God’s convicting voice in our lives, but God never deals with us through these vague feelings of condemnation. That is not God dealing with you; it is Sally’s way of dealing with life–by making herself a victim and laying judgment on others.”
Pastor Ron has given Fran a whole new perspective of this situation. Now she must decide what move to make next.
Peace
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
THE PEACE OF GOD
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you
Peace on earth--that's what everybody wants. But nobody can guarantee external peace because nobody can control other people or circumstances. Nations sign and break peace treaties with frightening regularity. Couples lament that there would be peace in their home "if only he/she would shape up." No one can guarantee peace at home or on the job site. However, we should always strive to be peacemakers. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Paul instructed, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).
But let's face it: Peace with others isn't always possible, because peace doesn't just depend on us. Peace on earth is what we want; peace with God is what we have; the peace of God is what we need.
Peace with God is something you already have (Romans 5:1). It's not something you strive for; it's something you received when you were born again. The Prince of Peace reconciled you to God by shedding His own blood.
The peace of God is something you need to appropriate daily in your inner world in the midst of the storms which rage in the external world (John 14:27). There are a lot of things that can disrupt your external world because you can't control all your circumstances and relationships. But you can control the inner world of your thoughts by allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart on a daily basis (Colossians 3:15). There may be chaos all around you, but God is bigger than any storm. I keep a little plaque on my desk which reminds me: "Nothing will happen to me today that God and I cannot resolve."
The peace of Christ will rule in your heart when you "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (Colossians 3:16). And when you turn to Him in prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer:
Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. Give me Your peace and make me a peacemaker in all my relationships.
THE PEACE OF GOD
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you
Peace on earth--that's what everybody wants. But nobody can guarantee external peace because nobody can control other people or circumstances. Nations sign and break peace treaties with frightening regularity. Couples lament that there would be peace in their home "if only he/she would shape up." No one can guarantee peace at home or on the job site. However, we should always strive to be peacemakers. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Paul instructed, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18).
But let's face it: Peace with others isn't always possible, because peace doesn't just depend on us. Peace on earth is what we want; peace with God is what we have; the peace of God is what we need.
Peace with God is something you already have (Romans 5:1). It's not something you strive for; it's something you received when you were born again. The Prince of Peace reconciled you to God by shedding His own blood.
The peace of God is something you need to appropriate daily in your inner world in the midst of the storms which rage in the external world (John 14:27). There are a lot of things that can disrupt your external world because you can't control all your circumstances and relationships. But you can control the inner world of your thoughts by allowing the peace of Christ to rule in your heart on a daily basis (Colossians 3:15). There may be chaos all around you, but God is bigger than any storm. I keep a little plaque on my desk which reminds me: "Nothing will happen to me today that God and I cannot resolve."
The peace of Christ will rule in your heart when you "let the word of Christ richly dwell within you" (Colossians 3:16). And when you turn to Him in prayer, "the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
Prayer:
Prince of Peace, rule in my heart today. Give me Your peace and make me a peacemaker in all my relationships.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Prayer Verse for This Week
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
Romans 1:16
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Announcing the Kingdom
Excerpt from Glimpses of Glory Out of Ur
"We live in a dark world. Our hearts long for goodness, beauty, justice, and peace, but they are often hidden behind the shadow cast by evil and sin. This is why preaching is so necessary. Whenever the kingdom of God is proclaimed, it is like a bright burst of light. In those brief moments, the shadows recede and we are given a glimpse of a world behind the darkness. It is a sublime vision that reorders our perception of reality and leaves us hungry for more.
This understanding of preaching, the unveiling of an inspiring vision of God's kingdom, is not the one I've always held. I was formed to think that the primary purpose of preaching was instruction. ...
But preaching is wonderfully designed for the prerequisite component of Willard's spiritual formation model—vision. Preaching this way will not always have the end goal of application, but rather inspiration. As Willard says, "It's the beauty of the kingdom that Jesus said was causing people to climb over each other just to get in." Only after people have a vision of God (the love, beauty, justice, and power of his kingdom) will they be ready to intentionally seek and employ the means to experience him through obedience—an aspect of spiritual formation that occurs most effectively in smaller settings through the medium of relationship.
Preaching to inspire rather than instruct is a differentiation we see in Jesus' own ministry. The Greek word for "preach" (kerusso) means to announce. This is not the same as the word for "teach" (didasko), meaning to instruct. In Mark's Gospel we learn that Jesus came "preaching the gospel of God" and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." Jesus' preaching was a revelatory act. He announced the kingdom. He turned the lights on so people could see the kingdom that lay "at hand" just behind their present darkness. ...
Early in the gospel narratives, Jesus sends his new apostles out to proclaim the kingdom. Have you ever found that odd? These fishermen and tax collectors understood so little, and later chapters show the magnitude of their ignorance. Would you have put one of these guys in the pulpit?
But Jesus does not send them to "teach" (that command comes after his resurrection). Rather, he sends them to "preach." Teaching requires proficiency with a set of knowledge—knowledge these men did not yet possess. But preaching is different. Announcing the kingdom only requires one to have seen and experienced it. It's the difference between announcing that Flight 544 from Cleveland has arrived (kerusso), and teaching people the aerodynamics that enabled the aircraft to land (didasko).
Understanding the difference is crucial. If we see the purpose of preaching as primarily instructing, then it will be confined to an individual exercise; a responsibility granted only to the most biblically educated, articulate, and proficient in the congregation. But if we believe preaching is primarily the announcing of the kingdom, unveiling a vision of God's glorious reign and our life in it, then the responsibility to preach cannot lie solely with the pastor, but with all of God's people—even ignorant fishermen."
"We live in a dark world. Our hearts long for goodness, beauty, justice, and peace, but they are often hidden behind the shadow cast by evil and sin. This is why preaching is so necessary. Whenever the kingdom of God is proclaimed, it is like a bright burst of light. In those brief moments, the shadows recede and we are given a glimpse of a world behind the darkness. It is a sublime vision that reorders our perception of reality and leaves us hungry for more.
This understanding of preaching, the unveiling of an inspiring vision of God's kingdom, is not the one I've always held. I was formed to think that the primary purpose of preaching was instruction. ...
But preaching is wonderfully designed for the prerequisite component of Willard's spiritual formation model—vision. Preaching this way will not always have the end goal of application, but rather inspiration. As Willard says, "It's the beauty of the kingdom that Jesus said was causing people to climb over each other just to get in." Only after people have a vision of God (the love, beauty, justice, and power of his kingdom) will they be ready to intentionally seek and employ the means to experience him through obedience—an aspect of spiritual formation that occurs most effectively in smaller settings through the medium of relationship.
Preaching to inspire rather than instruct is a differentiation we see in Jesus' own ministry. The Greek word for "preach" (kerusso) means to announce. This is not the same as the word for "teach" (didasko), meaning to instruct. In Mark's Gospel we learn that Jesus came "preaching the gospel of God" and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." Jesus' preaching was a revelatory act. He announced the kingdom. He turned the lights on so people could see the kingdom that lay "at hand" just behind their present darkness. ...
Early in the gospel narratives, Jesus sends his new apostles out to proclaim the kingdom. Have you ever found that odd? These fishermen and tax collectors understood so little, and later chapters show the magnitude of their ignorance. Would you have put one of these guys in the pulpit?
But Jesus does not send them to "teach" (that command comes after his resurrection). Rather, he sends them to "preach." Teaching requires proficiency with a set of knowledge—knowledge these men did not yet possess. But preaching is different. Announcing the kingdom only requires one to have seen and experienced it. It's the difference between announcing that Flight 544 from Cleveland has arrived (kerusso), and teaching people the aerodynamics that enabled the aircraft to land (didasko).
