Preservation

Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:13 RSV

No literature is more realistic and honest in facing the harsh facts of life than the Bible. At no time is there the faintest suggestion that the life of faith exempts us from difficulties. What it promises is preservation from all the evil in them.

On every page of the Bible there is recognition that faith encounters troubles. The sixth petition in the Lord's Prayer is "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." That prayer is answered every day, sometimes many times a day, in the lives of those who walk in the way of faith.

A Long Obedience

"Preserved from Evil", God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson

Shield

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.

Psalm 3:3

Counsel

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

THE VALUE OF COUNSEL

Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory

No one person has complete knowledge, and everyone has a limited perspective on the truth. God has structured the church in such a way that we need each other. I have made some dumb decisions that would never have been made if I had consulted someone. However, some people will only consult those who agree with them. That's a sign of immaturity.

At the same time, the counsel of others does have to be weighed. There is a fascinating account in Acts 21 where the Holy Spirit seemed to be warning Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Disciples in Tyre "kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem" (21:4). Then a prophet named Agabus gave a visual demonstration by binding himself and saying, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt [Paul] and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles'" (21:11).

Everyone began begging him not to go. "Then Paul answered, '. . . I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, 'The will of the Lord be done!'" (21:13, 14).

Was the Holy Spirit guiding the disciples and Agabus? The information was mostly true, but the conclusion of the disciples wasn't. The Holy Spirit wasn't trying to prevent Paul from going; He was preparing Paul for the coming persecution. Paul was right in not wanting to take the easy way out.

The missionary Hudson Taylor went against advice, and circumstances nearly destroyed him. But he, more than anyone, opened up China to the gospel. Sometimes people can tell you the truth, but they draw selfish conclusions. Sometimes we need to ascertain our own motives as well as those of the people we seek counsel from, for our motives can be in error as well. The value of counsel is to get an unbiased opinion from a spiritually sensitive person which you can add to the recipe of ingredients God is giving to guide you.

Prayer:

Lord, grant me the patience to gather information and seek godly counsel for my decisions.

Gospel

From the Gospel Coalition

Video: What is the Gospel? - John Piper

Endorsements

Concluding paragraph from I'm Gucci Little Piggy and I Endorsed This Post

...

Again, let me be clear. This is not about being politically active as a believer. This is not about liking one candidate over another. This is about pastors pushing politicians. I think it is the duty of pastors to attempt to discern what the Bible says about the pressing issues of our day - abortion, homelessness, war, poverty, the family. That's not only fair ground, that's simply trying to help your congregation follow Jesus in obeying what his Word teaches (cf., Matthew 28:20). Let's just make sure that it's Jesus we're encouraged to follow, not any one politician. My hope is that pastors who deeply care about the Gospel and its centrality in both our people and our pulpits will be careful seeking to remind everyone that there is only one Savior and his name is not Obama or McCain.

To do any less is to settle for something less.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God."
- Psalm 20:7 (ESV)

Isaiah

Excerpt from interview with Ray Ortlund Jr on Isaiah and the ESV Study Bible:

6. So, what ‘prophetic message’ does the book of Isaiah bring to the church today?

I think Isaiah would have loved Calvin, who in the throes of decision wrote to Farel, “I am well aware that it is with God that I have to do.” We are always dealing with God. But little in the modern world makes us well aware of it. Isaiah became well aware of God. He came to realize how urgently relevant to all things is the One who says, “I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior” (43:11). But Isaiah also saw that it’s the most natural thing in the world for us, without even realizing it, to redefine God in such a way that we can forsake him and still think of ourselves as good people.

That leads to Isaiah’s second prophetic message to us today. We are more wicked than we know. Isaiah himself went through a profound humiliation before God. He was a privileged man, and obviously a genius. People probably valued his opinions. But when he saw the holy King, he finally saw his own dirty self, no better than anyone else (6:1-5). But the grace of the King was feelingly applied to Isaiah, energizing him for a self-abandoning, God-glorifying life mission (6:6-8). As Charles Simeon wrote to a friend, “You have always appeared to me to be sincere. But your views of Christianity seemed to be essentially defective. You have always appeared to admire Christianity as a system; but you never seemed to have just views of Christianity as a remedy; you never seemed to possess self-knowledge or to know the evil of your own heart.”

Isaiah’s third and breath-takingly glorious message is that God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He will preserve, purify and honor his people, drawing us out from all the nations as a glorious new humanity and, through the sin-bearing Servant, he will have us glorifying and enjoying himself in a renewed universe forever. No matter what terrors confront us in the world, no matter what sins we discover in ourselves, God will fulfill his saving purpose. “Be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create,” God says (65:18).

Protection

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

GOD'S PROTECTION

1 Peter 5:9
But resist him [the devil], firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world

I cannot accept someone saying, "The devil made me do it." No, he didn't make you do it; you did it. Somewhere along the line, you chose to give the devil a foothold. He merely took advantage of the opportunity you gave him. You have all the resources and protection you need to live a victorious life in Christ every day. If you're not living it, it's your choice. When you leave a door open for the devil by not resisting temptation, accusation or deception, you are vulnerable. And if you continue to allow him access to your life, he can gain a measure of control over you. You won't lose your salvation, but you will lose your daily victory.

Many Christians today who cannot control their lives in some area wallow in self-blame instead of acting responsibly to solve the problem. They berate themselves and punish themselves for not having the willpower to break a bad habit, when instead they should be resisting Satan in an area where he had obviously robbed them of control. Anything bad which you seemingly cannot stop doing, or anything good which you cannot make yourself do, could be an area of demonic control.

