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When It's Cold Outside

As temperatures plummet and the news is filled with reports of fierce winter storms up north, I find myself humming the old song, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” And I can’t stop thinking about a simple but profound truth I heard many years ago:

 

In life, we will either be a THERMOMETER or a THERMOSTAT.

 

      Thermometers merely reflect the temperatures around them. If it’s cold outside, a thermometer will let you know.

 

      It’s not hard to be a thermometer. You just have to report and reflect the conditions around you.

 

      Lots of people are like that. When you ask them hold things are going, they simply give you a weather report concerning their present circumstances. Allowing themselves to be controlled by external situations, their mood goes up and down according to what’s happening around them.

 

      However, some people have learned to be a thermostat instead. Rather than just accepting and reflecting the temperature around them, they have a way of changing the temperature in every situation they are in. When it’s cold outside, they warm things up. When conflicts arise and relationships get uncomfortably hot, they know how to generate cooling breezes.

 

      Jesus was a thermostat. Although He continually faced icy reactions from the religious establishment, He never allowed His heart to become cold.

 

      Yes, Jesus sometimes gave a weather report about the conditions He saw around Him. But He never left things like He found them. Instead of reflecting the animosity and unbelief He encountered, He brought compassion, faith, and healing.

 

      But Jesus warned about the temptation we would face to become mere thermometers, reflecting the surrounding culture rather than transforming it. “Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold,” He told us (Matthew 24:12).

 

      What a tragic outcome Jesus is describing here. In a day of lawlessness, many people will become calloused and cynical. Surrounded by growing narcissism and self-centeredness, many will allow their love to become cold. Instead of being change agents, people will be like thermometers, swayed up and down by the changing world around them.  

 

      Jesus used the Greek word agape for love, so there’s a good chance He had believers in mind here. He was warning that we’ll surely face times when it’s “cold outside,” but we can’t let that change our disposition or ruin our day. Instead, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit, bringing His kindness and warmth into even the harshest weather around us.

 

      The good news is that we don’t have to be helpless victims as the cultural weather changes around us. As salt and light, we can be a positive force in setting the temperature, not just reflecting it.

 

 

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Divorce and Remarriage

GTY or Grace To You with John McArthur has sermons on the above subject which I have been reading.  Hoping to be encouraged as to my own philosophy about it, as I have near kin about to go through it.

Also "How to think and act in evil days" was another sermon on line.

It would be my prayer that Christ would come sooner than later.

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Whose Job is it to Make Disciples?

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a training conducted by Jeff Sundell, founder of the new 50-5-50 Network and the new National Director for e3 USA, an initiative of e3 Partners.This training has me thinking, what is necessary to make disciples in the USA.

Jeff was with the IMB for more then ten years and saw a disciple-making/church planting movement rapidly spread through Nepal to involve 10,000s of house churches. After returning home and not content to simply be assimilated into the American Church scene, Jeff is now leading a vision to see disciple-making movements started in 50 of the largest USA cities, deploying the same disciple-making methodologies he used in Nepal. This is what some know as the T4T or Four Field model. You can learn more about this at T4TUSA.com. Jeff is just one among a growing group of practitioners to these principles. 

At this recent training, I was challenged with this question: "Whose job is it to make disciples?"  According to Jesus, in his  Great Commission  (Matthew 28:19-20), the job belongs to everyone who would follow him. According to Jesus, all who would follow him have been called to make disciples! Isn't that awesome!? The first challenge  however is that in the USA, and elsewhere, the job of making disciples is often left to the professionals, seminary trained pastors. This leads to the second challenge, which is that all indications are that we are not really making disciples the way Jesus taught.

But what does it mean to make disciples? The way I would answer that question is this: Following Jesus example, by living for God's purpose for the knowledge of his glory in Christ to be known among the nations and teaching others to do likewise by our example (John 17:1-4).  We are called to reproduce ourselves until the knowledge of God's glory fills the earth. For that to happen, it is necessary to flip our existing disciple-making paradigm.

Below is an illustration of what I mean, not my own but something that Jeff taught, I simply reformatted it. If Jesus had in mind that all who would follow him would make disciples, how do we flip the existing paradigm that has produced our current lack of disciple-making in the Church? For starters we can learn from what's happening in areas of the world that are witnessing disicple-making movements and apply similar principles here. Since the principles are right out of Matthew 10 and Luke 9 and 10, they should work here as well.

How would you answer this question?

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Word Power

Word Power

A lot of things have great power and potential, for either good or bad results.  We've discussed before that people are that way.  But today we are looking at the power of the spoken word.  I'm sure most of us know what it means to wish we could "eat our words," or at least take them back.  Once out however, their effect is neither revocable nor negotiable.  Hurtful words can last so very much longer than we would like them to.  Sticks and stones not only break bones and make even the marrow hurt, but so do our words at times.  But do you realize that a simple word of comfort, caring, empathy, understanding, or even sympathetic silence can be just as powerful as hurtful words.  Such words can build trust, relieve suffering and loneliness, and build new levels of intimacy and openness not otherwise possible. Our words can soothe, validate, make and deepen friendships, and break down walls of isolation, situational depression, and self-pity.  But that kind of helpful speaking takes practice and tongue control.  Who do you know that would not wish to improve their ability to control their tongue better, e.g. to hurt others less, and to edify them more?