Understanding the difference is crucial. If we see the purpose of preaching as primarily instructing, then it will be confined to an individual exercise; a responsibility granted only to the most biblically educated, articulate, and proficient in the congregation. But if we believe preaching is primarily the announcing of the kingdom, unveiling a vision of God's glorious reign and our life in it, then the responsibility to preach cannot lie solely with the pastor, but with all of God's people—even ignorant fishermen."
Trust
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: The Fear of Man or Woman
"The majority of men have thought of women as sublime separately but horrible as a herd," noted the wise G.K. Chesterton. Alas. Are we so formidable? Robert Bly, in his best-selling IRON JOHN, declares that men are petrified of female anger. Then there's a TIME correspondent named Sam Allis who says "Women are often daunting obstacles to male peace of mind, and for all their brave talk, men remain utterly flummoxed by the situation."
"The fear of man bringeth a snare," according to God's Word. Meseemeth the fear of woman bringeth a worse one. These comments have set me thinking (again) about fear in general. If men and women were surer of their God there would be more genuine manliness, womanliness, and godliness in the world, and a whole lot less fear of each other.
Jesus told us not to fear those who can kill only the body, but rather to fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell--in other words, fear God and fear nothing else. Moses, by faith, "left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27, NIV). When Daniel learned of King Darius's decree forbidding prayer to any god or man except the king himself, he proceeded with his regular manner of worship, on his knees, windows open, "just as he had done before," and was caught in the act (Daniel 6). He feared God; therefore, he feared neither the king nor the lions. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, faced with the choice between two evils, worshipping a golden image or burning to a crisp in a furnace, made an instant decision (Daniel 3). Fear of God made worship of an idol unthinkable. Fear of the fire was, by comparison, thinkable. That's manliness.
Uzziah, who became king of Judah when he was sixteen, was taught by Zechariah to fear God. A child who is not taught to fear wrongdoing when he is small will have great difficulty learning to fear God when he is a man. "Freedom from fear" is what Russell Kirk calls "a silly piece of demagogic sophistry," for we all have "a natural yearning for the challenge of the dreadful."
One of the nicest things any of the listeners to my broadcast, has written to me came from a little girl: "You make me brave." Sometimes I wonder what has happened to words like courage and endurance. What reason is there in our feel-comfortable society ever to be brave? Very little, and, when you think about it, we miss it, don't we? To be really brave is to lay oneself open to charges of hypocrisy, of being "in denial," or out of touch with one's feelings. Moses charged Joshua to be strong and very courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to do the thing we fear. Go straight into the furnace or the lion's den. Were those men out of touch with their feelings or with reality? No. Nor was the psalmist who said, "When I am afraid, I will trust" (Psalm 56:3, NIV). There's a big difference between feeling and willing.
In George MacDonald's SIR GIBBIE the boy (Gibbie) is up in the mountains in a storm. He hears the sound of the river in flood and realizes it is headed straight for the cottage. He shoots after it. "He is not terrified. One believing like him in the perfect Love and perfect Will of a Father of men, as the fact of facts, fears nothing. Fear is faithlessness.... A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear. It is in the cracks, crannies, and gulfy faults of our belief, the gaps that are not faith, that the snow of apprehension settles and the ice of unkindness forms."
Do you feel, in spite of all the promises of God, as helpless as a worm today? There's a special word for you too: "Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you" (Isaiah 41:14, NIV).
Title: The Fear of Man or Woman
"The majority of men have thought of women as sublime separately but horrible as a herd," noted the wise G.K. Chesterton. Alas. Are we so formidable? Robert Bly, in his best-selling IRON JOHN, declares that men are petrified of female anger. Then there's a TIME correspondent named Sam Allis who says "Women are often daunting obstacles to male peace of mind, and for all their brave talk, men remain utterly flummoxed by the situation."
"The fear of man bringeth a snare," according to God's Word. Meseemeth the fear of woman bringeth a worse one. These comments have set me thinking (again) about fear in general. If men and women were surer of their God there would be more genuine manliness, womanliness, and godliness in the world, and a whole lot less fear of each other.
Jesus told us not to fear those who can kill only the body, but rather to fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell--in other words, fear God and fear nothing else. Moses, by faith, "left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27, NIV). When Daniel learned of King Darius's decree forbidding prayer to any god or man except the king himself, he proceeded with his regular manner of worship, on his knees, windows open, "just as he had done before," and was caught in the act (Daniel 6). He feared God; therefore, he feared neither the king nor the lions. His three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, faced with the choice between two evils, worshipping a golden image or burning to a crisp in a furnace, made an instant decision (Daniel 3). Fear of God made worship of an idol unthinkable. Fear of the fire was, by comparison, thinkable. That's manliness.
Uzziah, who became king of Judah when he was sixteen, was taught by Zechariah to fear God. A child who is not taught to fear wrongdoing when he is small will have great difficulty learning to fear God when he is a man. "Freedom from fear" is what Russell Kirk calls "a silly piece of demagogic sophistry," for we all have "a natural yearning for the challenge of the dreadful."
One of the nicest things any of the listeners to my broadcast, has written to me came from a little girl: "You make me brave." Sometimes I wonder what has happened to words like courage and endurance. What reason is there in our feel-comfortable society ever to be brave? Very little, and, when you think about it, we miss it, don't we? To be really brave is to lay oneself open to charges of hypocrisy, of being "in denial," or out of touch with one's feelings. Moses charged Joshua to be strong and very courageous. Courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to do the thing we fear. Go straight into the furnace or the lion's den. Were those men out of touch with their feelings or with reality? No. Nor was the psalmist who said, "When I am afraid, I will trust" (Psalm 56:3, NIV). There's a big difference between feeling and willing.
In George MacDonald's SIR GIBBIE the boy (Gibbie) is up in the mountains in a storm. He hears the sound of the river in flood and realizes it is headed straight for the cottage. He shoots after it. "He is not terrified. One believing like him in the perfect Love and perfect Will of a Father of men, as the fact of facts, fears nothing. Fear is faithlessness.... A perfect faith would lift us absolutely above fear. It is in the cracks, crannies, and gulfy faults of our belief, the gaps that are not faith, that the snow of apprehension settles and the ice of unkindness forms."
Do you feel, in spite of all the promises of God, as helpless as a worm today? There's a special word for you too: "Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you" (Isaiah 41:14, NIV).
Monday, October 15, 2007
No Confidence in the Flesh
For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
Philippians 3:3
Philippians 3:3
Practices
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
CHANGING CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
Matthew 6:7 When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words
Jesus taught that Christian practices should be consistent with the inward condition of the heart. Holding to external practices which no longer correlate with the heart is repugnant to God. Jesus railed against praying in vain repetitions and putting on a gloomy face while fasting. Consistency cries for an affirmative answer to the question, "Is it real?" The Christian community searches for truth while the world searches for reality. These are large, overlapping circles, but I'm convinced that we must be real in order to be right. Change is most needed when Christians sit stoically week after week reciting endless creeds in utter hypocrisy.
Tragically, those who are coming to a church simply to fulfill a religious obligation are the most resistant to change. They have resisted the need to change under the instruction of the Word and are in a state of carnality. They are not coming to the changeless Christ and saying, "Change me so I may be like You." Time-honored faith and long-established practices often become intertwined in their thinking. When you advocate a different practice, they think you are tinkering with their faith!
Paradoxically, the ones who have a real Christian experience are the ones who are free to change their Christian practices. They are committed to the substance of their faith, not the form. Form always follows function, but people have a tendency to fixate on the form.