God's protection from demonic attack is not something you can take for granted irrespective of how you behave. This protection is conditional on your willingness to respond to God's provision. We are told to put on Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14), to put on the armor of God and to stand firm (Ephesians 6:11), to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). If we irresponsibly ignore God's resources by failing to obey these commands, how can we expect Him to protect us?

Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for the clear direction and mighty weapons You have provided for victory in spiritual warfare.

Seeing

... I was blind, now I see.

John 9:25

Movie

The lyrics to Warren Barfield's song Love Is Not a Fight start out:

Love is not a place, to come and go as we please, is a house we enter in, and then commit to never leave, so lock the door behind you, throw away the key, we’ll work it out together, let it bring us to our knees



This song is part of the soundtrack of the new movie Fireproof coming out in September. It is from the same group that produced Facing the Giants.

Spiritual World Sensitivity

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

SPIRITUALLY AWARE

Hebrews 5:14
Solid food is for the mature who, because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil

In many counseling cases I am able to sense in my spirit that something is wrong or that the real issue has not surfaced. Sometimes I seem to know what it is, but instead of blurting it out, I test it. For example, if I discern that the counselee may be in bondage to homosexuality, I don't say, "You're a homosexual, aren't you?" Rather, I test the impression at the appropriate time by asking something like, "Have you ever struggled with homosexual thoughts or tendencies?" If the Spirit's discernment in me is matched by His conviction in the counselee, usually the problem surfaces and we can deal with it.

Have you ever "known" that someone was a Christian before he or she even said anything about it? Have you ever sensed a compatible spirit with other believers? There is nothing magical about that; it's just the presence of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with your spirit. At other times the Holy Spirit warns you that the spirit controlling another person is not a compatible spirit.

If we would learn to be more spiritually aware in our churches and homes, God could keep us from plowing head-on into so many disasters. In the Western world our cognitive, left-brain orientation all but excludes discernment as our essential guide for navigating through the spiritual world. But the writer of Hebrews identified discernment as a mark of maturity: "Solid food is for the mature who, because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (5:14).

A good systematic theology is the essential foundation upon which we build our lives. It is like the skeleton of our body. But dead orthodoxy is just that: dead! It is the Holy Spirit who gives life to the body. The church is in desperate need of biblically orthodox people who have also learned to be spiritually discerning.

Prayer:

Increase my sensitivity to the spiritual world, Lord, and keep me from the dangers of viewing life only from a human perspective.

7|22

Buckhead Church Summer Series held last night that featured worship leader Charlie Hall and Dan Kimball discussing his book They Like Jesus But Not the Church. Video Link.

Disagree Well

Out of Ur

"If there's anything I've learned from both conservatives and liberals, it's that you can have all the right political answers and still be mean. And nobody wants to listen to you if you're mean. One of the things we can do is learn to disagree well. I think there is a new conversation happening within evangelicalism in post-religious-right America that is much healthier. We can actually learn to disagree well."

-Shane Claiborne is a founding member of The Simple Way, a new monastic community in Philadelphia, and the co-author of Jesus for President. Taken from "Body Politic" in the Summer 2008 issue of Leadership journal.

Giving Thanks

A Psalm for giving thanks.

1 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100

More Acceptable

To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Proverbs 21: 3

Disciple of Jesus

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

HIS DISCIPLE

Romans 12:1
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice

An African pastor was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith. He refused. The night before they took his life, he wrote the following lines on a scrap of paper:

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed." I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought , compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

Prayer:

Lord, develop in me the perseverance and faithfulness to pursue Your goal for my life even in the face of rejection.

Ambition

Excerpts from Holy Ambition: To Preach Where Christ Has Not Been Named by John Piper

[Romans 15: 18-24]

...

Verse 20: “And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation.”

Paul was controlled by a holy ambition. I say he was controlled because he says in verse 22, “This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you.” And he says at the end of verse 23, “I have longed for many years to come to you.” When you long to do something for years and years, but you don’t do it, something is controlling you. And what was controlling Paul and keeping him from going to Rome is that he was not finished with his ambition in the regions from Jerusalem to Illyricum. But finally, he says in verse 23, “I no longer have any room for work in these regions.” And then in verse 24: “I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain.”

...

It is a good thing to be controlled by a holy ambition. Are you controlled by a holy ambition? I am calling it “holy” because its aim is holy—to see people from all the nations who have never heard of Jesus believe in him and become obedient to him and be saved by him from their sin and from God’s wrath. And I am calling this ambition “holy” because it comes from God and his holy word, as we will see in a few moments. It is right and it is good to be controlled by a holy ambition.

Do you have a holy ambition? Not everyone should have Paul’s ambition. One plants another waters (1 Corinthians 3:6-8). Each has his own gift (1 Corinthians 7:7). Each stands for falls before his own master (Romans 14:4). But I think God would be pleased if each of his children had a holy ambition.

...

So my answer to the question Where does your holy ambition come from? is this: It comes from a personal encounter with the living Christ (not necessarily as dramatic as the Damascus road) shaped and informed and empowered by the written word of God. As you meditate on the law of the Lord day and night (Psalm 1:2)—as you immerse yourself in God’s word—he comes and takes some truth of that word and burns it into your heart until it is a holy ambition. If that hasn’t happened yet, saturate yourself with the word of God and ask him for it.

God doesn’t lead us into ambitions that are pointless—that you will regret at the end of your life. There is always a need to be met—not a need in God, but in the world—by a holy ambition. Holy ambitions are not about self-exaltation. They are always a form of love. They always meet someone’s need.

...

