Transformation: Christ in You, the Hope of Glory

Obama Ruling Continues to Mandate not only Contraceptives, but also the “Emergency Contraceptive” that Kills.

2012-02-10T16:46:00.002-05:00

Recently the Obama administration came under fire with thethreat of lawsuits after it passed a ruling mandating that religiousorganizations such as hospitals, schools, agencies etc…provide contraceptivesto their employees at no charge without a copay as a “preventive service.” This is controversial not only for those whoare opposed to contraception, but also for those of us who are opposed toabortion.

Some religious groups such as the Catholic Church aretheologically opposed to providing contraception. So in this instance the administration wouldbe forcing people and religious institutions to violate their consciences andtheir religious faith. Others of us who are not opposed to the use of contraceptives are opposed to government continuing to overstep its constitutional limits andcontrolling more and more of the decision-making of individuals, businesses,organizations and religious groups.

Today, the Obama administration came up with a creative solutionordering that religious groups do not have to provide the contraceptives. Instead theinsurance companies that serve these groups must make free contraceptivesavailable to the employees of these religious organizations. But this is still not an acceptablesolution. First, it is a constitutionaloverreach of government authority into the private sector, but more important forthose of us who are pro-life, it is the government requirement of insurancecompanies to provide a drug that causes abortion.

What many people may not realize is that the mandate toprovide contraception as a preventive service includes the requirement toprovide the “morning after pill" which can cause a fertilized embryo to diebecause he or she cannot implant in the uterus and receive the nutrientsessential to continue his or her life and development.

At conception, in the fallopian tubes, an independent humanlife is conceived. It is not the motherand it is not her body; it is not simply biological tissue. It is a separate genetically identifiablehuman being that without an abortion or miscarriage will continue to grow anddevelop until birth and then will continue to grow and develop after birth. The morning after pill causes embryos to dieby denying them the ability to receive nutrition.

The Obama administration, Planned Parenthood and othersclaim that this medication does not cause abortions. Here is a quote from the Planned Parenthoodweb site:

“You might have also heard that the morning-after pill causesan abortion. But that's not true. The morning-after pill is not the abortionpill. Emergency contraception is birth control, not abortion.”

2-10-12 Planned Parenthood web site article Morning After Pill (Emergency Contraception).

How can they say this? By their definition, the presence of a new human boy or girl is not pregnancy. According to their strategic definition, awoman is not pregnant until her child at this embryonic stage of development isimplanted into the uterus.

They are distinguishing the morning after drugs, Preven ECand Plan B, from the other drug Mifepristone (RU 486). Mifepristone is used to abort a pregnancy afterimplantation in the uterus. They considerthis a medication abortion.

They say that Preven EC and Plan B are not abortifacients(medications that cause abortion) because they prevent pregnancy. This is possible because of their definitionof pregnancy. The define pregnancy tobegin at implantation not at fertilization!

Therefore even though a separate, genetically identifiablehuman life is developing in the fallopian tube from the moment of conception,they simply deny by their definition of the word pregnancy that it is a pregnancyand therefore it is not an abortion, because abortions end “pregnancy.”

So even though a human life is being terminated, by theirdefinition the woman is not pregnant and so an abortion could not take place.

The drugs.com web site describes the morning after pill, PrevenEC (emergency contraceptive), in this way:

Ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel are used together in this product as an emergencycontraceptive (EC) to prevent pregnancy [rememberthe special definition of pregnancy] after contraceptive failure orunprotected intercourse Ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel:

1. Preventovulation (the release of an egg from an ovary),

2. Disruptfertilization (joining of the egg and sperm), and

3. Inhibitimplantation (attachment of a fertilized egg to the uterus).

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/preven-ec.html

For a detailed explanation of how in most cases the EC pillcauses an abortion rather than prevents pregnancy go to: http://www.all.org/article/index/id/MjQ3MQ

The proponents of abortion are masters of the use of wordsto disguise the truth about abortion. They call human embryos and fetuses things like “the product ofpregnancy” or “fetal tissue.”

In an web site informational video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U20nhWCzJ0) on medication abortion byPlanned Parenthood, the medical staff person tells the pregnant lady about thebleeding and clotting that will take place after taking the medication.

The young lady then asks “How will I know when the bleedingshould stop?”

The staff person says, “Once the pregnancy expels, thebleeding and cramping should slow down.”

That is a nonsensical statement being used to hide the truereality of what is happening. The “pregnancy”is not being expelled; a human embryo is being expelled. If this occurred due to natural causes itwould be termed a miscarriage.

When the young lady returns to the clinic for her follow-up visit, she praises the procedure saying that having the abortion "privately felt so much more natural to me."

A medication-induced abortion is anything but natural. But they use this terminology to make the viewer think that it is natural.

We are in a very difficult battle for the protection of humanlife, because those who support abortion use deceptive language and practicesto keep people who do not dig below the sound bites and slogans from trulyunderstanding the reality of abortion.

Abortion is an American tragedy. So many Americans are simply misinformed ordeceived about what it really involves. Of course with continuing technological developments more and morepeople are literally seeing the baby in the womb and their eyes are beingopened to the reality of the baby that is growing and developing fromconception to birth and beyond.

Don't Worry! God Is Watching Over You

2011-12-29T23:43:00.000-05:00

Don’t Worry! God IsWatching Over You.

“ThereforeI tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what youwill drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more thanfood, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neithersow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:25–26 (ESV)

Over the Christmas holiday we saw God’s providential care forour daughter’s 7-year old cockatiel, Buddy. On Thursday December 22 after being startled by something Buddy took offflying off of our front porch. This wasvery unusual. Bethany has had Buddy for seven years and heis a home-body. He normally does noteven like to go outside. I ran outsidelooking for Buddy and the neighbor across the street pointed to a large oak onestreet over at the other end of our block.

The whole family set out searching for Buddy. He was not in the tree; we began fanning outup and down near by streets calling and whistling for Buddy, but there wasnothing but silence on this clear, but windy December day. Bethanybegan to wonder what would happen to Buddy? Would he be out “in the wild” by himself all night without food andwater? Would someone or something findhim?

She went home and began making signs and door hangers. I grabbed a ladder took his cage up on theroof and tied it to an old smoke stack for a furnace hoping he’d fly by and seehis home. We set his perch out in theback yard, hoping he’d return. But hedidn’t. That evening went walked theneighborhood putting up signs on telephone poles.

The next day we passed out nearly 100 door hangers, submitted an ad for our community newsletter and posted a notice “MissingCockatiel” on Craig’s List. The weekendpassed and there was no sign of Buddy.

Meanwhile Buddy had flown away—not just somewhere in ourneighborhood, but unknowingly to us, he journeyed to the neighboring city ofAltamonte Springs about 3 miles up the interstate from our neighborhood. Buddy had never flown further than across theroom—now he had disappeared from sight.

After a Christmas weekend of mixed emotions—the joy ofChristmas, special services and family time mixed with the empty cage on theroof and the abandoned perch in the back yard, hope arose. We received an email forwarded to us—it was anotherCraig’s List post saying that someone had found a cockatiel the same day thatBuddy had flown away. But there was nocontact information in the post.

Well after a long night we received an email from thedaughter of the lady who found Buddy! Weemailed, exchanged pictures and set up a time to pick up Buddy on Thursday eveningone week after he’d disappeared.

It turns out that God was watching over this small frightened birdthat was spreading its wings and flying free for the first time, but withoutany direction or provision for safety or nourishment. As the song says “His eyes are on thesparrow,” and on December 22 his eyes were on Buddy.

Dee was driving through herneighborhood with her daughter when she saw a small bird walking across theroad. She stopped the car and got outand immediately saw that this bird wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Buddy stepped up onto her finger, walked upher arm and perched on her shoulder. Hemust have been worn out from his flight and was now dangerously crossing astreet.

Well God guided the right family to Buddy—they’d owned anAfrican Grey Parrot for 35 years! Andthey had one friend who was a veterinarian and another, with a house full ofbirds, who provided them with a beautifully equipped cage and food. Buddy spent his first Christmas away fromhome and met some new pets. At our househe lived with two other birds—a parrotlet and a love bird. On Christmas Day he met a new kind of pet forthe first time—a dog. And not just one,but two when the family came together to celebrate the holiday.

This family also guarded Buddy to be sure he went to theright house. Someone else had respondedto their Craig’s List ad saying they’d also lost a cockatiel, but the picturesdid not match. When we contacted themthey said they wanted to be sure his “parents” got him back and after weconfirmed things, they welcomed us over to be reunited with our stray, graycockatiel.

It is so reassuring to see how our heavenly Father watchedover his creation and took care of our pet, Buddy. Jesus said that we are even more valuable toGod than a bird is. And just like Godwatches over the birds he will watch over us. Therefore Jesus said in Matthew 6 don’t worry about what you will eat, what you will wear or howtall you are—just trust in God. Seekfirst the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness and God will take care of therest! Thank you God for caring for Buddyand for caring for us!

From the Valley of Trouble to the Gateway of Hope

2011-12-08T14:18:00.001-05:00

What would you do if your spouse left you and has parading around with others. You see him or her on Facebook out partying and carousing with another. Could you love him? Could you pursue her? When he loses it all or she hits bottom, how would you respond?

The story of the prophet, Hosea and his promiscuous wife,Gomer, is a beautiful metaphor of God’s love for his wayward people. In the case of Hosea, his wife Gomer left himto engage in prostitution and promiscuity with other men. This destroyed their relationship and sheended up in a place of destitution and helplessness. Yet, in spite of this betrayal and totaldisregard for her husband, Hosea still loved Gomer and sought to win her back.

In the prophecy of Hosea recorded in the Old Testament thisreal-life story is used to describe God’s real-life love for his own people whohave betrayed him. They had entered intoa sacred covenant with him at Mount Sinai after he had delivered them fromslavery in Egypt. Yet, in spite of God’s love and faithfulnessto them, the people were unfaithful to God. They pursued other god’s. Theyworshipped the gods of the Canaanites and other nations. They looked to Baal and Ashtoreth for safety,health and prosperity. Because of thisthey ended up losing everything and being brutally conquered and take intoexile by Assyria.

Through the prophecies of Hosea, God handed down hisindictment against Israeland warned them of the judgment that was to come. But he also revealed his undying love for Israel and howhe would tenderly woo her back to himself.

In Hosea 2:14-15 (NLT) God speaks of his faithful love forunfaithful Israel:

“But then I will whenher back once again. I will lead herinto the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her andtransform the Valley of Trouble into a gatewayof hope. She will give herself to methere, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from hercaptivity in Egypt.”

This is an awesome encouragement that reveals the tremendouscharacter of our loving and faithful God! Even when we are unfaithful, he is faithful (2 Tim. 2:13). Maybe you are in a bad place in your life—lost,discouraged, at the end of your rope. You have hit bottom. The life,love and happiness that you pursued in the promises of many have turned out tobe empty. Today you are in a valley oftrouble. Well the Good News is that Godloves you and he is faithful. God ispursuing you and wants to win you back to himself. After your fall he is speaking tenderly toyou, wooing you back to himself. Hewants to turn your valley of trouble into a gateway of hope!

This is our testimony. When we had fallen and experienced great loss and trouble, God came tous in our need and loved us. God reachesout to us today through his son, Jesus Christ, who bought us out of slavery tosin, just like God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt and like Hosea boughtback Gomer (Hosea 3:1-2). Today God isspeaking through his word in scripture and through the Holy Spirit to call hispeople back to himself. He wants to turnyour valley of trouble into a gateway of hope. Will you receive his love? Listento his call; say yes to the Spirit; receive his Son Jesus Christ.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE HUNGRY IN OUR COMMUNITY

2011-12-01T14:42:00.001-05:00

"The one who shuts his earsto the cry of the poor will himself also call out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13 (HCSB).

Today we hear the cry of thepoor! Recently CBS News’ 60 Minutes, localTV and radio stations have covered the plight of homeless and transitionalfamilies in central Florida. Some of those families are right here in ourcommunity. Over the years we have met,ministered to and welcomed some of these families into our church family.

As our nation’s financialdifficulties continue the needs of local families also continue. One of the ways that we are able to helpthese families is through our partnership with Killarney Elementary School. We conduct an after school Good News Club andwe have volunteers who help out with other activities as well.

Channel 6 News recently spokewith Principle Leticia Foster and reported the following (http://tinyurl.com/84bva79):

KillarneyElementary School has a Winter Park address, but it is not in the park of Winter Park that most people think of.It includes 80 students who live in the hotels that line Lee Road near Interstate 4.

"They can't afford the rent, themortgages, therefore they reside in the hotels surrounding our schools,"Killarney principal Letecia Foster said.

Foster sends many of her students home onFridays with bags of food in the hopes that they won't go hungry over theweekend.

"Sometimes the kids just come becausethey know they're going to be well fed," Foster said.

As of today (Dec. 1, 2011) 45families have requested food assistance through Killarney Elementary Schoolfor the Christmas Break. The school is asking churches, communitygroups and individuals to make donations of staples, can foods, peanut butteretc…to distrubute to these families in just a couple of weeks.

How can you help?

Well for those of you who have given to the World Hunger Fund through our church and Florida Baptist Convention, you have already helped. Some of those funds have come back to Killarney and we have been able to provide food assistance to families in need including making a donation to the current food drive (http://erlc.com/article/why-should-i-support-the-southern-baptist-world-hunger-fund/). You may designate gifts to the World Hunger Fund on your Killarney Baptist Church giving envelope.
Of course more donations are needed and welcomed. You can drop off food at Killarney Elementary School or here at the Killarney Baptist Church between now and December 7. If you drop off food at the church. Bring it to the office or leave it in the kitchen or room 109 in the Phillips Building (labeled for Killarney Elementary).
Volunteer to sort and pack boxes for the Killarney Families on December 8 and 9 at Killarney Elementary School (407-623-1438).

Thank you for your expressingyour love and the love of Jesus Christ by reaching out to these families duringthis Christmas Season.

In Christ,

Pastor Bruce

The Relationship Choice: Week 5 of Life's Healing Choices

2011-10-20T14:44:00.000-04:00

We are already on Week 5 of our life-transforming series. It hasbeen a great experience so far and every week I have more people telling meabout the positive impact this is having on their lives.

This is what it means to be a disciple-making church—creating theopportunities for people to take the steps to experience personal growth andtransformation. Are you growing in yourrelationship with Jesus Christ and in your own personal transformation intoChrist-likeness? Are you helping othersto come to know Christ and to grow?

Some Christians are turned off by these types of studies? Why? Tell me (bmayhew@kbcnet.org).

If you are a Christian who thinks, “This study is for someoneelse.” “I don’t need this.” It means that you are saying you have alreadyreached maturity in Christ, and you do not need to be a part of helping othersto reach maturity in Christ! Of course thisis an absolute contradiction.

You can be an obedient disciple-making Christian, if you are apart of these types of ministries. Byprayerfully and enthusiastically supporting our Sunday morning services andmessages you are helping to create an atmosphere in which others can come intoGod’s presence and be open to what he wants to say to them and what he wants todo in their lives.

If an unbeliever or someone who is hurting comes into our church,and the “Christians” are not passionate about the power of God to save andtransform lives, what kind of encouragement will they have to trust and followChrist?

By actively participating in the small groups you help to make aplace where people can safely open up and share about their hurts, habits andhang-ups. You help them to understand thatGod loves them and to know what God is doing in their lives. You give them the encouragement to trust Godand take the next step in their walk with Jesus Christ.

This week is such an important step in our spiritual and relationalgrowth and development. Without making this choice and taking this step youwill be never be able to experience true freedom in Christ. I talked with a man this week who was leadinga group in his church through this same type of series. He said that when he got to this step, peoplestarted turning away. It reminds me ofthe time that Jesus talked about his death and many of the people following himturned away (John chapter 6:52-66). Don’tturn back from following Jesus. This mayseem like an impossible choice to make, but it is not. It is actually a choice that will give youmore peace and freedom than you have ever experienced in your life.

Here is this weeks healing choice:

"I evaluate all my relationships, offer forgiveness to thosewho have hurt me, and make amends for harm I've done to others except when todo so would harm them or others."

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy (Matt.5:7).

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God(Matt. 5:9)

I encourage you to stay committed to this study. Victory goes tothe ones who persevere. It is easy to start and quit, but don't do it, becauseyou will miss out on so much.

One last thing—I want you to send me an email telling me aboutwhat God is doing in your life during this time, or about what you have seenGod do in someone else’s life. Yourtestimony will be an awesome tool for encouraging others to trust and followJesus Christ.

In Christ,

Pastor Bruce

Is Mormonism a Cult?

2011-10-10T00:43:00.000-04:00

First Baptist of Dallas Pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress, recently stirred up controversy when he described Mormonism as a cult while speaking to evangelical Christians at the Values Voters Summit. New York Daily News reporter Kerry Wills opened an October 8 column with the following statement:

"An evangelical pastor cast Mitt Romney in a spooky light Friday by calling Mormonism a cult and urging good Christians to vote for his rival, Texas Governor Rick Perry."

Other candidates were quick to distance themselves from the comment. Did Pastor Jeffress, who holds two doctorates, cast Mitt Romney in a "spooky light?" Actually no. In the context of evangelical Christianity Pastor Jeffress was not saying the Mormonism was an occult group or a Jim Jones type religious movement. He was speaking to evangelical Christians and he was saying that we would prefer "a Christian." By this he meant an "orthodox Christian", someone who holds to the doctrines of historical orthodox Christianity. Mormonism stands outside of orthodox Christianity.

Many evangelicals would love to have one of their own in the White House. This does not mean that they require a candidate to be an evangelical, but that they would prefer an evangelical. Of course orthodox Christianity includes more than just evangelical Christians.

The problem in this case is a misunderstanding of the range of meanings for the word "cult." Many words have multiple meanings. Speaking to evangelical Christians, Jeffress would assume that they understand what he means by the term cult. The problem is that many reporters and others may not be familiar with the range of meanings and uses of the term and so they give it a meaning that is different than the one normally used by evangelicals.

Here are some definitions of the word cult:

FORMAL a religious system in which people worship a particular god, person, or object. The cult of the goddess Isis (Macmillan Dictionary online).
A religious group, often living together, whose beliefs are considered extreme or strange by many people. Their son ran away from home and joined a religious cult (Cambridge Dictionaries online).
A religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious (Merriam-Webster Online).

In academic writings on world religions and ancient religions the word cult most often follows definition one above. In popular culture today, especially in regard to groups like the Branch Davidians or the Peoples Temple (Jim Jones' group) meaning two is understood. In writings within evangelical Christianity that discuss unorthodox Christian groups and other religions which deny or change fundamental historical Christian doctrines the meaning of cult is the one given in definition three.

One of the most popular books of the late 20th Century that evaluated religious groups in America was Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults. In this book he described Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, Scientology, Unitarian Universalism and even Islam as cults. These were religions which contradicted the biblical orthodox understanding of Christianity and were new or not well-understood by many of his readers. His definition of cult matches definition three above--a religion that is unorthodox or spurious in comparison to orthodox Christianity.

Mormonism definitely fits this definition. Walter Martin goes into great detail to explain why this is the case. To call it a cult in this manner does not mean that it is a cult as in definition two, but that its teachings contradict orthodox biblical Christianity. I don't believe that Dr. Jeffress was saying that Mitt Romney's religion disqualified him as a presidential candidate. I believe that in speaking to fellow evangelicals he was asking them to support Rick Perry in part because Perry was an evangelical and Romney was a part of an unorthodox Christian religion. That is a self-described Christian religion that is considered to be a false version of Christianity when evaluated by the historical doctrines of biblical orthodox Christianity.

Here is a link to the NY Daily News story: http://tinyurl.com/5rhyhc8

Here is a summary of why Mormonism is considered a cult according to definition number three: http://www.gotquestions.org/Mormons.html.

2011-10-04T10:14:00.001-04:00

Amazing Story of Faith Behind Song of Commitment

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” is sung to a traditional folk tune from India (ASSAM), and it is named after the northeastern Indian state once home to tribes known as “head-hunters” due to their custom of collecting heads and hanging them on their walls. In his book Why, God, Why?, Dr. P. Job reports that 150 years ago a Welsh missionary converted a man, his wife, and his children to Christianity. After the village chief demanded that the man renounce his faith, he spontaneously sang the now-famous words, “I have decided to follow Jesus.” Reportedly, the chief ordered his archers to kill the man’s two children, threatening to kill his wife as well; but the man sang, “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.” The archers shot his wife, but still the man refused to deny Christ, and he was executed while singing: “The cross before me, the world behind me.” Allegedly, the chief was so moved that he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” and the entire village converted.

Indian Christians still sing this hymn to proclaim their commitment to Christ. In America, it has been popularized by composer and hymn editor William Jensen Reynolds’ arrangement, which first appeared in the 1959 Assembly Songbook. This version was frequently used at Billy Graham’s crusade meetings. (Source: Christian Classics Ethereal Library Newsletter 10-3-2011 www.ccel.org).

180 Movie

2011-10-03T22:22:00.000-04:00

School Board Superintendent Search

2011-09-27T20:40:00.003-04:00

I attended a clergy feedback session with representativesfrom the firm that is recruiting the new school superintendent for OrangeCounty Public Schools. It went longerthan scheduled, but what do you expect when you have a group of pastors who allhave opinions that they like to share.

We were asked three questions: 1) Name some positivequalities would you want to be shared with a candidate about the schools in Orange County. 2) Give some positive qualities about the Orlando region—why would a candidate want to move to Orange Countyand place his children in the public schools and be a part of thiscommunity? 3) What impediments might acandidate find in leading the school system forward?

The positive quality that I shared regarding the schools wasthe good relationship that we have with Killarney Elementary. We support the teachers and we have and greatafter-school program at the school. Ialso shared about the commitment and love that the faculty and staff have forthe students. This is exemplified in thefact that students who move out of the district (often homeless children livingin motels and families in transition) find ways to be able to come back andattend Killarney.

The positive qualities shared by the group about Orlando included thediversity of the community and the fact that it is a young city and does nothave come of the problems and dilapidation of much older urban areas.

A variety of things were shared in regard to impedimentsincluding lack of funding , gangs, bureaucracy etc… Early in the session the facilitators sharedthat most superintendents of large districts have short tenures (3-5 years). I compared this search to pastor searchcommittees. Often pastors have shorttenures because they are not a fit for the church. I said that the search committees do notalways include some of the most influential people in the church and thereforethe match is between the pastor and people who are not going to be the one thathe is going to have to work with to build a vision and to achieve buy-in anddevelop effective strategies for fulfilling the vision. If the prospective candidate for Orange Countyis going to be a good fit, he needs to know the individuals and groups thathave the most power and influence in the school system. They need to dialog and understand the corevalues and parameters that are going to be there for Orange CountySchools. This group must go beyond thesearch team.

As far as my requests for the new superintendent, I saidthat I wanted someone who respect parents and the local community. I am a proponent of local control ofeducation, rather than one-size-fits-all models and programs handed down fromabove (state and federal departments of education). The competition of public schools withcharter schools, vouchers, private and home schools was discussed during thesession. I believe that one of thereasons parents give push back against public schools is that the schoolsystems and departments of education do not always do well in reflecting thevalues of the parents and the local community when it comes to the philosophy ofeducation and desired outcomes that are mandated by bureaucrats and educationalelites.

Most of the group seemed to be very pleased with the currentsuperintendent, Ronald Blocker, and want to improve and build upon the currentstrengths of the school system.

God Is Not a Battery Charger

2011-09-25T21:18:00.000-04:00

God is not a battery charger! This week’s choice in our series, Life’s Healing Choices, is The HopeChoice: Earnestly believe that Godexists, that I matter to him, that he has the power to help me to change. We talked about the kind of God, our God is—loving,compassionate and caring. We talkedabout our need—our inability to change on our own. Then we talked about the power, love andself-control that God graciously gives us, enabling us to want and do the rightthings.

As I was thinkingabout the idea of God giving us power, the thought came to mind that wesometimes think of God as a battery charger. We need a boost and so we go to God for a jump start. We are getting low on power and so we hook upwith God at church, through prayer or some other means to be recharged. What I was reminded of was that God is not abattery charger. You see a rechargeablebattery operates apart from the charger! The battery is only connected to the charger when it is low. When it is operating—providing power it isseparated from the charger.

