Living Christ

If you make doctrine the main thing, you are very likely to grow narrow-minded. If you make your own experience the main thing, you will become gloomy and critical of others. If you make ordinances the main thing, you will be apt to grow merely formal. But you can never make too much of the living Christ Jesus. Remember that all things else are for his sake. Doctrines and ordinances are the planets, but Christ is the sun. Get to love him best of all.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Merry Christmas!

Michael Card: Immanuel

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

Shepherd

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23

---

8And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

Luke 2

---

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

John 10

---

17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

Revelation 7

Meeting Needs

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

OUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT

1 Timothy 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever

When love is used as a verb in the Bible, it requires the lover to meet the needs of the one being loved. Love must be given away. God so loved the world that He gave (John 3:16). The corollary to John 3:16 is 1 John 3:16-18: "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. . . . Let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth."

The essence of love is meeting needs, and our most important assignment from God is to meet the needs of those who are closest to us (1 Timothy 5:8). We tend to use the people closest to us instead of meeting their needs. So the busy homemaker is out resolving everybody else's child-rearing problems but her own. The pastor is available to everyone but his wife and children. And the executive will work overtime to solve company problems while ignoring needs at home.

Take an inventory of your family's needs. I'm not talking about the external needs like clothing, education and food. I'm talking about gut-level needs that determine their sense of worth and belonging. When was the last time you hugged your child and told him you loved him? Have you noticed good character qualities in your spouse and pointed them out? If all you ever point out is physical qualities or achievements, your family members will base their worth on how well they perform and look instead of developing character. Do you regularly reinforce good behavior, or do you only notice the poor behavior? When your child does something nice, do you thank him? Does your child know that he is loved and valued from the way you talk to him?

Love can't be separated from action. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15). If you love your family members, follow through with loving words and deeds.

Prayer:

Lord, keep me from looking beyond the needs of those who are closest to me and from using my loved ones for my own purposes.

My Strength

The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! For the Chief Musician; with my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3: 19 (Amplified Bible)

Adore Him

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

O Come, All Ye Faithful

His Star

1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

Matthew 2

------------------------------------------

You might find this site interesting --

Was the Star of Bethlehem a real astronomical event? A myth created by the early church? Explore the history and science for yourself... The Star of Bethlehem

End of the Limb

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

USING OUR GIFTS AND TALENTS

1 Corinthians 12:7
To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good

After I taught a class on spiritual gifts, a young man came to me and asked, "Is my gift prophecy or exhortation?"

Knowing him very well, I was careful as I responded, "I don't think either one is your gift. But if I have ever known someone who has the gift of helps, you're it. You're sensitive to the needs of other people and always ready to help."

A look of disappointment came over his face. "I knew it!" he responded. Struggling with a low self-image, he was pursuing what he wrongly perceived to be a greater gift. You will never be fulfilled trying to become something you are not.

God hasn't distributed gifts and talents equally, and for that reason alone we can be assured that our sense of self-worth isn't to be based on what we do. Our self-acceptance comes from our identity in Christ and our growth in character. Show me someone who understands who he is as a child of God and whose character exemplifies the fruit of the Spirit, and I will show you someone with a healthy self-image.

Every child of God has the same identity in Christ and opportunity to grow. When our identity is firmly established and we have matured to the point where the fruit of the Spirit is evident, we will feel fulfilled when we use our gifts and talents to edify others.

God has known us from the foundation of the world. He has entrusted us with certain life endowments. He will certainly lead us in a way that makes use of our gifts and talents. It is our responsibility to take advantage of every opportunity as it arrives. Tragically, many people go to the grave with their music still in them, never contributing to the symphony of God's work. They never realize their potential nor taken the risks that faith requires. They hang onto the security of the tree trunk, but the fruit is always on the end of the limb.

Prayer:

Lord, I don't want to go to the grave without having accomplished my purpose. Use my gifts and talents to glorify You and edify others today.

Praise His Holy Name

One of the songs at this time of year that I never get tired of hearing is O Holy Night:

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels' voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the wise men from Orient land.

The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King, Behold your King.

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

Celtic Woman | O Holy Night

Transformed

Excerpts from interesting (and challenging) editorial by D.A. Carson in Themelios:

The apostle Paul writes, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom 12:2). Elsewhere he tells the Corinthians, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).

Thinking differently from the "world" has been part of the Christian's responsibility and agenda from the beginning. The language Paul uses intimates that this independence of thought will not be easy. The assumption seems to be that the world has its own patterns, its own structured arguments, its own value systems. Because we Christians live in the world, the "default" reality is that we are likely to be shaped by these patterns, structures, and values, unless we consciously discern how and where they stand over against the gospel and all its entailments, and adopt radically different thinking. More: our response must not only be defensive (Rom 12:2), but offensive, aiming to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God," aiming to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).

...

These precise challenges never faced Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Turretin. But what does it mean not to let the world squeeze us into its mold in the opening decade of the twenty-first century?