Gifts

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

HOW GOD WORKS

Deuteronomy 8:6
You shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him

I believe in miracles, and I accept as fact every one recorded in the Bible. I believe that our entire Christian experience is a miracle. It simply cannot be explained by natural means. And God's power is seen in other miraculous ways today, but must He always prove Himself by stepping outside His created order? If God doesn't primarily guide us through His Word (which never changes) and take into account the fixed order of the universe, how can we ever have any stability? How can we make any plans if God doesn't reveal His ways and then stay consistent with them?

God is not capricious in His dealings with man. He has clearly established His ways and He is faithful to them. I believe God has revealed His ways and we are to walk in them. The question is, how does God work through human responsibility and the natural order of the universe to bring about His will? Somehow He works through a less-than-perfect church, orchestrating human affairs in such a way as to guarantee the outcome of the ages. What really impresses me is His timing, not His miraculous interventions.

Notice how Jesus responded to those who insisted on a sign: "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet" (Matthew 12:39). Satan wanted a sign too. He said, "If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down" (Matthew 4:6). To this Jesus responded, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test" (verse 7 NIV ). Jesus was saying that the sign we need is the Word of God, and we are to use the Word to guard against Satan's temptations to force the Lord to prove Himself.

I think it is better to prove ourselves to God rather than demand He prove Himself to us. We are the ones being tested, not God. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

Prayer:

Lord, I want to be responsible to use the gifts You have given me and lay aside sin and fruitless activities.

Indispensable

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Wednesday, August 20, 2008 - When You’re “Dumped On”

What is the difference in your job and your work? Our work will give us an opportunity to exercise the gifts we have–the abilities God has given us, whereas our jobs may not use our gifts. The use of our gifts always brings fulfillment and joy into our lives.

Another difference is:

2. Your job will result in income; your work may never result in income.

We all are willing to go to our jobs each day primarily because we get a salary or compensation at regular intervals for performing that job. I'm not saying you can't enjoy doing your job and that there aren't other motivational factors involved. But there are very few who would continue going to their job each day without compensation.

Your work may never pay you a dollar, but it will pay benefits that cannot be valued in earthly terms. When you are doing your work, what God has called you to do, you're putting deposits in God's heavenly bank, where thieves can't steal it and rust cannot destroy it. Our work certainly brings compensation, but it's deposited in a different bank and held as a long-term investment.

In our society where people are valued by the size of their salaries and bank accounts, this is a totally different perspective and one we have to adjust to. It's one of those areas where we must fight not to allow the world to shove us into its mold, into its way of thinking. What have you been sending on ahead to deposit?

3. There is always someone else who can do your job; there is no one else who can do your work.

You know, if you called your employer tomorrow and said, "I'm not coming back; you won't see me again," guess what? They would survive. It might cause some temporary problems, but somebody soon would move into your shoes, learn your job and do it.

However, you are indispensable when it comes to your work. If you don't do the work God has called you to do, it will go undone. Now, that's a pretty frightening thought–and quite frankly, it should frighten us to think that we could miss the work God has called us to do.

Those people you interact with every day are your special "people group," that can be reached uniquely by you. If you don't use your gifts to do God's work for the people in your world, nobody else will fill in the gap.

God's Love

Excerpts from Is God Punishing Me? by Jon Bloom

As a Christian, when you experience a painful providence like an illness or a rebellious child or a broken marriage or a financial hardship or persecution, do you ever wonder if God is punishing you for some sin you committed?

If you do, there is some very good news from the letter to the Hebrews.

The original readers of this letter had been experiencing persecution and affliction for some time. They were tired, discouraged, and confused—why was God allowing such hardships? And some were doubting.

...

He wanted his readers to remember that the difficulty and pain they were experiencing was not God’s punishment for their sins or weak faith. Chapters 7-10 beautifully explain that Jesus’ sacrifice for sin was once for all believers for all time (10:14). No sacrifice of any kind for sin was ever needed again (10:18).

...

Rather, this was the message they were to understand from their hardships: God loves you! He has fatherly affection for you. He cares deeply for you. He is taking great pains so that you will share his holiness (12:10) because he wants you to be as happy as possible and enjoy the peaceful fruit of righteousness (12:11).

...

It is crucial that we remember that everything God feels toward us as Christians is gracious. When God disciplines us it is a precious form of his favor. It’s what a loving father does. He is not giving us what we deserve because he “canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands...nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14). Instead, he is training us in righteousness. Because he loves us so very much.

Wait Upon the Lord

Everlasting God by Lincoln Brewster

Why?

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

ASKING "WHY?"

Luke 5:36
No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment; otherwise he will both tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old

Determining the purpose of a Christian practice, and whether it is appropriate, requires an answer to the question, "Why?" "We have always done it this way before" is unacceptable. Christian practices continue for years, often outliving their purpose, until someone asks, "Why do we do that?" Characteristically, the defenses come up as though you were challenging what they believe!

For instance, having three church services a week is generally practiced by evangelical Christians, but few know why. Originally, Sunday morning was for instruction and worship, Sunday evening was for evangelism, and the Wednesday service was for prayer. Today few churches have three services for those same purposes. In many churches, evangelism has switched to Sunday morning (if there is an evangelistic service). Sunday evenings range from body life gatherings to an informal repeat of the morning service. Wednesday stopped being a prayer meeting years ago in most churches.

Few people can say why they have an adult fellowship group and, consequently, most never fulfill the greatest purpose for which they exist. Without a clear purpose, planning dribbles down to who is going to be the teacher and what is the next monthly social! The purpose of fellowship groups is to provide a base for incorporating new people into the church, going after those who stray, and meeting the needs of one another. Routine activities that lack purpose produce mindless participation. How is God going to guide such a group?

