Renounce the Lies

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional:

FAVOR, GOD'S PRESENCE AND SUFFERING
 
And he came to Mary and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you.  Luke 1:28

God led me to this passage last night and I began writing.  By the time I finished, I knew it wasn't right.  It felt more like my thoughts than Spirit-led thoughts.  Frustrated, I went to bed. 

Ron is away on business so I am home alone.  At 5:00 a.m., I woke up to the smell of homemade bread baking.  With no one here to account for that, I knew it was the Spirit of God calling me to get up and eat of the Bread of Life.  (This happens to me several times a year.)

After a season of prayer, my heart is burning with this message!  It feels like it was straight from His heart.

Mary was favored by God, promised His presence, but then, God asks us to look at her life.  It was characterized by suffering.  Leaving her home eight months pregnant.  Giving birth in a dirty barn.  Fleeing for Egypt with a husband and toddler.  Seeing her son taunted, beaten, and crucified.  How was she comforted?  By sound theology and the presence of God.

As she reviewed the stories of her ancestors, she remembered others who were favored, promised the presence of God for their journey, but then suffered greatly. 

• Joseph, shown early through dreams that he was favored by God, was then betrayed and led into slavery and imprisonment.  Many years later, he would see redemption.
• David, shown early at twelve years of age that he was favored by God, was anointed king.  Over the next decade or two, he hid in caves and ran for his life from a demented king.
• Jesus, obviously favored by His Father (a voice from heaven declared it so), was immediately led into the desert for testing.  His life ultimately ended up on a cross, by God's design.

There are so many more examples.  So have I forgotten the Bible stories I learned as a kid?  Why, when I'm suffering, do I wonder if I have found dis-favor with God?  Why do I hide my pain from other believers?  Why do I fear God has withdrawn from me rather than tucked Himself in closely?  Bad theology!

Perhaps you are afflicted today.  You may be ill; too sick, too young, the losses staggering.  You may have been betrayed; feeling punished by God, deserted, aching.  You may have set out on a path you feel God carved out for you ~ only to experience one set of crushing circumstances after another.  Now, you second guess yourself; shame and guilt are your constant companions.

Suffering does not prove dis-favor and disobedience.  In the life of a believer, more than not, it proves God's favor and a path of obedience.  I am not advocating that we wear our pain as a badge.  I am promoting rest in God's purposes!

The One who favors us is the One who calls us to share in the sufferings of Christ.  God's glory, what life is all about, is most clearly seen when His favored ones trust Him through their tears and wait for ultimate redemption.  Let's renounce the lies of our accuser and run with confidence toward the heart of the Father who sustained His Son through His darkest hours.

Your children dream of being spiritual giants but we forget their paths of suffering.  We are suffering.  We are favored.  We are resting in Your provision of grace.  We declare that we are loved today, not despised.  Amen

Lavish Love

Scotty Smith post:  A Prayer About a Delightfully HUGE Christmas

     “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Isaiah. 65:17-19

     Heavenly Father, the long line at Wal-Mart gave me more than a chance to whine about the wait. Casual conversation with fellow shoppers, once again, highlighted the multiple ways the story of Christmas is told and experienced.

     To start with, Bing Crosby was crooning, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas ,” but on top of that I kept hearing this shopping-cart refrain, “We can’t afford much Christmas this year” and “We’re down-sizing Christmas this year.” I found myself grateful for the way you tell the story.

     Father, we’re not the ones who “do” Christmas, you are, and there’s nothing merely “merry” or “little” about Advent. The size of our Christmas has absolutely nothing to do with how much discretionary money we have to spend on bigger and better gifts. It has everything to do with how much of Jesus we see. I praise you that every Christmas is huge, delightfully huge, irrespective any economy or currency.

     Through Jesus, you’ve promised to create a new heaven and new earth from the stuff of our broken universe—a new creation world in which you will find great delight. We praise you for the magnificence and hope of your plan, mighty Father. And you’ve promised to redeem a pan-national people, to populate and celebrate this eternal habitation of peace and joy—a people in whom you find great delight and over whom you will rejoice forever. We praise you for your immeasurable grace and lavish love, merciful Father.

     Therefore, Lord Jesus, we intend to fix our gaze on you today and not on our shopping carts. For you’re the object, author and perfecter of our faith. You’ve already washed all our sins away, and one Day, you’ll wipe every tear away. Apart from you, Christmas is just one more banal carnal day. So very Amen, we pray, in your holy and loving name.
      

Lectio Divina

An Excerpt From Life With God By Richard J. Foster with Kathryn A. Helmers as posted (excerpt) by Courtney Cohen, Renovaré December 2010 Devotional (Facebook)

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” –
Ephesians 1:16-18


“Distinct from other ways of approaching the Bible, the ancient Christian practice of *lectio divina* (spiritual reading) is the primary mode of reading the Bible for transformation. There is a place for reading large portions of the Bible in one sitting, such as an entire book, but this is not it. Here we are concerned with depth rather than breadth. There is also a place for Bible study, in which we apply exegetical tools of interpretation, but this is not ‘study’ per se. Rather, *lectio* is a way of allowing the mind to ‘descend’ into the heart, so that both mind and heart might be drawn into the love and goodness of God. Our goal is immersion . . . In its classic form, *lectio* comprises four elements . . . listening, reflecting, praying, and obeying. When these elements are combined . . . they lead the human spirit into a dynamic interaction with the Holy Spirit . . . When we continually attempt to make the Bible serve our own agendas – and in doing so, distance ourselves from God – *lectio divina* is a way of recovering our ability to be attentive to the heart of God in the Word of God.”

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Plodders

Mark Batterson post:  Longevity

On the day after THE STREAK ended, I've got to make a few observations about longevity. I always have been and always will be a believer in sustained effort aka longevity. I had a Father-in-Law that planted and pastored one church for more than thirty years so I saw the impact of cumulative effort. I pray for the privilege of pastoring one church for life. I honestly believe that the key to a fruitful ministry isn't dreaming big as much as it is thinking long. It's not a sprint. It's a marathon. And that takes tremendous endurance.

I know there are those who root against Favre because they root against the teams he's played for. And I know his indecisiveness regarding retirement has been a media frenzy for a few years. And it's been a tough season for Favre. But none of those things changes the fact that only a handful of players in NFL history have been good enough to start for 297 consecutive games. And no one in the history of the game has matched his toughness or love for the game. And those are two things that Favre will be remembered for. In fact, he epitomizes them.

I'm impressed with plotters--people who are visionary strategists. But I think I'm more impressed with plodders--people who put one foot in front of another and keep plodding ahead despite circumstances and challenges. To put it in ministry terms, I'm inspired by pastors of churches that have experienced exponential church growth, but not nearly as much as those pastors who faithfully pastor churches in the shadows of the kingdom from cradle to coffin.

I think most of us in ministry want to grow faster quicker, but there is a reason why Scripture uses agricultural metaphors for kingdom growth. Maybe our goal shouldn't just be growing bigger faster. Maybe it should also be growing deeper longer.

Incarnation of the Rescuer

Excerpt from Matt G. Redmond post:  Christmas Is for Those Who Hate It Most

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I get it. I mean, it makes sense on the level of Christmas being a time in which there is a lot of heavily concentrated family time. The holidays can be tense in even the best of circumstances. Maneuvering through the landmines of various personalities can be hard even if there is no cancer, divorce or empty seat at the table. What makes it the most wonderful time of the year is also what makes it the most brutal time of the year. My own family has not been immune to this phenomenon.

But allow me to push back against this idea a little. Gently. I think we have it all backwards. We have it sunk deep into our collective cultural consciousness that Christmas is for the happy people. You know, those with idyllic family situations enjoyed around stocking-strewn hearth dreams. Christmas is for healthy people who laugh easily and at all the right times, right? The successful and the beautiful, who live in suburban bliss, can easily enjoy the holidays. They have not gotten lost on the way because of the GPS they got last year. They are beaming after watching a Christmas classic curled up on the couch as a family in front of their ginormous flat-screen. We live and act as if this is who should be enjoying Christmas.