For a 1-minute inspiring video on the power of words try https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Hzgzim5m7oU&vq=medium

 

The Bible says the tongue is every bit as powerful as a rudder on a large ship that turns it powerfully to the left or the right.  Ironically no person can truly control their tongue all the time, nevertheless we are known by what comes out of our mouth.  If this sounds harsh to you, let me ask if you always think over alternatives before you put your tongue in gear?  Or when opposed, attacked, angered, or threatened, do you take a "Thomas Jefferson count" before responding so you have your tongue under control first?  Most of us are honest enough to realize the truth of the other Bible claim that one little spark from our tongue can easily create a devastating forest fire that burns a long time.

 

But what a contrast when God speaks.  His Word is truth that transforms our lives when we are receptive.  When God speaks (and especially when we listen) things change (for the better).  He spoke every original thing in our universe into existence.  And we know that it's original state was much better than it is today, since man has chosen to succumb to inner and outer polution. 

 

Who do you enjoy listening to and why?  I am sure it is someone that speaks straight with you, but that also builds you up to reach your full potential.  God's Word is alive, powerful, and very active as it:

  • Generates life
  • Creates faith
  • Produces change
  • Causes miracles
  • Heals hurts
  • Builds character
  • Transforms circumstances
  • Imparts joy
  • Overcomes adversity
  • Defeats temptation
  • Infuses hope
  • Releases power
  • Cleanses our minds
  • Brings things into being, and
  • Guarantees our future forever!

Are you in need of a cure for spiritual anorexia?  Then you need healthy meals of abiding in God's Word.  How is that done?

  1. Accept its authority and use it as the compass for your life, realizing that our false, arbitrary, and unreliable authorities of culture, tradition, reason, and emotion are flawed by man turning his back on God in subtle disbelief and mistrust.
  2. Incorporate its truth into our working memory where we can reflect on it (like a cow chewing her cud) through study, meditating, and understanding how it applies to the daily circumstances of our life.
  3. Apply its principles by depending on God's promises rather than our own feelings and "wisdom."

Let's join David in his Psalm 19 prayer, "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer!"

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The Movie of Your Life & Prayer

I can’t say “Thank you!” enough to Hollywood Prayer Network founding director, Karen Covell, who wrote the Foreword for my new book, Get Prayer and Get It All. Thanks to Karen and others, Hollywood is no longer afraid to touch on Christian themes. 

Imagine if you could use only three words to script the movie of your life. What three words would you choose? 

To begin, what do you call it when everybody else disappears and you’re all alone? When it’s just you and God? 

1. Desperation

In the life of faith, desperation is the moment when you lose hope in man-made solutions to the big issues of life. You suddenly realize you have a God-sized problem. 

The central chapter in my new book is titled, “Get Prayer and Get Desperation.” You would think readers would want to skip that chapter. Instead, so far I’ve received the most thanks for that particular chapter. Why? Because it’s true to life.

Desperation became a mega-word in my vocabulary when I realized God wants all that I am for all of Him at all times—both the good and the desperate times. 

Desperation is an extremely dangerous moment in the human heart. Anyone who has been there knows a fine line exists between desperation that leads to despair (and self-destruction) and desperation that leads to faith and life.

For all of its perils, desperation remains the greatest prize of the faith life, the point of decision or choosing. It’s the turning point. 

I see the vocabulary of desperation embedded in two familiar, biblical one-word prayers. We all know them, yet I think of them as the secret passwords of faith. After all, they are the foundation of all real prayer. The first one-word prayer?

2. Mercy!

Consider the power and the hope in the cry “Mercy!” called out to a merciful God. Over and over again, the psalmist David runs into God’s arms equipped only with this one-word prayer. Not surprisingly, it reverberates throughout the rest of the Scriptures. 

  • The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer (Psalm 6:9).
  • It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy (Romans 9:16).
  • Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:10-11).

“Mercy!” is the cry of my heart before the cross of Jesus Christ, knowing I have done nothing to justify His reckless, crazy love.

“Mercy!” is the desperate faith cry that abandons every human resource and throws itself upon God’s riches.

“Mercy!” is the miracle of miracles delivered to our lives in a single-word prayer.

At our point of desperation, God promises to answer the prayer for “Mercy!” and sets us up for our second one-word prayer.

3. Abba!

“Abba!” is both a prayer and a declaration.  

The “Abba” prayer is specifically enabled by the Holy Spirit to break the enemy’s claim on your life and establish God’s ownership. So, Abba is a redeeming prayer.

Abba redeems your experience of desperation, giving it meaning and establishing your new identity and all the resources that go with it.