The greatest avenue for productive change is to clarify the purpose of any existing ministry or group. I sat with the leaders of an adult group and helped them hammer out a purpose statement. Some major changes took place in their class. Within two years they had doubled. Asking "Why?" forced them to evaluate their purpose and ministry, and necessary changes came.

Prayer:

Lord, I purpose not to waste my time or effort on traditions that are no longer valid vehicles for ministry.

Good Things

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:31-32

Earth and Mission

Excerpt from The Wright Brothers (in Christ) | Out of Ur | by Scot McKnight

Recently I was asked where theology was headed. I assured my reader that I wasn’t “in the know” but that I would hazard a guess or two. First I thought we were likely to see a more robust Trinitarian theology, one deeply anchored in the great Cappadocian theologians like Gregory of Nyssa. But in some ways all the main lines of Trinitarian thought have already been sketched by great theologians like Karl Barth, James B. Torrance and others. With this first idea now set aside, I had a second idea of where theology is going: “The Wright Brothers.”

No, not those Wright Brothers, but another set of Wrights (who aren’t even brothers, except in Christ): Tom and Chris. Even if they don’t map where all of theology is headed, these two scholars and devoted churchmen, both Anglican, do set before us two words that have become increasingly fruitful and I think will be the subject of serious theological reflection in the future. The two words are “earth” and “mission.” Each scholar discusses both, but I will focus in this post on Tom Wright’s focus on “earth” and Chris Wright’s focus on “mission.”

Increasingly we are seeing more and more Christians own up to the earthly focus of biblical revelation—the claim God makes upon this earth through his Eikons (humans made in his image). We are seeing a deeper reflection on what it means to participate in the historical flow, in government and politics and society and culture, and we are seeing a renewed interest in vocation and work. One of the more striking elements of this new surge is that theologians who are deeply anchored in the Bible also see our eternal destiny having an earthly shape.

And not only are we seeing the increasing presence of “earthly,” but we are seeing a reshaping of theology itself so that God’s mission in this world becomes central. Everyone knows that the latest buzz word is missional but not enough are thinking carefully about what mission means in the Bible and what it means to speak about “God’s mission” (missio Dei). But there is a surge of thinking now about this topic and it will continue to spark interest both for pastors and professional theologians.

...

All the Peoples See His Glory

Psalm 97: 1-7

1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
and burns up his adversaries all around.
4His lightnings light up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.
5The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the Lord of all the earth.

6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
7All worshipers of images are put to shame,
who make their boast in worthless idols;
worship him, all you gods!

Job vs. Work

Christian Working Woman Transcript

Monday, August 18, 2008 - When You’re “Dumped On”

Do you know anyone who is out of a job? And another question: Do you know anyone who is out of work? You may be thinking, that's the same question you just asked.

Ah, but no, those are two different questions, because our job and our work are not the same things. We tend to get those terms confused most of the time, but they are not interchangeable terms. I want to point out the differences between our job and our work.

Let's begin with some very basic definitions: Our job is what we do day-in and day-out to bring in income. It is the duties we perform, most often for an employer, for which we expect to receive money or some form of compensation.

A company achieves its goals by hiring people to do jobs that are pre-designed, with job descriptions that are pre-written, without consideration of the person who will fill it.

Our work, on the other hand, is what God has designed us to do. It is our purpose for being here, what we are uniquely created for. It is distinctly linked to our gifts, talents, and assets that we have been given by God. Our work is for the purpose of bringing glory to him and fulfilling us as well. While many people may have identical jobs, no two people have the same work, because each of us has a plan for our lives that is unique.

Most Christians don't really know the difference in their job and their work. And when this is not clear to us, we can encounter many difficulties.

For example, one of our most common mistakes is to expect our job to fulfill us. In times past Americans seemed to have a love affair with their careers, but have you sensed that is changing rapidly? People no longer expect to work for one employer throughout their career and build that family relationship as we have in the past. And so this passion we've had for our careers is becoming more like a fatal attraction.

Yet, because we've seen our jobs as our work, many people continue to look to the workplace to find meaning and purpose in their lives. If you don't know the difference in your job and your work, you can see how frightening and disillusioning this can be.

Do you know anyone who has been utterly shattered because they lost their job? Or a retiree who fell apart with no job to go to everyday? That's because their jobs defined them, and once that job went away, they didn't know who they were. They didn't have any work to do.

We need a biblical perspective of our jobs, don't we?

Love

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

LOVING OTHERS

Luke 6:32
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them

For many people, loving others is a nebulous concept. Fortunately, agape love is very clearly defined in the Scriptures. When love is used as a noun in Scripture, it is referring to character. For example: "God is love" (1 John 4:8); "Love is patient, love is kind," etc. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Love is the highest of character attainments: "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). Love is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), the means by which a true disciple of Christ is identified (John 13:35). The attention given to love in passages such as 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4 reveals its importance to God in our interpersonal relationships, of which the family is primary.

Agape love is not dependent on the person being loved, but on the lover. You may like someone because of who he is; but you love him because of who you are. God loves us not because we are lovable, but because God is love. If it were any other way, God's love would be conditional. If you performed better, would God love you more? Of course not. God's love for us is not based on our performance, but on His character.

Love is also used as a verb in Scripture. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Used this way, love is grace in action. It is giving unconditionally to meet the needs of another.