But this is backwards. Christmas—the great story of the incarnation of the Rescuer—is for everyone, especially those who need a rescue. Jesus was born as a baby to know the pain and sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus was made to be like us so that in his resurrection we can be made like him; free from the fear of death and the pain of loss. Jesus’ first recorded worshipers were not of the beautiful class. They were poor, ugly shepherds, beat down by life and labor. They had been looked down on over many a nose.

Jesus came for those who look in the mirror and see ugliness. Jesus came for daughters whose fathers never told them they were beautiful. Christmas is for those who go to “wing night” alone. Christmas is for those whose lives have been wrecked by cancer, and the thought of another Christmas seems like an impossible dream. Christmas is for those who would be nothing but lonely if not for social media. Christmas is for those whose marriages have careened against the retaining wall and are threatening to flip over the edge. Christmas is for the son whose father keeps giving him hunting gear when he wants art materials. Christmas is for smokers who cannot quit even in the face of a death sentence. Christmas is for prostitutes, adulterers, and porn stars who long for love in every wrong place. Christmas is for college students who are sitting in the midst of the family and already cannot wait to get out for another drink. Christmas is for those who traffic in failed dreams. Christmas is for those who have squandered the family name and fortune—they want “home” but cannot imagine a gracious reception. Christmas is for parents watching their children’s marriage fall into disarray.

Christmas is really about the gospel of grace for sinners. Because of all that Christ has done on the cross, the manger becomes the most hopeful place in a universe darkened with hopelessness. In the irony of all ironies, Christmas is for those who will find it the hardest to enjoy. It really is for those who hate it most.

God At Work

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer post:  Kick-Starting the Plateaued and Declining Church Part 4: Challenge People to Face Reality and Join the Team

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After assessing the situation, it's time to start facing reality and helping people start making some changes. Obviously, this is where it can get really tough because there's a need to say some hard things firmly, while being gracious. In addition, you're going to ask demoralized people to reengage who may feel like losers, even if they're trying to put a good face on it. This is how Nehemiah approached things after his assessment:

So I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall so that we will no longer be a disgrace." I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and also about the king had said to me. They said, "Let's start rebuilding," and they were encouraged to [do] this good work (Neh. 2:17-18, HCSB).

It makes it all sound pretty easy on the surface, but notice that Nehemiah didn't ask them to do everything all at once. He just asked them to do one thing--rebuild a wall. In your case, who knows what it might be? Maybe you need to ask people to do a major "spruce up" of the property or building; maybe you need to ask them to start a new group or class of some kind; or maybe you need to work with people to organize an outreach project. Do whatever activity that will begin to build a sense of accomplishment among the people.

In addition, Nehemiah did speak the truth. He stated the obvious, and then he turned that into a battle cry. And the reason for it was that God was at work in the situation. That goes back to the first two points--having a clear sense of calling from God to love, serve, and lead the people and allowing God to cultivate a love in your heart for the people and the place.

Notice also that Nehemiah made it about "we" and "us," not "me" and "them." He challenged people to join the team, and Nehemiah saw himself as one of the team. It wasn't Nehemiah against or above everybody else, and the people responded. Nehemiah didn't rub all of this in the face of the people or try to make them feel bad for letting things get to that point.

In leading Lee Park Church to experience significant revitalization, Pastor Chris Justice kept things pretty simple. The vision he cast for the church revolved around two obvious things--preach the Word and love people. That's it. He tried not to use the word "change" in the first year. What he did set out to do though, was highlight instances where he observed people loving others. Pastor Justice asserted, "The people were so used to hearing everything that was wrong and everything that they weren't, I wanted to preach to them who they were." Pastor Chris Justice and Nehemiah were working on building people up after being demoralized.

Be sure to read the rest of the series, and feel free to interact.

 

Passion

Excerpt from Ed Stetzer:  Guest Post from Philip Nation: Advice to Worship Leaders

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All leaders face the temptation to love their work for God more than God Himself. It is our own temptation toward idolatry. To speakers, I would say that they should love Jesus more than their words about Him. For worship leaders, love God more than the music about Him. No matter what else happens on the platform, it will be obvious where your passion rests.

 

More Blessed

Jonathan Parnell post:  Are You More Blessed Than the Virgin Mary?

In the sermon descriptively entitled,

“That Hearing and Keeping the Word of God Renders a Person More Blessed Than Any Other Privilege That Ever God Bestowed on Any of the Children of Men,”

Jonathan Edwards writes:

The hearing and keeping the word of God brings the happiness of a spiritual union and communion with God.

‘Tis a greater blessedness to have spiritual communion with God and to have a saving intercourse with him by the instances of his Spirit and by the exercise of true devotion than it is to converse with God externally, to see the visible representation and manifestations of his presence and glory, and to hear his voice with the bodily ears as Moses did. For in this spiritual intercourse the soul is nigh unto and hath more a particular portion than in any external intercourse.

‘Tis more blessed to be spiritually related to Jesus Christ—to be his disciples, his brethren and the members—than to stand in the nearest temporal relation, than to be his brother or his mother.

This portion of Edwards was taken from the advent devotional Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, ed. Nancy Guthrie, 57.

Overall Aim

What's Best Next post:  Those Who Set Goals Accomplish More.  And:  Be Careful to Have the Right Goals

Stephen Covey notes that:

In the field of personal development, one of the few things that can be empirically validated is that individuals and organizations that set goals accomplish more. The reality is that people who know how to set and achieve goals generally accomplish what they set out to do.

That’s interesting.

But, don’t take it as a whole-sale endorsement on setting goals. Covey goes on to note the weaknesses of this approach:

There are countless people who use the Goal Approach to climb the ladder of success — only to discover it’s been leaning against the wrong wall.

They set goals and focus powerful effort to achieve them. But when they get what they wanted, they find it doesn’t bring the results they expected. Life seems empty, anticlimatctic. “Is that all there is?”

When goals are not based on principles and primary needs, the focused drive and single-mindedness that makes achievement possible can blind people to imbalance in their lives.

They may have their six- or seven-figure income, but they’re living with the deep pain of multiple divorces and children who won’t even talk to them. They may have a glamorous public image, but an empty private life. They have the plaudits of the world, but no rich, satisfying relationships, no deep inner sense of integrity.

It is important to have goals. But there is also a danger in having goals. What’s the solution?

One part of the solution is to have the right goals. Another part of the solution is to not let your life be _entirely_ directed by goals. 

You see a good example of this in the life of the apostle Paul. He had an overarching goal — a mission — that was right. Here’s one statement of it (there are others as well):

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11).

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14).

Paul’s overarching mission here is an example of a goal, an ultimate goal, that should cover our entire lives and for which we should sacrifice greatly for. And he commends the same goal to each of us: “Let those of us who are mature think this way” (v. 15).

Paul also had some lower-altitude goals that aligned with this. For example, he really desired to visit the church in Rome:

“. . . without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.” (Romans 1:9-10)

But this was not an all-defining goal, because other things took precedence and prevented him from coming (see Romans 15:18-24–very interesting: what kept him from coming was another goal). Paul had other goals like this as well — things he really wanted to do, but which he sought to do in an integrated way with all the other callings that God had placed before him.

What we see in Paul is a good example of goals working in the right way. He had the right overall goal, or aim, in life. He pursued that goal at all costs — and, because it was the right goal that God would have for him (and us), that did not result in unloving, unbibiblically unbalanced (note: the term “unbiblical” is a critical nuance there) life.