I shall not here review the Christian resources God has kindly lavished on us to enable us not to conform to the pattern of this world. If we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, then we must be reading the Scriptures perennially, seeking to think God's thoughts after him, focusing on the gospel of God and pondering its implications in every domain of life. We need to hear competing voices of information from the world around us, use our time in the digital world wisely, and learn to shut that world down when it becomes more important to get up in the morning and answer emails than it does to get up and read the Bible and pray. We may also learn much from church history, where we observe fellow believers in other times and cultures learning the shape of faithfulness. We begin to detect how easily the "world" may squeeze us into its mold. We soon learn that adequate response is more than mere mental resolve, mere disciplined observance of the principle "garbage in, garbage out" (after all, we are what we think), though it is not less than that. The gospel is the power of God issuing in salvation. Empowered by the Holy Spirit and living in the shadow of the cross and resurrection, we find ourselves wanting to be conformed to the Lord Jesus, wanting to be as holy and as wise as pardoned sinners can be this side of the consummation.

Gather 'Round

We really enjoyed seeing Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb of God last year:

Great I Am

As Adam talked about the birth of Jesus (Luke 1) from Mary's perspective I couldn't help but think of the "Mary Did You Know" song by Mark Lowery:

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Psalm 23

Create

Excerpt from The Tale of Depereaux by Mark Batterson | Evotional

One reason Christianity has a perception problem is because we tend to criticize culture instead of creating culture. We are more known for what we're against than what we're for. We need to aspire to something Michelangelo said: criticize by creating. Let's not just complain about what's wrong. Let's celebrate what's right.

...

Prosper

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

SOUL PROSPERITY

3 John 2
I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers

A few years ago a young woman flew out to Los Angeles from the East Coast with the understanding that I would spend some time with her. She professed to be a Christian, but her life was a mess. She was hearing demonic voices and was plagued with numerous problems. I'm surprised the airplane stayed in the air with her in it!

She told me that she had taken the first part of 3 John 2 as a personal promise: "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health." "If God has promised prosperity, success and health to me, why is my life all screwed up?" she complained.

"Finish the verse," I said.

". . .Just as your soul prospers," she continued.

I asked her pointedly, "How is your soul doing?" She told me she had submitted to three abortions as a result of illicit sexual affairs and she was presently living with another man outside of marriage. But she clung desperately to a misquoted promise.

I believe God wants us to prosper, but we must leave the definition of prosperity up to Him. In our sick Western world, we think prosperity is materialism. Try preaching that prosperity gospel in India, Somalia, or any Third World country. It's a cruel joke.

God is into soul prosperity. He wants our lives to be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. And when our soul prospers, "He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies" (Romans 8:11).

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, may my soul prosper greatly in You today, and may my life be fruitful as a result.

Magnificat

Luke 1:46-55

Humble Spirit

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE EXPRESSION OF PRIDE

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling

Pride is a killer. Pride says, "I can do it alone. I can get myself out of this mess without God's help." Oh, no you can't! We absolutely need God, and we desperately need each other. Paul wrote, "We are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3). Humility is confidence properly placed. Examine the instructions on pride and humility in James 4:6-10 and 1 Peter 5:1-10. The context reveals that spiritual conflict follows the expression of pride. Pride is what caused Lucifer to be thrown out of heaven.

Jesus said, "Simon, Simon [Peter], behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat" (Luke 22:31). On what basis could Satan make that demand? The context reveals the answer: "There arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest" (Luke 22:24). Pride was Peter's downfall, and it opened the door to the devil's opposition.

The Lord says that pride goes before destruction and an arrogant spirit before stumbling (Proverbs 16:18). We must confess areas where we have not denied ourselves, picked up our cross daily, and followed Him (Matthew 16:24). In so doing we have given ground to the enemy in our lives.

Have we believed that we could be successful and live victoriously by our own strength and resources? We must confess that we have sinned against God by placing our will before His and by centering our lives around self instead of Him. We must renounce the self life and by so doing cancel all the ground that has been gained in our members by the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must pray that God will guide us so that we will do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but that with humility of mind we will regard others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). We must ask God to enable us through love to serve others and in honor prefer others (Romans 12:10).

Prayer:

Loving Lord, I want my life to be marked by a humble spirit today. Forgive me for my proud, self-centered ways and independent spirit.

Worshipers

Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.

Here in this great gathering for worship
I have discovered this praise-life.
And I'll do what I promised right here
in front of the God-worshipers.
Down-and-outers sit at God's table
and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God
is here, praising him.
"Live it up, from head to toe.
Don't ever quit!"

From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses,
are running back to God.
Long-lost families
are falling on their faces before him.
God has taken charge;
from now on he has the last word.

All the power-mongers are before him
—worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
—worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
—worshiping!

Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news—
that God does what he says.

Psalm 22: 22-31, The Message

Comfort and Joy

I was enjoying "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman" on the radio this morning. The first few lines and refrain is what captured my attention:

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

Refrain

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.

...



Jars of Clay

Blessing

By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.

Proverbs 11: 11

Amazing

Go to Crazy Love | Videos | Awe Factor of God and play video

Harvest

Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

Galatians 6: 7-10, The Message

Be Teachable

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

Proverbs 9: 8-9

Third Current

Excerpts from The Current Move of God: 8 Characteristics by Frank Viola
November - December, 2008 | New Wineskins

...

In this article, however, I’ll be focusing on one particular move of God that has taken place in two different phases, or currents, thus far. Both of these currents have occurred outside the organized church in the West.

The first current occurred in the late 60s and early 70s. By 1979, it had all but died.

The second current began in the late 80s and early 90s.

This brings me to the reason why I’m excited about 2009.