But for us we mustconstantly stay connected to God through Jesus Christ and His Spirit withinus. We can’t operate apart fromhim. We can’t have His power if we aredisconnected.

Jesus said it likethis, “I am the vine; you are thebranches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apartfrom me you can do nothing” John 15:5 (NIV).

Stay connected to Jesus 24/7!

Old Testament Prophets, New Testament Prophets

2011-08-25T14:27:00.000-04:00

I have just started a study on the New Testament gift of prophecy based on the book The Gift of Prophecy by Wayne Grudem. We began our Wednesday night study with a look at the role of the prophet in the Old Testament. The OT prophet was a messenger of God who spoke the very words of God. His words were authoritative and disobedience to the message of the prophet was disobedience to God.

Many people today misunderstand the NT gift of prophecy because they connect it to the role of OT prophets like Moses, Samuel and Isaiah. But the NT counterpart to an OT prophet is not a prophet, but an apostle. In the NT it was the apostles who spoke the very words of God with divine authority.

LAUNCHING THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

2011-08-25T14:10:00.000-04:00

My current sermon series from the book of Acts focuses on four fundamental factors in the fascinating launch of the Church of Jesus Christ.

POWER (August 21): Just like Jesus, the first church operated in and through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER (August 28): Just like Jesus, prayer was a top priority and essential element in fulfilling the mission of the church. Prayer prepared the way forward.

PEOPLE (September 4): Just like Jesus, the first church focused on people--all kinds of people, more and more people--as they shared the love and redeeming power of God throughout the world.

PERSECUTION (September 11): Just like Jesus, the first church faced real opposition. Through faith, power, prayer and love for God and people, the church faced persecution and overcame--multiplying the church in an unbelievable way.

Sundays 10:50 a.m. Killarney Baptist Church www.kbcnet.org

Life's Healing Choices at KBC

2011-08-19T16:08:00.003-04:00

This fall we Killarney Baptist Church will be offering a transformational eight-week church campaign called, Life’s Healing Choices. This is a spiritual growth campaign based on the Beatitudes. Developed at Saddleback Church, this study helps people find freedom from hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

This Campaign will benefit you and the church by:

Helping to discover how to find freedom from their hurts,
hang-ups, & habits
Giving everyone an excellent opportunity to reach out to friends and family and invite them to be a part.
A strong opportunity for our church to grow
A new way to expand our small groups ministry
Helping everyone who participates to mature in their faith
Giving you an opportunity to encourage others

The Campaign will include the following:

Weekly sermons from the Beatitudes of Jesus
Weekly small group meetings
A weekly lesson on DVD by Pastor Rick Warren
The opportunity to form new small groups that can meet at church or in a home any day of the week
A Small Group Study Gide for the weekly small group meetings
The hardcover book, Life’s Healing Choices, by John Baker

For more information email us at info@kbcnet.org.

Looking forward to a great fall,

Pastor Bruce

NOT SUPPOSED TO JUDGE?

2011-07-24T17:00:00.000-04:00

NOT SUPPOSED TO JUDGE?

One of the most popular passages of scripture quoted today is Matthew 7:1 which says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Is it right for Christians to judge? Christians are often described as judgmental by others and even by those within the church. Often this judgment of Christians is warranted. Christians can be very judgmental. Of course Christians aren’t the only ones who can be judgmental.

It is ironic that many of the people who quote Matthew 7:1 are judgmental themselves. In today’s popular culture there isn’t a prohibition against all judging, there are just new rules on what you are or are not allowed to judge. In the popular culture Christians are judged for making judgments about sexuality and religion! Those are two issues that are off limits. It is permissible to make judgments about environmentalism, global warming, homophobia, republicans, democrats, the rich etc…Just don’t judge my sexual lifestyle or my religious beliefs.

Of course the people who preach this judge the religious beliefs, values and practices of those they consider to be bigoted and judgmental. That is the irony and contradiction of much of today’s conversation on judging. Now, back to the original question, “Is it right to judge?” The biblical answer is yes and no. There are different types of judgments and some are required and some are prohibited. What type of judgment is Jesus talking about in Matthew 7:1? The following are six types of judgment:

Judicial (Required type of judgment) Legal, Government, Businesses, Organizations, Families and Church (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Cor. 5:12-13,
6:1-5). In the pursuit of justice all of the above must render judgments. Jesus taught it in Matthew 18 and Paul required it of the Church at Corinth, even in matters of sexual conduct.
Opinion (Not a matter of right and wrong) This is simply a matter of preference—I like it or I don’t like it.
Acceptance or Rejection (Wrong type of judgment) The culture of cool—who is in and who is out. This is the kind of judgment that pits one group against another typified by the struggles of youth and fitting in to peer groups. This is a judgmental attitude of superiority. The judgmentalism of superiority and rejection is rooted in pride, shame, and inferiority. The only true cure is to humbly receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
Moral and Discerning Judgment (This is expected and required of Christians) Jesus assumes this in Matthew 7:6&15. Jesus instructs us to remove the speck from our brother’s eye (7:6). Judging is required in order to identify a false prophet (7:15). In John 7:24 (ESV) Jesus says, “Do not judge by appearance, but judge with right judgment.” This is a judgment that is based upon truth.
Hypocritical Judgment (This is what Jesus condemns in Matthew 7) There is a failure to first judge oneself. Jesus says in Matthew 7 to take the beam or plank out of your own eye before you take the speck out of another’s eye (7:3-5). Paul says that some of the Corinthians had suffered judgment because they did not judge themselves (1 Cor. 11:31).
Restorative Judgment (Necessary and required) This judgment is motivated by love. If you truly love others you will seek to
correct them and keep them from going down the wrong path. If you truly love others you will seek to protect them and to ward off dangers that threaten them and others (Matthew 7:5, Gal. 6:1).

Will You Defend Marriage?

2011-05-22T19:13:00.000-04:00

In addressing the issue of divorce, Jesus described God’s design for marriage:

⁴ “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’ ⁵ And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one’” Matthew 19:4–5 (NLT).

I am asking if you as a Christian, a follower of Jesus, will you defend marriage?

Our President has decided that he will not defend marriage. News services reported on February 23, 2011 that President Obama had ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996.

DOMA defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman for the purposes of federal laws. It also says that no state may be required to recognize a same-sex marriage from another state. DOMA was passed by large majorities in both houses of congress (342 to 67 and 85 to 14) and signed into law by President Clinton. In addition to DOMA, thirty-three states have passed laws or constitutional amendments affirming traditional marriage. There has been a very strong affirmation of traditional marriage at all levels across our nation.

In spite of this the gay rights movement and many influential people in government, academia, the media and business worlds have continued to press hard for the acceptance and legalization of gay marriage. Their persistence is paying off and the attitudes of Americans are changing.

On Friday May 20, 2011 Gallup reported that for the first time since they began tracking American views on same-sex marriage that a majority of Americans now support the legalization of same-sex marriage. “53 percent of the public thinks marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by law as valid. Forty-five percent are against it” (Christian Post May 22, 2011). Last year the polling was the opposite. 53 percent opposed the legalization of same-sex marriage and 44 percent supported its legalization.

If you are going to defend marriage, you must embrace Jesus’ teachings and be aware of the fallacies and duplicity in same-sex marriage arguments. Whether or not same-sex marriage becomes legalized at the federal level, we as Christians should defend marriage as Jesus defined it.

The following are key points in the argument for the legalization of same-sex marriage:

Marriage is a civil right.
Same-sex couples are denied marriage.
Therefore same-sex couples are being denied their civil rights.
Opponents of same-sex marriage are homophobic, bigoted and hateful.
If two people love each other they should be able to marry.

Here is my response:

The proponents assume what is at the very heart of the debate. The key issue is ignored in the argument. That issue is the definition of marriage. They define marriage as a special government-recognized relationship between two individuals as allowed by law. This of course must include same-sex couples, but it does not include everyone.

Marriage has never been a homosexual, it has always been heterosexual. But in the debate this limitation on the definition of marriage is ignored and marriage is simply redefined. Additionally, they say that the law should be changed to recognize same-sex marriages, but they are not proposing that it be changed to include marriages of more than two people. Marriage has always been heterosexual, but it has not always been monogamous.

I have often seen news reports showing signs saying things like “love wins,” “love makes a family” or “it is wrong to deny marriage to people who love each other.” In spite of this, if the proposed same-sex marriage laws prevail, marriage will still be prohibited for people who love each other. Polygamous marriage will not be allowed. Incestuous marriage will not be allowed and adult-child marriage will not be allowed.

I am opposed to the legalization of all of these, including same-sex marriage. My point is that the issue is not just about love or equal rights. There are people in all of the previously mentioned relationships that are denied legal marriage who could make the very same arguments as proponents of same-sex marriage.

On what basis will the same-sex marriage proponents oppose polygamy? Incest and adult-child marriages could be opposed on grounds of abuse. But their have been adult cousins and other relatives who have been in love with one another and desire to stay together as a couple. There have also been teen-agers who have fallen in love with young adults, but are prohibited from marrying.

Incest is opposed on the grounds that it increases the risk of genetic disorders for offspring. But homosexual sex and promiscuity increase the risk of the transmission of the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted infections. There are no proposals for these activities to be outlawed.

The main point here is that the supporters of same-sex marriage claim that they want equal rights for everyone who loves, but in reality they are limiting the extension of marriage rights only to same-sex couples.

The same-sex marriage proponents are changing the definition of marriage based upon the argument of civil rights, but they are not opening up marriage to everyone who might love and want to be married.

Marriage has always been heterosexual—historically, culturally, religiously and biblically. The same-sex marriage proposal is not about equal rights for everyone. It is not an end to the government regulation of who can and cannot marry. All people who love one another and desire to marry will not have the right to marry. The government will still regulate marriage—it will decide who can and cannot marry.

Therefore the fight is not fundamentally about love or equality, it is about redefining marriage. But even with this understanding, redefining marriage and equal rights for all is not the fundamental issue for proponents of same-sex marriage. The fundamental issue is having society affirm the moral equivalency of a homosexual relationship to heterosexual marriage.

Joe Solmonese of The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy group, wrote in a 2009 letter to President Obama, “…we also are: human beings whose lives, loves and families are equal to yours.” What same-sex proponents really want is the legal acceptance and affirmation of same-sex marriage on the same level and with equal protection and provisions as heterosexual marriage.

Marriage (not the redefined version) is and has been the fundamental building block of cultures and societies. Marriage has been the culturally accepted partnership of a man and a woman through which children are born, nurtured and raised. It has been a crucial stabilizing factor in society for building healthy families, and thus a healthy society. Through marriage the society encourages men and women to commit to a life-long relationship through which they will bear and raise children. This has been affirmed and rewarded by society and it is the best arrangement for society.

Children need stability; they need a mother and a father. To say that a homosexual relationship is the equivalent of a heterosexual marriage says that either moms or dads are irrelevant and unnecessary. You can have a mom and a dad, two moms, or two dads. It really does not matter.

But you can’t simply have two moms or two dads—the formation of a new life requires both a father and a mother—that is God’s design in creation. If a child does not have both his father and his mother, he or she has experienced a significant loss.

My father died when I was three. I had a stepfather for a number of years, but I also lived in a single-parent household. I understand the life of a single parent and have great sympathy for single parents. We as a church love and support single parents and their families. But I still believe that the ideal is heterosexual marriage and family.

Today marriage is not only being challenged by same-sex marriage, but is also being undermined by promiscuity, no-fault divorce, pornography, unwed couples and the government entitlements which often make it more economically beneficial not to marry—even if you do have a partner and/or children. I have known single women both young and old who do not marry their male partner because they will lose government benefits. In this way our government and society undermine marriage.

In The Telegraph (online edition) on March 1, 2011 I read an article about another dangerous development that has occurred in England as same-sex marriage advances. Eunice and Owen Johns of England have raised four children and fostered 15. They are Christians, but now they have been denied by the courts the right to foster or adopt children again. Why? Because of abuse or neglect? No, but because they do not affirm homosexuality. In an interview the Johns were asked, “Would you tell a child it was OK to be homosexual? The Johns replied that they would not. They would love the child, but not endorse the lifestyle.

This article reported that a UK High Court had ruled that the government can require foster parents to endorse homosexuality. Eunice Johns said that she had worked with homosexuals as a nurse and never had any problems. She said that if the issue ever arose with a foster child that she would ask social services for a professional deal with it. The Johns said that they must live by their Christian convictions and that the real losers are the children who will be denied loving homes.

There is a great battle going on over marriage in our culture and world. This battle is not just about legalizing marriage, but it is also about changing the core values of all people regarding marriage. As this battle continues more and more people including Christians are changing their views on marriage. As Christians we do have a difficult task, because the media, educational institutions, celebrities, businesses and politicians have all joined this campaign to change the way people think about marriage.

Besides the propaganda and duplicity that I have outlined above an even more effective strategy is the labeling of opponents to the legalization of same-sex marriage as homophobic, hateful and bigoted. Opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage does not indicate that one fits any of these pejorative descriptions. On moral and biblical grounds we can support traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage, polygamy, polyamory, promiscuity, unwed parenting, extramarital sexual activity, incest etc…without being motivated by hate. We can oppose these things out of our love for God and for people, because we believe that God’s design in creation is the best for all people and cultures.

Jesus gave us the biblical description of marriage in Matthew 19:4-6:

It is male and female
The husband and wife are united as one
They are joined together by God
No one is to separate the union

As a follower of Jesus will you defend marriage as created by God? I pray that you will, for the glory of God and the good of culture for generations to come.

What Is a Christian Hypocrite?

2011-05-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

“I am not going to that church because it is full of hypocrites?”

"I believe in Jesus, but I am not active because I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”

I am sure that you have heard these or similar statements before. Most of us have an understanding of hypocrite that does not match the true meaning of what it means for a Christian to be a hypocrite. I want to define two types of hypocrites. I believe if you are a Christian and you understand the difference it will reignite your ability to live a more powerful life as a follower of Jesus.

When people use the term hypocrite they use it to describe someone who at his or her core is really a bad person, and that they are just putting on a show when they go to church; talk about sin; or give their opinions about how we ought to live our lives. In essence he or she is a bad person who pretends to be good—a sinner who pretends to be righteous. This is a non-Christian hypocrite: a person who is not truly a Christian, pretending to be a Christian. This is a big turn off and no one likes people that they think are hypocrites.

Unfortunately some Christians respond to charges about the church being full of hypocrites by hiding their Christian faith in order to prevent someone of accusing them of being a hypocrite because of their faults or failures. But Jesus said in Matthew 5:

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV).

Why would someone hide their faith—maybe they are not living it. Maybe they are involved in sin that they don’t want to let go of or think that they can’t overcome and so they know that they will not be the light Jesus wants them to be. They may believe that they actually are a sinner at the core, a bad person who is just trying to be good.

What does it mean for a Christian to be a hypocrite? It means they act like something they are not—they act like a sinner! A hypocrite is someone who acts like something that they are not. A true Christian, not simply someone who is simply a cultural Christian or a Christian in name only, but someone who has truly repented of their sins and turned their lives over to Jesus Christ in faith to receive his forgiveness and salvation from sin and death, that person is the righteousness of God in Christ. A Christian has a new identity. So when a Christian acts like a sinner, he or she is not being who they really are in Christ and thus they are a hypocrite.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)).

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)).

He also says in Colossians:

³For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:3-4 (ESV)).

A Christian is a new creation. A Christian has a new identity and is righteous in Christ. So when a Christian sins, they are acting in a way that is inconsistent with who they are in Christ. When a Christian is doing wrong they are hypocritical not because they are a bad person who is pretending to be good, but he or she is a person who is righteous in Christ, who is behaving badly.

In Romans 7, Paul talks about the battle he faces in doing good and bad. In his spirit he wants to love and serve Christ; he wants to do good. This is the desire that flows out of his true identity in Christ. It is the flesh—the old ways of thinking, reacting etc—that desires evil. Paul says that is not him, it is the flesh.

This understanding can be very liberating for the Christian. Rather than living under the fear and shame of thinking that he or she is really a bad person pretending to be good; they can affirm that in their spirit that they really want to do the right thing. And when they sin, even if the flesh desires it, it is not what they want to do. When a believer really understands and embraces this he or she will discover a new ability to resist sin. When temptation comes, they can say that is not what I want—that is the flesh.

Grace Card Opens this Friday

2011-02-22T17:27:00.000-05:00

This Friday February 25, the Grace Card movie will open in theaters. This powerful movie about overcoming racial division through forgiveness was created by David and Esther Evans, a Christian couple from Memphis, TN. The movie is not as straight forward in presenting the Gospel as Fireproof and Facing the Giants. As a matter of fact I don't remember hearing the name "Jesus" one time in the movie, even though one of the characters is a pastor and many of the scenes take place in church. I certainly do wish that the writers would have included direct references to Jesus and the Gospel. After all he is the source of true forgiveness and reconciliation. With that said, I do support good movies with good messages. And this movie does have an excellent message about the power of forgiveness. We just need to be faithful in explaining how Jesus Christ is the source of true forgiveness. Find out more at http://www.thegracecardmovie.com/.

Warning-Christian Books at Target

2011-02-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

I was in Target last night and they had a section of books that included popular Christian authors and Bibles. But mixed in with the books were three inspirational type books that were definitely not Christian. Two of the books have been featured on Oprah's Show and they are The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle. The third book was The Bounce Back by Karen Salmansohn.

The danger here is that people may pick up one of these other books, thinking that they are buying a Christian book. In most other bookstores and even Wal-Mart, Christian books have their own section. These books fall into the category of New Age spirituality and self-deification.

The Secret is a new-age spirituality version of "name it-claim it" theology without God.
Here is a Baptist Press article on The Secret: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=25077.

Eckhart Tolle also teaches a new age type of spirituality and self-improvement.
Here is an interview with Richard Abanes about Eckhart Tolles Teaching:
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/commentary/11581638/

I am not familiar with Karen Salmansohn, but her book is endorsed by Depak Chopra, whose teachings are definitely not compatible with biblical Christianity.

Child Sex Trafficking and the Super Bowl

2011-02-02T23:45:00.001-05:00

The Super Bowl weekend is not only a time for food, parties and football, it is also a time when the child sex trafficking industry moves into town. This year the Irving Bible Church (irvingbiblechurch.org) and LOVE146 (love146.org) are working together to combat child sex trafficking in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metorplex. Marilyn deGuehery is a graphic artist for Love146.

Apple Pressured to Remove Christian App

2011-02-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

Pro-gay marriage groups have pressured Apple into removing the Manhattan Declaration app from its App store. The Manhattan Declaration is an excellent statement advocating and defending the Christian values of (1) Life (2) Marriage and (3) Religious Liberty. The statement is supported by Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians. You can find out more about the Manhattan Declaration at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/home.aspx.

Chic-fil-a Under Attack for Supporting Marriage

2011-02-02T23:06:00.000-05:00

Recently the New York Times and gay rights advocacy have launched an attack against Chic-fil-A because two of its stores provided chicken sandwiches for a marriage conference sponsored by the Pennsylvania Family Institute which is opposed to gay marriage. Some of the groups are also calling for Chic-fil-A to end its sponsorship of Focus on the Family. Indiana University South Bend has removed Chic-fil-A as a campus vendor in response to the donations for the marriage conference.

I have enjoyed Chic-fil-A since it opened a restaurant in the 1970's at the Houston Mall in my Georgia hometown of Warner Robins. Over the years I have increased my appreciation for them as I learned about this private company's Christian founders and commitment to biblical value in its operations. Now is a time for Christians to support Chic-fil-A. Buy a meal and send them an email or post a message on their Facebook page showing your support for their Christian values.

Awakening 2011 Update -- Join Us in Seeking Him

2011-01-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

Dear KBC Family and Friends,

We are off to a good start in our preparation for our January 30^th Day of Prayer and our emphasis to seek God for revival and spiritual awakening. I introduced our key Bible verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14 with this past Sunday’s message, Let’s Humble Ourselves and Pray. I furthered discussed the emphasis last Wednesday night and this past Sunday night. Even though our numbers were small on these two nights, I believe that God is working and we had an excellent time or coming to understand the need for revival and spiritual awakening and seeking God in prayer. Revival will begin when a small group of individuals are touched by God’s Holy Spirit and become a catalyst for Revival throughout the church and beyond.

Revival and Spiritual Awakenings have been a vital part of the history of America. Historically when there was great spiritual apathy and widespread immorality and disregard for the holiness and righteousness of God, spiritual awakenings have changed the history of our country. They have awakened our country to the need for true life-transforming change through a radical return to God. Churches have been taken to new levels of strength and impact; they have sparked great social reforms including the anti-slavery movement, prison reform, child labor laws, women’s rights, inner-city missions and more. Six of the nine colonial colleges were started out of awakenings.

Revival and Spiritual Awakenings begin as individuals and small groups come to a gripping realization of the holiness and righteousness of God and are convicted of sin and the need for real change and total commitment to Jesus Christ. Prayer groups and Bible studies form and grow. As more and more lives are changed churches are revitalized and the movement of the Holy Spirit moves out into the community at large through the transformed lives of individuals and churches together.

This is what we are seeking. God told his people in 2 Chronicles that we tragedy strikes, when the economy goes south, when the enemy seems to have the upper hand, that in humility they should (1) pray, (2) seek his face, and (3) turn from their sinful ways. This is what we are preparing to do in a joint effort with thousands of other Southern Baptist Churches across our nation. Not only is our Convention of Churches promoting such an effort but other groups and denominations are doing the same.

We need you to join us in seeking God like never before for a supernatural move of the Holy Spirit in our churches and nation. Join me each Sunday and on Wednesday or Sunday nights; use the Seeking God guide that we distributed this past Sunday and begin praying to God and interceding on behalf of our church and community for God to move. The Seeking God guide is also available on our website at www.kbcnet.org. It is attached to the Awakening 2011 news article.

Seeking Him,

Pastor Bruce

Awakening 2011

2010-12-22T10:39:00.001-05:00

Matthew describes the beginning of Jesus ministry like this:

People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.” Matthew 4:16-17 (The Message).

Jesus is the light of the world that changes lives. When Jesus began his ministry, he began with the word, “Repent,” which means to change. We live in a time when a great change is needed. Not the change that a politician promises, a new fad entices us with, or a new technology will yield, but a genuine Holy Spirit-infused revival that will so dramatically renew the body of Jesus Christ that it overflows into a great spiritual awakening that will change the culture in which we live.

As we end 2010 and begin 2011 Southern Baptists across our state and nation will be joining together to seek God and to pray for him to bring a great revival and spiritual awakening to his people and our nation. This effort will culminate with solemn assemblies being held in churches all across our convention on Sunday January 30.

Reaching Out this Christmas

2010-12-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas is a time of giving, and I am blessed to be a part of a church that gives. This Christmas our church sent over 100 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to children internationally. Right here at home in our own community we are buying gifts on behalf of prisoners to give to their children this Christmas through the ministry of Prison Fellowship. We also have individuals, families and small groups who are reaching out in other ways to demonstrate the love and generosity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Labeling Christians--Homophobic

2010-12-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

On December 4, 2010, the Orlando Sentinel ran an article entitled, “Once-homophobic black pastor today becomes advocate for gays, thanks to lesbian friend.” In the article, Sentinel writer, Jeff Kunerth says that as a child, “Old Testament scripture quoted from the pulpit fostered within [Bishop Richard[ Davis a homophobia.” He then briefly describes how Davis is now preaching a gospel of inclusion, and is leading people to openly accept homosexuality in the church.

Why were Davis and so many other black pastors “homophobic.” Kunerth says, “Homophobia exists in white and Hispanic churches, too, but it's more pronounced in black churches because most congregations are Bible-based, conservative and fundamentalist.”

So they were and many still are homophobic, because they are Bible-based. That means that their teachings on sexuality are derived from scripture and because they are fundamentalists they actually strive to follow the teaching of scripture. They do not reinterpret the scripture in light of a new value system that rejects what scripture teachings.