Then, underneath that, he had many lower-altitude goals that aligned with it, and which he pursued with great diligence, but which he didn’t pursue at all costs and without the wider awareness of other things, apart from those goals, that God might want to do in his life.

Out There

Ray Ortlund post:  Not in the Shire

“Do you feel any need to leave the Shire now – now that your wish to see [the Elves] has come true already?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. . . . I seem to see ahead, in a kind of way.  I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can’t turn back.  It isn’t to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains, that I want – I don’t rightly know what I want; but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire.  I must see it through, sir, if you understand me.”

J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (Boston, 1994), page 85.

The obvious is sometimes worth saying, namely, that our futures lie out ahead of us, in the future, not behind us.  Out there in the unfamiliar, the demanding, not back in the safe and the predictable.  Out there – in the promises of God calling for our faith.

Hope and Gratitude

Scotty Smith post:  A Prayer About Breaking Out into Mary’s Song

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Luke 1:46-50
     Jesus, I woke up today extremely thankful for the gift of music… especially the songs of Advent. I’m more likely to lose my inhibitions singing Christmas songs than any other genre, and it’s not rocket science to figure out why this is so.
     Every Advent hymn, carol and chorus I know—the ones’ from your Word… in my hymnal… or my iPod—every one of them propel me into hope and gratitude. Hope and gratitude, hope and gratitude, more hope and more gratitude. And when my heart is fueled by these twin graces, I’m much freer, much more full of faith, and much more inclined to sing and make music in my heart to you.
     Jesus, I praise you for igniting my heart to sing your praise. I praise you for giving me a reason to sing. I praise you for songwriters who capture what I feel and give me the vehicle for expressing what I long to say to you.
     Though Mary’s story is different from mine, yet I join her Advent refrain today. I can sing her song. I must sing her song, for you’ve been mindful of my humble, broken, sinful state. I have nothing to boast in but you, Jesus. You came to me when I wasn’t seeking you. You’re being formed in me just as surely as you entered the world through Mary’s womb.
     I’m a blessed man only because you’ve done great things for me, and you continue to do great things for me. Holy is your name, Lord Jesus! I have no concern for what any generation may say about me. It’s enough to know what you say about me… that I’m yours… that I’m forgiven… that I’m righteous in you… that nothing can separate me from your love.
     Your mercy has been extended my generation, and to me, personally. Therefore, my soul glorifies you, Jesus, and my spirit rejoices in you, my God and my Savior. As the gospel goes deeper into my heart, free me from all fears except the fear of the Lord. I want to be filled and freed with an affectionate reverence for you alone, Jesus. So very Amen, I sing and pray, in your most glorious and gracious name… with more hope and gratitude than ever.

Celebration

Trevin Wax post:  What You Celebrate as a Church Is Just as Important as What You Believe

What your congregation celebrates corporately is just as important as what your church affirms doctrinally. Celebrate the gospel, and cross-cultural ministry will bubble up in surprising ways.

Celebrate your church’s preferential distinctions, and your congregation will become an insular group of like-minded individuals.

Celebrating something other than the gospel can happen in different kinds of churches. Here are two fictitious examples:

Rob’s Story

Rob grew up in a Southern Baptist church in the Deep South. His church believed the gospel and demonstrated genuine affection for the lost.

Even though the gospel was preached in Rob’s church, the deacons seemed to save their heartiest “amens” for whenever the preacher went off script and started reminding them of all that set their church apart from the others in town. The preacher and congregation took pride in the fact that their church was traditional:

• Just gimme that “old-time religion” please!
• No need to project Bible verses up on some newfangled screen. (We actually expect people to bring their Bibles to church!)
• We like organs and hymns, and we refuse to dumb down our music for the 7/11 ditties you can hear on the radio 24/7.
• We dress up around here because we’re meeting King Jesus (and shouldn’t you wear your finest clothes for royalty?).
• Name the program you need and we’ve got it covered.
• From birth to heaven, our church offers an “old-fashioned” church experience in Southern Baptist style.

Rob went off to college in a big city and started looking for a church. He knew the gospel. He wanted to walk with the Lord. But in his new city, he had trouble finding a Southern Baptist church that felt like home. One week, he tried a church that turned out to be much too casual for his liking (they had a coffee bar!). Another church didn’t have enough programs to suit his taste. He found a church where he clicked with people and liked the preacher, but they had a screen, a drum set, and a singer with suspiciously shaggy hair.

Several months have gone by, and now, Rob is adrift. He feels disoriented. He sits down one evening and writes out a list of all the things important to his church experience. By the time he puts the pen down, he is frustrated that he can’t find “the right church.”

Kelli’s Story

Kelli grew up in an urban context. When she was in college, she was invited by a neighbor to church. Everything she expected church to be was turned upside-down upon her first visit. The architecture and atmosphere was edgy and cool. The music was contemporary. Most importantly, the gospel was preached, and Kelli trusted Christ.

Over time, Kelli assimilated into this congregation. Though this church looked very different from the church Rob grew up in, it had one thing in common. This congregation was also enamored with its uniqueness:

• This isn’t your father’s church. We’re hip and artsy here.
• We’re not like the traditional, stuffy churches where people put on masks by dressing up. We accept you the way you are.
• No hymnals or Sunday school. All that has gone the way of the dinosaur.
• Don’t expect to hear the cheesy, commercialized pop worship on Christian radio. We write everything ourselves, thank you very much.
• And just so you know, don’t expect us to load you down with programs; just make sure you’re here for the weekly experience.

Kelli married a Christian guy she met on a mission trip. He took a job in a rural town in Texas. Shortly after their move, they began looking for churches and—lo and behold—they couldn’t find a church that felt like the one they came from. Kelli discovered that all the churches were more traditional. They liked one church, but soon discovered it had children’s programs that her old church used to snicker at.

Another church had friendly people but—alas!—the soloist used canned music. No live band during worship? They didn’t even bother.

A few months have gone by, and Kelli and her husband are still searching. Kelli has grown disillusioned with church and wonders if she’ll ever feel at home again. So she makes a list: “The Church I Want.” When she finishes, she buries her head in her hands and thinks, Maybe it’s just better to download podcasts from back home.

What’s Missing?

Rob’s church and Kelli’s church look very different, and yet they are very much the same. Both churches proclaim the gospel, but both center their identity in aesthetic tastes and styles. The gospel is preached, but the style is what’s celebrated.

Week after week, the churches emphasize and celebrate what makes them different from other churches. They celebrate their uniqueness—not the gospel uniqueness that shines light in a dark world, but a worldly uniqueness that would have us base our identity in stylistic distinctions between brothers and sisters.

Whenever we are formed within a context that celebrates certain cultural expressions over against other expressions, we begin to expect the wrong things from a church. So when the day comes for us to unite with a different congregation, our list of expectations is devoid of the gospel. The saddest result of Kelli and Rob’s church search is that neither of them was looking primarily for a church that preached and celebrated the gospel. They were lost in a sea of peripheral issues because that is what their churches had celebrated.

Pastors and church leaders, it’s important that we believe the gospel; it’s also important that we celebrate this gospel in a way that makes clear it is “of first importance.”

What do we celebrate as a church?

Do we ever lift up our church’s expression as “what church should be” in a way that unites our congregation around a style rather than the gospel?

Do our discipleship efforts lead to missional living or look-alike converts who will have a difficult time serving in another context in the future?

I pray that we celebrate the gospel in a way that leads our church members to easily cross cultural divides because of the centrality of the cross. What we celebrate is just as important as what we believe.

———-

D. A. Carson:

I have been teaching more decades now that I can count and if I have learned anything from all of this teaching, its this: my students . . . learn what I’m excited about. So within the church of the living God, we must become excited about the gospel. That’s how we pass on our heritage. If, instead, the gospel increasingly becomes for us that which we assume, then we will, of course, assent to the correct creedal statement. But, at this point, the gospel is not what really captures us. Rather, is a particular form of worship or a particular style of counseling, or a particular view on culture, or a particular technique in preaching, or—fill in the blank.  Then, ultimately, our students make that their center and the generation after us loses the gospel. As soon as you get to the place where the gospel is that which is nearly assumed, you are only a generation and a half from death.