Organizational renewal will not bring spiritual renewal. When the spiritual tide is out, every little tadpole wants his own little tide pool to swim in. When the spiritual tide is in, the fish swim in one big ocean where someone is synchronizing every move. When the Holy Spirit is leading, almost any organization will work. But when He isn't, it doesn't matter how good the program and organization is, it won't work.
Prayer:
Lord, I will not rest my faith on my Christian practice, but I will base my faith and practice on the truth of Your Word.
CHANGING CHRISTIAN PRACTICES
Matthew 6:7 When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words
Jesus taught that Christian practices should be consistent with the inward condition of the heart. Holding to external practices which no longer correlate with the heart is repugnant to God. Jesus railed against praying in vain repetitions and putting on a gloomy face while fasting. Consistency cries for an affirmative answer to the question, "Is it real?" The Christian community searches for truth while the world searches for reality. These are large, overlapping circles, but I'm convinced that we must be real in order to be right. Change is most needed when Christians sit stoically week after week reciting endless creeds in utter hypocrisy.
Tragically, those who are coming to a church simply to fulfill a religious obligation are the most resistant to change. They have resisted the need to change under the instruction of the Word and are in a state of carnality. They are not coming to the changeless Christ and saying, "Change me so I may be like You." Time-honored faith and long-established practices often become intertwined in their thinking. When you advocate a different practice, they think you are tinkering with their faith!
Paradoxically, the ones who have a real Christian experience are the ones who are free to change their Christian practices. They are committed to the substance of their faith, not the form. Form always follows function, but people have a tendency to fixate on the form.
Organizational renewal will not bring spiritual renewal. When the spiritual tide is out, every little tadpole wants his own little tide pool to swim in. When the spiritual tide is in, the fish swim in one big ocean where someone is synchronizing every move. When the Holy Spirit is leading, almost any organization will work. But when He isn't, it doesn't matter how good the program and organization is, it won't work.
Prayer:
Lord, I will not rest my faith on my Christian practice, but I will base my faith and practice on the truth of Your Word.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Theologians
Excerpt from Don't Close Your Mind - Be a Theologian by Dan Kimball at Vintage Faith
"From there we took a turn to provoke the importance of this, and shared the overall statistics of biblical illiteracy in the United States. Even among Christians who have grown up in the church. There are plenty of stats out there showing how in churches, especially among younger people there is a "crisis" (that was a word used in one article I read a part of) of not knowing basic doctrines and basic elements of the overall Bible narrative. Now, for those who immediately want to cry out how Bible knowledge is not what makes someone a disciple of Jesus, I did address that. I put on the screen the words "ORTHODOXY" and "ORTHOPRAXY" and walked through the relationship of both. I think the pendulum swings back and forth, as there has been times where the church taught Scripture and people were filled with "ORTHODOXY" (straight or right thinking/teaching/doctrine). But only having right doctrines doesn't mean that it will always produce Spirit-filled Christians. There are those who have great ORTHODOXY but it never seems to move to their heart and some become legalists and can become very mean Christians. Right beliefs (ORTHODOXY) without the Spirit changing us with those beliefs (even the devil believed there is one God - James 2:19) doesn't mean we will be a Spirit-filled Christian demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5).
But then the other extreme is having good ORTHOPRAXY (straight or right living/action/practice) but losing ORTHODOXY. We can live good lives, be kind, gentle, help the poor - but we can have that if we join the Peace Corps or even be athiest and have good practice of living. So it has to be both. The Spirit should use ORTHODOXY to produce ORTHOPRAXY. One without the other is not good. I quoted Jesus and how He said "If you love Me, you will obey my commands" and I shared how we have to know what His commands are in order to obey them.
So.... I tried to express how as a church, we must strive to be theologians as part of who we are. If we are truly missional, and involved in people's lives outside the church, if we are thinking about the issues and challenges culture brings - we then will be forced to become sharper thinkers and forced to look at tough questions. The Bible should only become more and more alive to us the more we study and read it - not less. "
"From there we took a turn to provoke the importance of this, and shared the overall statistics of biblical illiteracy in the United States. Even among Christians who have grown up in the church. There are plenty of stats out there showing how in churches, especially among younger people there is a "crisis" (that was a word used in one article I read a part of) of not knowing basic doctrines and basic elements of the overall Bible narrative. Now, for those who immediately want to cry out how Bible knowledge is not what makes someone a disciple of Jesus, I did address that. I put on the screen the words "ORTHODOXY" and "ORTHOPRAXY" and walked through the relationship of both. I think the pendulum swings back and forth, as there has been times where the church taught Scripture and people were filled with "ORTHODOXY" (straight or right thinking/teaching/doctrine). But only having right doctrines doesn't mean that it will always produce Spirit-filled Christians. There are those who have great ORTHODOXY but it never seems to move to their heart and some become legalists and can become very mean Christians. Right beliefs (ORTHODOXY) without the Spirit changing us with those beliefs (even the devil believed there is one God - James 2:19) doesn't mean we will be a Spirit-filled Christian demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5).
But then the other extreme is having good ORTHOPRAXY (straight or right living/action/practice) but losing ORTHODOXY. We can live good lives, be kind, gentle, help the poor - but we can have that if we join the Peace Corps or even be athiest and have good practice of living. So it has to be both. The Spirit should use ORTHODOXY to produce ORTHOPRAXY. One without the other is not good. I quoted Jesus and how He said "If you love Me, you will obey my commands" and I shared how we have to know what His commands are in order to obey them.
So.... I tried to express how as a church, we must strive to be theologians as part of who we are. If we are truly missional, and involved in people's lives outside the church, if we are thinking about the issues and challenges culture brings - we then will be forced to become sharper thinkers and forced to look at tough questions. The Bible should only become more and more alive to us the more we study and read it - not less. "
Consumerism to Contribution
"The American church as a whole needs to move from selfish consumerism to unselfish contribution. Those are poles apart. To start with a woman who's most interested in how many diamonds she's got in her tennis bracelet, and move her to sit under a banyan tree holding an AIDS baby- that's a giant leap. People in this culture are trained to think about me, me, me; I've got to do what's best for me. Even when we go to church we have this consumer mentality."
Rick Warren
(Excerpt from Out of Ur. Quote taken from "It's Not About Rick" in the Summer 2007 issue of Leadership journal. To see the quote in context, you'll need to see the print version of Leadership.)
Rick Warren
(Excerpt from Out of Ur. Quote taken from "It's Not About Rick" in the Summer 2007 issue of Leadership journal. To see the quote in context, you'll need to see the print version of Leadership.)
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Eternal
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
TOTALLY ALIVE
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day
You are comprised of at least two major parts: your material self and your immaterial self. The outer man is your physical body, and the inner man is your soul/spirit which includes the ability to think, to feel, to choose (mind, emotions and will are often collectively identified as the soul), and to relate to God (spirit). Your body is in union with your soul/spirit, and that makes you physically alive. As a Christian, your soul/spirit is in union with God as a result of your conversion, and that makes you spiritually alive.
When God created Adam, he was totally alive--physically and spiritually. But because of Adam's sin and subsequent spiritual death, every person who comes into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead. Being separated from God, you lacked the presence and wisdom of God in your life, so you learned to live independently of God, centering your interests on yourself. This learned independence from God is characteristic of the flesh or the old nature.
When you were born again, your soul/spirit was united with God and you came alive spiritually, as alive as Adam was in the garden before he sinned. As the epistle of Epheisans repeatedly declares, you are now in Christ, and Christ is in you. Since Christ who is in you is eternal, the spiritual life you have received from Him is eternal. You don't have to wait until you die to get eternal life; you possess it right now!