  • The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:15).
  • Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4:6).

As seen in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, “Abba!” declares we are leaving the pit of despair, only to discover the Father is joyously restoring our fellowship as His son or daughter.

“Abba!” is the declaration of a heart set finding refuge and acceptance as a beloved son or daughter.

No one else but the Holy Spirit can teach us this prayer, and no one else but the Father can answer it.

In just two words—“Mercy!” and “Abba!”—desperation and prayer are joined to bring God’s kingdom to ours heart and to fill every part of our life with His love and provision.

What about you? Are you experiencing desperation? Do you ever feel as if you’re all alone? That’s it’s just you and God? If so, pray “Mercy!” If so, pray “Abba!” Don’t wait another minute. 

Even if everything looks black, God has not abandoned you. The worse you feel, the more urgent it is. Pray!

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Salem, Ore. - Starting in the fall of 2014, Corban University of Salem, Ore. and Mars Hill Church will offer a 24-credit Bible certificate at the Mars Hill Bellevue, Wash. location. Classes are slated to begin in the fall of 2014.

The curriculum will include Bible and Theology Foundation, Ministry Skills Foundation, Introduction to Bible, Introduction to Theology, Christian Worldview and Apologetics, Biblical Spiritual Formation, Gospels, Bible Study Methods.

“We are anticipating a great, ongoing relationship with Mars Hill Church, pending approval of the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities,” said Corban Provost Matt Lucas. “This certificate is not included under Corban University’s accreditation until NWCCU approves the program.”

Mars Hill Church began in 1996 as a Bible study in the Wallingford, Wash. home of Mark and Grace Driscoll just north of Seattle. Today, the congregation is distributed across 15 locations in five different states, reaching millions around the world through a robust outward-facing ministry that includes podcasts, music, events, and websites like theResurgence.com. Mars Hill has been named one of the largest and fastest-growing churches in America, as well as one of the most innovative. Driscoll’s sermons are viewed millions of times per year online and regularly rank number 1 on iTunes podcast charts.

“I am enthusiastic and optimistic about Corban University’s partnership with Mars Hill Church,” said Sheldon C. Nord, president of Corban University.  “It is consistent with our strong desire to be ‘Christian thought leaders’—a leading voice on cultural, philosophical and academic issues, with a commitment to raise up future leaders who will champion the cause of Christ in their respective disciplines.”

Corban University is an independent Christian university with two campuses and international partnerships in Indonesia, Australia, Germany and Cameroon. It offers more than 50 majors and programs of study including professional, liberal arts, and ministries. Along with traditional and adult degree completion programs at the undergraduate level, Corban offers graduate teacher licensure programs and graduate degrees in education, business, ministry and counseling.

Contacts:

Steve Hunt, Vice President for Marketing

Email: shunt@corban.edu

Phone: 503-375-7591

Matt Lucas, Provost/Executive Vice President

Phone: 503-589-8166

Email: mlucas@corban.edu

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Gratitude--in Retrospect

I’ve realized two disturbing things about my “Gratitude Quotient” recently: (1) I’m not nearly as grateful as I should be for how God has blessed me; (2) Many of the things I’m now MOST grateful for are past events I wasn’t grateful for at all when they were taking place.

I call this second point “gratitude in retrospect.”

Perhaps you can relate. Have you gone through difficult times when it was extremely difficult to give thanks? But now, as you look back, you see that God was at work through it all. Gratitude (finally!) rises in your heart as you see how the painful events have been beautifully woven into the fabric of your life.

  • Maybe you had a relationship breakup that broke your heart…but it paved the way for God to provide someone much better in your life.
  • Maybe you faced a severe trial in your health…but it caused you to make lifestyle changes in your diet and exercise—and now you’re feeling better than ever.
  • Maybe you lost a job you thought you’d have until retirement…but God opened (or will open) a new door that’s a much better fit for your gifts and passions.
  • Maybe you’ve experienced a financial meltdown, such as foreclosure or bankruptcy…but you learned vital lessons that finally put you on the path of prosperity.

These are just a few examples of how “gratitude in retrospect” can occur. I first noticed this in my life a few years ago, when a friend suggested that I write a book about church splits. “That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard,” was my initial thought. “Even though I’m an expert on church splits, who would ever be interested in a book about that?”

But my tech-savvy friend pointed out that 8,000 people every month do a Google search on the subject of church splits. “Wow. There must be a lot of people dealing with this,” I concluded.

As a result of that conversation, I wrote The Complete Guide to Church Splits: Prevention, Survival, and Recovery (you can download it at www.ChurchSplits.com).

But this event sparked something much bigger than just a new book project: I discovered that God had been a lot more faithful than I had given Him credit for. And I became much more grateful for the difficult things I’ve experienced in life—even though my gratitude was mostly in retrospect.