Sweet Waters of Faith

Christine Wyrtzen Devotional

SPONTANEOUS WORDS
 
My soul magnifies the Lord.  Luke 1:46

  
Words of faith do not originate from a vacuum.  What spills out during the times when I am stretched to my limit reflects the kind of faith I have cultivated previously.  A well known bible teacher said, "Who I am when hard times hit is really who I am."   True!  The words I speak during my most painful moments are a mirror that reflects the foundation of my life.

Hannah endured the scourge of barrenness and when she was finally touched by the divine hand of God, she delivered a famous discourse that spanned a dozen verses.  It is one of the most prophetic words in all of scripture.
   
Elizabeth also suffered the heartache of being childless, yet through it, she also cultivated her faith.  She learned the Word of God, built the precepts of it into the fabric of her life, and when God visited her with a child in her old age, she also rose to prophesy.  (And, she was the first to recognize the Messiah, though just a 3 month-old baby in Mary's womb!)
  
Eloquence is not confined to adults.  Mary was merely a teenager when she was visited by an angel.  Given a task that would have crushed most grownups, she also rose up to deliver the famous Magnificat.  The fact that such words could flow from a twelve year old is an indication that her childhood was also spent learning the scriptures.  She didn't just speak shallow words of praise.  She also highlighted the 'ways of God' that could only be known by one who had reviewed God's dealings with His people throughout Israel's history.
  
Human nature wants to coast during the good times, only drawing close to God when the fires of adversity get hot.  God is gracious and will certainly answer us whenever we cry out for help, but there is a better way.  I can fortify my heart today by the choices I make with my time.  If I make sure to feed my spirit through careful study of the Word of God, through listening prayer, through deliberate searching of God's heart in matters great and small, I create a storehouse of spiritual food that will serve me well when there's famine.  When hunger and thirst visit my front door, I will not be shocked to hear hopeless and fearful words come out of my mouth.  What spills out will be the sweet waters of faith. 

I walk in the shoes of Hannah, of Elizabeth, and of Mary.  Their footsteps are easy to see, but hard to follow, yet I choose their narrow path.  In Jesus' name, Amen 

Our God Is With Us

Beyond My Ability

Mark Batterson post:  The Levite Blessing

I love the blessings in Deuteronomy 33. Moses blesses the different tribes of Israel in very unique and very specific ways. I love what could be called the Levite Blessing: "Bless all his skills, O Lord."

It doesn't matter whether you're an athlete, architect, teacher, entrepreneur, mother, doctor, or pastor. Our work takes on a supernatural dimension when God blesses the skills He gave us in the first place. I don't know about you, but I don't want to do what I do to the best of MY ability. I want God to do something in me and through me that is beyond my ability. And that is where the Levite blessing comes into play.

For what it's worth, the Levites were the priestly tribe and that's what YOU are if you are in Christ. You are a royal priesthood. I believe this blessing belongs to us as priests of God. All we have to do is stake claim to the blessing that God wants to give us! The blessing that Moses pronounced over the Levites was pronounced over us the moment we put our faith in Christ, our Great High Priest.

Not Forgotten

Energize the limp hands,
   strengthen the rubbery knees.
Tell fearful souls,
   "Courage! Take heart!
God is here, right here,
   on his way to put things right
And redress all wrongs.
   He's on his way! He'll save you!" 

Isaiah 35:3-4 [Message]

Mighty to Save

Scotty Smith post:  A Prayer About One Advent Blessing After Another

     The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “this was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:14-16

     Dear Jesus, I can understand why, of all the accounts of your birth, John’s is least often chosen as the script for Sunday-school Christmas pageants and programs. After all, what parts would the children play? What cute costumes could they wear? There’s no manger, no Joseph and Mary, no shepherds, angels and wise men and lowing cattle. But there certainly IS you. You’re are the only star on the horizon in this nativity scene, and how you shine.

     Jesus, I praise you for becoming “flesh” and “tabernacling” among us for just the right amount of time. Though equal to, yet distinct from the Father, you didn’t consider your glory something to be tightly grasped or held onto selfishly. Rather, you emptied yourself by becoming a man—but not just any ordinary man, a servant-man, the Servant of the Lord… the second Adam, our Savior… my Savior.

     In your thirty-three years of incarnate life, you accomplished everything necessary for the redemption of the people for whom you lived and died… but also for the restoration of the world you created and love. Be magnified, adored, regaled, worshiped and loved, Lord Jesus. What a wonderful merciful Savior you are! What a God who is so mighty to save!

      I cannot sing Isaac Watt’s great Advent hymn, “Joy to the Word,” without thinking of John’s telling of your birth narrative. For you are presently ruling the world with your grace and truth—the grace and truth with which you are full. You’re making the nations prove the wonders of your love… as the gospel runs from heart to heart, and nation to nation.

     From the fullness of your grace we keep receiving one blessing after another—one blessing on top of another. The blessings of your imputed righteousness… the blessings of perpetual favor with God… the blessings your intercession and advocacy… the blessings of your Spirit’s work in our lives… the blessings citizenship in heaven… the blessing of knowing the good work you have begun in us, and in the cosmos, will be brought to completion! Hail the incarnate deity! Joy to the world, and to us, indeed! So very Amen, we pray, in your most glorious name.

Serving

Kevin DeYoung post:  He Came to Serve

Imagine you are transported back to Bethlehem two thousand years ago.  There you are standing around the manger. The shepherds approach with a question.

“Do you know who this is?” they inquire.

“Actually I do,” you say, “his name his Jesus.”

“That’s right,” they tell you. “The angels told us to come and find him here. The whole night has been amazing. We can’t stop praising God for leading us to this special child.” But then they ask one more question. “Still, we aren’t entirely sure what is so special about him. He must be sent from God. But do you know why he was sent? What has this baby come to do?”

What would you answer the shepherds? “Well, he’s come to show us how to live.” Or, “He’s come to heal people.” Or, “He’s come to show God’s love to the world.” Or, “He’s come to meet people’s physical and spiritual needs.” All of those answers would have some truth to them. But there’s a better answer, more to the point, more to the heart of Jesus’ own mission. Jesus us tells us why he came in Mark 10:45.

Why did the Son of God come to earth? What was his one driving ambition that determined everything else he did? It was this: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus healed. Jesus cast out demons. Jesus taught about the kingdom. But all of that was to the end that he might serve his people by death and resurrection. Not just service broadly conceived as blessing people with his care and compassion, but service in the best way possible way, and in the way only Jesus could fulfill, service through suffering on a cross.

Other texts make the same point. Recall the angelic instructions for Joseph: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). That’s why Jesus came–not first of all to set a moral example or to make us feel special–but to save us from our sins. “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,” Jesus says in Luke 19:10. Elsewhere: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). That was his goal and it could only be accomplished through death. As R.T. France concludes in his commentary on Mark 10:45: “This, then, is the stated purpose of Jesus’ mission. His many acts of mercy, healing, teaching, challenging the norms of society, and all the other elements of Mark’s story must be seen in the light of this own purpose, to give his life as a ransom for many” (The Gospel of Mark, 421 [note: the last part of the sentence France leaves untranslated in Greek]).

Why did Jesus come? What was the baby sent here to accomplish? What was his mission? Quite simply, Jesus came to serve. And how did he serve? Mark 10 shows us how (full sermon here): He gave up his life (10:45, 32). He drank the cup (10:38). He paid the ransom (10:45). Thank God for the exalted Son of Man who, for our sakes, humbled himself to become our Suffering Servant.