Our hope does not lie in the preservation of the outer man. It lies in the developing nature of the inner man. Our soul is in union with God and we are being renewed day by day. We will eventually lose our physical life, but not our spiritual life. Our emphasis should be on what is eternal, not on what is temporal.
Prayer:
Lord, I won't lose heart over the setback in my life today because my hope lies in my eternal union with You.
TOTALLY ALIVE
2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day
You are comprised of at least two major parts: your material self and your immaterial self. The outer man is your physical body, and the inner man is your soul/spirit which includes the ability to think, to feel, to choose (mind, emotions and will are often collectively identified as the soul), and to relate to God (spirit). Your body is in union with your soul/spirit, and that makes you physically alive. As a Christian, your soul/spirit is in union with God as a result of your conversion, and that makes you spiritually alive.
When God created Adam, he was totally alive--physically and spiritually. But because of Adam's sin and subsequent spiritual death, every person who comes into the world is born physically alive but spiritually dead. Being separated from God, you lacked the presence and wisdom of God in your life, so you learned to live independently of God, centering your interests on yourself. This learned independence from God is characteristic of the flesh or the old nature.
When you were born again, your soul/spirit was united with God and you came alive spiritually, as alive as Adam was in the garden before he sinned. As the epistle of Epheisans repeatedly declares, you are now in Christ, and Christ is in you. Since Christ who is in you is eternal, the spiritual life you have received from Him is eternal. You don't have to wait until you die to get eternal life; you possess it right now!
Our hope does not lie in the preservation of the outer man. It lies in the developing nature of the inner man. Our soul is in union with God and we are being renewed day by day. We will eventually lose our physical life, but not our spiritual life. Our emphasis should be on what is eternal, not on what is temporal.
Prayer:
Lord, I won't lose heart over the setback in my life today because my hope lies in my eternal union with You.
Confusing Activity with Accomplishment
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Thursday, October 11, 2007 - Confusing Activity with Accomplishment
Are you confusing activity with accomplishment? Jesus instructed us to, Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment (John 7:24). We have to learn how to distinguish, in ourselves and those who work with us or for us, the difference between activity and accomplishment. Accomplishment requires some activity, for sure, but activity does not always indicate that anything worthwhile is being accomplished.
Steve Marr points out three groups of people who look good, but do not deliver:
#1 – The Boasters
These are the people who talk a good game. They have grand plans and can be very convincing in talking about all they are going to do. But if you ask them what they have done, you’ll get a different story. Proverbs 14:23 says, All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. So, don’t be fooled by the person who boasts a lot. And watch yourself. It’s a lot smarter to wait until you’ve achieved your goal to talk about it, than to set yourself up for embarrassment and ridicule by talking and not doing.
#2 – The Movers
These are people who are always busy, always moving, but never seem to get the job done. Often these people have very poor work habits. They start and stop a lot, they don’t stay focused very well, they don’t organize their activities or plan their priorities. So, they just keep moving, keep talking about how busy they are, but they accomplish little. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they should, run in such a way as to get the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). Running–or moving and keeping busy–is only effective if we do it in such a way that we get the prize, and that prize is to please the Lord with meaningful accomplishments.
#3 – The Non-Finishers
These are the people who start strong, with a burst of energy, but never seem to get to the finish line. They have lots of half-finished jobs. They lack the discipline to stay with it until it’s done. I know how easy it is for me to fall into this trap, because my attention span seems to be very short. Therefore, I have learned to impose discipline on myself in order to force myself to finish one job before I start another one. Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, The end of a matter is better than its beginning. If you tend to fall into the non-finishers category too often, train yourself to finish one thing before you start another.I believe it’s important for us to ask ourselves: Am I confusing activity with accomplishment? Have you been deceived into thinking that because you’re always so busy, you’re doing what you should be doing?
Thursday, October 11, 2007 - Confusing Activity with Accomplishment
Are you confusing activity with accomplishment? Jesus instructed us to, Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment (John 7:24). We have to learn how to distinguish, in ourselves and those who work with us or for us, the difference between activity and accomplishment. Accomplishment requires some activity, for sure, but activity does not always indicate that anything worthwhile is being accomplished.
Steve Marr points out three groups of people who look good, but do not deliver:
#1 – The Boasters
These are the people who talk a good game. They have grand plans and can be very convincing in talking about all they are going to do. But if you ask them what they have done, you’ll get a different story. Proverbs 14:23 says, All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. So, don’t be fooled by the person who boasts a lot. And watch yourself. It’s a lot smarter to wait until you’ve achieved your goal to talk about it, than to set yourself up for embarrassment and ridicule by talking and not doing.
#2 – The Movers
These are people who are always busy, always moving, but never seem to get the job done. Often these people have very poor work habits. They start and stop a lot, they don’t stay focused very well, they don’t organize their activities or plan their priorities. So, they just keep moving, keep talking about how busy they are, but they accomplish little. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they should, run in such a way as to get the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). Running–or moving and keeping busy–is only effective if we do it in such a way that we get the prize, and that prize is to please the Lord with meaningful accomplishments.
#3 – The Non-Finishers
These are the people who start strong, with a burst of energy, but never seem to get to the finish line. They have lots of half-finished jobs. They lack the discipline to stay with it until it’s done. I know how easy it is for me to fall into this trap, because my attention span seems to be very short. Therefore, I have learned to impose discipline on myself in order to force myself to finish one job before I start another one. Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, The end of a matter is better than its beginning. If you tend to fall into the non-finishers category too often, train yourself to finish one thing before you start another.I believe it’s important for us to ask ourselves: Am I confusing activity with accomplishment? Have you been deceived into thinking that because you’re always so busy, you’re doing what you should be doing?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Worship Before Mercy
Excerpt from Present Your Bodies As a Living Sacrifice to God by John Piper
Based on Romans 12:1-2
"We must never let the Christian life drift into a mere social agenda. I use the word “mere” carefully, because if God is left out, our mercy will be mere social agenda. We do no one good in the end if we are not worshipping and leading them to worship in the acts of mercy that we do. If our good deeds are not expressing the worth of God, then our deeds are not worship, and in the end will not be merciful. Making people comfortable or helping them feel good on the way to everlasting punishment, without the hope and the design that they see Christ in your good deeds, is not mercy. Mercy must aim to make much of Christ. For no one is saved who doesn't meet and make much of Christ. And not to care about saving is not merciful.
Therefore, it is absolutely essential that Paul put worship before mercy and that he define the Christian life as worshipful before he defines it as merciful. Or to put it more carefully, Paul defines the Christian life as worship so that it can be merciful. If we are not worshipping in our behavior—that is, if we are not making much of God's mercy in Christ in and along side our behavior—we are not giving people what they need most. And that is not merciful. A merciful lifestyle depends on a worshipful lifestyle. So before Paul defines Christian living as merciful, he defines it as worshipful. "
Based on Romans 12:1-2
"We must never let the Christian life drift into a mere social agenda. I use the word “mere” carefully, because if God is left out, our mercy will be mere social agenda. We do no one good in the end if we are not worshipping and leading them to worship in the acts of mercy that we do. If our good deeds are not expressing the worth of God, then our deeds are not worship, and in the end will not be merciful. Making people comfortable or helping them feel good on the way to everlasting punishment, without the hope and the design that they see Christ in your good deeds, is not mercy. Mercy must aim to make much of Christ. For no one is saved who doesn't meet and make much of Christ. And not to care about saving is not merciful.