It’s because we are just now beginning to see a third current of God’s move in the United States (and other Western countries) where Christians are leaving the institutional church structure (in record numbers) and discovering the living, breathing, headship of Jesus Christ in an organic, collective way without a clergy.

The landscape is changing rapidly. God is raising up new voices and new expressions of the church which look very different from the traditional expression.

According to my travels, my observations, and my correspondence, eight main features appear to be marking this third current. They are as follows:

1) A genuine revelation and experience of an indwelling Lord. Many Christians are being awakened to the fact that Jesus Christ dwells inside of them, and that He seeks to be everything to them. ...

2) A recapturing of a spiritual vocabulary to reflect a unique experience. Ephesians Chapters 1-3 are littered with a vocabulary that few Christians use today. This vocabulary emanates from a mind. And that mind is characterized by the capacity to see the unseen and to declare as present fact heavenly realities that exist outside the constraints of created time. ...

3) Meeting together for a very high and noble purpose. That purpose is to display the living Christ who indwells the church. The third current is being marked by church gatherings— not as services, not as platforms for sermonizing, not as pastor-led or priest-led orders of worship, not as Bible studies, and not as liturgies— but to make visible a living Christ by His every-member functioning Body where principalities and powers are put to shame. ...

4) An incredible Christ-centeredness in the thinking, life and vocabulary of God’s people. This new current is marked by the centrality of Christ. Jesus Christ is being put in His place. He is being given His rightful position of centrality, supremacy, and preeminence. ...

5) An experience of close-knit community. This is becoming an experience, rather than a buzzword. Believers who know church as community do not think merely as individuals. They do not think in terms of “me” or “I.” Instead, they think and live in terms of “we” and “us.”

To their minds, there is no disconnect between getting saved and being part of the community of believers. This element is a restoration of the New Testament Christian mindset. ...

6) An understanding of the reality of being “in Christ.” Like the early Christians, those in this third current are being pulled loose from a “works” mentality, liberated from a guilt complex, and set free from a sense of religious duty. ...

7) A rediscovery of God’s eternal purpose. It appears that the eternal purpose of God is the governing vision of this third current. I won’t unravel that statement here (as I’ve spoken on it extensively elsewhere), except to say that this is probably one of the most exciting aspects of what’s beginning today, for me at least. ...

8) An inclusive, open spirit to all of God's people. Unlike so many past movements, this third current is marked by an open attitude toward all of God's people. It rejects and even hates an exclusive, sectarian, elitist attitude and posture. ...

...

What Are You Seeking?

Excerpt from We Have Found the Messiah by John Piper

...

Third, Jesus is the giver of spiritual sight.

Verses 38-39:

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour [that is, about 4 p.m.—the tenth counted from 6 a.m.].

Here we begin to see the multi-leveled meanings in some of John’s simple language. Regularly in this Gospel people are talking at the physical level, and Jesus is taking their language and leading them deeper to the spiritual level using the same language. For example:

• Nicodemus is talking about physical birth, and Jesus is talking about spiritual birth (John 3:3-8).
• And the woman at the well is talking about water from the physical well, and Jesus is talking about spiritual water that he will give (John 4:7-14).
• The crowds asked for physical bread, but Jesus meant that he was the living bread (John 6:30-51).
• The Pharisees deal with a man who was given physical sight in John 9, and Jesus speaks of spiritual sight. Verse 39: “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

So when Jesus says in John 1:37, “What are you seeking?” he was asking something deeper than they think. There were people who followed Jesus, seeking the wrong thing. In John 6:26, he says, “You are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” So he is asking John’s disciples here: What are you seeking? I think he would ask you the same question. What are you seeking?

They do not go to that level. They simply say (in verse 38), “Where are you staying?”—we are seeking your address. As usual, Jesus is patient with this kind of response, and he gives them another chance. Only this time, it’s not a question; it’s a command and a promise. Verse 39: “Come and you will see.” On one level, it could mean simply: You will see where I am staying. But in the mind of Jesus and the mind of John this meant: If you will truly come to me, you will see spiritual reality. You will have spiritual sight.

Coming to Jesus in John’s Gospel means again and again entrusting yourself to Jesus, and receiving his promises (5:40; 6:35, 37, 44, 7:37). So they come to him, and they stay with him the rest of the day. The next two verses (40-41) show that they have indeed “seen.” “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means Christ).”

Jesus began the relationship by saying, “What are you seeking?” (verse 38). And now we hear Andrew say to his brother, “We have found the Messiah.” At first, they were only seeking where he was staying. Then because they came to him and spent time with him, they saw. The point is that if you come to Jesus, you see. You see spiritual reality. You see the key that unlocks the ultimate meaning of all things.

This is the glory of the Son of God. This is the grace we receive.

...

Better

Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,
and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.
For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

Proverbs 8: 10-11, The Message

A Strange Way

Yesterday Adam spoke on Matthew's account of the birth of Jesus and particularly from Joseph's perspective. I couldn't help but think of this song from 4Him - A Strange Way to Save the World:

I’m sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
Cause never in a million lives
Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem

And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel come to life
And Joseph said

Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why Him with all the rulers in the world
Why here inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
But this is such a strange way to save the
World

...

Utterly Dependent

Excerpt from The Issac Factor by John Piper

...

You recall from last week that God's purpose was to give the Midianites into the hand of Gideon. Gideon had an army of 10,000 men. Arrayed against him were Midianites and Amalekites as numerous as the sands on the seashore. So God did something very typical for God and very atypical for man. "The LORD said to Gideon, 'The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, "My own power has delivered me"'" (Judges 7:2).