Contentment

Life Today Devotional

Contentment
by Carol Kent

The dictionary defines contentment as “the quality or state of being contented,” and contented is defined as “feeling or showing satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation.”1 One of the key ingredients of contentment is accepting the hand dealt to us in life, our place in this world, the people in our circle, and the resources we have. Frankly, if my level of contentment could be monitored on a meter that measures satisfaction and acceptance, I know there are days when neither attitude would even register. Instead, my dissatisfaction would be off the charts.

Paul’s example of dealing with adversity over more than three decades of his life as a Christ-follower encourages me, because throughout his writings Paul describes the inner peace we can learn to cultivate, regardless of circumstances. Even while imprisoned – again – by the Romans, he wrote:

Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.2

From a place of complete confidence in the God who transcends all human experiences, Paul urged the early Christians to be “content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.’”3

As parents of a lifer, Gene and I find ourselves wondering (and sometimes worrying!) about how prisoners, including our son, will be cared for as our country continues to experience a deep financial crisis that has negatively affected the lives of almost everybody in our society. As there is less and less money for the upkeep of prisons, the salaries of prison employees, the health care and meal quality of inmates, and the education of the incarcerated, how will the United States take care of nearly two-and-a-half-million inmates in our country?

Another thought that steals my contentment as a mom is wondering what will happen to our son after Gene and I get old and die. That may seem like a morbid thought, but the reality is in your face when you have a child with a life sentence. Younger family members will one day be responsible for making sure there is enough money in Jason’s account to cover his basic needs. J.P. once wrote to us about some of the added indignities inmates experience when they don’t have anyone looking out for them on the outside.

When prisoners have no family member who deposits money in their inmate account, they wear footwear provided by the Department of Corrections – little slip-on shoes called “bo-bos” (pronounced with long o’s) that are three sizes too small or three sizes too big. When a man’s shoes are too big, he looks like a little child wearing his father’s shoes – just shuffling along so they don’t fall off. When the footwear is too small, the inmates’ feet are cramped into little slippers that only cover their toes, with their heels hanging out over the backs of the shoes. Often, when a hole is worn through the sole of a bo-bo, a large piece of cloth tape is applied instead of having the shoe replaced.

The trousers we wear are often patched or extended with six or more inches of material to make them longer. Towels are sewn together from two, or sometimes three, pieces of old towels.

These little things take away part of our dignity – and if we let these common practices get to us, it produces discontent.

Any contentment I experience can go right through the window when I start dwelling on my concerns about who will provide and care deeply about my son for the rest of his life. I don’t have a chance for peace of mind unless I truly believe that my God – my son’s God – will never desert him. I must continually practice following more of Paul’s excellent advice:

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.4

The challenges my son is experiencing as a guilty man imprisoned for committing murder don’t compare to the extreme challenges Paul faced as a Christian unjustly persecuted in Roman society. But Jason, like Paul, is learning that contentment is not just a feeling, and it’s not dependent on his circumstances. Ironically, my incarcerated son is teaching me the true meaning of contentment.

I know there are days when Jason is tempted to give in to anger, bitterness and jealousy. I have those temptations, too. But I'm encouraged as I see him trying to internalize this truth from the New Testament: “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”5 When I choose to live one day at a time instead of trying to make it through my son’s entire life sentence, I'm surprised by contentment.



Adapted from Between a Rock and a Grace Place: Divine Surprises in the Tight Spots of Lifeby Carol Kent, © 2010 Carol Kent, Zondervan.

1 Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, eleventh edition
2 Philippians 4:11-13
3 Hebrews 13:5 NASB
4 Philippians 4:6-7
5 Matthew 6:34

Released

Ray Ortlund post:  We are delivered

“When Jesus judges our imperfection, he does it with such compassion that he releases us from the fear that we must pretend to be better than we are.  He assures us that if we will be honest with God, God will be gracious with us.  And the moment we enter into a gracious relationship with God, we not only fall heir to the promises of the gospel, but we are also ready to accept our present duties in the kingdom of love.

With pride dethroned, we are able to accept a much more modest concept of the self.  We are delivered from the error of thinking that we must prove ourselves all the time.  Kindness and truth become acceptable signs of status.  Destructive anxiety cannot overwhelm us, for we are content to leave the work of salvation to God.”

Edward John Carnell, The Kingdom of Love and the Pride of Life (Grand Rapids, 1960), pages 152-153.

Childlike Faith

Steven Furtick post:  Well, what if?

I was swimming with Elijah this past summer and he started getting really brave and jumping off the ledge of the pool. To make it safe, I would stand in the pool and catch him.

But then he got real cocky and started jumping before I was looking. There was no danger. I was right there to pick him up, which is why he was doing it in the first place. But still, it was the principle.

So I warned him, “Elijah, you’ve got to stop that. What if you fall in the water and daddy didn’t tell you to jump yet?” He looked straight at me and said, “well, what if?”

He had me. The truth is I wasn’t going to let him drown, and he knew it. His faith in my love and my ability to save him compelled him to be bold and take a risk. He wasn’t testing my willingness or power to save him. He was jumping because he knew they were already there.

This is the essence of childlike faith. It sets you free to risk, to say well, what if. Even to the point of coming off as cocky in your faith. You’re not testing God or trying to prove His power or love towards you. You’re taking bold steps because His power and love have already been proven.

Peter had well, what if faith.

What if you sink into the water when you try to walk on it? Well, what if? Jesus is there.

Peter’s faith wasn’t that he could walk on water. It was that Jesus could catch him if he fell. And so he became one of two men in history to walk on water. The other was God in the flesh. Not bad company.

Paul had well, what if faith.

What if you’re beaten and tortured for your faith? Well, what if? I consider that my present sufferings aren’t worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in me.

What if they kill you? Well what if? To die is gain.

What if they let you live and put you in prison? Well, what if? To live is Christ. I’ll convert the guards.
See why he turned the world upside down?

There is always going to be a what if standing in the way of your dream or your desire to radically obey God. Resolve yourself to respond with a well, what if of your own.

What if you’re wrong and you’re not supposed to take that risk for Christ? Well, what if? I think God would rather me take a sincere risk for Him and be wrong than sit safely in the comfort of my own complacency. 

What if you fail? Well, what if? As others have said before, I’m much more afraid of succeeding at something that really doesn’t matter.

What if you ruin your life? Well, what if I waste it?

What if… Well, what if?

Priorities

Mark Batterson post:  Default or Design

There are only two ways to live: by default or by design. I'm guessing that 90% of people live 90% of their lives by default. In other words, life happens to them. They live in reactive mode. The other option is to live in proactive mode. Living by design is establishing priorities and then living by them.

So what's the difference between default and design? Well, in financial terms, a budget may be the difference between default and design. In experiential terms, life goals may be the difference between default and design. In spiritual terms, a Bible reading plan may be the difference between default and design. And in relational terms, a scheduled date night may be the difference between default and design. The common denominator is a plan.

When I'm frustrated spiritually or relationally, it's often because I'm in reactive mode. I'm just reacting to the circumstances I find myself in. And that's when you default on life. When I'm feeling fulfilled, it's usually because I'm proactive. I'm going after goals or executing a plan or living out my priorities.

Through His Name Alone

Excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian post:  My Monday Morning Need Of The Gospel

Quoting Scotty Smith ..

Lord Jesus, though I’m never tempted to look to any other name for my justification, I am very tempted to look to other names and means for my transformation—worse of all, is when I look to me to be my own savior. But only you, Jesus, are able to save completely those who come to God through you, for you are always living to pray for us and to advocate for us (Heb 7:25). You are my righteousness, holiness and redemption, and that’s why I only boast in you today! (1 Cor. 1:30-31)

So I come to you today, Jesus, right now! Save me more fully from my fear of man, my need to be in control, my ticky-tacky pettiness. Save me from trying to be anybody’s savior. I want to get irritated far less often and to be spontaneous much more often. I want to “light up” more quickly when I hear your name, Jesus, and not be downcast, when I don’t hear my name.