I’m still troubled by my struggle to be grateful at the same time as my trials are occurring. The Bible instructs us to give thanks “IN everything,” not just AFTER everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

I’m also sad that although I’ve given lip service to Romans 8:28 for decades, God’s amazing promise there is still not rooted as deeply in my life as it should be. Paul had gone through incredible trials (2 Corinthians 11:22-28), yet he said, “We KNOW that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

As the truth of Romans 8:28 becomes more a part of my life, I hope to become more grateful all the time—not just in retrospect. I want to become increasingly aware that God is always working to “connect the dots” in my life, creating a masterpiece I could never have imagined during my times of adversity.

So I pray you will join me in being grateful TODAY—no matter what the day brings…no matter what you may be going through. You may not understand it all today, but the Lord is working out His wonderful plan nevertheless.

 

 

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Here is wishing everyone a very Happy, and Blessed Thanksgiving Day. There is so much to be thankful to God for  each and every day. Therefore, as we celebrate this holiday, let us give God thanks for the many things He does for us daily, but most of all for His prescious gift of Salvation.

Let us also use this tme, to be Salt, and light in the earth, that we might win many to Christ, and at the same time, be an encouragement to our brothers,and sisters in Christ. Let us be on the alert spiritually, that we might use every ocassion to further the preaching of the Gospel of God's kingdom.

May you all enjoy your day, and may God richly bless you, is our earnest prayer.

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Understood

I once had a friend who responded to almost everything said to him with a one word reply – “Understood!”  It was his way of assuring the talker that he had listened and processed what was said. I sometimes wondered if he really understood or if he was just in the habit of giving that response.  Then I came across a quote from Stephen Covey, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Ouch! As one who has made a living by speaking (preaching/teaching/advising/consulting/etc.), I plead guilty.  In fact I have lately caught myself replying with what I thought was a better story, a stronger point, a funnier joke.  Many years ago, I memorized a verse that I need to refresh in my thought process. “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak” (James 1:19). It was Epictetus, an ancient Greek sage and Stoic philosopher who said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Understood!

Read more from Dan Crawford at www.discipleallnations.org/blog.

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Equipping Giant Killers

I recently had the great privilege of speaking to a group of 80 giant killers. They don’t all realize they are giant killers, but they truly are.

Before I spoke, God spoke to me very distinctly: “This will be the most important message you’ve ever given!”

“Wow, Lord,” I replied. “So this will be the BEST message I’ve ever preached?”

“No, Jim! I didn’t say that,” He replied. “I said the most important message—there’s a difference.”

He explained that it would be my most important message because some of the most important people would be in the room—people who were hungry to hear the Word of God and change the world for Christ.

This is not a “church” group. They’re just a bunch of young people who meet in someone’s basement every Saturday night. People start arriving at 7:30 p.m., and the hosts have to kick everyone out at around midnight.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that revival is starting to break out. Lives are being changed. People are being set free from drugs and other addictions. There are testimonies of physical healings and of demons being cast out.

I hope my message to these giant killers was an encouragement, but I KNOW the group was a great encouragement to me. In fact, I think it’s given me a new vision for my life. Instead of knocking my head against the wall trying to change my fellow Baby Boomers, I want to find ways to pour my life into the coming generations.

There’s a Biblical principle here. We all know the Bible story about how David killed the Philistine giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17), yet that’s not where the story ends.

You see, there were more Philistine giants down the road, and they surfaced many years later. However, by this time, David was “weak and exhausted” (2 Samuel 21:15)—just like many of us Baby Boomers may be feeling today.

Things were looking bleak when one of these giants cornered David and was about to kill him. The old slingshot apparently wasn’t available anymore.

But never fear—God was raising up a new generation of giant killers. One of David’s young protégés, named Abishai, came to his rescue and killed the giant. No problem.

After that, David’s men told him he needed to remain in a support role, no longer on the frontlines of giant-killing. So, while the enemy giants continued to rise up against Israel, the young giant killers continued to rise up as well. Although none of them gained the fame of David, people like Sibbecai, Elhanan, and Jonathan killed their giants too.

What about you? Perhaps, like David, you’re feeling a little too old to slay giants like you used to. Yet I have good news: God can still use you to help raise up the new generation of giant killers.

Do you see how exciting this can be? When Goliath taunted the people of God, only David was available to slay him. But toward the end of David’s life, there were multiple giant killers ready for service. So, Baby Boomers, get ready for your new role—equipping giant killers for the thrilling work ahead (Ephesians 4:11-12).

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All is grace: Living a life of gratitude

 A common prayer among those in our urban neighborhood is, “Thank you God for waking me up this morning.”  At first glance, it may seem like a simple statement, but when you hear the stories of how God has sustained people in the midst of daily struggles you realize it comes out of a deep faith and gratitude.  It is a genuine expression of gratefulness to be alive and have another day to live. In communities where people are struggling to get by, nothing is taken for granted.  Every day is welcomed as a gift of grace from a loving God.