Kunerth like so many others who are shaping contemporary moral values label those of us who teach, affirm and follow the biblical teaching on sexuality as “homophobic.” The Southern Poverty Law Center has just named 18 Christian organizations as “anti-gay” and will be placing 13 of these groups on its list of “hate groups.”

The SPLC and Kunerth are making moral judgments on all of us who disagree with the current homosexual political agenda and the homosexual lifestyle. It is okay for them to judge us, but it is not okay for us to make the judgment that homosexuality is wrong.

So rather than engaging in a respectful debate and acknowledging legitimate differences in our view on human sexuality, our opinions and values are simply disregarded as immoral, hateful, and bigoted by using the word, “homophobic.

Because of our supposed prejudice and irrational fear of homosexuality we hold the unacceptable views that the Bible teaches that God made Adam and Eve; that God created mankind male and female; and that we are biologically, physiologically, genetically and relationally designed to be heterosexuals.

God’s design is that children would be brought into this world through a heterosexual relationship of a man and a woman bound together in a lifelong one-flesh relationship (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24).

As Christians who follow Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible and who seek to base our beliefs, values and lifestyles on the teaching of scripture, we view homosexuality as sinful. That is it “misses the mark” of God’s intention and design for human sexuality. We cannot affirm the homosexual lifestyle and be faithful to God’s revelation.

This does not mean that we are afraid of homosexuals. This does not mean that we cannot befriend, work with or live as neighbors and fellow citizens with homosexuals. We also believe and teach that premarital and extramarital sexual relationships are sinful. And almost all of us live in relationships with family members, coworkers, neighbors and friends who engage in sexual intimacy outside of marriage.

I have personally known a number of homosexuals throughout my lifetime—some as acquaintances, neighbors and coworkers and some as friends and relatives. While I affirmed the biblical teaching on homosexuality and let my homosexual friends know my viewpoint, I was still able to have a good relationship with them as a friend, neighbor or coworker.

This is also true of many other people that I know and befriend that embrace other lifestyle choices that the Bible teaches are sinful. This is true tolerance. We can fundamentally disagree, but still live peaceably with one another. As a culture and a society we go through the process of affirming not only our individual moral and ethical views, but also those that we will affirm as a culture.

Developing these cultural values will necessarily involve debate and disagreement. We are living in the wake of a moral revolution. Since the 1960’s there has been a tremendous shift in American sexual values, especially as advocated through pop culture and our colleges and universities. The battle over our cultural moral values is continuing to be waged.

When we pass laws regarding marriage, divorce, age of consent, etc…these reflect and impose specific ethical and moral values on others. Not everyone is going to agree on the final form of the law, but we all have the right to voice our opinions and advocate for our positions. And to do that is not the same as being bigoted or homophobic.

Do Worship

2010-12-02T17:47:00.000-05:00

Worship is an exercise to engage in, it is not simply an experience to evaluate. As I reflect on what it means to be and make disciples, I believe that the way we worship can actually impede our ability to follow Christ and to lead others to follow him.

For too many worship is an experience to evaluate. Church leaders have learned that they can draw crowds and keep people's attention by providing just the right kind of worship experience. It is not unlike creating a movie or putting on a sporting event. We have been trained to be entertained. When a person goes to a movie, he or she goes in expecting or hoping for an entertaining experience of drama, action, emotional highs and lows, humor etc...

After the movie is over the experience is then evaluated. If it was a moving or engaging experience then it was a good movie, if not then it was a bad movie. In reality its not simply the movie that is being evaluated. It is the script writer, the director, producer, actors and everyone else involved in the production. The consumer evaluates whether or not the movie experience was satisfying.

Many times we bring this same approach to worship. And not only do people come to church with this orientation, but the church itself actually encourages it--and often intentionally. Of course no one wants a boring service, poorly performed music or dry sermons. But as the entertainment approach grows the expectations and standards rise. Now every venue, worship center, light, video and sound system, the singers, prayers, preachers and leaders are compared with the elite and most exceptional churches, musicians and communicators in the country.

As a result many of our nation's largest churches are primarily growing not by reaching non-Christians, but by drawing disaffected and dissatisfied Christians out of worship experiences that were not as satisfying and exceptional as what there church offers.

The real problem with all of this is that worship is not an experience to be evaluated, it is an exercise to engage in. Worship is something that the worshiper does, not simply something that he or she feels as a result of the performance that has been presented. The player on the field are not bored, the actors on stage are not falling asleep--they are doing, not spectating.

If we are to make disciples, we must lead people to be worshipers and teach everyone, including ourselves, that God alone is the audience of worship. The leaders are their to encourage, teach and lead worshipers to worship God. Everyone in a worship service is a worshiper. That means that everyone is to give thanks, to praise God, to pray, to love, to listen, to engage and to respond with faith and faithfulness.

When I was in college at UGA, I experienced a true revival in my life through an on campus ministry whose approach to worship was very different from the traditional approach of my home church. I thought, "Wow, this is great!" And it was. But because I had changed, even when I went home to a traditional service, it was still great, because I was now truly a worshiper.

I challenge you the next time that you go to worship to tell yourself that I am getting up, getting ready etc...to go and worship God. "I am a worshiper, and worship is what I do." When I walk in the doors of the church I am walking in to worship. When I sing I am singing to God in worship, when I give I am giving an offering to God in worship, When I listen to a song or message I am listening to God's word and to his Spirit and asking him to speak to me, no matter what the style or method or even proficiency of the presenter is, because I am here to worship!

Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, yes! Terrestrial Intelligence, no!

2010-11-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

How do we determine if intelligence is behind something? This past Sunday night we watched the video, Unlocking the Mystery of Life, which described the origin of the modern Intelligent Design movement and the amazing amount of of complexity, machinery, and information in the most simple forms of life on planet earth. This movement and video features several scientists, including Dr. Dean Kenyon, who in 1969 co-authored, Biochemical Predestination, a very important college textbook on chemical evolution. He like many scientists in the Intelligent Design movement were trained and committed evolutionists who came to see the inability of Darwin's natural selection to account for the origin and development of life.

One very ironic point made in the video dealt with SETI, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. For decades scientists have been searching for intelligence beyond planet Earth. Scientists have spent more than thirty years examining radio signals for outer space. They are looking for some type of a signal that would give evidence of intelligence. It could be a very simple signal, but unlike the random signals that occur naturally in nature. So a simple signal from out there would be evidence of design, but the highly complex structures and voluminous information contained in living things gives no evidence of design! Talk about denial.

"For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20 (ESV).

Dawn Treader and Harry Potter

2010-11-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night at the Regal Cinemas in Winter Park people lined up on opposite sides of the entry plaza two see two similar and yet opposite films. My wife and I along with dozens of others were lined up for a screening of The Voyage of the Dawntreader based on the book by C.S. Lewis. Opposite us there was a line of people lined up to see the midnight release of Harry Potter 7 based on the book by J.K. Rowlings. The Narnia books and the Harry Potter books are both marketed as children's books, but they are contrast of light and darkness. Certainly the Harry Potter series is a very exciting and entertaining book and movie series, but it also contains much darkness. While there is a standard of morality it is not truly consistent with biblical morality. Magic is portrayed as something that can be learned and manipulated by the children to achieve their goals. Magic in Narnia is good when it portrays the power of Aslan who represents Christ, and it is bad when it is dark power of evil.

In the Dawn Treader movie the children fight with and overcome temptation and they learn to have faith in Aslan as the trust him in difficult times. This of course is analogous to our overcoming temptation and placing our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The Narnia books and movies are for children and they are meant to support and reinforce the message of Christianity. The Harry Potter books are too dark and violent to be a healthy form of entertainment for children. The tales of magic will not lead them to Christ, but will desensitize them to the real evil and dangerous threat of magic and the occult in the real world.

Our children face incredible obstacles when it comes to developing a biblically-based and Christ-centered worldview. Immersing them in the pop culture will not help them to grow in their knowledge and relationship with Christ. Many surveys have shown the our young people's values are virtually indistinguishable from those of non-believers. More and more young people are leaving the church and abandoning any affirmation of a relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ. Christianity is not just a profession of faith--it is a real faith and trust in Christ which leads people to become followers of Christ. Being a follower of Christ is counter cultural. Jesus did not ft in with his culture and he said that his followers would not fit either.

As believers we must be committed to teaching and educating our children to know Christ, to walk with him, and to have a biblical worldview that addresses all areas of life.

Religion, Politics and Staying Informed

2010-11-05T15:28:00.004-04:00

This past Tuesday our country experienced a great political shift as the Republicans made massive gains in the U.S. House of Representatives as well as other races across the country. It is amazing how the political winds can shift so quickly in just two years. The subject of religion often comes up in our political conversations. Many people forcefully assert that you shouldn't mix religion and politics. This of course is an ideological viewpoint. In reality a person's religious beliefs will inevitable impact his/her political views. I believe that it is disengenuine to say that our religious and political views should be compartmentalized and separated.

A good example of of the duplicity among those who have said that you should not mix religion and politics is the attitudes that we have seen towards abortion and environmentalism. During the rise and influence of the Moral Majority and conservative Christians, I often heard news anchors, talk show hosts, and left-leaning religious spokespersons saying that we should not mix religion and politics. But this conviction has often been laid aside, in recent years in the debate surrounding global warming and climate change. Environmental issues have moved to the forefront of discussion and concern not only in government and the media, but also in schools and in churches. There are many churches and Christian leaders that seek to influence behavior and government laws and regulations in response to their beliefs about anthropogenic global warming. They teach, preach and author books on the subject showing how and why our Christian faith requires us to respond to global warming. The same can be said about other issues such as poverty and equal rights. So for them it is okay to mix religion and politics depending on what the issue is. There are even some who say they are pro-life and will not publicly and strongly advocate a pro-life position, but they will mount church-wide campaigns regarding global warming.

For years I often heard the statement, "you cannot legislate morality." This is simply not true. Many of our laws are based entirely on moral views regarding murder, assault, perjury, theft, etc... It may be that when referring to morality they mean sexual morality. Well, we also legislate sexual morality and always have. We have outlawed rape, pedophilia, child pornography etc... There are laws and restrictions on sexual activity and on the sale and distribution of sexually related materials.

As I said before, I believe that it is impossible to separate one's world view, moral and religions values and perspective from politics. The question is not whether one's Christian faith and morality will influence his/her political views and activity, but how will one's Christian faith influence one's political positions and involvement. The answers to how require education, thought and discussion about what a Christian worldview is and how it should be lived out in our lives as individuals, members of families and other groups and as citizens of the United States.

Today I want to share with you some web sites that I find to be helpful in studying and thinking through what it means to have a Christian worldview and how this worldview informs and influences our decisions, viewpoints, activities and citizenship. These are not in any particular order:

www.focusonthefamily.com
www.equip.org
bible.org
www.colsoncenter.org
www.nrlc.org
www.cbhd.org
www.christianitytoday.com
www.christianpost.com
www.christianheadlines.com
www.worldmag.com
www.bpnews.net
www.cmda.org
www.icr.org
www.answersingenesis.org
www.discovery.org
www.leestrobel.com
www.theopedia.com
www.carm.org
www.rzim.org
www.josh.org
www.parentalrights.org
www.hslda.org
www.erlc.com
www.boundless.org
www.gotquestions.org
www.crown.org
www.cornwallalliance.org
www.manhattandeclaration.org

Halloween: Oppression or Opportunity

2010-10-30T05:10:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is Halloween. We will be having a Fall Festival as an alternative to the traditional Halloween celebrations at our church on Saturday. While we do not celebrate Halloween in it's focus on death, fear, witchcraft, etc..., Halloween can be an opportunity for us as believers to show forth the light of Jesus Christ in the midst of darkness. We can reach out to our family, friends and community through the Fall Festival. Individually, Halloween can also be a time to meet neighbors and to begin important relationships with your neighors. You can pass out Christian-themed gifts or cartoon tracts (available at Christian bookstores, U.S. Toys in Apopka, and online from the American Tract Society) when children come to your door. Read the following article from the Christian Research Institute on the origins of Halloween and how we can use this time to show forth the power of life through Christ over death. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.equip.org/articles/halloween-for-christians-oppression-or-opportunity?msource=EC101029WKLY&tr=y&auid=7258938

Marriage as a Cure for Poverty

2010-10-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

As we look around our country and see the seemingly overwhelming problem of poverty many solutions are being proposed. But one essential solution is being both ignored and undermined in our political process and in the popular media, and that key solution is God's plan to create humanity both male and female and to join a man and a woman together in marriage. Marriage is the fundamental building block of not only the family, but also a healthy society. Take a look at the following presentation from the Heritage Foundation on marriage and poverty. Note that 71% of poor families with children are not married. Statistically only a few unwed births are to teen-agers under 18. Most occur with adults in their 20's. Here is the link to the Heritage Presentation on Marriage and Poverty:

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Projects/Marriage-Poverty/Marriage-and-Poverty-in-the-US

Christian Roommate Wanted Is Illegal

2010-10-25T10:21:00.003-04:00

I read this morning that The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan has filed a complaint against a 31-year old female Christian single because she posted an ad on her church bulletin board saying that she wanted a "Christian roommate." "It's a violation to make, print or publish a discriminatory statement," Executive Director Nancy Haynes told Fox News. "There are no exemptions to that."

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights states that the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based upon religion. While the Alliance Defense Fund is fighting against the complaint and working to have it dismissed, Nancy Haynes says they will continue to pursue it.

It is hard to believe that this is real, but it is. And the people behind it think that it is the moral and righteous thing to do. I am in a series on world religions and have explained that many of the people behind peace movements and "politically correct" language and behavior are not truly affirming the rights and legitimacy of all religions. They have their own belief system, their own sets of morals and values and in reality many of them are saying that you can believe whatever you want as long as in the end you agree with us.

The danger of these types of movements is that they are leading us to the true loss of religious freedom. Christians have proven that we can coexist and live in any society whether it is friendly or hostile to Christianity. But we have an unique heritage of religious freedom in America that is being progressively eroded through policies, legal statutes and government bueracrats who want to use the misuse the power of governmnet to enforce their beliefs on everyone else.

Unless we want our children to live in a society that is increasinly hostile to Christianity, Christians must educate themselves and their children in a biblical Christian worldview, study the true history and foundations of our country, and become actively engaged as citizens in the United States.

COEXIST

2010-10-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

You have probably seen the increasingly ubiquitous "COEXIST" bumper stickers as you are driving around. We can all agree that we want peaceful coexistence among all people regardless of religious, political or other beliefs. And one of the exceptional characteristics of the United States has been our ability to coexist and get along peacefully with those we disagree with. Following the contentious and deeply divisive 2000 election of Bush vs. Gore our country did not erupt in violence like we often see in other countries.

This is a great testimony to the wisdom and values of our founders who affirmed and implemented a the rule of law and separation of powers as governing principles of our country. We have an essential value of following laws we disagree with and seeking legitmate political means for changing them.

I looked up the blue COEXIST bumper stickers on line and found that they come from Jerry Jasper of http://www.peacemonger.org/. He designed his version of COEXIST after the attacks of 9-11, which he says was sponsord by the CIA. According to his website, he uses the proceeds to support certain left-wing activist organizations. So buying the sticker is a way to support a particular vision and method of seeking peaceful coexistence. The method is not one that will affirm or embrace the fundamental teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible.

The problem with many people who are a part of the "peace movement" is not the goal of peace, but the means of achieving peace. It is naive to think that we can get beyond fundamental and contradictory differences between religions. We will not all agree, but we can and do get along by tolerating those we disagree with, even though we continue to fundamentally disagree. The meaning of tolerance today has changed from the historic understanding of tolerating something/someone you disagree with to affirming ideas and people you disagree with. That in itself is a contradiction.

A key stipulation of many of the peace ideas is that everyone has to affirm the legitimacy and even truthfulness of other religions. This is simply not going to happen. Christians cannot affirm the the polytheism of Hinduism or other religions. We cannot deny the deity of Christ as would be required by Islam. We cannot say that it does not matter what you believe. We can be like Christ and speak the truth in love. Jesus did not compromise. He disagreed with people. He said very hard things to people about their beliefs and lifestyles. He did not consider this to be unkind or unloving. While not compromising the truth, as Christians we are to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27). This does not mean that we are to be dysfunctional or codependent in our relationships. Jesus was not. It does not mean that there is not objective right and wrong. It does not mean that we do not fulfill the roles of those who are in positions of authority and responsibility to bring about justice in our families, communities and nation.

We can COEXIST, and we can do so peacefully. But let's do so with our eyes open and without compromising our faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Jesus in the Depths of the Earth

2010-10-15T22:59:00.000-04:00

I learned yesterday that the incredible story of Jesus Christ was taken into the depths of the earth during the Chilean mine disaster when Bibles, and mp3 players with Bible studies, Christian music, sermons and audio of Campus Crusade for Christ's Jesus Film were sent down to the miners. The miners had services twice a day, two of them accepted Christ in the mine, and when they were rescued several of the miners wore a t-shirt from Campus Crusade that read, "Thank you, Lord" in Spanish on the front of the shirt and on the back of the shirt, Psalm 95:4: "In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him." It is awesome to hear about how the Good News of Jesus Christ is going to the ends and the depths of the earth. For more on the story go to: http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=33880. To watch the Jesus Film go to: http://www.jesusfilm.org/film-and-media/watch-the-film

Not only is Jesus reaching into the depths of the earth, he is also reaching children right here in our own community. Wednesday we had over 70 children at our after school Good News Club. This week we were able to divide into two groups and more effectively minister, teach and have a good time with this wonderful and diverse group of children.

Good News Club/I am Second

2010-09-30T11:14:00.000-04:00

We had another big day at the Good News Club that we hold each week after school at Killarney Elementary. It is amazing how the kids turn out. We had over 60 yesterday. Even though it was somewhat chaotic at times the kids get into things and we are developing some great relationships there.

Pray for us as we work out the administrative aspects of the program and pray for our volunteers that God will fill us all with his grace, patience, strength, love and perseverance. The club includes kids from Kindergarten to 5th grade. I'd love to be able to divide it into two clubs. We could not do it last year, but we may have enough help this year with volunteers to make it possible.

Pray for Killarney Elementary and this opportunity that has already impacted so many lives and is loaded with potential for the future.

This past week I introduced people in our church to the I Am Second campaign and I am encouraged by the response. This is really a unique tool, unlike anything that we have had before to help us reach out to people and to share the hope and life of Jesus with them. I asked everyone to begin a four week prayer journal to seek God and to listen to his voice and begin to understand what he is calling each one to do in response to this ministry opportunity. I will post the Prayer Journal on the church website (kbcnet.org) today or tomorrow for those who weren't at our meetings this week.

A Passion for Purity

2010-09-23T17:31:00.002-04:00

"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person
commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral
person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that
your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God? You are not your own, for
you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. "
1 Corinthians 6:18-20

God created sex and therefore sex is good. It is a gift from God. It is not something to be looked down on or portrayed as dirty.

God made sex pleasurable as a way of drawing a husband and wife together in an intimate, permanent, one-flesh relationship. That is they are united together in a way that is unique from all other human relationships.

Jesus said,

“...a man shall leave his mother and father and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:5-6 (ESV)

According to scripture sex is designed for the marriage relationship. Sex outside of marriage is immoral and sinful. The Bible condemns premarital sex, extramarital sex, homosexuality and all forms of sexual perversion and exploitation as sin.

While sex outside of marriage is prohibited, the sexual relationship within marriage is affirmed, encouraged and celebrated (Genesis 2:23-25, Song of Solomon, Hebrews 13:4).

"Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray." Proverbs 5:15-23 (ESV)

ATTEMPTING TO STAY SEXUALLY PURE

• It is difficult to stay sexually pure because our culture does not affirm reward and encourage sexual purity. This is evident everywhere you look. Think about movies and TV shows, almost all of the sexual activity is between non-married people!

• In spite of this surveys show that most teen-agers and parents of teen-agers have a desire for sexual purity until marriage.

• Virginity pledges are a popular approach to in seeking sexual purity. While they are good, they are limited in their effectiveness. For most students making a pledge at best results in a delay in the onset of sexual activity.

• In our educational system there is an ongoing battle between abstinence-only education and comprehensive sex education.

• The advocates of each are pursuing two different goals.

• Abstinence-only seeks to teach and enable teen-agers to make the commitment to saving sexual relations for marriage. This is done for both moral and health reasons.

• In comprehensive sex education the issue is not the morality or appropriateness of sex outside of marriage. The goal is to reduce the incidence of teen-age pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted infections and diseases. This means that they have no real commitment to sexual purity as a moral virtue. It is good to reduce the chances of out-of-wedlock pregnancy and the spread of sexual transmitted infections and diseases, but this is not the same as having a commitment to sexual purity.

WHY SO MANY FAIL TO STAY SEXUALLY PURE

• Many young people and single adults have the vision of sexual purity as a laudable goal, but they do not have a real commitment to being sexually pure.

• Those who have the commitment often do not have an effective means to achieving the goal.

THREE KEYS TO ACHIEVING SEXUAL PURITY

One must have a personal internalized commitment to sexual purity. The reason that many of the virginity pledge campaigns have limited effectiveness is that teens will make the pledge along with everyone else during the campaign, but it is not something that comes from a true internal value and motivation. Therefore the commitment is temporary.
One must have support from family, peers and community. When someone makes a commitment to sexual purity he or she is going to encounter a lot of opposition from friends, peers and pop culture. Therefore it is important to build relationships with family, friends and a church family that will support the commitment to sexual purity. If you are going to stay sexually pure, you will have to identify with a group of people who have the same values.
One must have an effective means of achieving the goal.

Research shows that the number one factor related to whether or not a teen-ager has been sexual pure in the past 18 months is whether or not they have been in a romantic relationship. Like much research this may seem very obvious. But it is also very revealing. The way that we do romantic relationships in America almost guarantees that young people and single adults will not remain sexually pure.

A romantic relationship in our culture is almost invariable identified with some level of physical intimacy. The difference between a friend and a boyfriend or girlfriend is that one is physically involved with a boyfriend or a girlfriend and one has a so-called commitment to him or her. When a couple takes their marriage vows, they are making an “until death do us part” commitment. That is a real commitment. Boyfriends and girlfriends are only “committed” until one of them decides not to be committed anymore. That is not a real commitment.

The physical involvement of romantically involved couples naturally leads to sexual intercourse. Many couples, who make a pledge to purity, believe that they are only making a pledge not to have sexual intercourse until marriage—therefore anything short of intercourse is still virginity and is acceptable. For them a great deal of sexual activity is an acceptable form of recreation and being together.

The problem is that the sexual activity they are engaging in was designed by God to lead to intercourse and it will. Not only that but those activities that lead to intercourse should also be reserved for the sacred sexual relationship of a husband and wife.

Boyfriends and girlfriends spending time alone together engaged in heavy kissing, touching, petting etc… is not being sexually pure and it is not an effective means for preserving intercourse for marriage. And yet this is where so many of our Christian singles are. They say that they want to be sexually pure, but they put themselves into relationships and situations which make it almost impossible to be sexually pure.

So what is an effective means?

• Make a real and personal commitment to purity.

• Focus first on your own relationship with Christ and his will for developing your Christ-like character.

• View members of the opposite sex as brothers and sisters in Christ and treat them with the utmost respect. This includes those to whom you are romantically attracted.

• Put into place realistic boundaries that will enable you to avoid entering into the sexual activity that is designed by God to be a part of the marriage relationship. These boundaries include the level of relational and emotional intimacy, the types and level of physical activity and time spent alone together.

• Develop a high biblical view of marriage and joyfully anticipate the fulfillment of God’s will in your life in regards to marriage.

• Do your homework. There are some great Christian books and web resources available to help you better understand sexual purity, dating, courtship and marriage.

U.N. Convention Cited in Denying Parents Right to Home School

2010-09-08T14:10:00.006-04:00

The Home School Legal Defense Fund (HSLDA) recently ran a story describing how the authorities in Botswana have ordered home school parents to place their children in public schools and confiscated the families teaching materials (http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/201009030.asp).