Therefore, it is absolutely essential that Paul put worship before mercy and that he define the Christian life as worshipful before he defines it as merciful. Or to put it more carefully, Paul defines the Christian life as worship so that it can be merciful. If we are not worshipping in our behavior—that is, if we are not making much of God's mercy in Christ in and along side our behavior—we are not giving people what they need most. And that is not merciful. A merciful lifestyle depends on a worshipful lifestyle. So before Paul defines Christian living as merciful, he defines it as worshipful. "
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
The Ready Listener
Excerpt from He Who Has Ears to Hear by Joy Dawson Pray Magazine
"Have you ever said, "If only I could hear God's voice, I would do whatever He told me?"
Many years ago, that's exactly what I said. Apparently that statement got God's attention, because as soon as I started to get still enough and quiet enough to listen, He started to speak to me specifically, personally, and conversationally in a whole new dimension. My relationship with God became exciting and infinitely more meaningful. I was tuned in and turned on to God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I took off on the adventure of a lifetime—hearing and obeying God's voice. I was forever ruined for the ordinary.
While hearing God should be the experience of every believer, there are conditions God requires in order for this intimate relationship with Him to work.
Humility
One of our greatest universal needs is to experience and walk in humility at increasingly deeper levels. Period. When it comes to experiencing divine guidance, the Bible makes it clear that we will not make any progress without humility. "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way" (Ps. 25:9). Pride feels no need to inquire of God and take time to seek His face. When we see this from God's perspective, it is both proud and foolish to live independently of Him by continuously making our own decisions and hoping or presuming they are in His will. The Bible says that "God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any that are wise, that seek after God" (Ps. 53:2, RSV).
After David made the mistake and experienced the subsequent horrible implications of not seeking God for direction, he cried out to God, "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression" (Ps. 19:13, NKJV).
Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us that presumption in God's sight is "great transgression," based in pride. We have a further insight into God's perspective on this subject from Zeph. 1:6, which speaks judgment against "Those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him" (NKJV).
You may be thinking, Well, I seek God on all the major issues, but I don't bother Him with the little decisions. Oh really? It was just as important to Jesus, who modeled humility for us, to seek God the Father's face related to matters large or small. He said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (Jn. 5:19). Have you noticed that this level of humility and dependence produced incredible results?"
... see link for remainder of article ...
"Have you ever said, "If only I could hear God's voice, I would do whatever He told me?"
Many years ago, that's exactly what I said. Apparently that statement got God's attention, because as soon as I started to get still enough and quiet enough to listen, He started to speak to me specifically, personally, and conversationally in a whole new dimension. My relationship with God became exciting and infinitely more meaningful. I was tuned in and turned on to God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I took off on the adventure of a lifetime—hearing and obeying God's voice. I was forever ruined for the ordinary.
While hearing God should be the experience of every believer, there are conditions God requires in order for this intimate relationship with Him to work.
Humility
One of our greatest universal needs is to experience and walk in humility at increasingly deeper levels. Period. When it comes to experiencing divine guidance, the Bible makes it clear that we will not make any progress without humility. "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way" (Ps. 25:9). Pride feels no need to inquire of God and take time to seek His face. When we see this from God's perspective, it is both proud and foolish to live independently of Him by continuously making our own decisions and hoping or presuming they are in His will. The Bible says that "God looks down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any that are wise, that seek after God" (Ps. 53:2, RSV).
After David made the mistake and experienced the subsequent horrible implications of not seeking God for direction, he cried out to God, "Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression" (Ps. 19:13, NKJV).
Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us that presumption in God's sight is "great transgression," based in pride. We have a further insight into God's perspective on this subject from Zeph. 1:6, which speaks judgment against "Those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him" (NKJV).
You may be thinking, Well, I seek God on all the major issues, but I don't bother Him with the little decisions. Oh really? It was just as important to Jesus, who modeled humility for us, to seek God the Father's face related to matters large or small. He said, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (Jn. 5:19). Have you noticed that this level of humility and dependence produced incredible results?"
... see link for remainder of article ...
The Day God Ran
Walk in the Word Weekly Walk by Dr. James MacDonald
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:20-24
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about people who are runners. Not the track and field kind—but those who are on the run from God. You know who you are. You might sit in church on Sunday, but in your heart you’re putting distance between you and God.
I don’t know what has prompted you to take off. Maybe you’ve done something you think is beyond God’s mercy to forgive. Maybe someone has hurt you and you don’t understand why God let it happen. Maybe you’d just rather live by your own rules and cling to some silly, sordid something than turn around.
I may not know why you’re running, but I know this: you’re tired. You’ve grown so used to this flight pattern that you can’t imagine life any differently.
Can I ask you to rest for a minute and listen to something that will determine your course for the rest of your life? I’m not exaggerating.
Jesus told a story about a runner. He pictured him as a son taking off from his dad’s house. You probably know the parable of the prodigal son. After all the details of this runner’s rise and fall, Luke 15:17 tells us that he woke up one day in a pigsty and said to himself, “Whoa—how did I get here? I need to go back.”
His first thought was “what will Dad do?” Have you ever thought: If I come back to God, how will He receive me?
Some people think God wouldn’t care one way or the other. He would barely look up from what He was doing to say, “Oh, you’re back. Fine. Just throw your things over there.” But that’s not how Jesus described His Father. He said, “Listen! Hear those feet pounding the pavement? There’s getting closer! That’s God running toward you! He’s been searching the horizon, waiting for just a glimpse of you, and now that He sees you He’s in a full run toward you.” Luke 15:20 says that when the father got to his son, he threw his arms around him and kissed him. Can’t you just picture the tears running down his face? My son! He’s home!
God put that in His Word so that every runner would know what to expect when they reversed course and ran back to God.
I’ve never been more sure of this: God loves you and is running toward you. Will you turn around and fall into His arms?
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:20-24
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about people who are runners. Not the track and field kind—but those who are on the run from God. You know who you are. You might sit in church on Sunday, but in your heart you’re putting distance between you and God.
I don’t know what has prompted you to take off. Maybe you’ve done something you think is beyond God’s mercy to forgive. Maybe someone has hurt you and you don’t understand why God let it happen. Maybe you’d just rather live by your own rules and cling to some silly, sordid something than turn around.
I may not know why you’re running, but I know this: you’re tired. You’ve grown so used to this flight pattern that you can’t imagine life any differently.
Can I ask you to rest for a minute and listen to something that will determine your course for the rest of your life? I’m not exaggerating.
Jesus told a story about a runner. He pictured him as a son taking off from his dad’s house. You probably know the parable of the prodigal son. After all the details of this runner’s rise and fall, Luke 15:17 tells us that he woke up one day in a pigsty and said to himself, “Whoa—how did I get here? I need to go back.”
His first thought was “what will Dad do?” Have you ever thought: If I come back to God, how will He receive me?
Some people think God wouldn’t care one way or the other. He would barely look up from what He was doing to say, “Oh, you’re back. Fine. Just throw your things over there.” But that’s not how Jesus described His Father. He said, “Listen! Hear those feet pounding the pavement? There’s getting closer! That’s God running toward you! He’s been searching the horizon, waiting for just a glimpse of you, and now that He sees you He’s in a full run toward you.” Luke 15:20 says that when the father got to his son, he threw his arms around him and kissed him. Can’t you just picture the tears running down his face? My son! He’s home!
God put that in His Word so that every runner would know what to expect when they reversed course and ran back to God.
I’ve never been more sure of this: God loves you and is running toward you. Will you turn around and fall into His arms?