 

Have you ever noticed that those with the least material privileges sometimes have the most gratitude?  And likewise, those who have it all can seem the most ungrateful.  Coming from a place of material privilege I have had to learn gratitude from my neighbors here in the city.  Privilege can make us feel entitled to what we have rather than being thankful. We are not thankful because we believe we’ve earned what we have.  We believe that what we have is a result of our own hard work and therefore exclusively ours to enjoy, rather than as a gift from God to be shared with others.  Grace, in any of the forms it comes to us, whether physical or spiritual blessings, is always an unearned gift.  Gratitude is the recognition that freely I’ve received, freely I give.

 

The great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen came face to face with his lack of gratitude after immersing himself among the economically poor in South America, “What I claim as a right, my friends…received as a gift; what is obvious to me was a joyful surprise to them; what I take for granted , they celebrate in thanksgiving; what for me goes by unnoticed became for them a new occasion to say thanks.

And slowly I learned.  I learned what I must have forgotten somewhere in my busy, well-planned, and very ‘useful’ life. I learned that everything that is, is freely given by the God of love.  All is grace.  Light and water, shelter and food, work and free time, children, parents, and grandparents, birth and death—it is all given to us. Why?  So that we can say gracias, thanks: thanks to God, thanks to each other, thanks to all and everyone."

  

As we wake up, eat, and spend time with loved ones this Thanksgiving, lets remember to say gracias to God and to all the people God has placed in our lives.  I pray you will notice God's grace all around you and that you will find ways to share those good things with others.

 

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18.

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Can You Do Me a Favor?

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Have you ever heard someone say, "Can you do me a favor?" It really means that someone is asking someone to do something that they need help with. The person they ask has a choice to either turn their face away or to turn towards them and help them with whatever they ask. 

God laid the story of The Good Samaritan on my heart and the very next day, it was my Scripture reading for the day. Coincidence? I think not! The Good Samaritan is the story of a man who was travelling and was attacked, mugged and beaten to the point of near death. Both a priest and Levite came by. Both godly men. Both whose profession was to represent God or at least perform duties in the temple as clean and pure before The Lord. And yet BOTH of them chose to turn their face away, ignoring and avoiding helping another. But a Samaritan, a "half-breed" (part Jew, part Gentile) who was looked down on, even rejected, chose to turn his face toward the wounded man in compassion. His heart went out to the man and not only did he clean and bandage him up, but he took the injured man to a hotel and PAID for his night's stay!

Perhaps the Samaritan was compassionate because he had often been wounded by rejection, and knew how it felt. And perhaps the priest and the Levite had been so caught up in their own "feel good" activities, that they ignored what was right under their noses.

My sweet friends, it is unacceptable for us to turn our faces away any longer. It is no longer optional for us to have sweet little events to entertain our Christian friends at church (don't get mad at me....yes, some are great outreach events....but can't we all sometimes get wrapped up in our little Christian world and loose sight of what is really going on around us?) It is time for the Christian women of this country to step into the commission of Jesus to go and make disciples  of all nations.....of all people.....especially the ones who don't look like you or have the same social staus as you. And yes, it will cause you to have to roll up your sleeves and get a little dirty. And yes, it will cause you to sacrifice time and money. And yes it will require you to step out of your comfort zone. But if you don't, the blood of the next generations will be on our hands.

Psalm 90:17 says, "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands."

May the favor of God rest on you and may you do your fellow man a favor by turning your face towards them and not away. Have a blessed weekend!

Written by Jena Forehand, Author of Living Deeper: Women helping women walk with God. To find out more, click here

 

 

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I don't trust transparency. There, I admit it.

I'm done with transparency because I learned a long time ago how to use it to get my way or to impress people with my openness. Whether in relationships or communication, my flesh loves to manipulate the other person or the audience with juicy and intriguing stories about how I've failed. But I only give them enough to get what I want--attention, sympathy, esteem. You name it, I can come up with a transparent illustration to get it out of you.

Don't look at me that way. So can you!

That's why I don't trust transparency--it's selective and filtered by the flesh. Transparent relationships aren't the sustaining kind because they give us permission to hide the really, really bad stuff.

Beyond Transparency

If I want a sustaining relationship I have to go beyond transparency to vulnerability. And just like the first quality of a sustaining relationship, commitmentthe best thing we can do to find the friend our heart longs for is to be that friend. Vulnerability trumps my self-seeking flesh with other-centered community. It knocks down my defensive barriers and demands that I admit the truth … about me. Then, and only then will the Holy Spirit begin the healing process of my wounded soul. Jesus didn't say, "You're spin on your life will set you free." He was clear. "The truth will set you free."

However, transparency is such a buzz word among Christians, you may be having difficulty distinguishing between transparency and vulnerability.