According to the HSLDA article:

The only reason the four families are facing this situation is because a judge is using the UNCRC to impose his subjective view regarding education and to substitute his opinion as to what is in the “best interests” of these children over the views of the parents. HSLDA has stated that the UNCRC opens the door for judges to make sweeping determinations about how children are educated. This and other cases from around the world increasingly demonstrate the truth of this assertion.

The organization, parentalrights.org, is working to prevent the U.S. from entering into this dangerous treaty. Visit their website for detailed information. The following is my reason for being opposed to this treaty:

Those who argue for the adoption of this treaty site the good things that have been done to protect children through the implementation of this treaty in countries where children live at great risk and under oppressive conditions. I am not opposed to the Convention because of good things that have been done through it, but because of the potentially grave dangers that are there for the people of the United States. We find those dangers by going to the source, which is the actual Convention itself. I will highlight some of those here, but Michael Farris does a much more detailed and better documented job using source material on the website www.parentalrights.org.

The chief concern with the United State’s adopting the Convention is that it is a legal binding agreement that supersedes the family law of the states and municipalities in the U.S. The interpretation and application of the Convention will be decided by an elite group of international policymakers, who are not elected by the citizens of the United States and are not directly accountable to the citizens of the United States.

The U.S. Constitution says in article VI,

“…and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding” (emphasis added).

That is very strong and clear constitutional language. The U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child will supersede all laws and constitutions of every state in the U.S. It is one thing when the U.S. government enters into treaties for economic or defense relationships, but to enter into an agreement that dictates domestic policy is going too far. I believe that there are other ways to support human rights and work towards the welfare of children around the world, without giving up our autonomy in setting domestic law.

The Convention is not limited to stopping child abuse and neglect (we already have laws in our states to deal with this), but it includes a great deal on how children should be raised.

Not everything in the Convention is bad. It states many things that at face value, I would agree with. But all of these things have to be interpreted in regards to their actual application and implementation. This interpretation will be done by a select committee which will most likely have values and a worldview which will differ significantly from biblical Christianity. They will interpret these policy statements in keeping with their own values and viewpoints.

Some of the strongest opposition to biblical Christianity resides in universities and government bureaucracies. The fundamental concerns here are parents’ rights in relationship to the state's rights in raising children, and for Christians—maintaining religious liberty in raising and educating our children in a distinctively Christian way. There are many influential leaders who are opposed to Christianity. We are moving away from a commitment to liberty for all in regards to religion, the press, association etc…and moving to a culture in which government has more and more authority to decide what is permissible in these areas.

A generation ago homeschooling was illegal in the United States. The National Education Association has consistently opposed homeschooling in its resolutions. Homeschooling is still illegal in Germany and parents have had children taken from them in Germany for homeschooling.

We in the United States have laws created at the state level that protect and provide for the welfare of our children. We do not need a superseded set of laws handed down to us by the United Nations.

Hawking: God not Needed

2010-09-08T13:49:00.003-04:00

Theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking has garnered a great deal of attention with the release of his newest book, The Grand Design.. The headline in a Wall Street Journal article reads, “Why God Did Not Create the Universe: There is a sound scientific explanation for the making of our world—no gods required.”

In the past Hawking has been considered a deist, postulating that there was some cause behind the origin of the universe. With his latest publication he has concluded that no cause is necessary. The universe created itself! That is right. There was nothing and then suddenly there was the big bang—an explosion out of nothing that created a highly complex universe that gives every indication of design.

Even though this is beyond belief, he says that it is possible because of the laws of nature (Where did they come from? How do they act?) and the fact that there are innumerable universes. Since there are so many universes, it is not improbable that one universe might turn out like ours. Where is the evidence for all of these universes that we cannot visit, see or even detect? Well, that is all a part of the latest theory to explain that which is naturalistically unexplainable and to deny the existence of God.

For a very simple and yet effective rebuttal to Hawking’s argument, read the article by Clive Hayden, at Uncommon Descent, who comments on Oxford Professor of Mathematics, John Lennox’s response to Hawking’s claims at the follow link found at www.uncommondescent.com (copy an paste the link into your web browser):

http://www.uncommondescent.com/education/oxford-mathematician-john-lennox-weighs-in-on-stephen-hawkings-recent-claim-that-the-universe-came-from-nothing-through-the-laws-of-nature/

The Bible declares that the universe itself is a testimony to the fact of God’s existence (Romans 1:19-21) and no one has an excuse to deny God. Let us praise God for his glorious revelation through his creation.

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” Psalm 19:1(ESV).

Applying Psalm 84 to Your Life

2010-01-31T21:51:00.002-05:00

This past week we studied Psalm 84 in our Bible Study Methods session and in the weekly sermon. In this passage the psalmist expresses his deeply felt longing to be in God's presence in the house of the LORD of Angelic Armies. He loves and longs for God's presence. He then describes the blessings and the strengthening experienced by those who are journeying back to the house of the LORD. Finally he declares that nothing can compare to being in God's house and that he'd rather be a servant in God's house than to live in the dwellings of wickedness.

Below are a list of questions that will take you verse by verse through Psalm 84 and help you to apply these scriptures to your life in a personal and practical way.

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION ON PSALM 84:

What causes me to become distant from God?(v.2)

When did/do I feel most closely connected with God?

When do I tend to cry out to God? What does it take for me to get to that point?

What do I long for besides God?

What makes me week-kneed?

What makes me sing or shout for joy?

What am I afraid of losing that might keep me from fully pursuing or surrendering to God?

Who am I jealous of? If I identify who I am jealous of, then I will know where my heart’s desire is?(v.3)

What gives me energy? What excites or strengthens me?(5)

If I am down—what seems to pick me up and get me going—helping me to finish the task?

When I am not where I want to be, am I able to experience moments of joy? Or do I insist on reaching the destination or achieving the goal before I can be refreshed?(v.6)

What have I done to dig a well in an arid place?

How do I seek God’s refreshing?

How has God unexpectedly blessed me today? This past week? Month?(v.6)

When have I experienced strength in weakness?(v.7)

Are my eyes on the destination? Am I focused on the prize of the high calling in Christ, or am I focused on some other temporal reward?(v.7)

Where/how do I find my security? Physically, relationally, financially, spiritually?(v.9)

Am I willing to allow God to use someone else to provide protection? If so, am I willing to submit to that person in the appropriate ways? I am willing to pray, support, defend and be loyal to that person?(v.9)

Who/what is God’s competitor in my life? When I think about what I am focused on achieving—who or what is it?(v.10)

Have I come to the place where I’d rather be a servant of God than to achieve a certain place of social status among my peers—in finances, relationships, associations, success, or achievement?(v.10)

Have I ever been in the presence of God?

Have I lived it up in the presence of the wicked?(v.10)

Which is better? Why?

Who do I look to for provision? Am I willing to do without in the short term, believing that God will provide in the long term?(v.11)

Who do I look to, to keep me safe? Do I rest in the protection of the Lord, trusting my life to him?(v.11)

Am I walking uprightly? Is there anything that God wants me to change in what I am doing?(v.11)

Will I trust Him more?(v.12)

Road to Recovery

2009-07-23T16:22:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday we looked at the 4th step in our 8-step series on the Road to Recovery. So far I have recieved some great feedback from the messages. God is working in hearts to transform and turn around lives. We have four more weeks to go. This coming Sunday we will be looking at the 5th step which is based upon the Beattitude: "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires."

For more on the Recovery journey come to our Tuesday night Celebrate Recovery Large Group Meetings. We meet for worship and alternate each week between a teaching on the principles of recovery and transformation and powerful testimonies of God's gracious work in our lives.

We will also be celebrating with the baptism of Christopher Handy this Sunday as well!

Upcoming Studies

2009-07-23T15:48:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Here are some upcoming studies that I will be doing here at Killarney. I am teaching a World Religions course at the Baptist College of Florida this fall and will do a companion series at church. It begins in August and will go through September. People can check the website for the religion of the week and attend as often as the would like.

I will also be doing a series of classes on “How to Study the Bible” over the next year or so. I will do a different type of Bible study for each session in this series.

Last, we will be showing the American Heritage Video Series from Wallbuilders in August of this year on Sunday nights. Here is more information:

AMERICAN HERITAGE VIDEO SERIES with Historian David Barton
Join us on Sunday nights in August for a great video series on Christian Heritage of America. We will meet each Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. in the sanctuary following our Sunday Night Live Youth Worship Service which begins at 6:00 p.m.
SURVEY OF WORLD RELIGIONS with Pastor Bruce Mayhew, Adjunct Professor at the Baptist College of Florida Beginning Wednesday August 19 we will begin a survey of world religions. See the KBC website for dates and times (www.kbcnet.org).
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE led by Pastor Bruce Mayhew
Beginning Sunday evening in September Pastor Bruce will begin a series of courses on how to study the Bible using methods such as: devotional, Chapter Summary, Character Quality, Thematic, Biographical, Topical, Word Study, Book Survey, Verse-by-Verse and more. See the KBC website for details on these upcoming studies (www.kbcnet.org).

SPIRIT MOVES AT GO TELL CAMP

2009-06-11T10:40:00.003-04:00

I have great news to report from Go Tell Camp today. We had a very powerful worship service last night. The worship band opened in leading us in praise and worship and then the band, Rush of Fools, followed with more outstanding worhsip and praise. Then Rick Stanley who grew up in Graceland after his mom married Elvis' dad shared his life story. It is quite a story, but the real testimony is the young lady who faithfully prayed for him for seven years while he was far from God. After seven years of her intercession for him and the death of Elvis, Rick came to Christ and was delivered from incredible bondage and gloriously saved.

God really moved through the Holy Spirit, through His Word and through the testimony that was shared and as a result hundreds of students recommitted their lives to Christ others were saved and everyone was deeply encouraged by God's presence among us. God is working in our youth in many different ways. They are hearing from God and he is changing lives! Through our student minstry we are impacting the lives of young people who are living in very difficult situations and who desperately need that personal and initmate relationship with Jesus Christ. God is also raising up and developing leaders among our students who are making an impact now and will continue to do so for decades to come.

Mick and Debbie Poole are on the way to Toccoa. Pray that God will give them safe travel and that he will bless and encourage them as they come and experience camp tonight and tomorrow morning.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to bring our students and their friends to camp this week. We are seeing the fruit that has been produced through the seeds of your faithful praying, encouragement and financial support.

God bless you,
Pastor Bruce

TRANSPORTATION UPDATE

2009-06-10T14:48:00.002-04:00

I'd like to update everyone on our transportation status for camp. The bus is at ABC Company in Winter Garden for major repairs. Mick and Debbie Poole are going to leave on Thursday morning from Winter Park in our church van. They will drive to Atlanta and pick up a rental van, and from there they will come here to Toccoa. Camp finishes up on Friday morning. We will head to white water rafting on Friday afternoon and return to Winter Park on Saturday as scheduled.

I want to thank Mick for all of his work in taking care of the bus and arranging transportation. I'd also like thank Glinda, our secretary, for all of her support and assistance and Debbie Poole for coming with Mick to help drive. Pray that Mick and Debbie will have a safe trip tomorrow.

Things continue to go well here at camp. Our students are playing in the Volleyball finals tomorrow and have also advanced in the Ultimate Frisbee tournament. Everyone is having a great time at the lake canoeing, paddleboating, swimming and jumping off the inflatable iceberg.

The sessions and worship services have been excellent. We have had great biblical teaching and preaching from some outstanding Christian leaders including Southern Baptist Convention President, Johnny Hunt, who spoke last night from Psalm 19 on the greatness and benefits of God's Word. This morning we divided into guys and girls groups to focus on sexual purity. Our morning speaker, Dr. Danny Lovett brought a passionate message on the being a part of the church--the fellowship of believers.

Tonight Elvis Presley's step brother, Rick Stanley, will share his testimony of growing up in Graceland and living in the entertainment world as a young person, and how Jesus Christ transformed his life.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday and sharing about our camp experience, as well as, hearing the testimony of Livia Satterfield who received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox as an orphan in Romania. She has since been adopted and is sharing her story about how Jesus Christ has impacted her life through the outreach of Operation Christmas Child.

STUDENTS CHALLENGED TO BRING REFORM

2009-06-09T17:16:00.003-04:00

Dr. Danny Lovett, President of Tennessee Temple University, brought a powerful and challenging message to our students today at the Go Tell Camp we are attending. He brought a chronological message from the life of King Josiah. Josiah was 8 years old when he began his reign. And the Bible tells us that at the age 8 he was pursuing God and at the age of 12 he was bringing reformation and revival to Israel and Judah (2 Chronicle 34). At 18 he began purifying the Temple and soon the Torah was discoverd. When the books of Moses were read to him he tore his clothes, humbling himself and seeking God. Because of his humble and sincere response, God brought a reprieve to the impending judgment on Judah.

As a teen-ager who was born into an ungodly family and culture, Josiah sought and served God. As a result his people experienced a divine reform. Our students were encouraged to follow in the footsteps of Josiah and through the power of God bring reform to their generation!

GOD PROVIDES IN THE MIDST OF ADVERSITY

2009-06-09T16:31:00.008-04:00

This week I am with our students (middle school through college) at the Go Tell Camp in Toccoa, GA. What a week this has been so far! Things started out great on Sunday night at the church (except for the Magic loss). We pulled out around 4:30 a.m. heading for Toccoa. As we neared the Georgia border our bus began to loose power and we pulled over at a small convenience store in Jennings, GA. Things did not look good when we took a look at the engine--oil was everywhere.

Here we were stranded in a remote area with 27 people and no alternative mode of transportation. Mick called for wrecker service and I began calling people that I knew in Valdosta, GA just north of the border. I called and left messages with a couple that I knew living in Valdosta--but only recieved their voice mailboxes. A week or two ago I had received an email telling me that my 8th grade pastor was now an interim at a church in Valdosta. I called him and woke him up. He was in Montgomery, Alabama where he would be doing a funeral that day following the tragic death of a dear friend's daughter due to suicide.

In the midst of that he was ready to help. He called the assistant pastor at the church in Valdosta and told them that we needed help. The assistant pastor and his wife drove down to where we were and told us that they were determined to get us to camp. Their church had vans, but church policy did not allow non-members to drive. The associate pastor's wife volunteered to drive one van. Then another man in the church also agreed to drive a van. Our heros were Jody and Jodi.

These two incredible people volunteered to bring 24 of us on the 7-hour trip from Valdosta to Toccoa. We left about 11:30 a.m. and arrived at camp at 6:30--just in time to eat dinner and make the 7:00 worship service. While the students went to worship Shawn LeGree, Dee Hobson and I unloaded the luggage and completed registration, while Jody and Jodi prepared for the trip back to Valdosta.

What an incredible provision from God! Our morning devotion today was entitled, Momemtum to Serve, and one of the key passages was Galatians 6:10 where Paul instructs the Galatian believers with the following:

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people,
especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We saw to followers of Christ live this verse out in an profound way. They personally sacrificed for a group of people who from a natural standpoint were strangers, but because of their relationship to Christ, we were brothers in sisters in need. What an awesome testimony to the love and grace of God!

We pray for God to richly bless them for their sacrifice. We are still in need of prayer for the bus and for Mick Poole! Mick stayed behind to take care of the bus. It was towed to Lake City, inspected and the decision was make to take the Van Hool bus back to the Van Hool service provider in Winter Garden. They have the expertise to diagnose and service our bus, as well as, the parts required for repair. As I am writing this the bus is being towed to Winter Garden.

Please pray for God's provision! The ideal would be for the bus to be repaired and Mick be able to drive up to Toccoa for the trip home. Due to the nature of the problem, this looks pretty unlikely at the moment. The second prayer request would be that we find favor with the ABC bus company and they provide us with a loaner. Beyond this we are looking at renting vans for the return trip.

Please be in prayer for Mick. He is such a trooper and has devoted himself to our Lord and to our student ministry for years; and now he is committed to our students being able to experience what God has for them here at the Go Tell Camp. He has also worked hard to aquire and maintain our bus, and this is a huge setback. Pray that God will give him strength and encouragemant and that God will provide for the great needs before us.

Also, be in prayer for our students. Pray that the witness and example of Jody and Jodi will have a powerful impact on their lives, and that God would do a work of revival this week that we will be able to bring back home with us this weekend.

Thank you for your prayers, love and support.

In Christ,

Pastor Bruce

Instructions to Husbands

2009-04-29T19:04:00.003-04:00

I was a little delayed in getting this post up, but it is finally here. We are in the series, Fireproof Your Marriage, here at Killarney and we began with the passage in Ephesians 5:18-33 where Paul teaches husbands and wives how to live in relationship to one another as followers of Christ.

Last time we discussed Paul's instructions to wives to submit to and respect their husbands. The husband is clearly stated to be the head (v.23). Therefore the wife must submit to him as the head. This headship doesn't simply mean that he has authority, it also means that he has a higher level of accountability and responsibility before God. Therefore the demands placed upon the husband are even greater than those place upon the wife.

Previously we looked at the meaning and application of submission which must be understood in the context of Ephesians 5:18-21 and the teachings of Christ on servanthood, as well as, the Lordship of Christ. Even as the head, the husband must still serve his wife. Paul's instructions tell how he serves his wife motivated by his love for her.

In our text Paul tells husbands to "love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25 ESV). This is an amazing command for the first century Roman world where women were second class citizens at best and in the worst scenarios considered property. Paul tells the husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. This means that the husbands were to love their wives to the extent that they would give up their own rights, privileges and even lives for the well-being of their wives. The love of Christ is a self-giving, self-sacrificing love. That is amazing love!

Paul goes further by telling the husbands that they are to love their wives as their own bodies (v.28), and that they are to nourish and cherish their wives. To nourish means to provide what is necessary for her to flourish. To cherish means that she is of highest value. She is the number one woman in his life. There is no competition--she is in a category by herself. When a husband cherishes his wife she will know that she is loved and valued and that her husband is committed to care for her and protect her.

Throughout this passage Paul says that Jesus is the example for the husbands to follow. Jesus humbled himself, forfeited his privileges and gave his life for his bride the church. This is a very high calling for husbands. Like the instructions to the wives this is given in the context of submitting to one another in the body of Christ. This leaves no room for domination or disfunctional treatment or abuse of one spouse by another.

This is about a husband and wife living together as partners, loving one another and looking out for one another. Men and women are different. They were not created to be identical, but complimentary. The husband is said to be the head and so he has the higher degree of accountabilty before God as the head. But his headship is not one of lording over his wife, but of humbly being accountable to God and giving of himself for his wife. God makes the marriage relationship a "one flesh" relationship. So while their are differences between men and women, these differences do not overshadow the oneness that God has brought them into as husband and wife.

Instructions to Wives

2009-04-22T15:31:00.006-04:00

Yesterday we took a look at how men and women are different by design, but that the difference is not one of superiority or inferiority. The differences are there because our infinitely wise creator made humanity male and female. So when it comes to the marriage relationship (which also was designed by our creator) the apostle Paul gives different instructions to husbands and wives. These instructions are not mutually exclusive, but tailored to the needs and roles of husbands and wives.

After calling on believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to submit to one another in Ephesians 5:18 & 21, Paul gives specific instructions to husbands and wives. He tells the wives "to submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church" (v.22 ESV). In verse 33 Paul tells the wives to "respect" their husbands. These are the two instructions that Paul gives to wives, submit and respect. On Monday I discussed what submission means and does not mean and that all followers of Christ must embrace submission. For a wife to submit to her husband does not mean that she must be dominated and controlled by her husband.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul tells believers that if their unbelieving spouse wants to leave the marriage then let them. They are not enslaved to their unbelieving spouse. A Christian wife is not required to submit to her husband in whether or not she will follow Christ. But she is to live in such a way that she might influence him to come to Christ. That is not a position of control and domination. He also says that the wife has authority of her husband's body (7:4).

The key in the submission that Paul is talking about is related to the roles of husband and wife. Paul says that the husband is the head in the marriage relationship similar to the way Christ is the head of the church. The husband has a God-ordained leadership role in the marriage relationship. This does not mean that he is superior or that he is better. I believe that the bottom line is that he is accountable!

When Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis 3. Satan was the initiator. Eve was deceived and Adam rebelled! When God came to confront them about the sin, he did not go to Satan first; he did not go to Eve first; he went to Adam first. As the head, Adam was the one who was first held accountable by God for the sin. In verse 17, God specifically holds Adam accountable for rebelling, breaking God's commandment which he had given to Adam before the creation of Eve. Adam chose to follow Eve in sin rather than obey God, but he could not blame Eve for his sin, because God had specifically given him the command, and he had given Eve to him as his partner and he was not to submit to her in this temptation, but he was to submit to God in obedience.

In every organization there must be a leader. According to Ephesians 5:23, the husband is the designated leader in the marriage and family relationship. Many times husbands have abused their role and misused their physical strength in relationship with their wives. Wives too have also controlled their husbands and usurped their role as head. Both of these are sinful ways for husbands and wives to relate. When a husband neglects, abuses or mistreats his wife it is sin. It is not his role or his freedom as head to do any of these things.

When a wive seeks to control or manipulate her husband that is also sin. It is not how God has designed her to relate to her husband. In God's pronouncement of the consequences of sin on Eve, he said that her desire would be for her husband, but he would rule over her. This is not God's design for the marriage relationship. This is not a blessing, but a curse--the consequences of sin.

For a woman to desire her husband has been interpreted in two ways.

Often it is seen as the situation in which a woman desires to have a husband and in order to fulfill that desire she is willing to submit to the oppressive rule of a sinful man.
Others have interpreted "desire" not in terms of desiring a husband, but instead a desire to rule over the man (c.f. Genesis 4:7). But even though she desires to usurp his leadership role, he still by force rules over her.

We have all seen situation where each of these is a reality. This desire and rule should not be thought of as a good thing. They are the consequences of sin. The "desire" is not the love that God designed for a husband and wife to have for one another. In a redeemed Christ-centered relationship their is a role distinction of husband and wife, but it should not be characterized by the consequences of sin described in Genesis 3:16. I believe that Paul instructs the wife to submit to her husband, because in the flesh, she will have a desire to rule over him.

The second instruction that Paul gives to wives is that they are to "respect" their husbands (v.33). I do believe that this is related to submission. The root word is "phobos" the same term used to describe submission to authorities. This describes the wives responsibility to respect her husbands role as the head of the relationship.

It is interesting that modern psychology has affirmed that men have a very basic need for respect. It is very important for a man's sense of well-being that he be respected by his wife.

Tomorrow we will look at the role of the husband as head and the instructions that Paul gives to husbands.

Male and Female: The Perfect Match

2009-04-21T15:16:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, I began our discussion on how to deal with the differences between men and women by highlighting the biblical teaching on submission. Having a servant's heart and dying to self are imperatives when it comes to faithfully following Christ.

In Ephesians 5 22-31 Paul gives instructions to to both husbands and wives--but he does not give the same instructions to both! He tells wives to submit to and respect their husbands. He tells husbands to love, nourish and cherish their wives.

We live in a time when even though science has certainly proven that male/female differences are not just the result of patriarchy, there is a great effort to equalize men and women, and their are also some attempts to make boys more feminine and girls more masculine. We have all kinds of approaches to human sexuality and gender identification today. Today we have gays, bisexuals, transgendered, transvestites, metrosexuals among the popular varieties of human sexuality. All of this can be very confusing. There was a time when we identified someone's gender and sexuality at birth. We have now come to a point when people are arguing that gender is flexible and should be determined by the individual, not by DNA.

So on the one hand there have been attempts to minimize male-female differences and at the same time there are efforts to expand and even move beyond the long held understandings of male and female.

Well, what does the Bible say? It says in Genesis 1:27 that God created man in his own image and that he created them male and female. The Bible only gives us two categories of gender identity and we are different by design--God's design. The Bible tells us that when God first created Adam he said that it was not good that he should be alone and so he would make the man a helper who would be the perfect match. But God did not make another Adam. He did not make another human identical to Adam. He designed a helper who was different and yet just the right match for Adam.

There are two words here that I would like to discuss the first is "helper," and the second is the word that says the helper would be "fit, meet, suitable, like, just right" for Adam. The translations of this Hebrew word vary.