It already looked impossible for Israel to defeat the Midianites with only 10,000 men against so many. But God said, "Ten thousand is too many." Why? Because my purpose is to display my glory, and help you see how utterly dependent you are on sovereign grace.

This is the purpose of God in all that he does in creation and redemption. God's purpose in all that he does is:

To magnify his sovereign grace And keep us in our humble place.

And one of the central beliefs that we have as God's people is that this is good news, not bad news. It is good news because God himself, known to us in Jesus Christ, is more valuable and more satisfying than anything we could ever be or do in our own power. The most loving thing that God can do for us is to make himself indispensable to us. The most loving thing God can do for us is not to make much of us, but to work by his sovereign grace so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. So, if he would love us, he must exalt his sovereign grace and keep us in our humble, happy place.

That's the point of the Gideon Venture. That is why God over and over and over again in the Bible does things in a way that makes us utterly dependent on God for what is humanly impossible - to magnify his sovereign grace and keep us in our humble place.

...

Goal and Purpose

" ... the Father is the goal and purpose of my life."

John 14: 28b, The Message

Two Greats

“My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior.”

—John Newton

Choose Kingdom

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

BEATING THE SYSTEM

Luke 14:11
Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted

A small percentage of people defend against rejection by buying into the dog-eat-dog system of the world and learning to compete and scheme to get ahead of the pack. These are the movers and shakers, people who earn acceptance and strive for significance through their performance. They feel driven to get on top of every situation because winning is their passport to acceptance. They are characterized by perfectionism and emotional insulation and they struggle with anxiety and stress.

Spiritually, the beat-the-system individual refuses to come under God's authority and has little fellowship with God. This person is committed to controlling and manipulating people and circumstances for his own ends, so it is difficult for him to yield control in his life to God. In our churches this person jockeys to be chairman of the ruling board or the most influential member on a committee. His motivation is not to serve God in this position, however, but to control his world because his self-worth is dependent on it. Beat-the-system controllers are some of the most insecure people you will meet.

Sadly, the controlling individual's defensive strategy only delays inevitable rejection. Eventually his ability to control his family, his employees, and his church diminishes and he is replaced by a younger, stronger controller. Some survive this mid-life crisis, but many who make it to retirement don't enjoy much of it. Studies show that high-powered executives live an average of nine months after they retire. They base their lives in the world system they seek to conquer, but inevitably the world claims its own. "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, teach me to be in this world but not of it. I choose Your kingdom to be my standard.

Living Sacrifice

Christian Working Woman Transcript from Tuesday, Tuesday, December 02, 2008

My Body, a Living Sacrifice

You've probably heard lots of sermons on Romans 12:1-2, where we are told to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Does that mean check into a monastery, walk on hot coals, throw ourselves to the lions? Let’s try to get a biblical view of what it means to present your body as a living sacrifice.

This sacrifice is a living one, not dead. That's encouraging. Presenting our bodies does not imply some physical death or bodily punishment. But what does it mean?

We read in Romans 6:19: Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

Did you ever realize that you've been offering your body as a sacrifice all along? It's true; we all do it throughout life. Most people are offering the parts of their body in slavery to impurity and wickedness. Now, they aren't necessarily aware of doing that, but indeed, that's what we see all around us.

For example, when people relinquish their feet to go where sin takes them, to the wrong places, their feet are slaves to impurity and wickedness. When their tongues speak words that hurt and harm, their hands to do things that are not pleasing to God, their eyes and ears see and hear the trash of this world, they have sacrificed these parts of their bodies to evil.

Some people sacrifice their bodies to meaningless and trivial things. While they might not be classified as evil, their hands and feet, eyes and ears, tongues and hearts are sacrificed to time-consuming activities that are largely insignificant.

But, as a child of God, I have the opportunity to offer my body as a living sacrifice to bring glory to Jesus. Instead of using my body in acts of evil and triviality, I can, if I choose to, be a part of God's eternal plan and have his power working through my body. Then my hands and eyes and feet and tongue—and all my other body parts—will be living sacrifices to God instead of to evil. And this leads to holiness in my life. Presenting my body as a living sacrifice begins to sound more like a privilege than a drudgery, doesn't it?

But the question remains: How do I offer my body as a living sacrifice? I've found some practical ways of doing that on a daily basis that have made a difference in my life, and I want to share those with you. Perhaps you'll find it helpful, too.

Not Safe

Matthew West: The Motions

This might hurt, it's not safe
But I know that I've gotta make a change
I don't care if I break,
At least I'll be feeling something
'Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions
I don't wanna go one more day
without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,
"What if I had given everything,
instead of going through the motions?"

...

Be Kind

"To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person. If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You'll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind.

Luke 6: 27-36, The Message

Peace Plan

Excerpts from Mark Batterson Are You OK With This? | Evotional

I spent my morning at the Civil Forum on Global Health sponsored by Rick Warren and Saddleback Church. Thought I'd share a few reflections.
...

The focus on the forum, in my estimation, was how we as churches can leverage our God-given resources and use them to fight what Rick Warren calls the five global Goliaths--spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, and rampant illiteracy. Those five issues are the focus of Saddleback's Peace Plan.