That’s more than enough confession for one day… Indeed, Jesus, I must be saved, I am being saved, through your name alone. Hallelujah!

Persuaded

Ray Ortlund post:  These words

“Robert Bruce, the disciple of John Knox and Andrew Melville, died at Kinnaird on July 27th, 1631.  He had come to breakfast and his younger daughter sat by his side.  As he mused in silence, suddenly he cried, ‘Hold, daughter, hold; my Master calleth me.’  He asked that the Bible should be brought, but his sight failed him and he could not read.  ‘Cast me up the eighth of Romans,’ cried he, and he repeated much of the latter portion of this Scripture till he came to the last two verses: ‘I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.’  ‘Set my finger on these words,’ said the blind, dying man; ‘God be with you, my children.   I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my Lord Jesus this night.   I die believing these words.’”

Marcus L. Loane, The Hope of Glory (Waco, 1968), page 160.

Good News

Kevin DeYoung post:  He Stopped Looking for the Ladder

Russell Moore has a way with words. I love the stirring conclusion to his chapter “Kingdom: Heaven after Earth, Heaven on Earth, or Something Else Entirely?” The chapter is part of the soon to be released book Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day.

If evangelical Christianity is about anything, it ought to be about the gospel—that’s the meaning of the term evangelical itself. If so, we must recognize that our mission is to be found in what makes the good news good. We don’t have to be left to our own striving and clawing. And we don’t have to try to be emperor of our own lives, or of those around us. We point instead to a kingdom that overshadows—and knocks down—every rival rule, including our own.

This means our proclamation agrees with our non-Christian friends that something’s deeply wrong with the way things are, even as we show them how they’re not nearly outraged enough by the world the way it is. We tell them—and remind ourselves—of the good news of an invisible kingdom now in heaven, showing the pockets of the kingdom in our struggling little churches, and singing out for the glorious kingdom that will one day explode through the eastern skies. But, most importantly, we announce who is King in that kingdom: the One who joined us in our grave holes, even as we alternated between a hardened self-sufficiency and a screaming for the snake father we’d chosen for ourselves. Our Brother/Lord brought the kingdom in a way we’d never have thought of. He stopped looking for the ladder, and cried out to his Father.

And he was heard.

Power of God

Excerpt from post:  Report: TGC LA, Feat. Audio, Video by Carson

During the conference’s first hour, Carson provided a helpful exhortation:

In some of our circles, the gospel is a very small thing that tips us into the kingdom; it gets us “saved.” Then, after that, we have our discipleship courses, etc. . . . But when you look at how the gospel is used in the New Testament, it is not the little category that gets you in, it is the big category—focused on Jesus and what he has done—and does all the transforming work. It is the power of God unto salvation.

Each One Be Prepared

So here's what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight.

1 Cor 14:26 [Message]

Consecrate and Intercede

Thabiti Anyabwile post: Parenting Children Who May Have “Cursed God in Their Hearts”

“And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all.  For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’  Thus Job did continually.” (Job 1:5)

It seems Job suffered for his children before he suffered for his children.  Before the calamitous news of their death, Job worried about an even greater potential tragedy–their spiritual death.

This righteous man longed for his children to love and honor God.  It’s the desire of all godly parents.
But Job lacked the one attribute most parents wish they had: omniscience.  How could he know what his adult sons and daughters did when he was not around?  How could he know what lie in the hearts of his children?  Had they “cursed God in their hearts”?  What a terrifying set of questions for any parent.  This is why we don’t sleep until all the children arrive home safely.  This is why we ask questions about friends we don’t know very well.  This is why we sometimes inspect their rooms or ask searching questions while hoping not to offend.  What if our children live double lives?  What if they curse God in their hearts?

How does this righteous man deal with the questions and worry?  how does he deal with not knowing?  He appeals to the One who does know, who sees all.  The very God Job feared His children might have cursed is Job’s Great Ally in the war for his children’s hearts.  Job wants what God wants–a godly offspring (Mal. 2:15).  God, then, is Job’s Warrior in this battle.

So, Job does two things.  First, he consecrates his children. He sets them apart for God.  His children do not belong to him; they belong to the Lord of life.  If children are arrows in a parent’s quiver, Job aims His directly at the courts of God.  One can only speculate about how much greater Job’s suffering and difficulty would have been if he maintained an idolatrous hold on his children.  Certainly losing all his children in one day was as unimaginable a disaster possible.  But would he have maintained faith and sanity had he prized his children above God, or built his life on his children, or found his ultimate joy in his children?  Consecrating his children was not only right and godly, ultimately it provided a measure of protection.  This is how Job could reply to his wife, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10)  Or, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Second, Job interceded for each of his children. Notice “he would rise early in the morning.”  The earliest business of day was prayer for Job.  He made his offerings to God on behalf of each child’s soul.  For if they cursed God in their hearts, only God could renew their hearts.  If their offense was against God, only God could relent and forgive them.  They needed help from God, and Job the faithful father went to God early, interceding for their deliverance.  Notice: “thus Job did continually.”  Here’s a portrait of a persistently pleading parent.  He conquers his helplessness by appealing to the Almighty.

These things are written for our instruction (1 Cor. 10:6).  How kind of God to leave us in His word such a compelling and clear example to follow.  Let us set apart our children to the Lord, and renew our prayers on their behalf.  Conquer parental anxiety with petitions to our covenant God who knows our children and renews the heart.

Life of Love

Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you're letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you. 

1 Cor 14:1-3 [Message]

Perfect Will

Steven Furtick post:  Perfect for you

Everyone desires to be in God’s will. Sometimes we even talk about wanting to be in the perfect will of God.

But God’s perfect will might not look like what you think it should. We need to clear up what we mean by perfect. Otherwise we could completely miss out on God’s will altogether because we’ll be too busy chasing daydreams.

Our idea of perfect is perfect to us.

A perfect day to you might mean everything is going the way you think it should go.

A perfect marriage to you might be one that’s easy and stress-free.

A perfect job to you might be one where you’re high on the leadership pyramid and banking loads of cash.

Those aren’t bad things, but they’re not necessarily perfect to God. That matters because what’s perfect to God is perfect for us. God’s will for you is to become everything He dreamed you to be so that you might glorify Him the way He deserves to be. And that doesn’t necessarily happen through easy circumstances or perfect conditions.

God’s will doesn’t have to be perfect to me to be perfect for me. 

If you need proof of this, just take a brief glance at the Bible:

God’s will for Job wasn’t perfect to him. He lost everything. But it was perfect for him. It brought him to a whole new level of faith and positioned him for a greater blessing later in his life.

God’s will for Joseph wasn’t perfect to him. He landed in slavery and prison for over a decade. But it was perfect for him. Through him, God saved his family and an entire nation.

God’s will for Paul probably didn’t seem perfect to a lot of people. Few men have ever suffered so much for the gospel. But it was perfect for him. Few men have ever spread the gospel spread so vastly in their lifetime.

God’s will for Jesus didn’t seem perfect to his disciples. In the garden of Gethsemane, even He didn’t want it. But it was perfect for him. He defeated and humiliated sin on the cross. Then conquered death in the resurrection. And thereby provided salvation to the whole world.

God’s will for you might not always seem perfect to you. But trust me, His will is perfect for you.

The job you hate right now might not seem perfect to you. But through it God is perfectly developing your character, patience, and faithfulness.

That relationship you just lost might not seem like God’s perfect will to you. But the person God is clearing space for and has been preparing you for your entire life is perfect for you.

The disease you’re battling right now might not seem perfect to you. But God could use your pain as a platform for the gospel to reach countless people. And He’s putting you in the perfect position to comfort others.