Happiness
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
GOD'S CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS
1 Timothy 6:6 NIV Godliness with contentment is great gain
The world's concept of happiness is getting what we want. All merchandising is based on this idea. To really be happy, we need a flashier car, a sexier cologne, or any number of items that are better, faster or easier to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials, read the ads, and pursue all the latest fashions, fads and fancy doodads. We buy into the lie that we're not really happy until we get what we want.
God's concept of happiness is summed up in the simple proverb: "Happy is the man who wants what he has." As long as you are focusing on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate what you already have, you'll begin to experience the joys of life. Paul wrote to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV ).
Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you don't have.
Prayer:
Father, today I want to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will add to my life all that I need.
GOD'S CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS
1 Timothy 6:6 NIV Godliness with contentment is great gain
The world's concept of happiness is getting what we want. All merchandising is based on this idea. To really be happy, we need a flashier car, a sexier cologne, or any number of items that are better, faster or easier to use than what we already have. We watch the commercials, read the ads, and pursue all the latest fashions, fads and fancy doodads. We buy into the lie that we're not really happy until we get what we want.
God's concept of happiness is summed up in the simple proverb: "Happy is the man who wants what he has." As long as you are focusing on what you don't have, you'll be unhappy. But when you begin to appreciate what you already have, you'll begin to experience the joys of life. Paul wrote to Timothy: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that" (1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV ).
Actually, you already have everything you need to live a joyful life. You have Christ. You have eternal life. You are loved by a heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your needs. No wonder the Bible repeatedly commands us to be thankful (1 Thessalonians 5:18). If you really want to be happy, learn to be thankful for what you have and not covet what you don't have.
Prayer:
Father, today I want to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, knowing that You will add to my life all that I need.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Don't Be In the Bubble
Excerpt from Dan Kimball's post An Hour Long Sermon
"I then brought up 23 year old Orion. He told the story of how he was raised entirely outside of the church and had stereotypes of Christianity which was primarily very negative. He also was a history major in college and heard all the bad things about Christians and the crusades etc. But when he moved to Santa Cruz, he moved in with a Christian - another young guy in our church who did not post an ad for a "Christian roommate" but instead ended up having Orion become his roommate. Orion shared if the ad said "Christian roommate", of course he never would have been interested. But through this roommate, and as trust was built - he eventually invited Orion to an actual church gathering on a Sunday and ended up putting faith in Jesus. My hope in this example, was to show how it took the Christian roommate to not be in a "bubble" but befriending and building trust with Orion. Orion has taken our "Intro to Christianity" class and is in process but excited about his new faith in Jesus.
I got into my usual "who are you friends with that is not a Christian?" and could you be in the "bubble" talk - and asked the question about prayer. Prayer shows our heart, so I asked the test of who are the names of those who do not know Jesus that you are regularly praying for? If we aren't regular praying for specific people - bluntly, it probably means we don't care about them and their salvation or we would at least take some time to pray. Or we may not take time in our lives to build friendships with people. I shared that I believe in heaven (yes, the Kingdom of heaven in this life and after this life) and I also said that I believe in a hell. Which means people will be spending eternity with God or without Him. We are going to be giving a sermon on hell in about a month. But I know I cannot sometimes sleep at night, thinking about people I care about and ponder their eternity. When we don't have relationships with people outside the church - real relationships - it is easy to sleep at night and get caught in our Christian bubble and not pray for them or take time with them. I fully know it is the Spirit who draws people to a conviction of sin and repentance, and I am not talking about having a Messiah complex. I am just talking about caring for people and praying for them."
See link for rest of the post .. especially the video clip at the beginning.
"I then brought up 23 year old Orion. He told the story of how he was raised entirely outside of the church and had stereotypes of Christianity which was primarily very negative. He also was a history major in college and heard all the bad things about Christians and the crusades etc. But when he moved to Santa Cruz, he moved in with a Christian - another young guy in our church who did not post an ad for a "Christian roommate" but instead ended up having Orion become his roommate. Orion shared if the ad said "Christian roommate", of course he never would have been interested. But through this roommate, and as trust was built - he eventually invited Orion to an actual church gathering on a Sunday and ended up putting faith in Jesus. My hope in this example, was to show how it took the Christian roommate to not be in a "bubble" but befriending and building trust with Orion. Orion has taken our "Intro to Christianity" class and is in process but excited about his new faith in Jesus.
I got into my usual "who are you friends with that is not a Christian?" and could you be in the "bubble" talk - and asked the question about prayer. Prayer shows our heart, so I asked the test of who are the names of those who do not know Jesus that you are regularly praying for? If we aren't regular praying for specific people - bluntly, it probably means we don't care about them and their salvation or we would at least take some time to pray. Or we may not take time in our lives to build friendships with people. I shared that I believe in heaven (yes, the Kingdom of heaven in this life and after this life) and I also said that I believe in a hell. Which means people will be spending eternity with God or without Him. We are going to be giving a sermon on hell in about a month. But I know I cannot sometimes sleep at night, thinking about people I care about and ponder their eternity. When we don't have relationships with people outside the church - real relationships - it is easy to sleep at night and get caught in our Christian bubble and not pray for them or take time with them. I fully know it is the Spirit who draws people to a conviction of sin and repentance, and I am not talking about having a Messiah complex. I am just talking about caring for people and praying for them."
See link for rest of the post .. especially the video clip at the beginning.
Seasons
Elisabeth Elliot Daily Devotional
Title: Lord of All Seasons
A few years ago I spoke to a group of women in Florida about Jesus Christ being "Lord of All Seasons." The topic was their choice, and I found myself, as usual, tested along the very lines on which I was going to speak. During the previous week, Lars and I had learned that all twenty-eight of the nice new (and very expensive) windows we had installed in our new house leaked. I was anxious about many things--my mother's health, my coming grandchild, a new word processor which I wasn't sure I was smart enough to learn to use, and (alas!) a tooth which seemed about to fall out. What a list of varied things to worry about.
But Jesus died for me! He's risen and coming again! He has given me an inheritance that nothing can "destroy or spoil or wither" (1 Peter 1:4, NEB) and a Kingdom which is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28). That's the gospel. Has it anything to do with leaking windows, computers, grandchildren, teeth? Well, I told myself, if it hasn't, you've got no business getting up in front of those women and opening your mouth at all. If I can't give thanks, trust, and worship the Lord in every "season," in the face of any set of facts which may touch my life, I am not really a believer. It is here, in my corner of God's earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the School of Faith.
P.S. Later: They fixed the windows for us, but then we found that all four of the outside doors needed to be fixed. God hadn't finished with us yet.
Title: Lord of All Seasons
A few years ago I spoke to a group of women in Florida about Jesus Christ being "Lord of All Seasons." The topic was their choice, and I found myself, as usual, tested along the very lines on which I was going to speak. During the previous week, Lars and I had learned that all twenty-eight of the nice new (and very expensive) windows we had installed in our new house leaked. I was anxious about many things--my mother's health, my coming grandchild, a new word processor which I wasn't sure I was smart enough to learn to use, and (alas!) a tooth which seemed about to fall out. What a list of varied things to worry about.
But Jesus died for me! He's risen and coming again! He has given me an inheritance that nothing can "destroy or spoil or wither" (1 Peter 1:4, NEB) and a Kingdom which is unshakable (Hebrews 12:28). That's the gospel. Has it anything to do with leaking windows, computers, grandchildren, teeth? Well, I told myself, if it hasn't, you've got no business getting up in front of those women and opening your mouth at all. If I can't give thanks, trust, and worship the Lord in every "season," in the face of any set of facts which may touch my life, I am not really a believer. It is here, in my corner of God's earth, that I am assigned my lessons in the School of Faith.