I'm not sure I can do this justice, but Rick shared three slides that made a profound point. The slides showed the western province of Rwanda, population 700,000. The first slide showed the locations of all hospitals. There are only 3 of them. The second slide showed the location of all the health clinics. There are 22 of them. And the third slide showed the location of all the churches in Rwanda. There are 728 of them. Then Rick made a simple observation: The church is the largest organization on earth. What if we viewed churches, especially in less-developed countries, as distribution channels for things like education and health care? The church already has the infrastructure. The church already has the workforce. The church already has the motivation. We just need to strategically mobilize to make a difference.

...

Challenging

Francis Chan (Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley) speaking at Catalyst 2007:

Lamp

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

SEEING LIFE FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

Proverbs 3:7
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil

Wisdom was certainly the way of the Old Testament as the Book of Proverbs and other wisdom literature attest. However, in the Old Testament, wisdom was not understood as our ability to reason independently of God. Rather, it was an acceptance and knowledge of divine revelation. Biblical wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective. When wisdom degenerates to rationalism, our walk with God is reduced to an intellectual pursuit rather than a living relationship. Proverbs 3:5-7 pictures the relationship God desires with us: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil."

Turning away from evil signifies that there are moral boundaries. The will of God is to live inside those boundaries. We are free to live as the Lord leads as long as we stay morally pure and exercise biblical wisdom. Since all unbelievers are outside the moral boundaries of God, they can expect judgment. Christians living outside the moral boundaries can expect discipline. The writer of Hebrews would attest to the latter: "But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons" (Hebrews 12:8).

It's true that God does give us freedom to make choices on nonmoral issues, but He expects us to know His Word and make wise decisions. He has made His will known primarily in His Word, and He delights when we humbly submit to it and obey it. But we are not Old Testament saints. We are New Testament Christians. Christ has reconciled Jew and Gentile, and we possess both power and wisdom. What marks the church age is that we now have the presence of the Holy Spirit Who will guide us into all truth. "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word, which is a lamp to my feet, and for Your Holy Spirit, Who will guide me into all truth.

Enticed

My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.

Proverbs 1:10

Overflowing

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Wednesday, November 26, 2008 - Overflowing With Thankfulness

Has anyone ever said to you, "You are just overflowing with thankfulness"? Honestly, that's never happened to me and probably not you either. Yet, the Bible tells us in Colossians 2 that we should overflow with thankfulness.

I do believe this, with all my heart - if you learn to practice thankfulness, people will notice. They'll notice your joyful spirit; they'll notice your words of thanks; they'll notice the smile on your face and the bounce in your step. You look different when you overflow with thankfulness. It softens the lines in your face; makes you look younger and gives a gentleness to your words. It lightens your load so you have a spring in your walk.

You don't believe me? Well, I challenge you to practice thankfulness and see if people don't notice the difference in you. I've given you five suggestions to help you practice being thankful. Here's one more:

5. Think about where you'd be without Jesus.

That will make you thankful. There's a song I like by Stephen Curtis Chapman entitled

"Remember Your Chains." The chorus says:

Remember your chains. Remember the prison that once held you

Before the love of God broke through.

Remember the place you were without grace.

And when you see where you are now,

Remember your chains, and remember your chains are gone.

For me, nothing makes me overflow with thankfulness as much as remembering what Jesus has done in my life and hearing what he has done in the lives of others. Each year some of my close friends get together at my home on New Year's Day, and one of our traditions is to re-tell our stories - to remember our chains are gone. What a great experience that is. We always overflow with thankfulness when we remember where we were before we met Jesus.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, have you stopped to truly have a thankful heart? Maybe you've been so busy with all the preparations that you've forgotten the purpose - to be thankful. In fact, there are very few people in our country who will celebrate thanksgiving tomorrow. Most will celebrate a big meal, a family gathering, a football game. But not too many will be primarily focused on having a thankful heart.

Don't miss this opportunity to develop the habit of overflowing with thankfulness. It is the only way to live.

Theology and Youth

Excerpt from Vintage Faith Dan Kimball post: Wonderful time at Youth Specialties in Nashville

I am heading home today after being at the wonderful as always Youth Specialties Convention here in Nashville. I taught this year about theological topics to address with youth prior to their graduating. ...

...

The first one I stressed was to be teaching on the importance of being able to address the trustworthiness and inspiration of the Bible, having a sense of how it was formed and put together, knowing what "inspired" means, and how to think about problematic passages and basic biblical hermeneutics. ...

The second issue that I suggested that we need to adequately prepare teenagers to be thinking through how to view and respond to world faiths and pluralism in a thoughtful, intelligent, and heartfelt way. Again, prepping them to be aware of the kind of questions and challenges that will inevitably arise and they will have to wrestle with.

The third topic I shared that I feel is important to adequately address with youth before a high schooler graduates is teaching about human sexuality and marriage. Not just about whether one should have sex before marriage or not. But a holistic look at human sexuality. ...

...

Without Walls

A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.

Proverbs 25: 28

Sharing

Excerpts from Vintage Faith |Dan Kimball post: New Network/Community: Passionate about Scripture, Innovation and Evangelism

I just spoke at Vintage Faith Church in our Clash series about the exclusive claims of Jesus and the New Testament in the midst of a pluralistic culture. ...

...