If you say you don't love someone, you have said more about yourself than about that person. Specifically, you're saying that you haven't attained the maturity to love him unconditionally (Luke 6:32). The grace of God enables you to love others in a way that people without Christ cannot. God doesn't command you to like your family, your neighbors and your coworkers because you can't order your emotions to respond. But He does instruct you to love them. You can always choose to do the loving thing and trust that your feelings will follow in time.

Prayer:

Thank You, Father, for bestowing on me the greatest love of all by sending Jesus. Teach me to love others as You have loved me.

More Studds

Excerpt from Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

"What is most lacking in the church of Jesus Christ is not education or resources. Keep learning, but we are educated way beyond the level of our obedience. And keep giving, but we do not lack the resources to alleviate poverty or fight injustice or spread the gospel. We are the most resourced church in the most resourced country the world has ever known. You what is most lacking? Good old-fashioned guts.

The will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan. And more often than not, the will of God will involve a decision that seems unsafe or insane. Dare I suggest that the twenty-first century church needs more daring people with daring plans?

In the words of a daring twentieth century missionary, C.T. Studd: "Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."

The church needs more Studds! And you can quote me on that."

Feel Good Movement

The Christian Working Woman Transcript

Thursday, August 14, 2008 - The Feel Good Movement


Not long ago a Newsweek Magazine front cover said, "The Curse of Self-Esteem; What's Wrong With the Feel-Good Movement." What's happening is that people who've trusted in this feel-good-about-yourself philosophy are finding it just doesn't work. That's because it's full of errors.

The feel-good movement tells us that if we feel good about ourselves, we'll do good things and be more successful. To use their terminology, we'll realize our full potential.

Do you remember when Jesus sent 72 disciples out to all parts of the country to spread the word about his coming? He gave them power to heal and cast out demons, and they had great success. They came back and reported to Jesus, Look what we have done." And Jesus responded, "Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).

Jesus told them not to feel good about what they had done, but to feel good about what he had done for them. We should rejoice because we are so valuable to God, he sent Jesus to die for us and through faith in Jesus, we can know that our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Get excited over that, rather than trying to feel good about yourself.

Now, certainly Jesus taught us, through the parable of the talents, that we are going to be accountable to him for how we've used the resources and talents he's given us. Achieving, working hard, doing a lot with what God has given us–those are all biblical principles.

However, that will not lead me to realize my potential. Jeremiah 9:23-24 says: Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord...

Can you boast that you understand and know God? If you want to know your potential, get to know the God who created you; I mean, intimately know him through daily communication.

Feel good about myself and live up to my potential? No, rather feel good that I am a child of God, made new by faith in Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Spirit of God who lives within me to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus. That's my potential; that's what God intends for me to be. But never can I do that in my strength or by feeling good about myself. I do that by utter and complete reliance on the power of God within me, and by pursuing God with all my heart, mind and soul.

Missional | Attractional

Excerpt from Dan Kimball at Vintage Faith Theology Gone Wild and Future Blog Posts

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But as I am pondering what posts I will write next, several are coming to mind:
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2) Is some of the "missional" discussion an Emperor With New Clothes?: I truly hope I am wrong about what I am sensing about this and I may very likely get some argument back. But the more I probe leaders and churches who are crying out that "attractional" churches are not effective missionally - but then I look into their actual churches and fruit of "missional" churches, I wonder if the argument against "attractional" churches is not as valid as being spoken about. We use the term "missional" in our church, so I am not against the term at all. I fully know missionary work takes time and is not an overnight thing. I also know that we cannot be counting hands raised in a worship gathering as what we use for numbers etc. But what I am finding interesting is stories like when I was with someone who is in a large city and they were saying that the post-Christian young people of that city would never be drawn to big churches or an attractional model. Yet, very close right there in the same area is a large megachurch whom is seeing younger adults raised entirely outside of the church and who had negative feelings of Christianity - put faith in Jesus and now are disciples of Jesus.

Most of the people I hear talking about how "attractional" model doesn't work in our emerging culture, are usually from very small churches or house churches who often have been in existence for several years, not just new ones. Yet usually, in the very city or town they are from - there are fruit and stories of dozens, hundreds and even thousands in some cases of very post-Christian, postmodern thinking people who normally would have nothing to do with Christianity or church becoming disciples of Jesus. In a future post, I would like to define what I mean by "attractional" and will flesh this out further. I am not by any means talking about big church vs. small church as their is beauty in both large and small churches. This isn't a big vs. small church discussion at all. I am talking about the specific theories of the "missional" and "attractional" terms and what non-Christian emerging generations will or won't be drawn to and how disciples are made - not in China and not how in the early church it happened (although of course we can learn from those examples), but how the Holy Spirit can use local churches here in the USA in our emerging culture here and now ro create healthy disciples from those who were outside the church and even negative against the church and Christianity as so many are today.

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Choose Truth

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

A LIBERATING FRIEND

Psalm 51:6 NIV
Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place

Absolute truth is the revelation of God's Word, and we must live that truth in the inner self. When David lived a lie he suffered greatly. When he finally found freedom by acknowledging the truth, he wrote, "How blessed is the man . . . in whose spirit there is no deceit" (Psalm 32:2). When David later reflected on the same incident, he wrote, "Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place" (Psalm 51:6 NIV ).

We are to lay aside falsehood and speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15, 25). A mentally healthy person is one who is in touch with reality and relatively free of anxiety. Both qualities should epitomize the Christian who renounces deception and embraces the truth.

Deception is the most subtle of all satanic strongholds. Have you ever noticed that all people with addictive behavior lie to themselves and others almost continuously? The alcoholic lies about his drinking, the anorexic lies about her eating, and the sex offender lies about his behavior. Lying is an evil defense prompted by the father of lies, Satan (John 8:44).