When someone hears the word "helper" it is very common for them to think of a helper as being somone who is inferior to the one being helped. This understanding can prejudice the interpretation of helper here in Genesis. A helper can actually fall into one of three categories.

A helper can be superior to the one being helped.
A helper can be equal to the one being helped or
A helper can be inferior to the one being helped.

A helper is someone who assists. In scripture this word is used to describe God who assists people in need. It is used to describe people both good and bad who assist others. When God assists he does so from a position of superiority. God assists those in need of his help. An individual can assist another individual as a partner, as someone from a higher position reaching down to help someone in a lower position, and of course a person can assist another person as a servant or an assistant, such as an assistant manager or a caddy for a golfer.

When God said that Adam needed a helper, it is necessarily implied that the helper must be someone other than God. So Adam looked among all of the animals that God had made. The Bible doesn't say that Adam could not find a helper at all, but that he could not find a suitable helper. A helper who would fulfill the role that God wanted for the one who would assist Adam.

Domesticated animals have served people throughout human history. From these two examples--God and the animals, I think that we could conclude that the assistant that God had in mind for Adam would not necessarily be either superior or inferior.

The second word I want to look at is the word that is tranlated, "suitable for him" (NASB), or "fit for him" (ESV), or "just right for him" (NLT). This comes from the Hebrew word for "in front of" or "before," and means "corresponding to." The Brown Drivers Briggs Hebrew Lexicon defines it in our passage as "equal and adequate to himself." The helper that God had for Adam would be the perfect match.

So God supernaturally created this perfect match. He did not create an animal or an angel to help Adam, but he created woman from Adams side. Matthew Henry provides this comment:

"the woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved." (Henry, M. (1996, c1991). Matthew Henry's commentary on the whole Bible : Complete and unabridged in one volume (Ge 2:21). Peabody: Hendrickson.)

The Bible says that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. I conclude that the husband is not superior to the wife nor the wife superior to the husband. They are counterparts, both created in the image and likeness of God, and in marriage they become "one flesh."

While men and women were different by design the difference is not one of superiority or inferiority. Tomorrow we will look further at the differences between men and women and the way that Paul gave the husband and wife different instructions in Ephesians 5.

FIREPROOF SERIES

2009-04-20T14:33:00.012-04:00

This past Friday we kicked off a new Sermon Series at Church with a showing of 2008's top independent film, Fireproof: Never Leave Your Partner Behind. Yesterday I began with the message "He Said/She Said" which looked at how to deal with the differences between men and women especially in marriage. In the movie there was a humorous, but intense scene in which Caleb (the husband/firefighter) was complaining to a fellow firefighter about how is wife, Catherine does not respect him. Meanwhile, Catherine was at a restaurant being consoled by her friends as she lamented about how Caleb will not listen to her and that he was clueless to the reality of what was happening in their marriage.

This scene highlighted the issues of love and respect. Catherine was wanting Caleb to love her, and Caleb was wanting Catherine to respect him. In the message we looked at Ephesians 5:18-33. This is a very controversial passage in today's culture because verse 22 says, "Wives submit to your own husbands..." (ESV). Submission is a reprehensible word to many people today, and many would argue that the idea of a wife submitting to her husband is not just unacceptable, but even dangerous. There was great controversy when this passage was included in the 2000 edition of the Baptist Faith and Message. I can understand this response in light of the abuse and domination of women by men that has often taken place. But as a believer the scripture is my guide and I must understand, embrace and practice what it teaches. So yesterday we looked at what Bible teaches about submission, and how it is key to transformation and healing in our marriages.

While the specific instructions to husbands and wives begins in verse 22, I began with verse 18 in order to put things into context. Paul's instruction for believers to "be filled with the Holy Spirit." To be filled with the spirit means that your life is filled with the presence, guidance and manifestation of the Holy Spirit. In order to be filled with the Spirit we must yield to the Holy Spirit--we must submit to the Holy Spirit.

A very good illustration of how this works is to imagine two people walking side by side. Ordinarily they will not necessarily be walking in step with each other. One person may step with the right foot, while the other steps with the left foot. Suppose the person on the left is the leader and the person on the right is going to walk in step with the person on the left. The person on the right must then watch and follow the person on the left so that they can walk in step together. The person on the left, the leader, is the one who is in control. The person on the right is walking in step with the leader. This is similar to what it means to be filled with the Spirit. We are living our lives in step with the Holy Spirit. In the case of the Holy Spirit, he is not only the one who is guiding us, but he also gives us the grace to be able to live in harmony with him and thus with Christ.

When it comes to submission, the only person that should control my life or your life is Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Submission is essential to following Christ. Anyone who follows Jesus Christ must embrace submission. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (ESV). Taking up one's cross means that we die to self being on the throne of our lives and surrender or submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Submission to Christ, may be the number one impediment to people receiving Jesus Christ's gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Paul says in Romans 10:9 that in order to be saved one must confess Jesus as Lord. For Jesus to be Lord means that he has authority over our lives.

Following the command to be filled with the Spirit, Paul gives a series of ways in which that is revealed in the Christian life. One of those is "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (ESV). As a Christian we give our lives to Christ above all else, but a characteristic of being a follower of Christ is that we will also submit to one another. This does not mean that we are to be controlled by others, only Christ is Lord and has absolute authority over our lives.

But it does mean that we defer to one another; we esteem others as better than ourselves; we look out for the interests of others in the body of Christ out of our reverence for Christ. Biblically, submission is not the domination of one person over another person. It is not the subjugation of one believer to another believer. It is a believer willingly placing someone else ahead of himself or herself. It is willingly submitting to people who do have a role or position of authority or leadership in our lives.

Matthew 20:20-28 gives the account of the mother of James and John coming with her two sons to ask for seats of power over others in Christ's kingdom. Jesus response is a rebuke and an admonition to serve rather than be served:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentile lord if over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life for many" (ESV).

Jesus calls his followers to have a servant heart in relationship to one another. It is essential that we understand this when we seek to explain what it means for a wife to submit to her husband. From the preceding we can see that Paul is not commanding a wife to subjugation and control by a domineering or abusive husband. There is nothing in this passage, in the letter to the Ephesians or in the Gospels that would support the teaching that wives should submit to abuse.

Tomorrow we will continue by looking more specifically at how the Paul's instructions to wives and husbands reflect the differences between men and women and are intended to deal with some of the ways in which both husbands and wives who in the flesh can live in a wayt that produces conflict and disharmony in marriage.

The main point for today is to understand that believers and followers of Christ must embrace submission with a servant's heart. We are to be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit and we are to live in a healthy form of submission to one another.

Day 61 Moving Forward

2009-03-02T11:31:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our final day in our study of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. I want to thank you for being a part of this study and I pray that this study has helped you to take significant steps forward in spiritual transformation. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:18, that we are beholding the glory of Christ and are being transformed into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to another. I hope that you have come to more clearly see Christ and to experience a step to another degree of glory. The glory of God is the manifestation of who he is in all of his greatness. God called you and I together with all of his people to display who he is through our lives. This will happen more and more as you and I are transformed more and more into the likeness of Christ.

Take some time to go back through your readings and any notes that you took--what has God shown you through this study? Where are you at in surrender to Christ--dying to self? What are you placing before you mind to think on, watch and take in? How has God changed the way you respond emotionally to life? Are you letting go of the self-centered focus that leads to being a offended and having a need to attack or withdraw from others? How has God grown you through this process? What are some of the positive changes that have taken place within your heart that are making you to be more like Christ?

As you reflect on your own spiritual formation remember that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6). By the grace of God you are on a journey that you will finish. It was his idea; it was his plan; he initiated it; he called you to it; he has given you all you need for the journy; and he will see you through. So add to your faith and to all of God's gracious gifts the qualities that Peter called us to practice (2 Peter 1:3-11).

God bless you. May you be transformed into the image of Christ and be fruitful in ministry for him!

Day 60 Arranging for Transformation

2009-03-02T11:08:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 60 of our study in spiritual transformation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We are almost through this transformational study. I pray that you are being transformed day by day as you learn and put into practice the biblical principles of discipleship that will lead you into Christlikeness.

LESSON

In addition to the personal discipleship that we discussed yesterday, we are also discipled through our participation in the body of Christ--being a part of a local fellowship of believers. God dwells among his people. He takes great delight in revealing himself as his people gather together with pure hearts to worship him and to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.

This means that church cannot be a show! A place to perform and to try to impress others. It must be a place of genuiness, oppenness and love for one another in an atmoshphere of worship that is centered on God's revelation in his word and through his son Jesus Christ. It is a place where believers gather to seek God with a sincere heart, to give him praise, to share his word, to love and encourage one another as lives are shared together.

When the student of Christ is being transformed from the inside out through personal transformational discipleship and through sharing his life with other believers through the ministry of a local church, it will become more and more natural to do what Christ has taught us to do.

GOAL

To commit yourself to being a healthy, faithful and active participant in a local fellowship of believers.

ACTIVITY

If you are not currently a member of a local church ask God to show you where he wants you to belong. God is the one who adds people to his body and he will show you where he want you to belong. This selection process should not be like deciding where you want to go eat dinner. It is not primarily about finding a place that satisfies certain desires, wants or fears that you might have. It is about coming into a relationship with other believers where you will minister and serve God. Jesus never commands us to seek out a place where people will serve us. He calls each one of us to be a servant ourselves. God may not lead you to the church that you would "pick." But he will lead you to the church where he wants you to belong and to serve him.

If you are currently a member of a church, ask yourself what am I doing to help other people to become and to grow as a disciple of Christ. Ask God to show you steps that you can take to lead people to Christ and to help them grow in their relationship with him so that they too will experience a Renovation of the Heart.

Day 59 Stage One: Making Apprentices

2009-03-02T10:49:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 59 as we near the end of our 61 day journey into spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we look at the first stage in spiritual formation i.e. making apprentices.

LESSON

An apprentice is a student of Jesus Christ. Being a student means that you are a learner--you study to learn what Jesus taught (John 8:331-32, Matthew 11:29). You want to know everything you can about him. You want to listen to his instructions and his teachings and learn how to do what he has taught.

Being a student also means that Jesus will be with you (Matthew 28:20). He will be with you to encourage you, empower you and to guide you. While you study what Jesus did and taught, you also will be learning how to apply this to your life today--in your family and other relationships, at church, at work, in your career everywhere you live your life. This requires prayer and it means that you will seek inner transformation so that you will be able to naturally live in a way that is consistent with both the character and the mission of Jesus Christ.

GOAL

To develop a habit of studying the Bible and a practice of prayer that will enable you to both know Jesus and live with Jesus day by day.

ACTIVITY

Select one of the Gospels to read. Take time to read it carefully with the desire to know Jesus. I would also recommend going to a Christian bookstore and getting a Bible study book on the life of Jesus that will help you to more thoroughly understand and know Jesus as he is revealed to us in scripture.

Take time to pray. In your prayer acknowledge the reality of the continual presence of Jesus Christ. Ask him to give you wisdom and guidance along the way.

Careful study of the Bible is very important. Each person brings many views about life and religion with them when they set out to be a disciple. It is important to identify the beliefs and practices that don't line up with scripture. It is also essential to be a part of a church that teaches the Bible and will provide you with a place of worship, service, fellowship and learning.

Day 58 God's Plan for Spiritual Formation

2009-02-28T14:15:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 58 as we near the end of our study in spiritual formation using Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are continuing with a look at God's plan for spiritual formation.

LESSON

In yesterday's blog I discussed Matthew 28:18-20 which is a concise summary of Jesus' commission to make disciples of all nations (i.e. people groups) by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (this is the identity and essential relationship of a disciple) and to teach them to do or obey all that Jesus taught. We do this with the presence and authority of Jesus Christ.

Willard tells us that what keeps many people from truly knowing Christ or from growing into Christlikeness is a flawed view of faith in Christ. That is the idea that believing in Jesus means I have needs or problems in my life and I will go to church or believe in Jesus in order to make my life better. In this situation Jesus is a resource for making the individual's life better.

Being a disciple of Christ turns this upside down. Being a disciple is not about Jesus being a resource to improve the lives of people who are living on their own terms and for their own interests, but about a radical transformation of life in relationship to God so that the chief desire is to know and do God's will through Christ.

We start out as beginner apprentices, "babes in Christ," but we are not to stay there any more than a baby is supposed to stay a baby.

GOAL

To fully embrace Jesus' call to both be a disciple and to be a disciple-maker.

ACTIVITY

Think back over your life as a Christian--a follower of Jesus Christ. Where are you in your development as a disciple? Are you a baby, a toddler, a preschooler, child, preteen, adolescent, young adult, mature adult? How are you growing? When you evaluate this you cannot accurately evaluate it simply based upon what you profess to believe or what doctrinal or ethical views you affirm. Maturity in Christ is rooted in truth, but true growth is the transformation of the entire life as we have been studying in this book. It has to do with who we are at the core of our being. The proof of the development is seen in how we think, respond, act and live in relationship to God and others.

Day 57 The Costs of Nondiscipleship

2009-02-26T21:42:00.005-05:00

Welcome to Day 57 of our 61 day study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today as we continue in our look at discipleship we assess the cost of what happens when believers are not discipled.

LESSON

"Why are Christians so mean?" That is a question that a denominational leader once asked Dallas Willard. Another way of asking it would be, "Why is it that so many people who profess to be Christians, do not live or act like Jesus Christ?" The answer is "nondiscipleship." Willard makes the case that it is because we focus on two things, that lead to the neglect of the priority of disciple-making. Churches have a tendency to focus on:

The vessel--that is the programs, activities, budgets, traditions, buildings, denominations that dominate the day-to-day life of too many churches. The second focus is on:
Evangelism. Now this one might seem like a shock. Isn't evangelism what we are all about as Christians? Matthew 28:19-20 is known as the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. The commission is to "make disciples." In the Greek language this is an imperative. This is the main verb of the entire passage. This is the commission. "Go" in the original is a participle. Participles in English are the words that end in "ing." So if this is translated literally then it would say, "going" or "as you are going." The words "baptizing" and "teaching" are also participles.

So what we are to do is "make disciples." That is the commission. How do we do that? We do it by telling people about Jesus Christ his message and mission as we are going--as we are interacting with people. We disciple them by baptizing them and teaching them to obey Christ's commands.

A disciple is a learner or a student. Willard refers to disciples as "apprentices." To make disciples is to lead people to become apprentices of Jesus Christ--to learn how he lived and what he taught, and then take that knowledge and put it into practice by becoming a person who lives like Jesus did in relationship to the Father and to become a person who obeys Jesus' commands.

A person can make a profession of faith without becoming an apprentice of Christ. Jesus did not call us to make "professors of faith," but disciples. A person can attend church and be active in a church without being a student of Christ. He or she may be more a student of the church than a student of Christ.

Willard's point in regard to evangelism is that if we really want "to get as many people into heaven as we can [then we need] to get heaven into as many people as we can--that is genuine spiritual transformation or full-throttle discipleship to Jesus Christ" (p. 164-165).

GOAL

To make the imperative of the Great Commission our imperative i.e. make disciples.

ACTIVITY

Ask yourself what activities are you personally engaged in or have been engaged in that are directly related your being discipled. What are you doing to become like Jesus Christ from the inside out. What are you doing to make disciples? What are you doing to help other people to become like Jesus Christ?

Day 56 The Distracted Church

2009-02-25T10:01:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 56 of our study in spiritual transformation using the book Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are looking at how the church has lost focus of the true treasure, Jesus Christ.

LESSON

Over the two years that I have been at Killarney, we have been working to become the church that Christ wants us to be. I have from time to time asked the church--"What do you think that Killarney needs?" or "What are the the top five things that we need to do as a church?" This is followed up by another question, "Can you find that in the Bible?"

We are so distracted by the world and the programs, traditions and practices that have been developed as a part of the church culture, that there is very often little focus on the kinds of things that we have been studying during these past two months. We tend to think that the answer to the needs of the church is a new program, seminar, activity, or campaign. These are the methods of today's organizations, businesses, and governments. But these things are conspicuously absent from the New Testament.

This does not mean that good cannot be done through a program, seminar or campaign, it means that these things are not foundational to being a healthy and fruitful church. Alluding to 2 Corinthians 4:7, Willard calls these types of things vessels. That is they are like a container that holds something. The treasure is not a clay pot (Paul's image of the vessel), the treasure is what is in the clay pot. Our mortal bodies and our buildings, programs, organizations etc...are the clay pots. They are useful, but they are not the treasure. The treasure is Jesus Christ and his Gospel of redemption and transformation. Our primary focus needs to be on leading and teaching people to become followers or apprentices of Jesus Christ.

Many Christians are not interested in being either a student or a teacher--but according to Jesus that is exactly what we are. As students we are to learn to be like Jesus Christ from the inside out. As teachers we are to teach someone else to be a student-apprentice of Jesus Christ.

GOAL

To place my focus on Jesus Christ--to live as he lived and to do what he commands. To be a student of Christ and a teacher of others.

ACTIVITY

Examine the priorities of your Christian life. What do you treasure? Are there vessels or clay pots in you life that you love more than you love Jesus Christ and the mission he has given to us? What do you think the church really needs? Can you find that in the Bible? Ask God to show you how the priorities and the focus of your life need to change so that people will see the treasure of Jesus Christ through you and the church.

Day 55 To Be Children of Light Now

2009-02-25T09:42:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 55 as we continue to work toward becoming more like Christ from the inside out. We have been reading and working through the exercises of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We continue today by looking at the importance of actually being apprentices of Jesus Christ right now where we live.

LESSON

James 1:22 (NLT) says, "But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves."

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV) “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

In Christ you and I are the light of the world, and this light must be seen. Our world desperately needs the Children of the Light to come out of the closet, and to live the transformed life that we have been studying . The purveyors of popular culture, our colleges and universities, and many leaders across the spectrum of American life have rejected the Jesus Christ of history who has been revealed to us in God's word. They have rejected his mission and his message and have embraced and are promoting darkness, false knowledge, and immorality.

The reality is that there is no replacement for Jesus Christ and there is no replacement for God's word. The world does not need people who merely profess Christ or who identify with some notion of Christianity. The people of this world need to see and be reached by people who are actually followers of Jesus Christ.

GOAL

To realize that a profession of faith is not enough in being the light of the world, and to continue walking down the path of total transformation.

ACTIVITY

God has placed you in a family, in a neighborhood, in a school, business etc... These are the places that you are to be the light of the world. You are not shining the light into the world when you gather with other Christians; you are shining the light into the world when you are in the world. Ask God to teach you to shine the light of Christ into the world with love, but without intimidation in your life today.

Day 54 Progression of Spiritual Growth

2009-02-23T13:30:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 54 of our 61-day study in spiritual formation using the study Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are looing at what 2 Peter chapter 1 tells us about how we go forward in our spiritual growth.

LESSON

Spiritual growth takes place first of all because of what God has done. God has given us everything we need for godly living (1:3). He has enabled us to share in the divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by sinful desires. (1:4).

Here is the progression from 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NLT):

"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone."

Willard tells us in today's reading that Christians run into a dilemma when they attempt to outwardly live this out without inner transformation. The heart, mind, feelings, body, relationships and soul have not been reoriented toward God through faith, death to self and inward spiritual transformation. Because of this lack of transformation there are still bad habits and desires that exert great influence over the individual.

GOAL

To take the next steps of training--practicing the spiritual disciplines of transformation as a means of cooperating with God's sanctifying work in your life.

ACTIVITY

Go back through these blogs or the readings and notes that you have made to discover your next steps of training and discipline in spiritual formation.

Day 53 What Children of the Light Are Like

2009-02-23T12:33:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 53 of our continuing study in spiritual formation with Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Yesterday we began looking at what the "Children of the Light" are like in regard to thoughts and feelings. Today we continue with the other aspects of that make up who we are as individuals.

LESSON

We continue looking at the unique characteristics of the "Children of Light:"

WILL (HEART, SPIRIT): Children of the light now will the will of God. They are not focused on fulfilling the desires of the flesh or being driven by fear, but the have died to self and are living for God.
BODY: The body is no longer acting out of habits in ways that are contrary to the will. We are ceasing to say things, give looks and act out in the flesh. Our bodies are being retrained and are acting in harmony with our will under God.
SOCIAL RELATIONS: We no longer have to pretend. We can be transparent, real and genuine. We can really love others as Christ loves us.
SOUL: The transformation that we have undergone is deep. The life of Christ and the change that he has brought permeates the entire self. The soul is at rest and satisfied with Christ's life. The worries of this life evaporate as the soul's thirst is quenched by God.

GOAL

To believe that this is the kind of person that God is forming you to be in Jesus Christ. To continue on the path of total transformation.

ACTIVITY

Look at the characteristics in today's and yesterday's readings and blog. How is God working in your life right now to form you into a fully formed and mature child of God.

Day 52 Children of the Light

2009-02-23T12:03:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 52 of our study in sprititual formation using Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We have completed our survey of the six aspects of ourselves that must be changed as a part of our becoming like Christ. Now we turn to look at the big picture of where we are headed and what it means to be "Children of Light."

LESSON

Where are we headed? Where is all of this transformation and change taking us? According to scripture, God's eternal purpose is to create for himself a people through which is glory will be manifested. We are and are destined to be the eternal people of God--loving God, loving life, and reigning with him forever and ever in the new heavens and the new earth (Revelation 7:9, 14:6, 21:1-7).

The end result is not just where we will live or what we will do, but it is also who we will be. What kind of people are the people of God? Today we look at thoughts and feelings. These are not just eternal thoughts and feelings, but the thoughts and feelings that God is creating in his people right now.

THOUGHTS: We becoming people who love to think about God! We are "God-intoxicated." We now see, know and drink in his beauty, holiness, majesty, glory and greatness. We have given up our preoccupation with evil and the godless things of a world apart from God. We now focus on the good and how we have become instruments of good in God's hands.
FEELINGS: We feel love toward God and toward other people. We even love our own lives and trust God with the things that don't come out right, because we know that he loves us and is working everything together for our good (Romanss 8:28-39). We are experiencing inner joy and peace and we are draining fear, anxiety, pride and hopelessnes from our thoughts and feelings!

GOAL

To be captivated by the vision of who we are and are becoming as a part of the people of God who are living with the life of Christ in us.

ACTIVITY

Take time to read and think about heaven. Read from the following: Ephesians chapters 1-3 or Revelation chapters 21 and 22. Tell God that you want to fully give yourself to becoming a person who is God-intoxicated and will love and live life to its fullest for all of eternity!

Day 51 The Sweetness of the Law

2009-02-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

Welcome to day 51 of our study in spiritual formation using Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are looking at the "sweetness of the law" to the soul. What a radical concept--the law is sweet! The law is often associated with legalism rather than sweetness, but today Willard tells us how the law is an essential part of bringing peace and rest to the soul.

LESSON

The law was not a hammer given to hit people over the heads, but a gift of grace to help people to walk with God. As Christians we are taught by Christ that he did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He said that the law is summed up in this: "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:30-31). The pages of the New Testament are filled with commandments and teachings that spell out how we as believers are to live out and obey the laws of God.

The point of today's study is not to examine the different understandings about how the Old Covenant Law of Moses applies to the life of the New Covenant Law of Christ, but to affirm the necessity of receiving, studying and internalizing (making it a part of our very life) the law of God. When we meet with God in his word our souls are revived and restored in Christ. It is not enough to say, "I believe." If we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ then we believe in his word. If we love Christ we will obey Christ (John 14:21, 15:10-11).

GOAL

To develop a renewed love for the word and the law of God. To come to a place where we can say with the psalmist, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 119:103)!

ACTIVITY

Read from the Psalms about the sweetness and goodness of God's word. Pray and ask God to help you have a love and devotion to God's word. Here are some two Psalms to read: Psalm 1, 119).

Day 50 Abandoning Outcomes

2009-02-19T22:55:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 50 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We have just 11 days left in this study. What an amazing journey it has been! As your read and contemplate the message, I hope that you see how faithful it is to scripture, even though it is very different at least in emphasis and perspective than what is so commonly taught in popular Christianity. Much of popular Christianity is marketed to appeal to the desires of the flesh! That is what marketing is all about. If you are not sure about that understanding of marketing watch the BBC documentary, "Century of the Self" online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/century_of_the_self.shtml.