I fully believe that we can teach truths from Scripture that even go against cultural norm, yet how we do it makes all the difference. With global faiths I believe we need to not shy from speaking what the Scriptures say - but doing so with compassion, understanding, listening and studying. ...

At the end of the message, I brought up a UCSC (University of California Santa Cruz) student who is getting her PhD. She was raised in a very strong Buddhist family. She grew up mainly in the USA but also had some time living over in Taiwan. She shared her story of growing up Buddhist and knowing nothing about Christianity. But then someone who was a Christian took interest in her and eventually invited her to church and then she began hearing about the stories of the Bible and began wrestling with the claims of Jesus and Christianity, and she eventually became a Christian. One of the things she said which stuck in my mind and heart was how glad she was that a Christian took the effort to befriend her and introduce her to Jesus and the Bible. And how much her life now feels purposeful as she believes she is here to be living her life as a disciple of Jesus and sharing about the joy of knowing Jesus in this life. It was obvious she lives this out, as while she was speaking she mentioned that 6 of her non-Christian friends were there in the church gathering to support her as she shared. It was really a beautiful thing.

...

Waiting

John Waller While I'm Waiting

...

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

----

Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!

Psalm 27:14

Broken and Marginal

Found at Reformissionary (Steve McCoy ) via Eitheror.org (Matt Grayson)

Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main, our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down, moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did. If our churches aren't appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we'd like to think.

Tim Keller in The Prodigal God, 14-15.

Just Thinking

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8

Showing the Grace of God

Excerpt from Improving Our Gospel Communications by Tony Reinke | Miscellanies

In the last post I wrote: “Showing people sin is the easy part. Showing people the grace of God is not so easy.”

A profound—but plagiarized—thought.

The simple truth is that convincing someone of personal sin is not hard. I remember reading the story of a horror film writer on opening night of his movie sitting in the front row and watching the ghastly evil on the screen and realizing that this entire movie had been born in his heart. It was a sort of Ah-ha moment of his own sin. He was no Christian and I’m not certain he ever became a Christian. Every sinner knows that they are sinful, this is a truth none of us can escape–we can only suppress its reality.

And for those of us who are Christians, who have openly and honestly looked into the eye of that heinous beast of sin residing in all our hearts, a preacher can convict us of sin with little trouble. But if we are more aware of sin than grace the conviction of sin can easily dominate and suffocate a more important truth of the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In the last post, this led Tom post this comment: “As a pastor I desire to present Christ in all His goodness and glory in such a way that He is beautiful desirable, attractive and appealing, and yet I feel I so often fall short. You would think that it would be easy to present Christ in such a way that people would have a natural hunger and yearning for Him, yet I find it to be a great challenge and am frustrated that I fall so short of proclaiming Christ’s glory winsomely, fruitfully and effectively.”

Great thoughts, Tom. Its worth taking a moment to understand how we can better communicate the grace of the gospel.

...

Multiplication

My prayer for you today is

"... may grace and peace be multiplied to you."

(1 Peter 1:2)

Trust

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

HOW FAITH AFFECTS OUR LIVES

Ephesians 2:8, 9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast

After Jesus claimed to be sent by God, some were seeking to seize Him, having come to the conclusion that He was not a good man. But others did believe in Him, "and they were saying, 'When the Christ shall come, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?'" (John 7:31). All the evidence was there. Some chose to believe; others chose not to. People do the same today. Faith is a choice. We choose to believe or not believe.

Faith is the operating principle of life. It is the means by which we relate to God and live our lives in freedom. Notice the variety of ways stated in Scripture by which faith affects our lives.

First, we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

Second, we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Third, being found faithful is a prerequisite for ministry: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service" (1 Timothy 1:12). Paul then adds, "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). This is more than being reliable, since a person could be counted on to follow through on an assignment and not be a believer. The added ingredient in faithful people is that they know the truth and can be counted on to be reliable.

Fourth, the quality of any relationship is determined by faith or trust: "Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?" (Proverbs 20:6). The words faith , trust and believe are all the same word ( pistis ) in the original language. The man who has faith believes in something. The one who believes also trusts, or he doesn't truly believe. There is no concept that looms larger in life than faith because what we believe determines how we live.

Prayer:

Lord, I affirm that I cannot please You without faith. I choose today to believe in You and trust in Your name.

Strong Tower

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Proverbs 18:10

Filled

Excerpts from How To Be Filled With The Spirit by John Piper

... Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not be drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit.” I argued Sunday morning that verses 19-21 describe the effects of being filled with the Spirit. The effect in verse 19 is very musical. Clearly joy in Christ is the mark of being filled with the Spirit. But not only joy. Also gratitude in verse 20—perpetual gratitude, gratitude for everything. (Which obviously eliminates grumbling and pouting and self-pity and bitterness and scowling and murmuring and depression and worry and discouragement and gloominess and pessimism!) But not only musical joy and universal gratitude, but also loving submission to each other’s needs (v.21). Joy, gratitude and humble love—these are the marks of being filled with the Spirit. To this should also be added boldness in witness from Acts (see Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 13:9). No one can fail to be bold and eager in witness when the Spirit is producing in him overflowing joy, perpetual gratitude and humble love. O how we need to be filled with the Spirit! Let’s seek it! Pursue it!

...

So drinking the Spirit means setting our minds on the things of the spirit. And setting our minds on the things of the Spirit means directing our eager attention to the teachings of the apostles about God and to the words of Jesus. If we do this long enough we will get drunk with the Spirit. In fact we will get addicted to the Spirit. Instead of chemical dependency we will develop a wonderful Spirit-dependency.