The first step in any recovery program is to get out of denial and face the truth. Truth is never an enemy; it is always a liberating friend. People in bondage to the lie grow weary of the darkness. They hate to sneak around, lie and cover up. "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (l John 1:5). We must "walk in the light as He Himself is in the light" (1 John 1:7). There is great freedom when truth dispels the anguish of living a lie.

Choosing the truth may be difficult for you if you have been living a lie for many years. You may need to seek professional help to weed out the defense mechanisms you have depended on all this time to survive. The Christian needs only one defense: Jesus. Knowing that you are forgiven and accepted as God's child sets you free to face reality and choose the truth.

Prayer:

Lord, I choose the truth, and I renounce all self-deception and rationalization of wrong behavior and attitudes.

Rescued

Excerpt from Carry My Love to My Beloved by John Piper

Romans 16:5b

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

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The foundation of Paul’s profound affection for these people is that he knows that he stood with them on the precipice of the wrath of God called hell, where he and they deserve to be today, and that he and they were snatched to safety by the Son of God as he went over that precipice. And they stand trembling, happy, hugging on solid ground, namely, in Christ. That’s why he says in Christ and in the Lord eight times. That’s where Paul lives with them.

We were in as much danger as we could possibly be in—together. And now, we are as safe in Christ as we can possibly be—together. This was so real for Paul he could still smell the flames. He could feel still feel the ice in this thighs as he looked over the edge of the abyss into the wrath of God. And now, rescued by Christ, and living in Christ, nobody looks the same anymore. Everybody here in Christ is blood-bought and safe.

If we don’t feel a kind of trembling, deep affection for each other in Christ, it’s probably because we don’t feel very deserving of hell and we don’t feel amazed at our rescue. And, therefore, the safety we enjoy together doesn’t feel very precious. It’s as though nobody was ever buried in the mine. And there were no all-night vigils, and no heart-rending prayers. And, therefore, no brothers or fathers or husbands emerging from the elevator shaft. And so no hugging. If we want to understand and experience the warmth and preciousness of Paul’s relationships in this chapter, we have to experience again what it means to be rescued from wrath by the blood of Christ and to be eternally safe in Christ—together.

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No Room for Two

A portion of the lyrics from Mercy Me's So Long Self

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So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self
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Circumstances

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

LIVING ABOVE LIFE'S CIRCUMSTANCES

Philippians 4:11
I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am

Some of us tend to assume that it is God's will if the circumstances are favorable and it isn't God's will if the circumstances are unfavorable. Next to the Bible, I would guess that more Christians are "guided" by this means than any other. Yet of all the possible means of guidance, this is the least authoritative and trustworthy.

I had the privilege of pastoring a church that purchased new property and went through a building program. Through most of the process the circumstances didn't seem favorable. Twice I sat with the mayor, who was also a local real estate agent, and asked him if he thought our plans were feasible. He advised us not to make the land trade, and he didn't think the city would allow us to build. He knew the real estate and the political climate better than anyone in the city. But the land swap increased our assets by millions and the city planning commission voted 7-0 in favor of our building plans.

You may have to set sail by the tide, but you'd better be guided by the stars or you're going to end up on the wrong shore. Circumstances may have their effect on your plans, but you have a far greater accountability to God. Make sure you follow Him, not the tide of circumstances.

I heard a motivational speaker say, "I don't like to recruit Christians because when the going gets tough they quit, concluding that it must not be God's will." Generally speaking, I believe that Christians should live above life's circumstances and not be guided by them.

Also be careful about applying too much significance to unusual circumstances or coincidences. "It must be God's will. Why else would that book by lying there!" It could be God's will, but I would never take that kind of a sign on its own merit. I have helped many people in occultic bondage who have made bizarre associations or attached far too much significance to irrelevant events.

Prayer:

Lord, I determine to test all guidance by Your Word and not to be swayed away from Your will by circumstances or popular opinion.

Free

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

TRYING TO CONTROL OTHERS

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding

When a person's self-worth or success hinges on the achievement of a goal which can be blocked or which is uncertain or impossible, how will he respond to those who frustrate his goals? Often he will attempt to control or manipulate the people or circumstances who stand between him and his success.

For example, a pastor's goal is to have the finest youth ministry in the community. But one of his board members blocks his goal by insisting that a music ministry is more important. Every attempt by the pastor to hire a youth pastor is vetoed by the influential board member who wants to hire a music director first. The pastor wrongly perceives that his sense of worth and success in ministry is on the line. So he shifts into a power mode to push the stumbling block out of the way. He looks for a way to change the opposition's mind or remove him from the board because he believes that his success in ministry is dependent on reaching his goal of a great youth ministry.

A mother believes that her self-worth is dependent on her children behaving in a certain way. Her goal is to raise perfect little Christians who will become pastors or missionaries. But as the children reach their teen years and begin to express their independence, their behavior doesn't always match their mother's ideal. So instead of helping them grow through adolescence and releasing them into adulthood, she tries to control them.

It is not hard to understand why people try to control others. They believe that their worth is dependent on other people and circumstances. This is a false belief as evidenced by the fact that the most insecure people you will ever meet are manipulators and controllers of others. But people who are secure in their identity in Christ don't need to control others. Their goal is to be the leader, spouse, parent or employee that God wants them to be because nothing can keep them from being what God wants them to be but themselves.

Prayer:

Lord, I affirm that my worth is based on my relationship with You and that I am free to become the person You want me to be.