That doesn’t make it easy. But it does make it meaningful. Purposeful. Worth it.

It makes it perfect for you.

Prayers

Ray Ortlund post:  Upheld by the prayers of his people

“And who and what are ministers themselves?  Frail men, fallible, sinning men, exposed to every snare, to temptation in every form; and from the very post of observation they occupy, the fairer mark for the fiery darts of the foe.  They are no mean victims the great Adversary is seeking, when he would wound and cripple Christ’s ministers.  One such victim is worth more to the kingdom of darkness than a score of common men; and on this very account, the temptations are probably more subtle and severe than those encountered by ordinary Christians.  If this subtle Deceiver fails to destroy them, he artfully aims at neutralizing their influence by quenching the fervor of their piety, lulling them into negligence, and doing all in his power to render their work irksome.  How perilous the condition of that minister then, whose heart is not encouraged, whose hands are not strengthened, and who is not upheld by the prayers of his people!  It is not in his own closet and on his own knees alone that he finds security and comfort and ennobling, humbling and purifying thoughts and joys; but it is when his people also seek them in his behalf that he becomes a better and happier man and a more useful minister of the everlasting gospel.”

Gardiner Spring, The Power of the Pulpit (Edinburgh, 1986), pages 223-224.

If your pastor is struggling, and you are not praying for him, the failure is yours too.  If your pastor is succeeding, and you are praying for him, the victory is yours together.

Reigning King

LifeToday Devotional

Thy Kingdom Come
by James Robison

Years ago, just before my 18th birthday, I turned every part of my life over as completely as I knew how to the Lord Jesus. I answered His call to proclaim His truth, and He filled me to overflowing with His Spirit and supernaturally gifted me to communicate. I was carried by boldness and compassion beyond anything a shy, fatherless boy could have experienced apart from God. Without understanding fully what had happened, a teenager who had given his life to Christ at age 15 suddenly allowed King Jesus to take over. It is no exaggeration to say that in my mind and with all that I understood of a full surrender to the will of God, I had accepted His Kingdom in me as the now and new way to live. I had begun a life journey that has continued for 50 years. I really had lost my life in order to find it in His Kingdom purpose.

I have discovered, however, that on this journey there are many distractions and much deception and far too frequent moments of defeat. The subtle enemy continually assaults every one of us called to fulfill God’s kingdom purpose on this earth.

In recent years, I have recognized that the prayers of Jesus seemed to be unanswered, even in this day. The fact that believers are not truly one with the Father as Jesus desired for us, and we are not being perfected in love and spiritual unity, seems to be a clear indicator that our Savior’s prayers are unanswered. He actually taught His disciples, which includes us, to pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

In the past two years, He has made it very clear to me that He did not pray amiss. It is not only important that God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, but it is a command. This means it is more than possible, it is imperative!

As I have shared previously, I have been calling leaders together asking them to join me seeking to help bring about the answer to the prayers of Jesus. When I met in September with 40 major ministry leaders, I shared with them that I was convinced that we don’t know Him as well as we should because too often we refuse to know them – other ministers and believers. By cutting one another off, we have actually cut Him off. Unknowingly, we have contributed to dividing the Kingdom and diminishing its effect on earth.

Isaiah said that God’s own messengers are often blind. The Old Testament prophets, as well as Jesus, taught that we are dull of hearing. We hear, but we don’t hear clearly. We see, but we see through a glass darkly. Our vision is dim at best. God desires to open our ears and clear our vision if we will let Him.

In my pursuit of God and His will being accomplished in us now on this earth for His glory, I recently crossed paths ever so briefly with a minister friend who had impacted me greatly almost 30 years ago. I don’t think I had seen him for 15 years. Jim Hylton passed me at a friend’s house as I was leaving and he was coming in. Jim said, “James, everyone is praying for revival. That’s like asking God for a bailout. What we need is to recognize and receive the fullness and power of His Kingdom now.”

It was like a bolt of lightning from heaven when he said that! I knew I had heard very directly from God. In a conversational sense the Lord said to me, “You’ve been repeating the importance of ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ and emphasizing the possibility and the necessity, but you have overlooked the first phrase preceding that statement – ‘Thy Kingdom come.’ The only way My will can be done on earth is by My Kingdom (which both John the Baptist and Jesus announced is at hand) being established within each believer. King Jesus must begin to reign and rule in every area of each believer’s life. The Kingdom must be fully received and freely released. This Kingdom, when recognized and expressed, cannot be ignored.”

Pastor Jim Hylton recognized that I had been impacted by what he said. He asked, “May I give you a book that I have written that was just recently released?” I said, “Certainly.” We went to his car and he handed me a book entitled The Supernatural Skyline: Where Heaven Touches Earth. I thanked him and over the coming days God specifically directed me to begin reading it.

It was as though my eyes and ears were opened to see and hear more clearly than perhaps I ever had. I recognized that Jim was right in what he shared throughout the book. Most believers and ministers are engaged in church and ministry building rather than Kingdom building! We get people to Christ in church, but never make them fully aware that they are now in Christ, Christ is in them to establish His Kingdom now. And it is within us to be released through us affecting everything and everyone around us! It is the light on the lamp stand illuminating the way, exposing darkness and evil, while providing the light necessary to walk the straight and narrow path with our eyes fixed on the one standard – Jesus! This Kingdom light must not and cannot be hidden when it’s recognized, received and freely released.

Jack Taylor is a friend who wrote the forward to the book and he said, “The Kingdom of God is everything, not a part of something else. It fits nothing, but everything of value fits into it.” The Kingdom way is God’s way for you! It is His answer to all that the kingdom of darkness hurls at believers, and which tragically blinds the eyes of unbelievers.

The Kingdom is each one of us allowing Jesus to be Lord of all, the reigning King. We are not perfect!  He is perfect and will perfect us as He is allowed to reign and rule in us! Remember, we are joint heirs with Him, but not joint kings. There is but one Lord! When His Kingdom is established in us and He lives His resurrected life through us, His will shall be done on earth. Everything will be affected. God’s truth will replace the traditions of men and the leaven of the Pharisees. We will cease our wineskin wars and throwing (as did Saul) spears and accusations at the spiritual Davids who are seeking to please the real King. We will become a family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, more than conquerors and overcomers in this life, ruling and reigning over the realm of darkness while freely sharing His love and His life.

We will inspire correction, repentance, and restoration on all fronts – in our own homes, local communities, and our nations. This will not be accomplished by organizing a power base, but by releasing the power of His Kingdom that affects all bases of power on planet Earth. We will help change the direction of our nations by embracing truth and unshakable principles, not by endorsing candidates or parties. If believers will yield to Kingdom power, no one will be elected if they don’t recognize eternal truth and the foundation necessary for life, liberty and the real pursuit of happiness.

His Kingdom in us enables us to become a city set on a hill. This will be the influence leading to spiritual awakening and the revelation of Creator God and our loving Father. Truly, His Kingdom is at hand and it is not of this world. When established in us, it will impact and even change the lives of those held captive by the spirit of this present world.

The following truths really jumped out at me in Jim Hylton’s book because this is what I had observed God doing in my life. But because I had dim vision and I was dull of hearing, I didn’t really recognize what was actually taking place and is important for all believers to understand:

In Christ every Christian is a king and a priest unto God… Just as Jesus was a priest who ministered with compassion and in humility, we are to humbly become debtors to all in need of His grace.

In order to build the Kingdom, we need to become Kingdom bearers, bearing in our hearts the Kingdom of God. Our role as members of God’s royal family is one in which His Kingdom is expressed through our lives. We are the material He uses to build the Kingdom…

There are some basic realities that must be remembered:

1) There is only room for one king to reign at a time. Our crowns must be placed at His feet daily. Though we reign as join heirs, we never rule as joint Lord. He is Lord of lords.

