Tag: Beth Moore

Advance Part 5: Making Your Hardship Serve the Gospel

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Last summer one of my closest friends from high school passed away after battling cancer. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may recall a post I wrote about her last days called “Christians Never Have to Say Goodbye.”

I couldn’t help thinking about Kristi and her family as I heard Beth Moore share the final point of her ADVANCE acrostic:

E– Everything is redeemed if it serves the gospel

Beth’s main point was that we have the choice to use our hardships to advance the gospel and spread God’s kingdom on earth. I watched Kristi’s husband do this over the course of her brutal cancer treatments and her last days before going home to heaven. His regular posts on Caring Bridge not only updated friends and family about Kristi’s health condition, they also shared his faith journey with authenticity and boldness. It was impossible to read through a post without being pointed to the person of Jesus and to be reminded that true hope is found only in Him.

My friend’s husband exemplifies the idea of submitting something awful for the sake of the gospel. In the past year he has continued to write about his journey as he’s sorted through the grief of losing his wife and raising their four kids. He doesn’t sugar coat life as a single parent with sunny platitudes, but he does share the hope he continues to find through faith in Jesus.  Countless lives around the globe continue to be impacted by the truth he shares.

The Apostle Paul did something similar throughout his ministry. He took hardships he endured and used them to advance the gospel. Rather than focusing only on his “target audience,” he viewed anyone in his path as a perfect candidate for hearing the good news of Jesus. Even his guards and fellow inmates in prison benefitted from being near him. He rejoiced at the opportunity to share with these captive audiences.

“Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

In some cases, Paul’s faith was so evident in the midst of hardships that others were drawn to him even when he wasn’t focusing on them specifically:

“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household” (Acts 16:23-34).

Here are few thoughts based on these passages and Beth Moore’s teaching:

-We don’t always get to pick our circumstances, but we can choose how to respond to them

-We can trust God in the midst of a hardship and ask Him to reveal Himself and use it to advance His kingdom

-We can’t put boundaries around with whom, where or when we share the gospel; our “target audience” is anyone God puts in our path.

-When our focus is on God and we spend time with Him, our faith will naturally overflow to impact others

-It is biblical and honoring to God when we focus on Him in the midst of our hardships; this pleases Him and gives hope to others

I’m aware that these things are easy to write about, but much more challenging to put into practice. Still, what do you have to lose by praying a simple prayer like this: “God, use the hardship I’m facing right now to advance the gospel”?  Ask God to draw your attention to the ways He’s inviting you to advance the gospel in the midst of your difficulties.

Writing about Beth Moore’s teaching from the Living Proof Live event I attended has made it sink in so much more. I hope it’s been a blessing in your life and has inspired you while giving you practical tools to advance the gospel.

Here is the acrostic in its entirety:

A- A kingdom is coming

D- Dare to advance it

V- Vie fiercely in prayer

A- Add traction to your action

N- Never take a “no” from the devil

C- Cease the policing and the pacing

E- Everything is redeemed if it serves the gospel

*Special note to those planning to join Focused Living at CPC this fall: If you enjoyed reading about Paul and Silas in the Acts passage above, you are going to love our first study this fall on 1 & 2 Thessalonians by Beth Moore called Children of the Day.

If you’d like a great example of someone who is using his hardship to serve the gospel, visit Kristi’s husband’s blog at the link below.

http://www.bgoneb9bhealed.com/blog/

If you’re in the midst of a hardship right now, click on the link and be encouraged by Casting Crowns’ song “Praise You in the Storm”

Advance Part 4: Policing and Pacing

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My past three blogs have summarized and expanded on Beth Moore’s teaching at the “Living Proof Live” event I attended in Stockton, CA recently. So far, we’ve been examining the acrostic A-D-V-A-N-C-E that focuses on Philippians 1:12-30. My previous posts have highlighted the first five points:

 A– A Kingdom is coming

D– Dare to advance it

V– Vie fiercely in prayer

A– Add traction to your action

N– Never take a “no” from the devil

This post explores the two aspects of the next point:

C– Cease the policing and the pacing

This teaching is based on Philippians 1:15-18

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.

Policing

Beth focused on the tendency we have to question the motives of others and to decide who is sincere and who isn’t. She emphasized that it is God’s responsibility to figure people out, not ours. Sometimes we size people up to make sure they do spiritual things “our way” and we miss out on the new things we could be learning from them. We become so focused on our “brand” of Christianity and our little faith community that we can become ingrown.