Christ Saturated

Excerpts from Commending and Welcoming Radical Risk-Takers for Christ by John Piper

Romans 16:1-7

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

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Notice how Christ-saturated these relationships are. Verse 2: “Welcome her in the Lord.” Verse 3: “My fellow workers in Christ Jesus.” Verse 5: The “first convert to Christ.” Verse 7: “They were in Christ before me.” Verse 8: “My beloved in the Lord.” Verse 9: “My fellow worker in Christ.” Verse 10: “Apelles, who is approved in Christ.” Verse 11: “Greet those in the Lord.” Verse 12: “Greet those workers in the Lord.” Verse 13: “Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.” Verse 14: “Rufus, chosen in the Lord.”

This is not a simple list of greetings. This is the way a person who is drenched in Christ talks about his friends. When you write your family or friends, or when you talk on the phone, or send an email, is Christ there like this? If you say, as I have heard some say, “I don’t wear my faith on my sleeve,” be careful. The issue isn’t what’s on your sleeve. The issue is what’s in your mouth, because Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). If Christ isn’t there in your talk and in your emails, it’s not a sleeve issue—it’s not merely a personality issue, it’s not merely an ethnic issue, it’s not merely a family-of-origin issue—it’s a heart issue. Let’s be a church drenched with Jesus like Paul in Romans 16.

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Suburban Christian

This seems like an interesting book: The Suburban Christian: Finding Spiritual Vitality in the Land of Plenty

(see the reader comments)

Faith and Hope

Stephen Curtis Chapman and Family on Good Morning America

My Rock and Fortress

1 I love you, O Lord, my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18

Will, Motive and God-Sent

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

GOD-SENT CHRISTIANS

1 Corinthians 6:20
You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body

If I were asked to determine the spiritual vitality of any religious group using only one criterion, I would evaluate its representative leaders. Are they a group of individuals vying for power, arming themselves with arguments to defend their position and exert their will? Or are they servant leaders knit together by the Holy Spirit who are collectively trying to discern God's will?

Similarly, if I wanted to determine the spiritual vitality of an individual using only one criterion, I would evaluate whether the person desires to live according to the will of God, or if he desires to do his own thing. The prayer of a vital, growing Christian is, "Make me know Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths" (Psalm 25:4).

Once our will is bent in the right direction, Jesus raises the additional question of motive: "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (John 7:18). The person who is true glorifies the one who sent him.

This is perfectly modeled in the Godhead. Notice first the example of Jesus: "For I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me" (John 8:42). The Holy Spirit acts in the same way. In John 16:13, 14, Jesus said, "He [the Spirit] will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak. . . . He shall glorify Me."

I can take this one step further. Are you ready for this? Jesus said in John 20:21: "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Granted, that was said to the apostles, but we are all under the Great Commission. Do you want to be true? Then glorify the One who sent you! People who know they are God-sent and are committed to live like that, glorify God. Self-sent people seek their own glory.

Prayer:

Today, Lord, I purpose to reflect my appointment as Your sent-one by glorifying You instead of myself.

Good Gifts

13 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!”

Luke 11

Stars

Excerpt from Between Two Worlds

When the prosperous man on a dark but starlit night drives comfortably in his carriage and has the lanterns lighted, aye, then he is safe, he fears no difficulty, he carries his light with him, and it is not dark close around him. But precisely because he has the lanterns lighted, and has a strong light close to him, precisely for this reason, he cannot see the stars. For his lights obscure the stars, which the poor peasant, driving without lights, can see gloriously in the dark but starry night. So those deceived ones live in the temporal existence: either, occupied with the necessities of life, they are too busy to avail themselves of the view, or in their prosperity and good days they have, as it were, lanterns lighted, and close about them everything is so satisfactory, so pleasant, so comfortable—but the view is lacking, the prospect, the view of the stars.

Søren Kierkegaard, The Gospel of Suffering, trans. David and Lillian Swenson (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1948), 123, cited in Vernard Eller, The Simple Life.

Uninhibited Joy

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

UNINHIBITED SPONTANEITY

Psalm 100:1, 2
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing

Have you ever planned a major fun event and then asked yourself, "Are we having fun yet?" Fun in uninhibited spontaneity. Chances are the last time you really had fun it was a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment activity or event. Big events and expensive outings can be fun, but sometimes we plan and spend all the fun right out of them. I've often had a lot more fun in an impromptu pillow fight with my children.

The secret to enjoying uninhibited spontaneity as a Christian is in removing non-scriptural inhibitors. Chief among the inhibitors of Christian fun is our fleshly tendency to keep up appearances. We don't want to look out of place or be thought less of by others, so we stifle our spontaneity with a form of false decorum. That's people-pleasing and Paul suggested that anybody who lives to please people isn't serving Christ (Galatians 1:10).

I really like the uninhibited joy I see in King David, who knew the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. He was so happy about returning the ark to Jerusalem that he leaped and danced before the Lord in celebration. He knew there was joy in the presence of God. But Michal, his party-pooping wife, thought his behavior was unbecoming to a king, and she told him so in no uncertain terms. David said, "Rain on you, lady. I'm dancing to please the Lord, not you or anybody else. And I'm going to keep dancing whether you like it or not" (my paraphrase of 2 Samuel 6:21). As it turned out, Michal was the person God judged in the incident, not David (2 Samuel 6:23). You'll find a lot more joy in pleasing the Lord than in trying to please people.

Frankly, I think it's fun being saved. Being free in Christ means that we are free to be ourselves. We're free from our past, free from trying to live up to other people's expectations, free from sin and the evil one. What a joyful, uninhibited, spontaneous life for those who are free in Christ!

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for the joy of serving You, joy that is not detrimental to body, soul or spirit.