LESSON

Today's lesson tells us that transformation of the heart requires us to abandon our control of outcomes. The way to have rest in our souls is to entrust what happens to God. This does not mean that we give up personal responsibility. It means that we have such a confidence in God, that even when we do not get what we want or when things do not seem fair, or when tragedy strikes, we are still able to be at peace because we trust in God.

This kind of abandonment requires deep humility. It is only through living in humble trust in God that we can experience the peace that passes all understanding. Pride the opposite of humility leads us to live for ourselves. Therefore we are living to satisfy our desires, and so we are preoccupied with outcomes, because we must have the outcome that will fulfill our desire.

GOAL

To humble ourselves before God because of the deep faith and confidence that we have in him because of his faithfulness and love for us.

ACTIVITY

Determine what expectations or outcomes are directing your life? Can you still trust God even if things don't work out the way that they should? Admit to yourself where these strongholds are and ask God to give you the faith and confidence in him that will allow you to humble yourself and remain at peace in his care because of his love and faithfulness.

Day 49 The Cries of the Soul

2009-02-18T16:38:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 49 of our study of spiritual formation using Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Today we are looking at the answer to the cries of the soul.

LESSON

Today Willard reminds us while we have often heard the phrase "save the soul" in church, we are not often taught take the soul seriously after salvation. But our souls often cry out in pain and distress from the heavy load of the pressures and uncertainties of life.

Jesus told people to come and "learn of me." Jesus called people to be disciples, that is apprentices. People who learn from him how to live in relationship with the Father. He said that if you learn from him, then "you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29 ESV). He said that his yoke was easy and his burden was light. Apart from living in harmony with Christ the pressures and uncertainties of life--family, finances, future--can overwhelm us and leave us in a state of continual distress. Jesus calls us to leave the striving and follow him.

GOAL

To recommit yourself to discipleship--to being an apprentice of Jesus. To being a lifelong student of God's word and of Jesus' example in how he lived with the Father in this world. Then we will be yoked with him and the burden we carry in our souls will be lifted.

ACTIVITY

When you are reading the Gospels think about how Jesus lived in relationship to the Father. What are the things that are worrying you today? How did Jesus live in relationship to those same things--family, finances, future, losses, acceptance etc...

Who are you learning from? When you are under stress, when things are difficult do you turn to the latest fad or newest self-help teaching? Are you living under a burden of trying to find the right formula for success in all the wrong places?

Tell Jesus that you want to be his apprentice and ask him to teach you through his word and through his example how to be yoked to him so that you will have his strength in your life. Remember a student studies with an open mind. You must be willing to study the teachings and the life of Jesus Christ and also be open to living as Jesus lived if you want to have a burden that is truly light.

Day 48 The Depths of Our Being

2009-02-18T16:20:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 48 of our continuing study in spiritual formation using the book Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We continue to look at the soul as that part of us that integrates the other aspects of the individual into a whole person. You may have read and seen the soul described in different ways. The term is used in different ways in different passages of scripture as well as by others who have developed different ideas of describing the aspects of a person. The word "soul" like other words can have a range of meanings. Many words in the dictionary have more than one meaning. There are many words in scripture that have one meaning in one passage, but a different meaning in another passage.

So in examining the soul in this study, try to understand it has Willard has defined it. His definition is consistent with the range of meanings of the word soul in scripture and is very helpful in putting the pieces together as we finalize our look at the different aspects of a person.

LESSON

Today Willard describes the soul as being like an inner stream of water within a person. The soul gives strength, harmony and direction to the other aspects of our lives. When we talk about the soul we are looking at what is in the depths of a person's being. It is the essence of life that integrates, coordinates and brings together the thoughts, feelings, will, body and relationships so that they all function in harmony with one another and with the will of God.

The soul can be said to will and decide. It can thirst, long for and desire. The soul is a living being who has the breath and blood of life flowing in it. It is essential in spiritual formation that the soul lead the other elements of the individual into harmony with God as it thirsts and longs for God.

GOAL

To become more aware of the role of the soul in bringing harmony to one's life. To examine your soul--where is my soul in relation to God. To set the soul on a path of faith, trust and desire for God.

ACTIVITY

Take time to examine your soul--where are you in the depths of your being, beyond the externals of life? Do you deeply long to love and to know God?

As the psalmist often does, speak to your soul. Encourage it to trust in God. Ask God to speak to your soul and to encourage you and fill you with his love and strength from the depths of your being.

Day 47 Integrating the Dimensions of the Self

2009-02-16T18:39:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 47 as we continue our in-depth study in spiritual formation in Christ with the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are looking at the last of the six aspects of the self (thoughts, feelings, character, body, social relationships, and the soul). The soul is what brings the other aspects together form one life

LESSON

The soul is that part of us that we are not totally conscious of, but it is always working to integrate the other aspects of who we are so that we function as one person. When our heart is transformed under Christ, we will be living the life that we have seen described throughout the New Testament. This will be a life that is characterized by strength and fruitfulness, because we are rooted in God's word and living according to his precepts.

In this life our thoughts, feelings, relationships, reactions and choices will increasingly work together reflecting the life of Christ and the realities of the Kingdom of God.

When the heart is not transformed, the soul is in chaos. There is conflict and a lack of harmony in the will, thoughts, emotions, physical desires and responses, as well as, relationships. Life will be much more of a struggle, and there will be a lack of inner peace and a lack of the manifest presence of Christ.

There is great hope though, because we live by the grace of God. No matter how much conflict, chaos and unrest there is, God can bring your life and my life into harmony with him.

GOAL

To take steps to bring all aspect of myself into harmony with God through a total transformation of the heart.

ACTIVITY

Read Jeremiah 17:5-8. Compare and contrast the two individuals who are described here. In what ways is your life like that of each of these two persons? The key difference is trust in God. Where are you at with your faith in God in specific issues that you are dealing with right now? Are you depending upon God and looking to his word for wisdom (Psalm 1), or are you listening to other people whose advice contradicts God's word.

Ask God to help you to have the faith to trust him and his word to give you wisdom and guidance in specific issues that you are facing. Ask him to clearly show you the differences between the wisdom of people who do not trust God, and the wisdom that comes through his word as the Holy Spirit gives you discernment.

Day 46 Steps Toward Genuine Love

2009-02-15T15:46:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 46 in our study of spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we wrap up our series of readings on transformation in relationships with five essential steps forward.

LESSON

FIVE STEPS TOWARD GENUINE LOVE:

Acceptance of the Gospel of grace. Receiving the forgiveness of sins and the life of Christ through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
See yourself as whole in Christ. This will allow you to let go of the wounds of the past, receive Christ's healing and genuinely be able to forgive and bless others.
Abandon all defensiveness. This means that you will be able to be real with people, dropping all of the masks, games and manipulative strategies that you have used to gain favor with others.
Practice genuine love in the community of Christians. This is the key characteristic of a healthy body of Christ-followers (John 13:34-35)
Reach out to all others with blessing, service and the Good News of redemption. We are sent ones. Just as the Father sent Jesus, Jesus has sent us out into all the world (John 17:18).

GOAL

To fully develop the love of Christ in your life so that you can live in wholeness, freedom, genuineness and service before God and others.

ACTIVITY

Carefully read Romans 12:3-21. Ask God--as you take time to listen to him--to show you how you can make this a reality in your life and relationships especially in the church.

Day 45 Letting Go of Attack and Withdrawal

2009-02-14T18:19:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 45 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Yesterday we learned that lovelessness works through assault and withdrawal. Today we continue to examine how these operate in relationships and the necessity of letting go of them so that we can truly do good and bless one another.

LESSON

Attack and withdrawal are detrimental to our relationships especially with family. We see so often in today's world that a person's desires or wants have come to be the guide for determining what he or she should have. Desire rules! Combined with the ease in which a husband's or wife's desires can be met outside of the marriage relationship (friends, coworkers, associates, substance abuse, internet sites, pornography, etc...), it has become easier and easier for married individuals to practice assault and withdrawal within their on marriages and still "get what they want" elsewhere. This has devastating consequences on the relationship.

The practice of assault and withdrawal not only hurts the marriage relationship, but it also hurts the healthy development of children in the family. The experience attack or withdrawal and they go elsewhere looking to have their needs and desires met, because they are not finding them in the home. This can lead children to addiction, aggressive behavior, isolation or other self-destructive behavior. The aggressive behavior can be against the child's own body or against others.

Willard explains that modern society has tried to rectify these problems through education, diversity awareness and tolerance. But he says that while these things are good, they do not address the root issues of assault and withdrawal. Through spiritual formation in Christ, not only in ourselves, but also in our relationships with other believers we must "drain the assault and withdrawal, the attack and coldness, from the individual men and women who form families under their ministry of Jesus and his kingdom" (p. 131).

GOAL

To continue developing the will under Christ so that you are not controlled by your desires, but by the Holy Spirit. This requires dying to self, and receiving the grace and truth of Jesus Christ. Everything that we have studied so far is essential in taking this next step of spiritual formation.

ACTIVITY

Think about your relationship with your spouse and with your children. If you are single think about your relationship with your parents, siblings or close friends. Ask God to help you identify ways where in response to your desires, or in response to your not getting your way, you act out in some form of assault (physical, verbal, emotional) or withdrawal (silence, indifference, isolation, abandonment). Ask God as you study his word, especially the life of Christ and his teachings how you can let go of attack and withdrawal and develop and maintain a healthy relationship that is characterized by love and grace. This is not simply to be a one-time exercise, but a new attitude and mindset in your relationships, especially in your relationships with the people who are closest to you.

The apostle Paul says, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all" (Romans 12:17 ESV). Not every relationship that you have will be ideal. There will likely be family relationships and other relationships that still have attack and withdrawal. What Paul is saying is don't let the attack and withdrawal be from your side. You cannot control what another person does, but you can by the grace of God let go of attach and withdrawal from your side.

Day 44 How Lovelessness Works

2009-02-13T10:48:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 44 of our study in spiritual formation using Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Today we are looking at how sin works against love in our relationships.

LESSON

There are two primary ways that sin works in our relationships with others to keep us from loving one another. The first is assault and the second is withdrawal. Our goal is to break the power of assault and withdrawal in ourselves and in our communities.

ASSAULT: When we assault someone we act against what is good for them. Even if the other person consents to the assault it is still sin. Assault can be either physical or verbal. The last six of the Ten Commandments and many or our laws regulate against assault. While some forms of assault such as these are illegal, there are many other forms of assault that are legal and common. These include the words we use to hurt others, as well as, things that we might do indirectly to bring some harm to another person.
WITHDRAWAL: When we withdraw from someone we are withholding love and we may be hurting them in a passive way by our lack of concern or care for them. Withdrawal can be very devastating. This is especially true in the closest and most importand relationships in our lives--our family. A husband, wife, parent or child can withdraw through abandonment--just walking away. But they can aslo withdraw relationtionally; they are still physically present, but they are detached and indifferent. Living with this kind of withdrawal can be as painful or even sometimes more painful than abandonment.

GOAL

To break the power and patterns of assault and withdrawal in our lives and in our relationships. This includes our families as well as our churches.

ACTIVITY

Think about how you respond to your spouse, children, parents, people in yor church, when things are not going your way, when you are not feeling good. Do you lash out physically or verbally? Do you pull away to punish them by your absense or indiffernce? Do you refuse to cooperate or work together to build up your home and fulfill the ministry that God as called you to together with others?

Commit yourself to learning how to love others when things don't go your way. Commit yourself to learning how to relate to others in your family and church in a loving rather than loveless way. This can be very difficult. There are some people who will assault and withdraw from you. How do you respond to them? It begins with the renovation of the heart, the humility and the trust in God that we have been studying these past few weeks. Character change is indispensible.

There are also practical things that we can learn from others who have gone through and have learned to deal with difficult people. This is one of the purposes of recovery minsitries. These ministries are not just for the addict, they also teach the recovered addict and the non-addict how to break the cycles of assault and withdrawal in the family and church. If you have never read or studied anything in the area of recovery ministry or developing healthy relationships, I would encourage you to do so. An excellent place to start is with the book, Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. There website is http://www.cloudtownsend.com/.

Day 43 Reciprocal Rootedness in Others

2009-02-12T15:36:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 43 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we continue to look at the essential place of relationships in spiritual transformation.

LESSON

Today Willard talks about reciprocal rootedness as being the natural condition of someone who is Christlike. What does "reciprocal rootedness" mean? To be "rooted" in a relationship means that we are anchored and receive nourishment from a relationship that we have with someone else. For the relationship to be "reciprocal" means that it is a two-way relationship. Your life is rooted in the life of another person and the other persons life is also rooted in yours.

When you became a Christian you were not only brought into a relationship with Christ, but you were also brought into a relationship with other believers. Your relationships with other believers are essential to your growth in Christ.

Willard points out that one of the initial obstacles to developing healthy relationships is our woundedness. Many of us have a great difficulty in developing relationships because we have been emotionally or relationally wounded by neglect, rejection or harm in our previous relationships.

It is only through the unconditional love of Christ and his acceptance of us that we can be healed of this woundedness and have the confidence through our faith in Christ to step out and take the risks of developing relationships with other believers.

GOAL

To understand the necessity of building and maintaining healthy two-way relationships with other believers so that you might build one another up and serve God and others together.

ACTIVITY

Using a Bible concordance, look up the work "together," especially in the Romans through First Peter It will be best to use an exhaustive concordance such as Strongs, rather than the limited concordance in the back of your Bible. There are also some online concordances as well. Read the passages and see the consistent emphasis that the Bible places on the togetherness of Christians.

Ask God to give you the faith and the love to step out with grace and patience to develop new and healthy relationships with other believers.

Day 42 Formation Is not Private

2009-02-11T11:16:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 42 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we begin looking at a new aspect fo spiritual formation--our relationships.

LESSON

Spiritual formation does not happen in isolation. We are formed and shaped through the relationships that we have with other people--both good and bad relationships. This is a two-way street. Our relationships help determine how we develop spiritually and our spiritual transformation changes the way that we relate to other people.

The defining characteristic of a person who being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ is love. If we are like Christ then we will love other people. We cannot love other people by cutting ourselves off from others. As a trinity God himself is eternally relational--Father, Son and Spirit. And so we who are made in the image of God are inherently relational as well.

GOAL

To understand that spiritual formation is not "just between God and me." Spiritual formation always takes place in relationship with God and with others. As a result I will embrace the relationships that God brings into my life and I will seek to love others as Christ has loved me.

ACTIVITY

Think about your relationships with other people. To what extent does your part in those relationships show that you are loving others as Christ loved you. Pray and ask Christ to give you a renewed awareness and appreciation of his love for you. Out of your gratitude to Christ, love others today.

Day 41 Sabbath Moments

2009-02-11T10:50:00.002-05:00

Day 41 concludes our section of readings and activities specifically related to the role of the body in spiritual formation as we study, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson.

LESSON

Because our bodies belong to God we must properly cherish and care for them. Our bodies belong to God and are to be holy or set apart unto him. So the attention that we give to our bodies is not for the seductive, sensual and egocentric purposes that we see so often in our culture, but for the purposes of God. For our bodies are of a gift that we have been given by God to be used in a holy way for service to him and others.

We have briefly addressed some misuses of the body in previous daily readings. Today we are looking at the need for rest. In our highly competitive culture many people are pressured to overwork their bodies--this is especially true for high achievers and people who are committed to going the extra mile. When God created the heavens and the earth, he set aside a day for rest. This means that rest is not wrong, but it is ordained by God. We need regular rest. We can stop striving and "let things go" for a day, because we believe that God is in control, that he will lead and provide, and that it is not up to us to ensure that everything works out.

One of the reasons that we do enjoy such a high level of prosperity in the West is because of our productivity. But along with that productivity we also experience a great deal of stress, anxiety and breakdown in family relationships.

GOAL

To recognize our need for rest and to take any steps that are necessary to make proper rest a part of our lifestyles.

ACTIVITY

Review your life and think about how healthy rest is a part of your life. Do you get the recommended seven to eight hours asleep a night? Do you have time each week when you can escape from your regular day to day work and have time to rest and relax. Ask God if there are some "essentials" in your life that are not essential. You may have to give up some things or give up some control over things in your life in order to get the rest you need. What steps can you take to add rest to your life as needed?

Day 40 Misuses of the Body

2009-02-09T11:18:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 40 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we continue in our study of the role of the body in spiritual formation by addressing misuses of the body.

LESSONS

Today Willard gives us a list of things that we can do to fully release our bodies to God so that we are filled with the redeeming power of God living in us.

1. No longer idolize your body. To idolize your body means that our primary source of gratification comes from our physical bodies--especially how we look and feel.

2. No longer make the body the object of ultimate concern. When our body is an object of ultimate concern then our priorities and our view of ourself is out of line with being in harmony with God--with his will and his love for us. While we are to be good stewards of our bodies and we are to enjoy life in our bodies, our physical beauty, health, age etc...cannot be of more importance than our love for God and service to him. It is very easy to become so wrapped up with taking care of our bodies that we forget God, or if we are dissatisfied with our bodies we pull back from active engagement in the life of Christ according to the grace and opportunities that he gives us.

3. Do not misuse your body, especially as a source of sensual gratification or of domination or manipulation of others. Our pop culture is obsessed with sexuality in very unhealthy and sinful ways. Flaunting one's sexuality has become a path to fame, fortune and power, but it leaves a trail of carnage behind. Bodies are also used violently and abusively to wield control over others. This is sin against other people and an abuse of the God-given purpose of physical strength and power.

GOAL

To more fully release our bodies to God.

ACTIVITY

Think about ways in which you might (1) idolize our body, (2) make your body the object of ultimate concern, and (3) misuse your body. Ask God to show you steps tha you can take that will move you away from these harmful elements of bodily life and to more completely present your body to him for his service.

Day 39 Releasing the Body to God

2009-02-09T10:49:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 39 in our study of spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. I will be posting both Sunday and Monday's blogs today.

LESSON

Today we are being asked to take the step of physically presenting our bodies to God. This may seem like an unusual thing to do, and you may not have ever physically presented your body to God. What we are learning is that spiritual formation involves all of who we are including our bodies.

The apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (ESV).

He also says in Romans 6:13, "Do not present your members [that is the parts of your body]to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness" (ESV).

We are to present both "ourselves" and our "members." This brings together both the wholistic aspect of spiritual formation--ourself--with one of the individual aspects of spiritual formation--our members or the parts of our bodies.

In today's reading Dallas Willard asks the reader to literally present one's body to God as an act of worship. In a spirit and posture of worship present (1) yourself, (2) your body and (3) the idiviual parts of your body to God as instruments of righteousness. Physically give yourself, all of yourself to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that our bodies are not our own; they belong to God; they were purchased by the blood of Christ, and they are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Worship God with all that you are including your body!

Day 38 Retraining the Body

2009-02-07T18:22:00.011-05:00

Welcome to Day 38 of our continuing study in spiritual formation using Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Today we are continuing to look at how we bring our physical bodies into the process of transformation.

LESSON

The result of spiritual formation is that as our inner self changes our outer self also changes. As we continue to grow into Christ-likeness we must remember that Christ came in the flesh. He came in a physical body and he used his physical body to bring glory to God. Apart from Christ our physical bodies have been trained to act in accordance with sin, and even the "good" that we do in the flesh apart from God does not constitute the righteousness that comes through a body shaped, formed and set apart for God.

As we change our minds, feelings and character, we also want to engage in the process of changing the sinful inclinations of the body. When we sin we act it out with our bodies whether it be with the tongue, our expressions or our acts. Our bodies become programmed to sin. The apostle Paul tells us that we are no longer to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies instead we are to set apart our bodies as instruments or weapons of righteousness (Romans 6:12-14).

GOAL

Recognize the need to retrain our bodies to act automatically in ways that are instruments of the will of God.

ACTIVITY

Continue to ask God to show you how your body has been trained in unrighteousness. As you become aware of things you automatically say or do that do not reflect the reign of Christ in your life, begin learning and teaching yourself new ways to speak and act. Pray and ask God to pour out his marvelous grace to give you the ability to develop new habits that will bring your body into harmony with the Spirit of Christ that lives in you.

Day 37 The Body's Role in Spiritual Formation

2009-02-06T10:10:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 37 of our 2009 study in spiritual formation using Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We have just completed a four day study of the spiritual formation in the will and character, today we begin looking at the role of the body. This may seem odd. When people think of spiritual formation they often think only about "spiritual" things. Well the body is a critical component of spiritual formation. We live our lives through our bodies and if we are to become like Christ then we will also become like Christ in our speech and actions.

LESSON

The body is the primary place where we exercise our will. As character develops it is lived out through the body. When feelings are in control the body is not only a source of feeling, but also becomes a servant of self-gratification. As a result our bodies are trained by our will, mind and feelings to be ready to act in agreement with them.

When we come to Christ and are born again, we are changed at the core of our being. We have a new spirit that is alive; we have new desires that are in harmony with the will of God. But it is through discipleship or spiritual formation that we retrain or transform the rest of who we are to think, feel and act in harmony with God's will.

Apart from God we live lives devoted to the flesh. We live to satisfy the desires of self apart from God. In contrast Jesus said that life consists of more than food and clothing. Jesus said that we find life not in satisfying or worrying about these things, but in seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt. 6:25-34). This is true life and true freedom.

Our bodies even though they are mortal and will not inherit eternal life are still a central part of spiritual formation in this life. It is through our bodies that we live the life that Christ calls us to live. Paul says that when Jesus Christ died on the cross for us that he purchased our bodies! The bodies that we now live in as Christians belong to Christ. They are to be set apart unto him. Our bodies are the temple or the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit right now! So we must serve and glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

GOAL

To become aware of how our bodies have been trained to be ready to act in a way that serves the flesh (the old self--apart from God, the will, character and desires that seek to serve self).

ACTIVITY

Today's activity is a little different. Jan Johnson asks us to stand before a mirror and imagine being in the presence of someone you dislike and then in the presence of someone that you like. Act out how you would interact with each person and you will see how your body has been trained to act in accordance with your will, feelings, character etc...

Pray to God about the way that your body (speech, expressions, body language, actions etc...) have been trained to act automatically in harmony with the fallen mind, will and emotions. Pray that God will give you the grace to begin retraining your body so that you can respond to people and situations in your life physically in a way that is in harmony with the Spirit of God and the life of Christ that is in you.

Day 36 How Disciplines Help

2009-02-05T11:37:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 36 of our study, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today's study is a very important one so take time to do the reading and ask God to lead you in practicing spiritual disciplines.

LESSON

Today we learn that as we surrender our will to God, that is as we come to the point that we intend to want or will what God wills above all else, we realize that that our character is fallen. Many of our habitual activities and automatic responses that characterize who we are, are not in agreement with God's will. We are not learning this in order to condemn ourselves or berate ourselves. The purpose is not to be negative, but to set us on a path to freedom.

It is very difficult to be freed from something that is controlling or influencing you in a significant way if you are not aware of its presence or influence. Dallas Willard gives two examples of fallen character in today's reading. One is guile or sneakiness--trying to get our way without being open about it or by deceiving others. The other is malice. The desire to harm someone else, to make them feel the pain, to make them hurt. These character flaws are foundational sins. They are at the root of much bigger difficulties such as family fights and international wars.

How do we overcome the sneakiness, deception and malice? Willard has been telling us throughout this study that spiritual disciplines are an essential part of spiritual transformation. This is tough medicine! If we are having a concert at church there will be a much bigger response than if we have a call to prayer and fasting. Now there is nothing wrong with having a concert, they are great; but Willard is saying that if we look at the life of Jesus and the lives of the disciples and the lives of strong and mature Christians throughout history a common element in their lives will be a practice of spiritual disciplines.

Here is a list of some spiritual disciplines:

Solitude: being alone with God for long periods of time.
Fasting: learning freedom from food and how God directly nourishes us.
Worship: adoration of God
Service: doing good for others with no though of ourselves.

Willard says that the disciplines make room for the Word and the Spirit to work in us. What happens in the formation of fallen character is that

We are ruled by our desires, emotions, wants.
Our wills then become servants of our desires.
Then the will enlists our mind to to serve it through rationalization and justification.