Here are some contrasts:

  • Transparency is what I tell you about me; vulnerability is what you tell me about me. Faithful are the wounds of a friend," the Proverb says, "but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful (27:6).If I surround myself with those who "kiss" me with words that agree with everything I say about my life, I'm living in a dangerous place. A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet (Proverbs 29:5).
  • Transparency is scrubbed; vulnerability is soiled. The only risk in telling you what I want to tell you about me is that it may miss the mark, meaning that it may not have the impact I intended. The risks of vulnerability are huge. I'm letting you into my messy life and giving you permission to open every closet, every drawer. You could easily walk down a hall no one's ever walked down and find something I thought no one would ever find out. I'm telling you something that I feel you have to know about yourself to protect you from yourself. You could slam the door on the relationship and tell others what a nosey Christian I am. Yet, if we risk it, there's mutual blessing. Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel (27:9).
  • Transparency is a message; vulnerability is an invitation.Once I've carefully crafted the content of my transparency all I have to do is report it. When I submit to the love of someone I'm vulnerable to I have to listen, and usually I don't like what I'm hearing. And that's only the beginning, because transparency is about reports; vulnerability is about relationship. 

A vulnerable friendship is what I call the “I-love-you-too-much-to-lie-to-you” type of friendship. The most significant changes in my life didn't come from a Scriptural insight I'v found or a sermon I've preached. Those changes happened because someone loved me enough to tell me the truth … about me.

That’s the second characteristic you want to look for in a sustaining relationship–vulnerability. But before you go looking, be that type of friend.

Questions: What am I missing? Does the drop-everything, eye-contact definition of vulnerability in friendship make sense to you? You can leave a comment by clicking at the top of this blog, just right of the date.

 

 

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John Wesley Meets Twitter World

I’ve been haunted lately by an old quote attributed to John Wesley, the famed English preacher and founder of Methodism:

 

“Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven upon the earth.”

 

My angst over this quote probably began when I entered the world of Twitter and began a daily count of my followers @BestBibleTweets. In just a week or so, I had gained more than 100 “followers,” yet somehow the world wasn’t shaking like Wesley described.

 

Another milestone came when I realized I had the same number of Twitter followers as the number of church members we had in the church I pastored in Ohio many years ago. It had taken our church an entire decade to reach that number of followers, but I did it on Twitter in slightly more than a month.

 

Yet the world still wasn’t shaking.

 

More milestones would soon follow, until I had thousands of Twitter followers in less than six months. I was certainly proud of my accomplishments…but still the world wasn’t shaking.

 

I forgot to mention that I also have more than 500 contacts on LinkedIn and almost 500 friends on Facebook. That’s cool, but I still find myself troubled by Wesley’s quote.

 

I can almost imagine Wesley appearing to me in a dream some night…

 

“Jim, how many disciples are you leading in the ways of Christ?” he might ask.

 

“Brother Wesley,” I would tell him, “I now have thousands of people following me on Twitter @BestBibleTweets and hundreds of friends reading my posts on Facebook.”

 

“Very impressive, Jim!” Wesley might say. “I sure wish I’d had technology like that to mold disciples in my generation. But tell me, are your followers truly growing in the grace and holiness of the Lord? Are you able to hold them accountable to the teachings of the Word? And are these ‘followers’ of yours bold in their faith and winning souls to Christ?”

 

Hmmm… How would I respond to such a troubling question? And how would YOU respond if Wesley inquired about your disciples?

 

Although I don’t plan to give up on the world of Twitter and Facebook, I’ve concluded that I would trade it all for just 100 people who “feared nothing but sin and desired nothing but God.” For as much as I love my Twitter flock, they are no substitute for true disciples. Nor can my Facebook friends match the level of face-to-face friendships God wants me to have.

 

Lord, we want to be world-shaking believers, able to raise up fully devoted followers who can cover the earth with Your glory!

 

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KNOWING AND DECLARING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD

 

 

KNOWING AND DECLARING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD

“For I have not shunned to declare to you THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD.28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20: 27-31

The Scriptures contain numerous seemingly paradoxical truths that are not either/or, but rather both/and. Each of these truths are like a string in a multi-string cord, contributing to the strength of the cord.

It's not either receiving the grace of God or obeying His requirement for us to walk in holiness, it's both/and...

It's not either receiving the free gift of salvation or counting the cost and carrying our cross, it's both/and...

It's not either receiving and enjoying the love of the Lord or knowing the fear the Lord, it's both/and...

It’s not either believing and claiming the Gospel’s promises or heading its requirements and warnings, it’s both/and…

It's not either rejoicing in having found the Lord or seeking Him still, it's both/and...

It's not either experiencing the joy of the Lord or sharing in the sufferings of Christ, it's both/and...

It's not either realizing and expecting biblical promises of victory/revival/glory, or biblical proclamations of coming difficulty/persecution, it's both/and...

It's not either trusting that God is in control or realizing the urgency of our times, it's both/and...

It's not either recognizing our biblical mandate to pray and stand in the gap or  our mandate to engage in witnessing and evangelism, it's both/and...

It's not either being grateful for what God is doing now and not despising the day of small beginnings or seeking His Face and praying for revival, it's both/and...