P.S. Later: They fixed the windows for us, but then we found that all four of the outside doors needed to be fixed. God hadn't finished with us yet.
Honest and Real
Neil Anderson Daily in Christ
BEING EMOTIONALLY HONEST
Ephesians 4:15 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ
You can guard your intimate relationships by monitoring how you verbally express your emotions to them. For example, you're having a terrible day at the office, so you call home and say to your wife, "Honey, I'm having a bear of a day. I won't be home until about 6:00 p.m. and I have a meeting at church at 7:00. Could you have dinner ready when I get home?"
When you hit the front door you discover that your wife doesn't have dinner ready as you'd hoped. "For crying out loud," you blaze at her, "I wanted dinner ready at six o'clock! That's why I called you!" Is your wife really the cause of your emotional outburst? Not really. You had a terrible day and you're tired, hungry and stressed out. It's not her fault. Anything could have set you off. You could have just as easily kicked the dog.
Rather than level your wife, why not be emotionally honest? When it comes to acknowledging emotions with your inner circle, honesty is the best policy. But be sure to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Another important guideline for acknowledging and expressing your emotions is to know your limitations. Be aware that if you're on the edge emotionally--angry, tense, anxious, depressed--it's not a good time to make decisions on important issues. Your emotions may push you to resolve what you're struggling with, but you may regret your resolution if you push too hard. You're going to say things you'll later regret. Somebody's going to get hurt. You're far better off to recognize your emotional limits and say, "If we keep talking I'm going to get angry. May we continue this discussion at another time?"
Being emotionally honest lets others off the hook. When you honestly convey how you feel, others know you are not primarily mad at them and that the problem is not their fault. They can also love you better by meeting the needs you express.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, enable me to be an honest and real person today, speaking the truth in love in all my relationships.
BEING EMOTIONALLY HONEST
Ephesians 4:15 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ
You can guard your intimate relationships by monitoring how you verbally express your emotions to them. For example, you're having a terrible day at the office, so you call home and say to your wife, "Honey, I'm having a bear of a day. I won't be home until about 6:00 p.m. and I have a meeting at church at 7:00. Could you have dinner ready when I get home?"
When you hit the front door you discover that your wife doesn't have dinner ready as you'd hoped. "For crying out loud," you blaze at her, "I wanted dinner ready at six o'clock! That's why I called you!" Is your wife really the cause of your emotional outburst? Not really. You had a terrible day and you're tired, hungry and stressed out. It's not her fault. Anything could have set you off. You could have just as easily kicked the dog.
Rather than level your wife, why not be emotionally honest? When it comes to acknowledging emotions with your inner circle, honesty is the best policy. But be sure to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
Another important guideline for acknowledging and expressing your emotions is to know your limitations. Be aware that if you're on the edge emotionally--angry, tense, anxious, depressed--it's not a good time to make decisions on important issues. Your emotions may push you to resolve what you're struggling with, but you may regret your resolution if you push too hard. You're going to say things you'll later regret. Somebody's going to get hurt. You're far better off to recognize your emotional limits and say, "If we keep talking I'm going to get angry. May we continue this discussion at another time?"
Being emotionally honest lets others off the hook. When you honestly convey how you feel, others know you are not primarily mad at them and that the problem is not their fault. They can also love you better by meeting the needs you express.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, enable me to be an honest and real person today, speaking the truth in love in all my relationships.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Mind for God or a Heart for God?
Excerpt of John Piper's response to the following question:
Is it more important to have a mind for God or a heart for God?
A balance is necessary for sure, but both are crucial.
I could probably make a case for each that would make it sound more important than the other, which sounds contradictory. This is because, in a sense, truth is the foundation of all right affections, while at the same time right affections (the heart in relation to God) is the goal of truth.
Is it more important to have a mind for God or a heart for God?
A balance is necessary for sure, but both are crucial.
I could probably make a case for each that would make it sound more important than the other, which sounds contradictory. This is because, in a sense, truth is the foundation of all right affections, while at the same time right affections (the heart in relation to God) is the goal of truth.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Emerging + Missional
Excerpt from conversation with Dan Kimball (Out of Ur)
You’ve talked about Guder’s book, The Missional Church. Do you see a convergence between the ideas generated by the emerging church and the growing popularity of missional theology, or do you see them as really separate conversations?
To my best understanding the emerging church and the missional church are very much the same. But when you talk about the “emerging church” there is also a stream of conversation which focuses more on pragmatic changes—like worship gathering and helping younger people connect with worship. That is part of it, but it is far more than just making changes in the worship gathering, it is a philosophical way of being a Christian and being churches sent into the world. Personally, I use the terms “emerging church” and “missional church” interchangeably. They are synonymous conversations. But not everyone sees them that way.
Because they’re not addressing the deeper, philosophical, theological issues, they’re just changing their style?
Some churches only change the style or add an alternative Sunday night worship gathering to see younger people come to the church and consider that to be missional or emerging. That’s a wonderful hope and worthy motivation, but usually that isn’t addressing the deeper issues. Adding an alternative worship gathering to an existing church is very difficult because the philosophical DNA not going to be different. Being missional requires an ecclesiological change.
That’s why I never recommend starting an alternative gathering with a different pastor in an existing church. Being missional must impact the whole of the church, not just a department within the church. That’s why most churches-within-a-church don’t work and why we are seeing so many church planters. It’s hard to change an existing church at this deep a level. It’s not impossible, but it is a lot harder than just changing the style of an alternative worship gathering.
You’ve talked about Guder’s book, The Missional Church. Do you see a convergence between the ideas generated by the emerging church and the growing popularity of missional theology, or do you see them as really separate conversations?
To my best understanding the emerging church and the missional church are very much the same. But when you talk about the “emerging church” there is also a stream of conversation which focuses more on pragmatic changes—like worship gathering and helping younger people connect with worship. That is part of it, but it is far more than just making changes in the worship gathering, it is a philosophical way of being a Christian and being churches sent into the world. Personally, I use the terms “emerging church” and “missional church” interchangeably. They are synonymous conversations. But not everyone sees them that way.
Because they’re not addressing the deeper, philosophical, theological issues, they’re just changing their style?
Some churches only change the style or add an alternative Sunday night worship gathering to see younger people come to the church and consider that to be missional or emerging. That’s a wonderful hope and worthy motivation, but usually that isn’t addressing the deeper issues. Adding an alternative worship gathering to an existing church is very difficult because the philosophical DNA not going to be different. Being missional requires an ecclesiological change.
That’s why I never recommend starting an alternative gathering with a different pastor in an existing church. Being missional must impact the whole of the church, not just a department within the church. That’s why most churches-within-a-church don’t work and why we are seeing so many church planters. It’s hard to change an existing church at this deep a level. It’s not impossible, but it is a lot harder than just changing the style of an alternative worship gathering.
Connecting
Christian Working Woman Transcript
Thursday, October 04, 2007 - Connecting with Others
Do you approach your relationships as a host or a guest? The attitude that helps is to think of yourself as the host or hostess rather than the guest. Or, in more biblical terms, as one who serves rather than one who is served.
Think about your daily interactions with other people–at work, at home or church, wherever. Are you a host or a guest? For example, do you initiate the phone call that needs to be made or do you wait for the other person to call? When you’re in a group, do you introduce yourself to someone new or wait for them to introduce themselves first? When someone seems puzzled or confused, do you offer to help?
Maybe you’re thinking that you can’t be the host or hostess because you’re shy or introverted. I want to encourage you to give it a try. It may take you out of your comfort zone temporarily, but once you take that first step to “host” your relationships, you’ll see that it really isn’t that scary, and before long you will be comfortable doing it. It will surprise you to see the positive reactions you receive and you’ll feel very good about connecting with others in more meaningful ways.