2) There are no quick cures to guarantee success in the Kingdom of King Jesus. Instead, a childlike heart and a lifetime of growing in grace await us.

3) Those who win in the Kingdom are willing to lose. They will lose all and count it as waste to gain the excellence of the knowledge of God. No defense is needed because the willingness to lose is the means by which they win.

4) Those who rule in this Kingdom are those who serve the most. Towels for washing feet as a servant are standard equipment.

5) The strength of these leaders may be best judged by how much they cry. They cry as Jesus did over cities that need to come to safe shelter. They cry as Jesus did…for others and with others.

6) The weapons that are mighty through God are gifts on deposit from God. These gifts are standard issue for destroying the works of the devil. Gifts lift up Jesus so that others may see the incomparable one we are seeing.

Without Kingdom expansion in our hearts, we cannot have Kingdom expression from our lives.



This great and necessary awakening begins when each one of us yields fully to Him crying out openly and unashamedly, “Come, King Jesus! Rule and reign in me now! ‘Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven!’”

Disciples

Excerpt from Multiplying small groups by developing leaders

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Small group systems consistently fail when their main purpose is not strategically connected to the church's overall process for making disciples. Here’s what that means. If groups just help people get connected, make friends, and do a little Bible study along the way, their momentum is limited. The energy of the group will rise & fall on the leader’s ability to motivate, plan & keep the group connected. BUT if the group leader & members see the group with a deeper purpose: as a way of life; as a way to practice the teachings they hear about on Sunday morning (which is a hugely important time as well); as a way to truly make disciples, then the group has a momentum that will live past the highs & lows of a single Bible study.

                When discipleship becomes the purpose of the group, leaders see the big picture & move past the successes & failures of a particular meeting. The hard work of weekly meetings in homes, caring for members, building trust, developing accountability, teaching members to pray, & spending time together outside of group fuels a much greater purpose than simply keeping a group alive. The leader sees his or her objective as making disciples. Not pulling off a meeting. There is a big difference. Group leaders & systems that prevail for the long haul understand that success is not measured in meetings but in multiplication.

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Never Gets Old

I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing, Hallelujah!
   The salvation and glory and power are God's—
      his judgments true, his judgments just.
   He judged the great Whore
      who corrupted the earth with her lust.
   He avenged on her the blood of his servants.
Then, more singing:
   Hallelujah!
   The smoke from her burning billows up
      to high Heaven forever and ever and ever.

Rev 19:1-3 [Message]

One Savior and Lord

Excerpt from Tullian Tchividjian post:  Counterfeit Gospels

In his book How People Change (co-authored with Tim Lane), Paul Tripp identifies seven counterfeit gospels– ways we try and “justify” or “save” ourselves apart from the gospel of grace. I found these unbelievably helpful. Which one (or two, or three) of these do you tend to gravitate towards?

Formalism. “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do not have the same commitment as I do.”

Legalism. “I live by the rules—rules I create for myself and rules I create for others. I feel good if I can keep my own rules, and I become arrogant and full of contempt when others don’t meet the standards I set for them. There is no joy in my life because there is no grace to be celebrated.”

Mysticism. “I am engaged in the incessant pursuit of an emotional experience with God. I live for the moments when I feel close to him, and I often struggle with discouragement when I don’t feel that way. I may change churches often, too, looking for one that will give me what I’m looking for.”

Activism. “I recognize the missional nature of Christianity and am passionately involved in fixing this broken world. But at the end of the day, my life is more of a defense of what’s right than a joyful pursuit of Christ.”

Biblicism. “I know my Bible inside and out, but I do not let it master me. I have reduced the gospel to a mastery of biblical content and theology, so I am intolerant and critical of those with lesser knowledge.”

Therapism. “I talk a lot about the hurting people in our congregation, and how Christ is the only answer for their hurt. Yet even without realizing it, I have made Christ more Therapist than Savior. I view hurt as a greater problem than sin—and I subtly shift my greatest need from my moral failure to my unmet needs.”

Social-ism. “The deep fellowship and friendships I find at church have become their own idol. The body of Christ has replaced Christ himself, and the gospel is reduced to a network of fulfilling Christian relationships.”

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God's Assignment

Excerpts from John Piper:  Your Job as Ministry

The main point of my message this morning can be stated as a declaration and as a prayer. As a declaration it would be: How you fulfill the demands of your vocation is an essential part of Christian discipleship. Or to put it another way: How you do your job is a big part of your obedience to Jesus. Stated as a prayer, the main point today is: Father, grant to us all the grace to be conscious of your presence at our work and to obey your commands in all our vocational relationships. I believe this is the word of God for us today, and I would like to unfold it for a few minutes from 1 Corinthians 7:17–24.

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Fourth, and finally, this text implies that the job you now have, as long as you are there, is God's assignment to you. Verse 17 says, "Let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him." God is sovereign. It is no accident that you are where you are. "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established" (Proverbs 19:21). "The lot is cast in the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). You are where you are by divine assignment, even if you got there by fraud. Your job is your ministerial assignment, just as much as mine is. How you fulfill the demands of that job is just as essential in life as what you do here on Sunday. For many of us that may mean turning over a new leaf tomorrow morning. Let's all pray before we set out to work: "God, go with me today and keep me conscious of your presence. Encourage my heart when I tend to despair, and humble me when I tend to boast. O God, give me the grace to obey your commandments, which I know are all summed up in this, to love my neighbor as myself. Amen." 

Redeeming Art

Excerpt from Artists Build the Church

So in January 2009, Youngren, his wife, and three children moved from the Pacific Northwest to Chicago to plant The Line. One of Youngren’s hopes was that The Line could ask and then affirmatively answer the question: “Can the art that is present in the world be redeemed and be a part of the church?” By “redeemed,” Youngren doesn’t just mean hung up on the wall, but fundamentally changed from the core so that, as he said, “everyone can respect it and see it right alongside the rest of art and know that it’s different.”

Many churches in Youngren’s past had been aware enough to ask this question, but answered it negatively, believing refined art is not appropriate for a church setting. “In other words,” Youngren said, “We can turn the amps up, we can make it sound more modern, but when it comes to things like abstraction, impression, and subtlety, we think they are best left outside the corporate church setting.”

The poet Luci Shaw has also noticed this trend, and in her essay “Beauty and the Creative Impulse,” she expresses her concern:

The church has given considerable attention to Truth and Goodness, to theology and ethics. But too often beauty has escaped us, or we have tried to escape from it. This is partly because of its innovative, experimental aspect, its way of reaching for originality or a new way of expressing an old standard. In many Christian circles this is felt to be dangerous; the pursuit of beauty is seen merely as an option, and a seductive one at that, because beauty can be neither controlled nor programmed.

Despite many churches’ fear of artistic impression in a corporate context, impression is often how God works. At The Line, they look to Abraham for their theology of impression. When God called Abraham and first told him he was going to make him into a great nation, he didn’t sit him down and say, “Here are my promises 1-5, sign here.” Rather, God said, “Abraham, come outside. Look up.” Abraham gazed into the luminous Middle Eastern sky. As he was contemplating the stars, God continued, “See how amazing that is? That’s what I’m going to do with you.” God started with impression and then moved to propositions. He directed Abraham’s attention to his handiwork, and then asked him to imagine the impossible.

Inexpressible

Ray Ortlund post:  Mercy

God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  Romans 5:5

“The Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of the love of God to us, such as the soul is taken, delighted, satiated withal.  This is his work, and he doth it effectually.  To give a poor sinful soul a comfortable persuasion, affecting it throughout, in all its faculties and affections, that God in Jesus Christ loves him, delights in him, is well pleased with him, hath thoughts of tenderness and kindness towards him; to give, I say, a soul an overflowing sense hereof, is an inexpressible mercy.”

John Owen, Works (Edinburgh, 1980), II:240.