It's not just realizing that the kindness of God is a manifestation of His love, but also realizing that His discipline and His severity are equally a manifestation of His fierce love and jealousy over us...

It's not just speaking words of exhortation/affirmation or words of correction/reproof, it's both/and....

It's not either realizing the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God or that of the free will of man, it's both/and...

It's not either recognizing the final authority of God’s written Word or being led by the Holy Spirit, recognizing His continuous present work and hearing God’s voice, it’s both/and …

The term "Full Gospel" is often used to communicate the idea that we should not neglect to teach what the Bible says about the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, if we want to teach the "Full Gospel" or the full counsel of the Scriptures, we should also not neglect to teach the above truths. Let us all as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, be faithful witnesses like the apostle Paul, know and declare the whole counsel of God!

 

 

 

 

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What Too Many People Forget to Do

 

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I don't know if you have noticed this or not, but it seems that there are a lot of movies that are coming out that are now the "back stories" of a movie that has already been produced. The Avengers are doing back stories. The Lord of the Rings just recently premiered a backstory of The Hobbit. There is also a television show about the backstories of country music singers, so that we get a sneak peak into their lives prior to them becoming stars.

What has been so compelling in all of these backstories is the desire they conjure up for us to go and discover revelations about people and circumstances in the original movies that made no sense. Once you understand the backstory, you understand more clearly why the actions and turn of events happened the way they did.

The backstory makes sense of the whys.

My favorite of all of the back stories recently produced is definitely Wicked, the broadway musical. Wicked is the backstory of The Wizard of Oz. So as not to spoil anything for anyone who has not seen it yet (and if you haven't, you MUST!), just know that when I watched Wicked, it changed my whole perspective on the wicked witch.

Jesus was interested in other's back stories. Even though He was omniscient, He still talked with the woman at the well about her past. In John 4, He says to her, "Go, call your husband and come back.” 

“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” ~John 4:16-18

Jesus took her backstory and used it to help her discover who He really was. And when we get to know another's backstory, we can help another see who He is as well.

When it comes to walking through life with others, especially when it comes to discipling, it is very important that we do not discount their backstory. It is what too many disciplers forget to do, and yet is really one of the most important facets of really being able to help other women walk into deeper waters of relationship with God.

Here's what I believe are the benefits of hearing other's backstories:

  • You discover what has motivated another's actions, thoughts, and feelings, to better understand why they act the way they do in current situations.
  • You better understand the "labels" that have been placed on another, not just accept those labels as truth.
  • You are enabled to look at someone's heart, not just the exterior that they show to the world.

 Knowing the backstory in discipleship is paramount to helping another walk in closer relationship with God.

When has someone's backstory changed your perspective of them?

Written by Jena Forehand, Author of Living Deeper: Women helping women walk with God. To find out more, click here

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God’s Will . . . My Will

We divide and categorize people in many ways – politically, racially, economically, denominationally, geographically. The Bible divides people into two groups – those who follow God’s will and those who don’t. Many use their God-given freedom of choice to choose their own way. My granddaughter graduates from college soon. She recently shared with me her feelings of doing something different with her life than her college major prepared her to do. My response was that you do what you feel God is leading you to do and watch to see how everything you’ve thought was God’s will (including a college major) is used by God in your future. Examples of this truth are legion. God has a plan, a purpose for your life. Accept and follow, or reject and refuse to follow. The Bible says it this way: “The Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back” (Isaiah 14:27)? Written by Bo and Dick Baker for a youth camp in the mid-1950s, “His Way . . . Mine” became a favorite for many a youth and young adult who discovered God’s will for their life, myself included:
“Now in His will my soul finds life worth living
Each day new blessings from above
Tho’ shadows come and valley’s seem unending
Still I know He makes a way for me.”

Read more of Dr. Dan’s Monday Morning Manna at www.discipleallnations.org/blog.

 

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Discipling in Uniform

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The other day, I was talking to a young professional lady about where the things of God were in her life's story. Her answer to me was, "You know, that's just not on my radar." I thought about that a lot lately, and wondered why? Why isn't God on her radar?

So I got on the internet and googled "radars". This is what I found. I think we could apply it to discipling.

1) A Transmitter is required. YOU are the transmitter. You offer the life of Christ to another in the way you live before them and the way you lead them and do life with them. When you disciple, you transmit the life of Christ to another.

2) A Switch must be made. YOU have to switch from being self-focused to others-focused. This is at the core of a discipler, now looking to the interest of others.

3) A Close Proximity is required. YOU must be in close proximity to the one you disciple. And even if it cant be comepletely in bodily presence as often as you would like, there is a difference in being in bodily present and heart present. The closer you get, the easier the transmitter works. Think on that one!

4) A Receiver is required. The one you come alongside must be open to receive what you are transmitting. YOU cannot make another person receive what you transmit to them, but you can pray that she will. YOU can also create an environment for her to share her life with you in reciprocated friendship and learning. 