One of the reasons we hesitate to take the role of host or hostess in relationships is because we fear what others will think of us. I find that when I am more concerned about how I will appear to others than I am about trying to connect with them, it’s because I am far too self-focused. I have to stop and remind myself that it’s not all about me. I can assure you that if you reach out to others in an attempt to connect in a better, more loving way, you will rarely make a fool of yourself. And so what if you do? Does the world stop revolving? Does God stop loving you? We just have to get over our intense self-absorption.
Another obstacle to connecting with others is our pride. How often do you hesitate to initiate a connection with someone new because you feel they should make the first move? If you find yourself thinking, “They should come to me,” it could be the indication of a proud attitude.
Or maybe some of us hesitate to connect with others because it just takes too much effort. True, it does take effort and time, but the fruit of that effort is very rewarding.
I hope you’ll consider your responsibility to be a host or hostess with the people in your life, rather than playing the role of the guest. It makes life so much richer and fulfills our God-given responsibility to do unto others as we would want them to do to us.
Thursday, October 04, 2007 - Connecting with Others
Do you approach your relationships as a host or a guest? The attitude that helps is to think of yourself as the host or hostess rather than the guest. Or, in more biblical terms, as one who serves rather than one who is served.
Think about your daily interactions with other people–at work, at home or church, wherever. Are you a host or a guest? For example, do you initiate the phone call that needs to be made or do you wait for the other person to call? When you’re in a group, do you introduce yourself to someone new or wait for them to introduce themselves first? When someone seems puzzled or confused, do you offer to help?
Maybe you’re thinking that you can’t be the host or hostess because you’re shy or introverted. I want to encourage you to give it a try. It may take you out of your comfort zone temporarily, but once you take that first step to “host” your relationships, you’ll see that it really isn’t that scary, and before long you will be comfortable doing it. It will surprise you to see the positive reactions you receive and you’ll feel very good about connecting with others in more meaningful ways.
One of the reasons we hesitate to take the role of host or hostess in relationships is because we fear what others will think of us. I find that when I am more concerned about how I will appear to others than I am about trying to connect with them, it’s because I am far too self-focused. I have to stop and remind myself that it’s not all about me. I can assure you that if you reach out to others in an attempt to connect in a better, more loving way, you will rarely make a fool of yourself. And so what if you do? Does the world stop revolving? Does God stop loving you? We just have to get over our intense self-absorption.
Another obstacle to connecting with others is our pride. How often do you hesitate to initiate a connection with someone new because you feel they should make the first move? If you find yourself thinking, “They should come to me,” it could be the indication of a proud attitude.
Or maybe some of us hesitate to connect with others because it just takes too much effort. True, it does take effort and time, but the fruit of that effort is very rewarding.
I hope you’ll consider your responsibility to be a host or hostess with the people in your life, rather than playing the role of the guest. It makes life so much richer and fulfills our God-given responsibility to do unto others as we would want them to do to us.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Sacrifices of Love
Excerpt from Getting Old for the Glory of God by John Piper
Resolutely Resisting Retirement
Getting old to the glory of God means resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ that we are set free from the cravings that create so much emptiness and uselessness in retirement. Instead, knowing that we have an infinitely satisfying and everlasting inheritance in God just over the horizon of life makes us zealous in our few remaining years here to spend ourselves in the sacrifices of love, not the accumulation of comforts.
The Perseverance of Raymond Lull
Consider the way Raymond Lull finished his earthly course.
Raymond Lull was born in a wealthy family on the island of Majorca off the coast of Spain in 1235. His life as a youth was dissolute, but a series of visions compelled him to follow Christ. He first entered monastic life but later became a missionary to Muslim countries in northern Africa. He learned Arabic and after returning from Africa became a professor of Arabic until he was 79. Samuel Zwemer describes the end of his life like this, and, of course, it is the exact opposite of retirement:
His pupils and friends naturally desired that he should end his days in the peaceful pursuit of learning and the comfort of companionship.
Such however was not Lull’s wish. . . . In Lull’s contemplations we read . . . “Men are wont to die, O Lord, from old age, the failure of natural warmth and excess of cold; but thus, if it be Thy will, Thy servant would not wish to die; he would prefer to die in the glow of love, even as Thou wast willing to die for him.”
The dangers and difficulties that made Lull shrink back . . . in 1291 only urged him forward to North Africa once more in 1314. His love had not grown cold, but burned the brighter . . . . He longed not only for the martyr’s crown, but also once more to see his little band of believers [in Africa]. Animated by these sentiments he crossed over to Bugia [Algeria] on August 14, and for nearly a whole year labored secretly among a little circle of converts, whom on his previous visits he had won over to the Christian faith. . . .
At length, weary of seclusion, and longing for martyrdom, he came forth into the open market and presented himself to the people as the same man whom they had once expelled from their town. It was Elijah showing himself to a mob of Ahabs! Lull stood before them and threatened them with divine wrath if they still persisted in their errors. He pleaded with love, but spoke plainly the whole truth. The consequences can be easily anticipated. Filled with fanatic fury at his boldness, and unable to reply to his arguments, the populace seized him, and dragged him out of the town; there by the command, or at least the connivance, of the king, he was stoned on the 30th of June 1315.1
Resolutely Resisting Retirement
Getting old to the glory of God means resolutely resisting the typical American dream of retirement. It means being so satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Christ that we are set free from the cravings that create so much emptiness and uselessness in retirement. Instead, knowing that we have an infinitely satisfying and everlasting inheritance in God just over the horizon of life makes us zealous in our few remaining years here to spend ourselves in the sacrifices of love, not the accumulation of comforts.
The Perseverance of Raymond Lull
Consider the way Raymond Lull finished his earthly course.
Raymond Lull was born in a wealthy family on the island of Majorca off the coast of Spain in 1235. His life as a youth was dissolute, but a series of visions compelled him to follow Christ. He first entered monastic life but later became a missionary to Muslim countries in northern Africa. He learned Arabic and after returning from Africa became a professor of Arabic until he was 79. Samuel Zwemer describes the end of his life like this, and, of course, it is the exact opposite of retirement:
His pupils and friends naturally desired that he should end his days in the peaceful pursuit of learning and the comfort of companionship.
Such however was not Lull’s wish. . . . In Lull’s contemplations we read . . . “Men are wont to die, O Lord, from old age, the failure of natural warmth and excess of cold; but thus, if it be Thy will, Thy servant would not wish to die; he would prefer to die in the glow of love, even as Thou wast willing to die for him.”
The dangers and difficulties that made Lull shrink back . . . in 1291 only urged him forward to North Africa once more in 1314. His love had not grown cold, but burned the brighter . . . . He longed not only for the martyr’s crown, but also once more to see his little band of believers [in Africa]. Animated by these sentiments he crossed over to Bugia [Algeria] on August 14, and for nearly a whole year labored secretly among a little circle of converts, whom on his previous visits he had won over to the Christian faith. . . .
At length, weary of seclusion, and longing for martyrdom, he came forth into the open market and presented himself to the people as the same man whom they had once expelled from their town. It was Elijah showing himself to a mob of Ahabs! Lull stood before them and threatened them with divine wrath if they still persisted in their errors. He pleaded with love, but spoke plainly the whole truth. The consequences can be easily anticipated. Filled with fanatic fury at his boldness, and unable to reply to his arguments, the populace seized him, and dragged him out of the town; there by the command, or at least the connivance, of the king, he was stoned on the 30th of June 1315.1
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