When we practice spiritual disciplines we are saying, "no" to our desires. We are saying that we will not be ruled by desire, but we are denying a desire in order to focus single-mindedly upon God. It is here that we become aware of how the flesh or the old self is operating in our lives, we surrender these things to God, and we experience transformation.

GOAL

To spend time practicing a spiritual discipline and to in that activity ask God to reveal areas of our character that need to change. Surrender that to God and by his grace begin to walk in a new dimension of freedom in the Spirit.

ACTIVITY

Ask God to lead you to take the time to practice a spiritual discipline (solitude, silence, community, prayer, confession, service, secrecy, frugality, fasting, study, meditation, scripture memory, worship, or celebration). Set aside a time to practice the discipline and ask God to speak to you and reveal to you what he is doing in your life to bring about change in your character.

Day 35 The Vivid and Eternal Drama of God

2009-02-04T11:27:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 35 of our 61 day journey in spiritual formation utilizing the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we continue to look at the will, specifically how progress so that our will is caught up in God's will.

LESSON

Today Dallas Willard lays out a four-step progression that takes one from surrendering your will to God, to living in full participation in the Kingdom of God. Here are the steps:

SURRENDER: The first step is making the decision to surrender your will to God's will. This may not be easy and it may involve much grumbling and complaining as you let go of having it your way.
ABANDONMENT: The next step comes as we receive more and more of God's grace and wisdom. You will now see and embrace the value and benefits of surrender. YOU willingly want to surrender to God in all areas of Your life.
CONTENTMENT: After abandonment comes contentment. You have given yourself to God and now you are content with your life, because you are content with Jesus Christ. You no longer want to go back to the way you used to live in a battle of the wills.
PARTICIPATION: The final step in God's will being your will is full participation in what God is doing. You will see every day, every circumstance and every relationship as a time and place where God is at work. you will come to a place where it is now normal, for Christ to live in you day by day.

GOAL

Identify where you are making God's will to be your will, and where you are not. What God wants is what you want. Take the next step forward in being more fully a part of God's work day by day.

ACTIVITY

Pray, reflect and ask God for grace and wisdom so that you will be able to see where your will is in relation to God's will. Thank God for where he has brought you so far. Confess any stubbornness that God shows you and look to see where God is working today so that you can join him in his work. This work does not have to be a once-in-a-lifetime miraculous event. It is knowing and walking with God day by day.

Day 34 The Splintered Will

2009-02-03T22:09:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 34 of our study, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Today we are looking at one of the most fundamental issues in transformation--the splintered will.

LESSON

God created us with a freedom to choose or will one thing rather than another. While we are not absolutely free (many things we have not choice in), there are choices that we make every day. Our will is connected with our spirit, because it is not physical, and because it is at the core of our uniqueness and individuality.

But as fallen creatures who are not in unity with God we have conflict in our own wills, and we have conflict with the wills of other people. This leads to confusion, division, hostilities and at the deepest level duplicity or deception. Because our wills are conflicted, we are led to be deceitful. We try to hide things through deception, because what we are doing or thinking is in conflict with ourselves.

God created us to have a focused and coherent will that is operating in unity with him. Not only do we rarely see that today, but many modern thinkers believe that a focused and coherent will is impossible. They then must live in conflict with themselves and with others.

GOAL

Give up on a heart that is duplicitous, double-minded and deceitful. Seek to have a heart/spirit that is operating in unity and in harmony with the will of God.

ACTIVITY

Where do you see conflict of the will in your own life? What helps you be able to integrate and bring your will under God and his word. Ask God to help you grow in the freedom and purity of sincerety.

Day 33 Changing the Character

2009-02-02T13:01:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 33 Changing the Character. I have had some computer problems and so I am late getting this post up today. Today we begin looking at another aspect of spiritual formation. So far we have seen that there are six basic aspects of a person: thoughts, feeling, character (will, spirit), body, social relationships, and soul. We first looked at thoughts and feelings, and now we look at character.

LESSON

Character is that part of us from which we develop a consistent way of doing things. When we say that someone has good character then we expect them, because of the way that they have acted in the past, to act good in the future. If someone has bad character, based upon their past behavior, we expect them to act badly. The character is the pattern of life that characterizes us. This is behavior that is automatic and habitual.

Our character springs from our spirit and will. When we are spiritually dead then we do not have the will do have a right relationship with God and to do what he wants us to do. The good news for us is that through spiritual formation our character can change. Through our relationship with Christ we can change negative characteristics in our lives. This is a part of repentance. When Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God, he called people to repent. Repent means to change one's mind. In repentance towards God we change our mind about God, ourselves and our relationship to God. This change leads us to a change in character.

When we are born again in Christ, we are made alive in the Spirit and we will have new desires. God will place within us a desire to do his will. We then can choose what thoughts and images we will dwell on in our minds. This will effect the underlying conditions that are related to our feelings.

The old self also works to influence what we want to do. Additionally, not only can we choose to dwell on certain thoughts, but our thoughts and feelings can influence what we want. There is a back and forth here--each aspect effecting the other. That is why spiritual formation has to be comprehensive. We are in the process of bringing all the aspects of our self under the influence and direction of Christ in us. Transformation means that we are being changed. Formation describes the process of forming the new person who is like Christ.

GOAL

To develop a transformed will or heart that has a single-minded and joyous devotion to God and his will and a Christ-like desire to to serve him and others. This will be my new character.

ACTIVITY

Read passages from the Gospels about Jesus Christ. What was his character like? How did he live in relationship to the father? How did he live in relationship to others? Compare his character to that of those with whom he interacted. Pray and ask God to reveal to you your character and to enable you to change so that you will have more and more of the character of Christ.

Day 30 Feelings of the Spiritually Transformed Person

2009-01-30T16:21:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Day 30 of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Today we continue to look at feelings in spiritual transformation.

LESSON

Spiritual transformation changes the way we feel. That is an amazing statement. It is one that can appear to be unbelievable. You may believe that it is possible to change your mind about something, but how can a person change how he or she feels? What we are learning is that this change does not come directly--I can't just say, "I am not going to feel angry anymore." Instead it is an effect of transformation. Transformation of our heart, and of the ideas and images that dominate our thinking will lead to a transformation of feeling.

Using our method of Vision, Intent and Means, today we are looking at the first step in the process--Vision. What kind of feelings will dominate your life and my life as we become more and more transformed into the likeness of Christ?

First we will develop several settled inner conditions of our life that will produce positive feelings associated with love, joy, peace etc...

The first example is hope. Hope is looking forward to a good that I can't see now, but I know will be there.
Next is faith. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark. Faith is the confidence that we have in God. It is grounded in reality. It is based upon what God has said and done. When we have faith we move forward with confidence, not because of what we see in our circumstances, but because of our confidence in God.
We will also live in grace. Grace is what God does for us. Grace is God reaching out to love, forgive, protect, provide, lead and to just be there with us. It is living in this state of grace that gives us the freedom from bondage to sin and all that is associated with it.
When we walk in the grace of God, we are able to live a life of love. We no longer have to walk in judgment or self-protection because we are secure in our relationship with God. To love something or someone is not the same as desire. Desire wants something for itself. The love of Christ is relational. His love desires good for someone else.
As our lives become more and more dominated by hope, faith, grace and love, pride and fear will lose their power over us. As a result the feelings associated with living in pride and fear will lose their dominance in our lives.

GOAL

To grab hold of a vision of life filled with the Spirit of God. A life that is dominated by hope, faith, grace and love.

ACTIVITY

Read and think about the life of Moses. What must if have been like to be a man who could stand before the most powerful man on earth (Pharaoh), and boldly proclaim God's word-"Let my people go." Ask God to give you the humility and faith that Moses had so that you to can have a peace and an assurance in the grace and power of God that you no longer have to fear people or circumstances.

Day 29 The Power of the "Mood"

2009-01-29T15:10:00.004-05:00

This week, in our study of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, we are focusing on the how feelings are a part of our spiritual formation. To grow in Christ we must bring even our feelings under the control of the Holy Spirit. At first this may seem like an absolutely impossible task! Well, take heart. You are not at the mercy of your feelings. We have often been trained to be led by our feelings, but we do not have to be led by our feelings.

LESSON

People are overwhelmed in today's society. There are so many things coming at us from all differenct directions that many times we just don't know what to do. So we often abandon ourselves to our feelings. "If it feels good do it." "It must be right because I have this "peace" about it." "I can't do that because I have an uneasy feeling about it."

Because of the power of our feelings, it is easy to confuse feelings with our will. One "idea" that has helped me in understanding feelings is to think of them like indicator lights in your car. When a light lights up, it is telling you something. Sometimes you immediately know what it means, for example your bright light indicator or the change oil soon light. Sometimes you have no idea what it means--"check engine soon." In those cases you can ignore it, or you can go and have a mechanic do a reading and find out what is going on under the hood.

Feelings are like that. They tell us that something is happening. It may be something fun and exciting. It may be a positive feeling that draws you toward something or a negative feeling that pushes you away from something. In spiritual formation we want to be able to evaluate feelings and determine what is driving them. What is going on under the hood. What idea, image or experience is causing me to feel the way way I do in response to a person or a circumstance.

When it comes to harmful or destructive feelings that would lead us into sin, we do not want to ignore, deny or repress them, we want to replace them or place them in their proper place. Many feelings and desires are good and legitmate, but they are not good if they are controlling our behavior.

GOAL

Begin or continue to fill your heart and life with love, joy, peace etc... These are godly, life-giving conditions that we can live in more and more through our faith and hope in God. When we understand that we are loved, forgiven, and accepted. When we have a purpose and a realy solid and secure hope for the future, God will produce in us new feelings and moods that will replace or subordinate others.

ACTIVITY

What is a feeling that you have that really bothers you? Begin asking God to help you replace it our subordinate it to its proper place in your life. What ideas, images or experiences maintain and cultivate that feeling in your life. Pray and ask God to show you scriptures to memorize, things to meditate on and activities to engage in that will place new ideas and images in your mind that will bring about positive feelings and the ability to use your reason and your will to properly evaluate and respond to the harmul influence of feelings that are controlling you.

A feeling is not necessarily good or bad because it is positive or negative. The issue is one of control. Are your feelings controlling you? Or are you able to step back and take a look at your feelings, analyze them and respond from a renovated heart under God.

Day 28 Hidden Dynamics of Feeling

2009-01-28T22:03:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 28 as we continue our study of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. I am late getting this out today, because our internet is out at the church. Today we are looking at some of the hidden forces that operate in our feelings.

Lesson

1. Beneath our feelings are underlying conditions that we often call feelings. An underlying condition is not the same as a sensation (feeling). Instead it is a settled state or condition in which we live. Examples of these conditions are: peace, love, hatred, contempt, hurry, peace, self-esteem, discouragement, cynicism etc...

In trying to deal with our feelings a problem arises when we confuse the underlying condition with the feelings that go along with that condition. We try to manage the feelings and we disregard or deny the reality of the condition that is producing those feelings. Transformation requires that we identify and deal with the underlying conditions within us.

An example of a positive underlying condition is an inner state of cynicism. We may get to a point where we can exercise some control over the feelings that accompany cynicism (negativity, anger, contempt) but if we do not deal with the root condition we will live in a constant struggle with the feelings that it produces.

2. Feelings can take over a person to the point where they can no longer be reasoned with. The feelings dominate to the point where their minds become servants of their feelings. They then use their reasoning to defend and justify feelings.

3. the only way to successfully reason with feelings is to develop the habit and the grace of listening. To do this one must learn to:

a. Identify feelings
b. Be able to evaluate them critically
c. Be able to step away and look at the feelings from a distance.
d. Develop the ability to listen to reason, so that one no longer believes that the feeling must be satisfied.

GOAL

To identify underlying conditions that reside within you. these include things such as: peace, love, hatred, contempt, hurry, peace, self-esteem, discouragement, cynicism etc...

EXERCISE

Take time to think about yourself. What is a positive condition that resides in you and produces good feelings? What is a negative condition that resides in you and produces bad feelings? Step back and think about the condition. Where did it come from? How did it develop? Ask God to work in your life to develop a healthy and helpful underlying condition to replace the harmful one. Again, this is a step by step process that requires you to receive God's grace, deny self, fill your mind with helpful ideas and images, and learn to think in a critical, yet constructive manner.

Day 27 Mastered by Feelings

2009-01-27T15:32:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 27 of our study in spriritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. In our study we are examining each of six aspects of the self (thought, feeling, choice, body, social context and soul). We have just finished looking at our thoughts and how they govern our lives over the past few days. For the next few days we will be looking at our feelings.

LESSON

Our feelings master us when we think that they must be satsfied. When we honor our feelings by giving into them, there is a real sense in which self is God. Feelings are one of those things that are often beyond questioning or challenging. It is like they have a life of their own and their place and influence in our lives cannot be removed. Sometimes we may try to resist certain feelings, but when feelings rule, there is not a willingness or a strategy for replacing them. Changing our feelings, will in many ways change us at a very deep and personal level. Sometimes we closely identify who we are with our feelings. A new vision of life in Christ leads us to increasingly identify ourselves as Christ's followers--first and foremost.

GOAL

To begin or continue in the process of being freed from the mastery of feelings. We want to move to a settled and secure trust in Jesus Christ that will enable us to come to a place where our feelings or desires no longer have to be satisfied. It will be the Spirit at work in our spirit that will move us beyond merely trying to resist feelings. The Spirit will develop within us new feelings and desires. While feelings of the flesh or the old self, are still there, they will not have the same mastery over us that they had before.

ACTIVITY

Since feelings are so powerful and pervasive in our lives we cannot simpy resist them or redirict them in the moment that they rise up within us. It is futile to simply think that when an event happens, I'll simply decide not to respond with a certain feeling.

Today we begin this stage of the process of spiritual transformation by seeking to develop a longing and desire to simply be a follower of Jesus. Read Colossians 3:1-17. Ask God to show you things that need to change in your own life as you put off the old self and put on the new. Transformation is a step-by-step process. If we want to be changed we must have a vision and a belief that change is possible. We must aslo decide to pursue it and develop practices, thinking, relationships and a lifestyle through which we cooperate with the work that God is doing in us.

Day 26 God's Thoughts in You

2009-01-26T13:34:00.004-05:00

It's Monday the beginning of our fourth full week in pursuing spiritual transformation using the study, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today's lesson while straightforward and simple, will require time, energy and effort.

LESSON

We need to nourish our minds with good and godly ideas, images and information, while continually learning how to think. We do not transform our minds by will alone. We must feed our minds on the Word of God.

GOAL

Memorize a passage of scripture.

ACTIVITY

Select a passage of scripture to memorize. Do not just memorize one verse, memorize a section of scripture. Jan Johnson suggests 1 Corinthians 13 (the whole chapter) or 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (as a starter). Another recommended passage is Colossians 3:1-17. There are many great passages of scripture. Select on of your favorites and begin committing it memory through repetition, focus, and understanding. Do not just memorize it as an exercise in memorizing. Memorize it as a practice that will help you know, understand and be filled with God's word.

Day 25: Crucial Role of Good Thinking

2009-01-24T22:29:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 25 of our working to become more like Jesus Christ using the study guide, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Sometimes Christians have seemed to be opposed to academics, logic and rigorous thinking. Dallas Willard today tells us that this type of prejudice is not biblical.

LESSON

We are to love God with all of our mind (Mark 12:30). Willard says, "The prospering of God's cause on earth depends upon his people thinking well" (p.77). Why would this be? Because that is the way God has designed it. God has given his revelation to us through the words of scripture. God speaks to us through our minds. His Word allows us to think straight. "Crooked thinking unintentional or not, always favors evil" (p. 77).

So often our thinking is determined by people and culture in ways that we are not even aware. Willard describes how much of the church's downplaying of good thinking is rooted in the philosophy of David Hume (1711-1776) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). We assume that our ideas are solely our own. But, ideas do not develop in a vacuum. We learn how to think from the culture in which we are raised.

The key to good thinking is the mind dwelling upon God and his word. This informs our minds with truth and leads us inevitable to a truer understanding of God, which leads us to worship.

GOAL

Commit ourselves to worship that is informed by good biblical thinking.

ACTIVITY

Reflect upon your thinking about God. Does your study of God's word lead you to worship? Read a passage from the prophets of the Old Testament to see how they describe God. Try Isaiah chapters 40 and 41. As you slowly study and reflect upon God's work, ask God to help you have a true and more complete understanding of who he is.

Day 24 Information and the Ability to Think

2009-01-24T12:59:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 24 of our continuing pursuit of spiritual transformation using the daily devotional guide, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We are continuing to look at the role of our mind in spiritual formation.

LESSON

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...A people without understanding comes to ruin" (Hosea 4:6,14 NRSV). God is not talking about just any knowledge, but the knowledge and understanding of him (4:1). Knowing and understanding God is the foundation on which we build other knowledge. It is the lens through which we accurately perceive the world around us.

An absolutely essential element of spiritual formation is knowledge--accurate knowledge of God that God has revealed to us. This doesn't come naturally. Most of the information that we receive in day-to-day life is not filtered through a biblical worldview, much less consists of actual revelation from God.

A major theme in Jesus' teaching was to repudiate the false information, ideas and images that people had about God. We have truth! We have revelation from God! This is awesome. One excuse that many people use for not reading scripture or other books that would help them to grow spiritually is--"its too hard." "I read it and I did not understand it." Willard tells us in today's reading that, "We must apply thinking to the Word of God. We must thoughtfully take it in, dwell upon it, ponder its meaning, and explore its implications, especially as it relates to our own lives" (p.74).

When I read--I read, reread and reread. I underline, circle, highlight outline, and make notes etc... Learning takes study; it takes work. If I could just skim through something and take it all in--it would be something that I already know. For the Word of God to change me, I must be actively engaged in what I am reading. I do not simply read through a passage of scripture one time and know it, understand it, and effectively apply it to my life. I have to look at the context and the meaning of words. I have to determine the main points of the passage. I ask, "who was it written to? What was going on with those to whom the author was speaking? etc..."

I read and listen to what others have learned from the passage, in order to have checks and balances on my own ideas and interpretations.

GOAL

To commit myself to read, dwell upon, ponder and explore God's Word.

ACTIVITY

Ponder Colossians 3:1-4. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you ask yourself questions like:

What would it look like to set my heart (will, spirit) on things above? What things above?
What would it look like to set my mind (ideas, images, information) on things above? What things above?
What in the world does being "hidden with Christ in God" mean? (Use a concordance to look up verses that contain the phrase, "in Christ." Why might that be something I'd would want?
"Appears" is also translated "is revealed" (NRSV). Consider what Christ being revealed in (or to you in) in your daily life would mean about your spiritual formation.

Take time to pray about this verse and what God is saying to you and doing in your life. Ask God to use your time of study and meditation to renew your mind so that more and more you will have the mind of Christ.

Day 23 Images: Ideas Pictured

2009-01-23T12:42:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 23 of our study in spiritual formation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson.

LESSON

Today we are looking at the power of images, a concrete and specific way in which ideas are known. Images convey powerful ideas and invoke deep emotion. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (ESV). It is not that their minds have to be blinded, but that they are inevitably blinded because or their sin and disbelief in God as God.

The mind is blinded by ideas and images. When an individuals eyes are opened then he or she can see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ. The person can see the revelation or manifestation of God in Jesus who is the image of God.

In everyday life we are fascinated, mesmerized, thrilled, saddened, manipulated and more by images. Images can be very dangerous when they lead us to drop our guard and miss the lies and dangers behind the images.

Images are powerful. As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Willard talks about how "hair" is a powerful image (long hair, short, skinhead, purple etc...). When we see a particular hairstyle we automatically associate it with particular ideas. These may be true or untrue. The ideas may be objective or prejudiced, but they are powerful and they exert great influence on how we think, speak and act.

Images are not innately bad. There are bad images; there are good images; there are images that can be used for good or bad depending on the context and message they communicate.

GOAL

To become more aware of the influence that images have in our lives. To develop a better image of God.

ACTIVITY

The most important image in our minds is our image of God. We all know the "church" answers of what is God like, but often we instinctively have another view of God. He is distant and far off. He is like Santa Clause. He is a warm fuzzy. He is a harsh task master. While God is multi-faceted, idolatry is to create an image of God in the image of man or some other aspect of creation.

Take some time to look at biblical passages that describe God and Jesus Christ. Many reference works and study Bibles have lists of the names of God and of Jesus. Studying the names and descriptions of God in scripture will help us to have a more accurate image of the one true God.

Day 22 Ideas: From Dark to Light

2009-01-22T16:45:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone! Welcome to Day 22 of our ongoing study in spiritual transformation using Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice.

LESSON

We are currently examining the role of thoughts in our spiritual formation. Today we are looking at ideas. Our lesson is entitled, Ideas: From Dark to Light, because we are often in the dark when it comes to the ideas that govern our lives. Many people assume that they freely choose what they do in their lives. What we are seeing through our study is that all of the aspects of our lives influence how we act--not simply our will.

Historians and others who study culture can show how the idea of philosophers and educators in previous generations will determine the ideas of people, not only in their own generation, but most often in the generation(s) that follow. Many of our most influential leaders in the media, the arts, the business world and government come out of a relatively small group of educational institutions. The authors, leaders and teachers who are in the schools and promoted by these schools and groups have enormous influence on the ideas that are communicated through songs, movies and television shows. They influence the principles, priorities and goals behind legislation and governing.

While they have very deep and widespread influence that helps to determine the ideas that the average person holds, the average person is often not aware of where their ideas came from. The Bible says that we must be changed by the renewing of our minds. That is we must exchange worldly ideas and values with the godly ideas and values that are taught in scripture and were lived out in the life of Christ and his followers.

GOAL

To become more aware of ideas that fill our minds and influence our behaviors, so that we can replace the idea systems that are contrary to God and his will with the ideas of God--his nature, character, purpose and activity.

ACTIVITY

Pray and spend some time asking God to help you become more aware of your core ideas. The basic and fundamental ideas that guide your life. Ask God to help you know the difference between the ideas that come from him, and the ideas that lead you away from him and his purposes in your life.

Think about the last time you did something and after doing it you felt convicted that it was not the right thing to do. What ideas in your mind influenced you to do what you did?

Ask God to renew your mind through his word, through your prayer, meditation and scripture memory. Ask him to help you to develop a relationship with another believer that you can talk with about these types of things in an open and constructive way.

Day 21 Our First Freedom

2009-01-21T11:40:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 21 of our study, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. So far we have looked at the following:

Vision of life in the Kingdom of God
The centrality of the heart in transformation
The 6 aspects of the self
The essential foundation of "death to self" for transformation

From here we are going to look in more detail at the transformation of process by examining each of the six basic aspects of human life (thought, feeling, choice, body, social context and soul). While we will look at each one separately, none is independent of the other. Each aspect influences the other aspects.

Before we get into more details, let's remember what the overall purpose of spiritual formation is "to bring every element of our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God and the kingdom of God" (Dallas Willard).

This is not something that we can achieve on our own, we do so by God's grace. "The greatest saints are not those who need less grace, but those who consume the most grace, who indeed are most in need of grace--those who are saturated by grace in every dimension of their being. Grace to them is like breath" (Dallas Willard).

We do not proceed with formulas that allow us to live independently of God. We go forward with a relentless seeking to know Christ and to progressively grow to become more and more like Christ in all aspects of our lives. We want to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength, and we want to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

LESSON

We begin today by looking at our thoughts. "The ultimate freedom we have as human beings is the power to select what we will allow our mind to dwell upon" (p.66). God speaks to us through his word. It comes through our bodies (eyes, ears, hands) and into our mind. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to speak to our will through our thoughts.

Because God speaks to us we have the opportunity to think in ways that will lead to spiritual transformation. Apart from God's word and the work of his Spirit, our thoughts lead us away from Christ-likeness instead of towards it. As our minds are transformed (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5), then we will be able to walk through life and respond to life with thoughts that are in harmony with the truth that we know about God and his activity in this world.

Paul's exhortation in Philippians 4:4-9 can become our new "normal" way of thinking.

GOAL

To realize that we can make choices about thoughts that we will dwell on in our minds.