One more tip: the Holy Spirit is not like wine because he is a person and is free to come and go where he wills (John 3:8). Therefore Luke 11:13 must be added. Jesus said to his disciples, “If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” If we want to be filled with the Spirit we must pray for it. And that is just what Paul does for the Ephesians in chapter 3, verse 19. He asks his Father in heaven (v.14) that the believers “might be filled with all the fullness of God.” Drink and pray. Drink and pray. Drink and pray.

...

Calling

Beginning thoughts from Rebranding Reflections by Mark Batterson | Evotional

Thought it might be worth sharing some rebranding reflections. For eight hours we drilled down on these questions: 1) What business are we really in? 2) What is our greatest passion? 3) What are our greatest strengths?

I think rebranding is really rediscovering your primal calling. And I think the genesis moment for me was a Willowcreek Conference. I remember feeling like Willowcreek gave me permission to do church differently. I think many of my core convictions trace back to that moment. Here are a few of them:

1) there are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet.
2) the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet
3) we need different kinds of churches because there are different kinds of people

Even our core value, everything is an experiment, is an expression of that fundamental desire to do church differently. It's not about being different for difference sake. It's about reaching emerging generations. And that requires new wineskins.

...

Wise and Intelligent

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

Proverbs 17: 28

Gifts

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them ...
Rom 12:6a

I was listening to an orchestra the other day and watching the performance of the individual members and it occurred to me that if I were the trumpet player for a particular song, and for some reason I couldn't hear the other instruments, I would probably be pretty discouraged and think that my trumpet playing was not very worthwhile. I noticed in this one particular song the trumpet players were silent for most of the song and then would play for a few seconds and then silent for another long period and then play again for a short period. The trumpets made a beautiful combination of sounds when combined with the other instruments and was very enjoyable.

It may be that in playing the instrument God has gifted you to play you are not hearing the other instruments and therefore could come to believe that your contribution is not worthwhile or meaningful. I encourage you to not be discouraged. I believe that God "hears" a beautiful combination of gifts glorifying Him as we use his gifting for the body.

Needs

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

SAFETY, SECURITY AND BELONGING

Philippians 4:19
My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus

Not only was Adam given a significant, authoritative role at creation, he also enjoyed a sense of safety and security. All his needs were provided for (Genesis 1:29). Adam was completely cared for in the garden. He had plenty to eat and there was plenty for the animals. He could eat of the tree of life and live forever in God's presence. He lacked nothing.

When Adam sinned, he lost that sense of safety and security. Before, he was naked and unashamed. After, he wanted to hide from God and cover up. The first emotion expressed by fallen humanity was fear.

Safety and security is another facet of our inheritance in Christ. We have the riches of His kingdom at our disposal and His promise to supply all our needs.

Adam and Eve also experienced a sense of belonging in that perfect garden. Adam apparently enjoyed intimate, one-on-one communion with God before Eve was created. Then God said it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). So He gave Eve to Adam--and Adam to Eve--to enrich his experience of belonging.

Before the Fall, Adam and Eve had a sense of belonging. But after the Fall they felt rejected, experiencing a need to belong. It is one of our greatest needs today. Notice that what were attributes before the Fall became needs after the Fall.

I believe that a true sense of belonging today comes not only from knowing that we belong to God, but also from belonging to each other. When God created Eve He established human community. It's not good for us to be alone. Aloneness can lead to loneliness. God's preventative for loneliness is intimacy--meaningful, open, sharing relationships with one another. In Christ we have the capacity for the fulfilling sense of belonging which comes from intimate fellowship with God and with other believers.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You that all my needs for safety, security and belonging are fully met in You.

Honor

Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

Proverbs 14:31, ESV

Shepherd

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1, ESV

Freedom

Excerpt from Jon Bloom Do Not Be Afraid | Desiring God | Blog

...

So Jehoshaphat gathered the people of Judah in Jerusalem for a fast. They stood before the temple, and the king, in an act of great leadership, pleaded their case before the Lord and then said this:

“We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you. (2 Chronicles 20:12)

Isn’t that a beautiful confession? It is so child-like in its humility and faith. It is, in fact, another Old Testament picture of the gospel. We are powerless to save ourselves. But when we look to God and call on him for deliverance from the impending judgment, he brings about a salvation beyond our wildest imagination.

The reason God orchestrated Jehoshaphat’s predicament is the same as his design in the tribulations and crises in our lives: he want us to increasingly find freedom from fear.

You see, real freedom is not the liberty to do what we want, or even the absence of distress. Real freedom is the deep-seated confidence that God really will provide everything we need. The person who believes this is the freest of all persons on earth, because no matter what situation they find themselves in, they have nothing to fear.

But the only way for sinners like us with a bent toward unbelief in God to find this kind of freedom is by experiencing repeatedly God’s delivering power and his faithfulness. That’s why we are to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds (James 1:2). They are making us free.

...

Complete

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

COMPLETE IN CHRIST

Colossians 2:10
In Him you have been made complete

Colossians 2:6-10 reveals three levels in our relationship with Christ. If we are going to present every believer complete in Christ (Colossians 1:28), our discipleship must acknowledge the following order.