As the transmitter and receiver go back and forth, they create something that can be translated to reveal something useful. Think about that as in a discipling arena: as you both discuss and learn from each other, with each successive time together, principles, purposes, promises and more will develop that can be useful in your lives. Christ is being formed in YOU!!! Christ is being formed in the one your disciple!!!

You want to get Christ on another's radar?

Be a transmitter, flip the switch, get close, and pray for the receiver!

Would you transmit this message? Share it on facebook, twitter, or email right now!!!

Have a great week!

Written by Jena Forehand, Author of Living Deeper: Women helping women walk with God. To find out more, click here

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Paying Attention

“Happy is he who considers the poor…” (Psalm 41:1).

Some folks are poor in possessions and appearance; others in faith, hope and love. Even if we can’t alleviate the poverty of those we meet along the way we can “consider” the poor, a verb that means, “to pay attention.”

G.K. Chesterton defines a saint as one that exaggerates what the world neglects, and what is neglected today is the art of paying attention. Few seem to be aware of the pain that exists all around them; they go their way inattentive and unmoved. As Jesus put it in his day, “the love of many has grown cold.”

In such a world it’s not hard to find some misery to alleviate: a divorcee or widow, stricken with loneliness; a weary parent kept awake at night by an unwell child; a frightened man awaiting cancer surgery in the morning; a care–worn checker in a grocery store working a second or third job to make ends meet; a young boy who’s never had enough father; a single mother whose flood of worries has washed her hope away; a lonely old man who believes he has outlived his usefulness; a hurting heart behind your own front door. Perhaps you don’t have much to give, but you can pay attention. You can see beyond what others see to the possibilities of mercy, compassion and understanding.

John Newton wrote on one occasion, “If, as I go home, a child has dropped a halfpenny, and if, by giving another, I can wipe away its tears, I feel I have done something. I should be glad to do greater things, but I will not neglect this.” This is “paying attention.”

One summer, several years ago, I came across a book entitled The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow. It is the diary of a twelve-year-old child who lived at the turn of the century in lumber camps in western Oregon. As I read Opal’s diary I was awed by her simple compassion and sensitivity. Though abused as a child she was never swallowed up in self-pity, but freely gave herself away. Here’s a brief excerpt from her diary:

When the churning was done, the mama did lift all the little lumps of butter out of the churn. Then she did pat them together in a big lump, and this she put away in the butter box in the woodshed. When she went to lay herself down to rest on the bed, she did call me to rub her head. I like to rub the mama's head, for it does help the worry lines to go away. Often I rub her head, for it is often she does have longings to have it so. And I do think it is very nice to help people have what they do have longings for.

Perhaps today by some act of kindness you and I can rub someone’s worry lines away, for it’s very nice to help people have what they do have longings for.

One last thought: there's an upside imbedded in the beatitude. In the oldest and oddest paradox of all, paying attention pays off for we’re happiest when we're thinking of others. Consider those who think only of themselves, who grasp and grab and play it safe. The life they save is the life they lose. In the end it’s worth nothing to anyone including themselves, a featureless, lifeless parody of those who have lived and cared for others. The only life worth living, it seems, is the one that is given away.

The realm of happiness is easily entered: “Consider the poor.”

DHR

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A Dusty Disciple

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In the Living Deeper book, I shared how a young man in Biblical times went from an apprentice to a rabbi or the  teacher of the Law. Once a rabbi chose his apprentice, the young man would leave his father and mother, and follow closely behind the rabbi, mimicking everything his teacher did. As the two walked on together, people would offer this blessing: "May the dust of your rabbi fall on you."

I've thought about that a lot in my life. Do I follow so closely behind my Rabbi, to Jesus, that His dust would fall on me? Have I forsaken all others to follow Him and mimick His ways? And if I asked someone to walk alongside of me, would the dust I leave on them reflect Jesus? 

When I thought further about dust, I had to admit that I don't like dust on my shoes. And I don't like dust on my bare feet, especially when I wear sandals. It dries my feet out and makes me feel dirty. The first thing I do is try to get the dust off! And yet, as a discipler, the truth is that sometimes to walk with another means walking with them through really difficult times.

When it comes to discipleship, things are gonna get messy. It almost always does. The longer you walk together, the more the Spirit surfaces areas in our lives that need to be dealt with. We need someone to get in the trenches with us, fight for us and with us. Not abandon us in our greatest hour of need. We can't always want to keep it "clean".

I'm reminded of the verse "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." To me, this verse is saying that when a friend is going through a messy spot, I continue to love her and actually say, "I was born for this! This is why God made us friends! To be there in your time of need. To get through the muddy puddles of life with you." 

So here's our challenge for the week: may we walk so closely to Jesus that all of who He is falls over everything we are a part of. And may we be an always loving friend, willing to go through the tough, messy times with those God has placed in our lives. Have a great week!

 

It seems that most people don't like to get messy with others. Why do you think that is?

Written by Jena Forehand, Author of Living Deeper: Women helping women walk with God. To find out more, click here 

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