Living in Relationship with God's People

Excerpts from Resting and Wrestling for the Cause of Christ - Together by John Piper

Romans 15:28-33

When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. 29 I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 30 I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, 31 that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. 33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

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First, let’s get the bigger picture of Romans and then come to our text in chapter 15. At the beginning of this letter, in chapter one, and at the end of this letter, in chapter 15, Paul expresses his longing for a personal, mutual, loving relationship with the saints in Rome. He has never been there. He doesn’t know most of them. But listen to how he talks. And test yourself to see if this is the way you feel and speak and act. Romans 1:9-15:

For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10 always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

You can’t miss the level of importance and preciousness that Paul puts on these hoped-for relationships.

• I pray without ceasing that I will be able to come to you.
• I long to see you.
• I want us to encourage each other as we share our spiritual gifts with each other.
• I have often intended to come but have been hindered.
• I would love to be used by God to reap some harvest among you.
• I am under obligation. I am your servant.

Then he comes near the end of his letter in Romans 15:22-24. And he picks up the point he made in Romans 1:13 that he had been hindered from coming.

This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.

Again the emphasis is clear that he wants the joy of a mission-driven, personal, loving relationship with them:

• I have longed for years to come to you.
• I hope to see you as I go to Spain.
• I hope you will help me and be part of the mission.
• I want to enjoy your company for a while.
  

Don’t miss that last comment. I want to be filled up with the joy of your presence and friendship and faith and ministry. Paul was not afraid of saying that part of the fullness of his enjoyment of God comes through relationships with God’s God-besotted children. We see more of God, we know more of God, we enjoy more of God when we live in relationship with God’s people. If you try to be alone in your faith, needless distortions and discouragements will come. It’s not the way God designed us to be.

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Art Music Justice

See MySpace link for information and comments on the Art - Music - Justice tour coming up this fall.

The God Behind the Commandments

Excerpt from Q&A with John Piper on How Can We Teach Our Children About God's Character and Not Just His Commandments

I don't think the kids will ever hear the commandments for what they really are—namely, a loving doctor's prescription for what will bring life and joy—if they don't know the God behind the commandments. We simply must help them see and feel the wonder that they've been created, that they are sustained, and that they are redeemed by a personal, loving, glorious, omnipotent, all-wise, all-sovereign God. And then the do's and don'ts will fall into a more proper place.

But if you only have do's and don'ts with children, that will become law; and the Bible says very plainly that nobody is justified by the law. And if we only relate to God like, "He gives me do's. I try to do them! I hope he likes me today because I did more of them," then we will never know the true God of the Bible. So somehow, even from the beginning, we must model for them and teach to them the greatness of God.

I want to acknowledge how hard this is, because when you're training a little child everything is mainly do's and don'ts: "Don't touch that! Eat that! Don't do that! Eat that!" You have to do do's and don'ts all the time. Therefore what you have to supplement that with is a personality and a verbal expressiveness that God is great and God is good, so that they see thankfulness and joy and exultation in mom and dad, and then they begin to hear that it is related to God. God is why mom and dad are happy. God is why mom and dad hug me. God is why mom and dad feed me. God is why mom and dad sing in the kitchen. And then the do's and don'ts begin to take their proper place.

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Helping the Poor

This is a ministry based in Blowing Rock, NC that is investing in helping the poor in Brazil:

Cross Trade International's passion is to invest in the lives of poor people in Brazil. People who are unemployed without trade skills or who work in a cottage-type industry but are unable to sustain themselves or their families.

This approach I think is unique:

Cross Trade is not a charity or welfare. We provide opportunities. Every purchase you make allows us to continue to provide income to the artisans. The products are of high quality and are backed by our guarantee that if you are not completely satisfied with any purchase you will receive a full refund, including shipping.

Their ultimate goal is:

Our desire, and prayer, for each person we serve in Brazil is that they will experience God’s love, and through any blessings Cross Trade may bring, they will give thanks to the Lord and share generously with their others.

Accepted

Neil Anderson Daily in Christ

HIS ACCEPTED, ADOPTED CHILD

1 John 3:2
Beloved, now we are children of God

Having a right relationship with God begins with settling once and for all the issue that God is your loving Father and you are His accepted, adopted child. That's the foundational truth of your spiritual heritage. You are a child of God, you are created in His image, you have been declared righteous by Him because you trust that what Christ accomplished in His death and resurrection is applicable to you. As long as you believe that and walk accordingly, your daily experience of practical Christianity will result in growth. But when you forget who you are, and try to produce in your daily experience the acceptance God has already extended to you, you'll struggle. We don't serve God to gain His acceptance; we are accepted so we serve God. We don't follow Him in order to be loved; we are loved so we follow Him.

That's why you are called to live by faith (Romans 1:16, 17). The essence of the victorious Christian life is believing what is already true about you. Do you have a choice? Of course! Satan will try to convince you that you are an unworthy, unacceptable, sin-sick person who will never amount to anything in God's eyes. Is that who you are? No, you are not! You are a saint whom God has declared righteous. Believing Satan's lie will lock you into a defeated, fruitless life. But believing God's truth about your identity will set you free.

Your perception of your identity makes such a big difference in your success at dealing with the challenges and conflicts of your life. It is imperative to your growth and maturity that you believe God's truth about who you are.

The Bible says, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are" (1 John 3:1). Tragically, many believers are desperately trying to become something they already are, while others are living like something they aren't. It's true: "Beloved, now we are children of God" (1 John 3:2).

Prayer:

Lord God, I affirm anew that I am Your blood-bought child. The evil one cannot touch me as long as I live according to my position in Christ.