Level One ensures that our identity is firmly rooted in Him . This entails:

Leading individuals to Christ and directing them to their scriptural assurance of salvation; Guiding them to a true knowledge of God and who they are in Christ; Helping them see the ways they are still playing God or rebelling against God's authority; Breaking down their defenses against rejection by accepting and affirming them.

Level Two deals with the issue of maturity in Christ, which Paul alluded to as "being built up in Him" (verse 7). The second level of discipleship is to accept God's goal of sanctification and grow in Christlikeness. This entails:

Helping people learn to walk by the Spirit and by faith; Helping them get off the emotional roller coaster by focusing their thoughts on God instead of their circumstances; Encouraging them to develop self-control; Challenging them to resolve personal problems by forgiving others and seeking forgiveness.

Level Three reflects the issue of our daily walk in Christ, which is possible when our identity and maturity are in Christ. The third level of discipleship is to help believers live responsibly in Christ in their homes, on their jobs, and in society. The effective Christian walk involves the proper exercise of spiritual gifts, talents, and intellect in serving others and being a positive witness in the world.

Prayer:

Lord, I desire to be firmly rooted and built up in Christ today so I may walk in Him.

Satisfaction and Reward

Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;
well-done work has its own reward.

Proverbs 12:14 , The Message

Eye on the Goal

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I've warned you of them many times; sadly, I'm having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ's Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites.

But there's far more to life for us. We're citizens of high heaven! We're waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He'll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.

Philippians 3: 12-21, The Message

Giving

Proverbs 11: 24-25

One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.

ESV

The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.

The Message

Battle for the Mind

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE WAY OF ESCAPE

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it

First Corinthians 10:13 is the shining good news in the midst of our fears and concerns about temptation. Where is the escape hatch that Paul is talking about here? In the same place temptation is introduced: in your mind. Every temptation is first a thought introduced to your mind by your own carnality or by the tempter himself. If you ruminate on that thought and consider it an option, you will eventually act on it, and that's sin. The first step for escaping temptation is to apprehend every thought as soon as it steps through the doorway of your mind.

Once you have halted a penetrating thought, the next step is to evaluate it on the basis of Paul's eightfold criterion for what we should think about in Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself, "Does this thought line up with God's truth? Is it suggesting that I do something honorable? Right? Pure? If this thought becomes action, will the outcome be lovely and contribute to excellence in my life? Will other believers approve of my actions? Is it something for which I can praise God?" If the answer to any of those questions is no, dismiss that thought immediately. Don't have anything more to do with it. If it keeps coming back, keep saying no. When you learn to respond to tempting thoughts by stopping them at the door of your mind, evaluating them on the basis of God's Word, and dismissing those which fail the test, you have found the way of escape that God's Word promises.

In contrast, if a thought enters your mind and it passes the Philippians 4:8 test of truth, honor, righteousness, etc., "let your mind dwell on these things" (verse 8) and "practice these things" (verse 9). "And the God of peace shall be with you" (verse 9), which is an infinitely better result than the pain and turmoil which follows when we yield to tempting thoughts and become involved in sinful behavior.

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for providing a way of escape from all my temptations. I am determined to win the battle for my mind.

King Jesus

"My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king."

Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?"

Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."

John 18: 36-37, The Message

Marriage

New marriage blog by Joe Beam

Boasting

Lyrics from Paul Baloche "I Will Boast"

Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom
Or the strong man boast in his strength
Let not the rich man boast in his riches
But let the humble come and give thanks
To the One who made us, the One who saved us

CHORUS
I will boast in the Lord my God
I will boast in the One Who's worthy
I will boast in the Lord my God
I will boast in the One Who's worthy, He's worthy

-----

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."

Jeremiah 9: 23-24

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

1 Corinthians 1: 18-31

Goal

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

FERTILE SOIL FOR GROWTH

1 Timothy 1:5
The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith

Perhaps the greatest service performed by trials and tribulations in our lives is to reveal wrong goals. It's during these times of pressure that your emotions raise their warning flags signaling blocked goals, uncertain goals, and impossible goals which are based on our desires instead of God's goal of proven character.

People say, "My marriage is hopeless," then "solve" the problem by changing partners. But if you think your first marriage is hopeless, be aware that second marriages are failing at a far higher rate. Others feel their jobs are hopeless. So they change jobs, only to discover that the new job is just as hopeless. People tend to look for quick-fix solutions to difficult situations. But God's plan is for you to hang in there and grow up.

Is there an easier way to being God's person than through enduring tribulations? Believe me: I've been looking for one. But I must honestly say that it has been the dark, difficult times of testing in my life which have brought me to where I am today. I thank God for the occasional mountaintop experiences, but the fertile soil for growth is always down in the valleys of tribulation, not on the mountaintops. Paul says, "The goal of our instruction is love" (1 Timothy 1:5). Notice that if you make that your goal, then the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy (instead of depression), peace (instead of anxiety), and patience (instead of anger)(Galatians 5:22, 23).

How would you give hope to a woman whose husband just left? "Oh, we will win him back," you say. Great desire; wrong goal. Trying to manipulate that husband or the circumstance is probably why he left in the first place. It is better to say to the woman, "If you haven't committed yourself to be the wife and mother God has called you to be, would you now?" According to Romans 5:3-5, our hope lies in the proven character that come through perseverance.

Prayer:

Father, enable me today to persevere through the trials of life and thereby develop strong character and hope.