ACTIVITY

Spend time being conscious of your thoughts. What do you tell yourself as the day goes by? What thoughts come to mind when you are assigned a task or in an emergency? What do you think when someone praises you or criticizes you? What do you tell yourself when things don't go the way you wanted them to?

Don't beat yourself up for not having perfect thoughts. The reason that we are doing this study is because we don't have perfect thoughts. Our goal is to bring our thought life into harmony with the reality, character and activity of God. Our "missing the mark" is the reason that we need to practice the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading, meditation, scripture memory, and focus on others rather than self. Through training empowered by God's presence and grace our minds really can be changed!

Day 20

2009-01-20T00:05:00.002-05:00

Hello! Today is Day 20 of our Renovation of the Heart study. We are about a third of the way through this study. We have covered some very deep and fundamental teachings that are vital to spiritual transformation. I have really enjoyed reading Dallas Willard and gaining a much deeper understanding of what life in Christ is like in real day-to-day living. I am glad that you have joined me in this exercise and I want to encourage you to stick with it, and allow God to work in your heart and life day by day as you study, meditate and put into practice these teachings on spiritual transformation.

LESSON

Once we have a vision and an intention to see it fulfilled we need to have a plan. How will we accomplish our vision of a full life in Christ? What is the means? "Means" is the "how-to" of spiritual formation. Jesus was a very generous man. He lived and died, not only for those who loved him, but also for his enemies. How could we come to the point that we could be generous, from the heart, with someone who has wronged us? How can we respond with love and humility, rather than pride and malice (desire to do harm)?

We begin by identifying the thoughts, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, values, relationships and inclinations that prevent us from responding in a Christ-like way. There are many factors that drive our responses to people and circumstances in life. Dallas Willard says in his book, Renovation of the Heart, "And, truthfully, it is very likely that little can be done in the moment of need to help one do the good thing that Jesus commands" (p.90). He goes on to say,

"I will not be able "on the spot" to do the good thing if my inner being is filled with all the thoughts, feelings, and habits that characterize the ruined soul and its world. Rather, if I intend to obey Jesus Christ, I must intend and decide to become the kind of person who would obey" (p.90).

In order to be prepared for the moment of need, we must train "off the spot." We retrain our thinking, emotional responses, and habits and reorder our social relationships so that we can respond with the good that Jesus intends, in the moment. We do this by the grace of God, through the teachings of Jesus, the scriptures and studying or sharing in the lives of other believers who have experienced genuine transformation.

We do this through activities called, spiritual disciplines: study, mediation, self-sacrifice, acts of service, prayer, frugality, and more. In the coming weeks we will be looking in depth at the different aspects of the self and how they can be transformed by Christ.

GOAL

To embrace the means modeled by Jesus Christ and Christians throughout history that are a necessary part of living life to it fullest and taking on the character of Christ more and more in our own lives.

ACTIVITY

Ask God to show you a spiritual discipline that you can practice. Something that you can do when you are not "in the moment" to prepare and form yourself to be more like Christ, so that more and more when you are "in the moment," you can respond like Jesus would respond.

Day 19 VIM: Intention

2009-01-19T11:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 19 of our journey into spiritual transformation using Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson's book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. Yesterday we began looking at the general pattern to follow for transformation. Willard uses the acronym, VIM. The word, "vim," comes from the Latin word, "vis," strength, force, vigor, power or energy. "OneLook," an online dictionary, defines, "vim," as "a healthy capacity for vigorous activity."

Spiritual transformation is both being and doing. It begins with being in Christ, being a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4, 1 John 3:1-2). This is something that we receive by grace through faith. It continues as we obey Christ. As one who trusts Christ and is in Christ, we join with God in his kingdom work. Jesus who was in a perfect relationship with the father, spoke and acted in harmony with the father in the work of the kingdom.

LESSON

The first letter of VIM stands for Vision. We must have a vision from God of life in the kingdom of God for both time and eternity. The second letter of VIM stands for Intention. We must not only have a vision for real spiritual change and growth. We must also intend to grow spiritually. Growth in Christ doesn't just happen. We don't become spiritually mature by accident of by coercion by another person. Jesus makes it possible for us to intend to live as he lived. We can decide to do that. It begins with faith and trust in him. If we truly trust him then we will have a desire to obey him. Obedience is what trust looks like in our daily lives. Along with intention comes decision. When we intend to obey Jesus, we must then make an actual decision to do so. It is more than a desire, a profession, or a "belief" in certain facts.

GOAL

To fully intend and decide to pursue spiritual transformation

ACTIVITY

Examine what types of things may have blocked you intention to grow in Christ to maturity, or prevented you from having an intention at all.

Lack of a real vision of life in Christ based upon the life and teachings of Jesus.
A lack of belief or trust in Jesus Christ.
Not believing that we must live the way Jesus lived (1 John 2:6).
Having faith that is only affirming certain doctrines or teachings as true, and not a faith that is characterized by daily trust in Christ which always brings about obedience.
You have only done just enough to get by.
You thought that spiritual formation was something that God would just do if you believed in Jesus and attended church when it was convenient.
You have been so focused on accepting yourself as you are, that you have never really set out on a path for change.

Pray about this and ask God to help you do what you need to do today in order to overcome the obstacles to having an intention or on following through with your intention to grow to maturity in Christ.

Day 18 VIM: Vision of Life in the Kingdom

2009-01-18T14:50:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 18 of our experiments in spiritual transformation using the devotional guide, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Yesterday we were introduced to a general plan to follow in seeking spiritual transformation. Willard calls it VIM--Vision, Intention, Means. Today we are highlighting the first step and that is vision. What do we need a vision of, if we are to experience a renovation of our hearts and lives?

LESSON

The vision that Jesus Christ set forth was a vision of the Kingdom of God. "The kingdom of God is the range of God's effective will, where what God wants done is done" (p.57). Jesus Christ began his ministry preaching the coming of the kingdom of God. He taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Jesus also revealed the kingdom of God through his life, his teaching, his healing, miracles and casting out of demons. When we come to Christ, we are coming to the king and entering into the kingdom of God. We become his ambassadors or representatives here on earth.

GOAL

To develop a deeper understanding, passion and experience of the kingdom of God.

ACTIVITY

Read the first four chapters of a gospel focusing on the kingdom of God. How was it made known? What did Jesus say about it? How did Jesus live as one from the kingdom of God? Think about, pray about, dream about the kingdom of God. Say yes to Jesus' invitation to the kingdom. Affirm that he is the king and you serve him, not merely as a servant, but as a friend (John 15:12-15).

Day 17 What Is Our Plan?

2009-01-17T10:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 17 our study in spiritual transformation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. So far we have looked at the possibilities of living life in the the Kingdom of God here and now; we have studied the 6 aspects of the human self, and we have uncovered the underlying cause behind our dysfunction and corruption, i.e. self-worship. To be transformed we must actively receive the grace of God that transforms our hearts into Christ-likeness.

LESSON

Today the authors discussed the failures of Christians. This is often most evident in our leaders. Even though a Christian can exercise great leadership, motivation and teaching skills, that individual can still be not be Christ-like in their inner self. This is the result of trying to change the outside (our words and actions), without changing the inside (our hearts). In our reading Dallas Willard discussed a situation where a prominent Christian leader blew up in anger when someone questioned him. After the outburst the individual who asked the question was rebuked for questioning the leader.

In another illustration in the original book, Renovation of the Heart, Willard tells about a pastor who lashes out at a member without realizing that his microphone is on. That pastor is soon "called by the Lord" to another church. But how is his character going to be any different in another church?

How do we change? What can we do in response to God's transforming work in our hearts? Willard wants us to learn a general pattern of change that is essential to transformation. He calls it VIM: Vision, Intention, Means.

For the leader in question, rather than simply regretting his outburst or affirming his use of anger to quell questioning, he could be changed by going through a process that might look something like this:

VISION: To be the kind of leader who is comfortable with questions, realizing that they can actually help him to become a more effective leader. He envisions leading in such a way that he does not feel threatened when he doesn't get his way.
INTENTION: Through his trust and reliance on Jesus Christ, he can affirm that real change is possible and he can make the decision to change step by step by the grace of God.
MEANS: He could meet with some fellow believers who love him and with a vision to unite together in praying and working towards transformation set up some simple disciplines (habits or activities) that will help him to stop managing his world with anger.

ACTIVITY

What are some things that you would like to see changed in yourself? What changes in your habits, responses, etc... would help you to become more like Christ? What do these tell you about your inner self? What has been the result of these characteristics operating in your life? For yourself? For others? Talk to God about the kind of person that you want to be in your heart. Ask him to work in your life through the remainder of this study and beyond to transform these areas of your life into Christ-likeness.

Day 16 Standing for the Right Without Egotism

2009-01-16T14:58:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 16 of our readings and exercises using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. We have come a good way so far in laying the foundation for our understanding and growth through spiritual transformation. We began by examining the incredible promises in scripture of life in the Kingdom of God now! We continued by showing how this can never be realized merely by external changes in behavior or mental assent to certain beliefs.

It takes a radical transformation of the heart. From a transformed heart living under God the rest of the aspects of who we are (thoughts, feelings, character, body, relationships and soul) can be brought into harmony with the life of Christ within us.

During the last few days we have been looking at two important requirements for transformation, and the greatest obstacle to transformation. One requirement is to understand the ruined state of or our lives apart from God. God doesn't offer us a better life (i.e. an improvement on what we have), but a new kind of life in Christ. The second requirement is death to self, and the great obstacle to transformation is self-centeredness.

Today we are examining the difficulty of distinguishing between "my will" and "God's will."

LESSON

It is very easy for us to "confuse our renovated heart's desire for what is good and right with our fleshly desire to have our own way" (p.52). An essential step in being able to distinguish between the two is death to self. How do we know when we have died to self? One of the best ways to know that we are on the right track is that we no longer get upset when we don't get our way. There are still many things that will stir up emotion in our lives, but "getting my way" will not be one of them as we die to self.

It is the priority of getting one's own way, and watching out for oneself that is "root and source of the greater part of human evil in our world" (p.52). Taking this important step of self-denial will free you from the tendencies to burst out in anger, say things your regret, harbor grudges, and seek revenge.

The only way to truly be able to die to self is to fully place your confidence (trust/assurance/security) in Jesus Christ. That is one of the reasons we have been meditating on Psalm 23 for the past couple of days. We must understand and receive the love, provision protection and presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. We cannot really believe that whoever loses his live will save it (John 12:24-25), unless we have truly come to trust and rest in the love, grace and presence of God in our lives through his Son and Spirit.

GOAL

To identify the ways in which I put self first in my relationships with God and others. To begin moving away from self-centeredness by asking God to give me the grace to change my responses in these situations and relationships as I know his loving presence in my life, and as I pray now for the situations and relationships that bring out the self-centeredness in me.

ACTIVITY

Identify the situations, places, events, and people in your life who tend to bring out the strongest need to promote or protect yourself. Does this usually happen at home, work, school, church or out in the marketplace? What sets off the self-protection/promotion? Is it when someone disagrees with you? Is it when someone says you are wrong? Is it when someone does not give you the recognition you think you deserve? Is it when someone else tells you what to do? Is it when you fear that you not going to get something you want?

Take time to pray about those situations and relationships right now, when you are not in the middle of them. Ask God to work in your heart, thoughts, feelings, and reactions so that you are not controlled by the need to defend and promote yourself.

Ask God to enable you to let go of past hurts. Ask him to help you reveal his love and presence to you through his word and the presence of his spirit in your life, so that you can more and more entrust your life to him. Ask God to help you let go of trying to control outcomes, and rest in the fact that he is in control and that he loves you deeply and has your best interests in mind.

Day 15 What "Death to Self" Looks Like

2009-01-15T14:19:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Day 15 of our continuing study of Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. Today we are looking at "death to self" from the standpoint of being controlled by how things effect me.

LESSONS

To die to self means that we are no longer dominated by "what we want when we want it."
When we are dead to self we will not be so sensitive and easily offended when some one ignores us, says something we don't like, doesn't give us the attention we think we deserve, ignores us or puts us down.
When we are dead to self we will not be so easily frustrated or angered by the discomforts of life.
When we are dead to self the outcomes are in God's hands, not ours. We trust that our loving Father will provide for us, protect us, and be present with us every step of the way in order to accomplish his purposes in our lives.
We will still be aware of things that effect the self, but we will not be controlled by them.

GOAL

To learn how to die to self and live in Christ so that how people treat us and how life treats us, does not control how we act.

ACTIVITY

Read and think carefully about Psalm 23:4-6. Meditating on scripture is a spiritual discipline through which God will work to change us. Talk to yourself and pray to God about being able to trust in him to such an extent that you no longer have to make "watching out for #1" a priority in your life. Ask Jesus to help you learn to be content with him, and to trust him to provide what you need day to day.

Day 14 Foundation for Spiritual Formation

2009-01-14T12:37:00.003-05:00

Hello and welcome to Day 14 of our study from the daily devotional book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. People respond to a study like this in many different ways. Here are some examples of the ways people respond:

This is a great study.
This study is really convicting.
"__________" i.e. no response.
This study is very hard to read--I have to go back and read things again.
This study is too basic; I have already learned these things.
I have gone as far as I can go as a Christian, I can't change anymore.

Wow! Aren't the range of responses amazing? It shows that we are all at different places in our relationship with Christ. One thing about being in a church is that we are always in relationship with people who are at different places in their life with Christ. Everyone is not the same. The great thing about God, is that in the midst of this variety he can speak to each of us where we are and lead us to the next level of life in the Kingdom of God. That is my desire and prayer for you--that through this study God will take you to the next level of your life in his Kingdom.

Remember that receiving the promises of Jesus Christ and the life we can live in relationship with him is worth far more than anything that we must do to know and walk with him day by day in a growing and life-transforming relationship. As 19 year olds Alex and Brett Harris say in there book by the same title, "Do Hard Things!"

Today we are examining an essential foundation to spiritual formation, and the greatest impediment to spiritual formation.

TRUTH

The greatest impediment to spiritual formation is putting self first. The essential foundation to spiritual formation is death to self. Jesus said it like this, ""If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).

In our previous discussions and readings we have looked at the six aspects of the self. The core of who we are is our inner being(will/heart/spirit). As a believer who has been born into the family of God our spirit is in agreement with the will of Christ, but in another aspects of ourselves, the flesh or sin fights against the will of Christ which we embrace in our inner being.

When we lose our own lives as Jesus taught (Matthew 10:39), we are not rejecting the new person that we are in Christ. We are dying to the old self that still influences our thoughts, feelings, actions and relationships. Through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our lives we deny the domination of this old self that has controlled our lives in the past. As we follow Christ, practice spiritual disciplines, love God and love others the old self has less and less influence in our lives. It is not that we are constantly struggling with two equal, but opposite forces. One force is being replaced by another. While in this mortal life we will never be "perfect," Christ does call us to grow to maturity where the overall characteristic of our lives is a life lived according to the Spirit of Christ.

Jesus mentions this in Matthew 26:41 and Paul discusses it in Romans 7:22-23. Paul says, "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." He then goes on in chapter 8 to say that he has been delivered through the Spirit and he now lives his life not "according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (8:4 ESV).

GOAL

To deny self, i.e. I will live for Christ and not for self. I make his kingdom and his righteous purposes the first priority in my life. Because Christ rules my heart I am progressively bringing my thoughts, feelings, words, actions, relationships etc... into harmony with the life of Christ in me.

ACTION

To find true contentment and satisfaction in Christ, our shepherd, by reading, mediating and praying through Psalm 23:1-3. I commit myself to the care and guidance of Jesus Christ. I no longer have to worry about or manage things that are beyond my control. I no longer have to put self first, trying to promote myself, protect myself and indulge myself.

Day 13 Wanting That Different Kind of Life

2009-01-13T09:36:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Day 13 of our 61 day journey in spiritual transformation using the book, Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice, by Dallas Willard and Jan Johnson. After setting forth a vision for life in the Kingdom of God and explaining the essential need of heart transformation, we took an overview of the different aspects of the self--heart/will/spirit, thoughts, feelings, body, social relationships and soul. Beginning with day 10 we have been studying about the human state of lostness and ruin apart from God. Today we are focusing our our need for a new life, not just a better life.

TRUTH

"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins" Ephesians 2:1 (ESV). "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV). Spiritual transformation cannot come about by improving what we already have or are as individuals. Spiritual transformation requires a new life. This new life can only come from God. When we receive this new life from Christ, it is time to let go of all the old habits, thinking, and ways of relating that characterized the old life. The world living apart from Christ cannot be our model for living.

GOAL

To fully realize and accept the reality of our complete lostness apart from Christ (Isaiah 6:5).

ACTION

Read and meditate on Isaiah 6:1-8. Ask God to give you a fresh understanding of his absolute holiness. Confess your on hopelessness in trying to be a better person through building self-esteem, trying to look good, or acting good. If you have not recieved the forgiveness and cleansing of Jesus Christ through repentance and faith in him do so today. Confess to him your state of lostness in sin. By faith receive the forgiveness that he freely gives to all who place their lives in his hands through faith, believing that he died to pay the penalty for your sins and was raised from the dead conquering sin and death.

Day 12 The Soul's Lostness

2009-01-12T11:21:00.002-05:00

Often when we think of being lost, we immediately think of hell. Dallas Willard says into today's reading that "the condition of lostness is not the same as the outcome to which it leads" (p.40).

TRUTH

"We are not lost because we are going to wind up in the wrong place. We are going to wind up in the wrong place because we are lost" (p.40). Willard tells us to consider another way of thinking of our lostness--thinking of it in terms of our relationship to God. So instead of thinking, "I'm lost. I don't know how to get to where I want to go," think of being lost in our relationship with God. It doesn't mean that God doesn't know where we are, but that we no longer have the relationship with God that we are supposed to have. The cause of this as we saw on Day 12 is our self-obsession, our self-idolatry. When we turn away from God then we have no place for the true God in our lives. Willard says, "Wanting God to be God is very different from wanting God to help us."

GOAL

To want God to be God as revealed to us in scripture. To place our faith in Jesus Christ trusting our lives completely to him.

ACTION

Today's action is meditating on scripture. Meditate on the record in Matthew of Jesus' encounter with the centurian (a military commander of 100 men). Jesus responded to the centurian's faith by saying, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith" (Matthew 8:10). Take time to meditate on this passage, praying that God will give you faith like that of the centurian. Think about it from the perspective of each of the individuals in the encounter--the centurian, Jesus, the disciples, the crowds. Who is it that will fellowship with God and his people in the kingdom of heaven? Who will not be there?

Day 11 God Being God

2009-01-12T10:48:00.002-05:00

Good morning! I pray that you are beginning to experience more of the presence of Christ in your life as you take time to focus on him and what he is teaching you through our study. Yesterday at church some people talked to me about the difficulty they were having with some of the reading. They would read a chapter and not remember everything etc... I encouraged everyone to take their time; read slowly; focus on one thought at a time.

It is not a bad thing to have to reread something that is new to you. I reread and reread things all the time in my study. Once I have built up a certain level of knowledge and understanding on a subject, I can read faster and with greater retention. But, anytime I am reading something new, I usually have to read it multiple times to really understand it. So be encouraged; dig in; and reap the benefits of study and meditation.

TRUTH

"And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent" (John 17:3 ESV). God made us to have a personal relationship with him. The essence of sin is our turning away from God and turning to self as god. When we turn from God to self, then anything goes. We focus on self, especially our bodies to the neglect of our hearts.

Our bodies are a gift from God and our aim is to bring our bodies into harmony with our heart under God. But apart from God we tend to worship ourselves, especially our bodies and our emotions. We live for our bodies--seeking to stimulate, excite and bring pleasure and new experiences that will satisfy our cravings. The problem is that we are not satisfied and we continue down a path that leads further and further from God and deeper into the hopeless life apart from God.

GOAL

To fully accept that making myself god, will never work. God must be the one and only God in my life.

ACTION

Today's action is a spiritual discipline. Spiritual disciplines or habits are not an end in themselves. They are various means through which we develop ourselves in our relationship with God. Today you are encouraged to spend time in prayer using the method of Martin Luther called, Four Golden Strands. Since we are talking about God being God it is suggested that you begin with the first commandment, "You shall have no other Gods before me."

Strand 1: Apply the verse to yourself in as many ways as possible.
Strand 2: Make appropriate confessions to God based upon those applications.
Strand 3: Give thanks to God for anything related to the verse of scripture.
Strand 4: Offer requests to God related to that scripture.

Take as much time as you are able to carefully pray through this verse of scripture as well as the other commandments. Use a break at work, a walk, time driving in the car, skip a TV show or do whatever it takes to spend time in prayer today.

Day 10 Ruined Souls

2009-01-10T10:19:00.003-05:00

Today we are looking at another foundational truth that we must embrace if we are to experience the transformation that we are seeking.

TRUTH

The human self is ruined apart from God. The apostle Paul said, "There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God;" Romans 3:10b-11 (NASB). The Bible teaches that we only seek God and love God because he first seeks us and loves us (Philippians 2:13, 1 John 4:10).

GOAL

To recognize from our heart that we are the ones that Paul is speaking about. I am the one described. Accepting this is foundational to continuing on the pathway to real change into Christlikeness.

ACTION

Think of someone who displays the qualities of genuine purity and humility, death to selfishness, freedom from rage and depression and so on. This may very well be an overlooked Christian. Someone that many other people do not notice. They are not living like everyone else. Talk to that person if possible and ask them about what is most important to them in their lives.

Talk to God about your own self. When is it that you are most able to be Christ-like? By what means has God worked in your life to change your character? How do you want God to change you. Thank God that real change is possible through Jesus Christ.

Day 9 Possessing the Land

2009-01-09T15:22:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the Gator Nation on your National Championship victory last night. It was a great game and a great win!

TRUTH

The reformation of our lives is a process. It begins when we come to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith, receiving his forgiveness and entrusting our lives to him as our Lord (the one who has authority over our lives) and our Savior (the one who saves us from the slavery to sin and the death that results).

That is the beginning of our salvation and it has eternal consequences--we are born again/adopted into the family of God, and we will live in relationship with God (Father, Son and Spirit), along with all the people of God. This relationship begins in this life and continues throughout eternity.

As we live in relationship with God right now, God is working to reform us. To change us from how we have been formed or how we have developed in this world in the flesh apart from God, into a new person formed in the image and likeness of Christ.

The conquest of the Promise Land by Israel is a good illustration of how this works. God gave Israel the land. He miraculously opened the way by parting the Jordan River and bringing down the walls of Jericho, but they still had to take the land step by step, city by city, and battle by battle.

The same is true for us. We have miraculously been given a new life in Christ, but we still must go through the careful, intentional, step by step process of claiming in ourselves and in our lives all that God has promised. Jesus said to "make disciples" and to teach them to do all that he had commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). Paul said that it was him aim to present everyone mature in Christ, and that he would do this with Christ's energy and Christ powerfully worked in him. Becoming mature is a process.

You may wonder why does God want to invest so much work into these mortal bodies of ours? They are going to die. We are going to receive new immortal, glorified bodies like that of Jesus.

First, we don't begin our relationship with God at death. We begin it in this life. It is when we begin the relationship that we surrender to Christ and seek to love and please him in all that we do. Christ dwells in us right now, through the Holy Spirit. These mortal bodies also belong to Christ.
Second, we together with all other followers of Christ are the body of Christ on earth. We are to show Jesus to the rest of the world through our lives. God has chosen to reveal himself to the world through the church. The church is not a building but a body of redeemed people who are being changed to become more and more like Christ in order to share with the world the message and mission of Christ. We show others the love, goodness, glory and righteousness of Christ through our lives together as believers.

GOAL

To commit ourselves to the process of being formed into Christ-likeness as an expression of our love for God and our love for others.

ACTION

Talk with God about this process of transformation. What are your fears? What are your doubts? Do you believe you can really change in this life? Think about Jesus Christ and the ways that you can become more like him. Ask God to give you the grace and the faith to believe that you can be transformed into the likeness of Christ. Thank God that he is with you, in you and empowering you as you begin this next step in the renovation of your heart and life.