It’s “Black” Friday (designed to put business in the black, Nancy informs me), and not a store to be seen. We are sitting in the sunlight down at the beach enjoying our camping Thanksgiving. Now, where is that Key Lime pie? Time for a “pie” breakfast…
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"And as God's grace brings more and more people to Christ, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory." (2 Corinthians 4:15)
Sociologists speak of the era we live in as "post-Christian," but I would differ with the term. If you mean a time in Western civilization where the Church dominated society and it was like "Big Brother" is watching, then their right. The Church is no longer watchdog in the West, and that is just as well. You can't follow the ways of Jesus without the Holy Spirit working through you. To expect those not Spirit-filled to be Christlike is a losing proposition. It is only when we are connected to our Father through Jesus that we are capable of living like Jesus would live if he were us. When more and more Christians start really living like Jesus then we will see more and more evidence of God's power to heal and save.Posted via email from how to be a christian without being a jerk!
Sermon 15 November 2009.mp3 (4335 KB)
We face all of life as a family when we are in the family of God
We have spent over four months examining a vision of what it can mean to be live a transformed life. As we have the intention to make our renovation a reality, we have been given the means to follow through.
Dallas Willard and Randy Frazee have connected us to God’s path of transformation as recorded in the Bible. Neither the authors or God himself can force us to take that path. We will not see transformation without it.
If you have been following the progression of change of the five parts of who you are, you are well on your way. If you haven’t begun yet, you are invited to return to July 15th in this blog and begin again.
God’s desire for you since before the beginning of time is that you would come to him in complete transparency and say, as in the song,
Change Me On The Inside
Just like King David I cry out to You
Create in me a clean heart
I've grieved You again I need Your release
From patterns that keep me in sin
But there's only one way I can finally break free
Change me on the inside…
CCLI Song No. 2956367
© 2000 Vineyard Songs Canada (Admin. by Music Services)
Brian Doerksen
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person of peace 08 November 2009.mp3 (9407 KB)
Jesus gives a framework for how we connect others to him
Followership 01 November 2009.mp3 (7400 KB)
Leadership is only part of the picture. Learning to follow…
The essence of the transformed life. Where God's Word is taken in to your very soul and becomes a way of life.
It is not as if the Bible is one of many sources for all that is necessary to lead a healthy and complete existence fully immersed in the reality of God's Kingdom. It always fascinates me when even the most conscientious person seeks other paths rather than the Bible as a source for living.
You will find that any truth out there that actually works has its source in the Bible. For example, the recovery movements like AA are based on biblical principles. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, biblical principles. The business books by Ken Blanchard and John Maxwell. Yes, even Dr. Phil.
I am not saying that all of these and other resources are 100% pure Bible, I am just saying that they have actually proven helpful in the long term. The only reason people make progress as a result of these writings is when the biblical principles are actually lived. That's the key.
Go to the Bible itself and actually try to follow one of its teachings. Dallas likes to say if you intentionally and honestly follow any one teaching, then Jesus will draw you to all that is necessary for you to come to confident faith in Jesus and begin to learn to have the faith of Jesus. Start anywhere. One teaching.
Have you actually tried to live one teaching? Have you actually incorporated this into your life? Until a conscious, obedient effort is made to let Jesus guide you in a specific arena of your life it doesn't make sense to say, "I can't," or "It won't work for me," or "I have already tried that." Really? Have you really been saturated by the way of Jesus?
One place to start pondering this process of soul transformation is to live in Psalm 119 for awhile. See the respect and integrity the Psalmist has for God's law as life-giving, not a hard set of rules to condemn us to a life of misery. Spend some time there and see what comes to mind.
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One of Dallas Willard’s key teachings is we are not in charge of outcomes. We partner with Jesus, arranging and rearranging our lives to learn from him and work with him any way possible, but leaving outcomes in his hands.
This is such a freeing way to look at life. Like the biblical parables of farming, we plant and wait.
No manipulation.
No, "Come on seed, get growing!"
Simply follow the faithful work Jesus is working through us and watch.
This takes a large dose of humility.
1 Peter 5:5-7 (NLT)
You younger men, accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for
"God sets himself against the proud,
but he shows favor to the humble."
[6] So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. [7] Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.
Dallas reflects on why so many pastors dread hospital visits. The reason? They pray with patients, but rarely do they see “healing.”
Dallas reminds us all, “You are not in charge of the outcomes.”
God is not doing great things in the world to make it possible for us to receive accolades. It’s not as if God starts his day saying,
This morning I am going to make sure that everyone knows how wonderful Dana is. I want all eyes on him. Let’s see, what can I do to make him look better? (I wish!)
It is enough to know God has me in mind at all. Yet, it is more than that. I know he does think I am precious, regardless of what others think. I know I am the “apple of his eye."
His confidence in me makes me want to give my life to him. Sinful as I am, it is in bits and pieces, but I am moving in his direction, yoked to Jesus.
How about it?
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Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)
Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.”
A yoke is a wooden harness that is used in agriculture to put two oxen together so they can work together pulling a load or plowing a field. The system works best when you take an experienced older ox and yoke him to an inexperienced younger. The younger ox learns to follow the lead of the older and the older teaches to share the load. After a while, the oxen work together as one.
Who would make a yoke? Carpenter? Interesting…
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