Back in my college days I was involved in a vibrant campus ministry. It was biblically solid and intent on sharing the gospel with others. Every spring, this group encouraged the students to be part of its summer outreaches. I prayed about it each year, but felt led to serve in other ministries over the summer. Some of the students and leaders were disappointed by this and even questioned my spiritual maturity.

One fall when we returned for classes, a guy in the group approached me. He’d attended a Christian camp as a counselor with his home church and heard I’d served at another location of the same ministry. He was excited about the ways he’d seen God at work there and wanted to know more about my involvement with the camp. The suspicion with which he’d viewed me had ceased once he saw that the place I was serving was “legit.” He, and others like him, had been policing me and questioning my maturity because I was involved in a ministry they didn’t know. I was relieved when he recognized its worth, but also hurt that I’d been judged for so long.

If I’m honest, there are times when I’ve been on the other side of that equation. When I encounter a fellow believer who doesn’t know the same Christian buzzwords, who hasn’t read the same books or embraced the same ministries, I can be a bit suspicious, questioning the validity of his or her faith. However, when I take time to get to know the person, I’m often humbled to discover a deep faith that just looks a little different than mine from the outside. It makes me want to give people the benefit of the doubt more and to judge less. I’ll rely on God to give me the discernment I need instead of policing them with my human wisdom.

Pacing

I’ve learned a few things about pacing from watching snippets of NASCAR races with my husband and sons. If there is a safety issue on the speedway during a race, a pace car will be sent out on the track to lead the other cars. The pace car drives at a safe speed and the race cars stay in their positions behind it. Once the problem on the track is cleared, the pace car exits and the cars pick up the pace again. The race resumes and cars are free to pass and drive at any speed.

Imagine if the cars continued to drive at the same speed once the pace car left the track. It wouldn’t be much of a race if the vehicles weren’t doing what they were created to do: drive fast.

When we fear breaking pace with others to follow God’s call, we become a bit like race cars that drive like they’re following a pace car after it’s left the speedway  We limit our spiritual growth and miss out on the ways God wants to stretch us and use us when we try to keep pace with others. There are seasons when our gifts, vision and goals may align with others and this can be a rich, rewarding experience. However, we can also get so comfortable with a group that we fail to see when God is calling us in a different direction. Sometimes He beckons us to claim new ground for Him, but we hold back on advancing because we don’t want to break pace with a group we love. It feels awkward or painful to move forward without “our people” beside us. However, if God is calling us in different directions, we need to break pace and trust Him. When our focus becomes sticking with certain people instead of following God’s call, we limit opportunities to grow and to advance the kingdom of God.

For me, this has been a significant area of growth over the years. As God has led me in new directions, there have been challenges and painful moments, but I’ve seen Him at work in exciting ways. My faith has grown, my trust in Him has deepened and I’ve been blessed to maintain cherished friendships and connections to different ministries even as I’ve expanded into new areas.

It boils down to this simple truth: when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we won’t be as worried about policing or being policed. When we are more concerned with keeping pace with Him than with others, we allow Him to use us to advance His kingdom.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

The song “Fix My Eyes” by For King and Country inspires me to cease the policing and the pacing. Click on the link and let it do the same for you.

Advance Part 3: Keeping Your Courage Tank Full

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“Failure is not an option.” Can you picture a macho guy in an action adventure movie saying this to his team before sending them out on an impossible mission? While it sounds great, failure is an unavoidable part of our lives. How we respond to failure is the place where we have control.

Beth Moore explored this idea at the Living Proof Live event I attended in Stockton in June. My last few posts have expanded on some of the themes from her acrostic: A-D-V-A-N-C-E.

So far, we’ve covered the first four letters:

A- A kingdom is coming

D- Dare to advance it

V- Vie fiercely in prayer

A- Add traction to your action

Today we’ll look at the next letter:

N- Never take a “no” from the devil

Beth explained that Satan uses our failures and defeats to diminish our effectiveness and to convince us we’ll never succeed. Whether it’s falling back into an old pattern of sin or seeing a ministry we’re involved with flounder, we tend to let failures have more power over us than they should. However, God can use our setbacks to His advantage. He can teach us humility and grace or show us areas that need to be surrendered to Him. Our failures fertilize the soil we need for growth.

When we fixate on our defeats, they cause us to wallow in fear and insecurity, preventing us from advancing in our spiritual journeys or taking ground for God’s kingdom.   Beth used the analogy of a tank of gas, describing the way failures can drain our “courage tank” if we don’t submit them to God.

The Apostle Paul describes it this way:  “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Philippians 1:20)

Evaluating how full our courage tanks are should be a regular practice when we’re serious about following Jesus. If we find the needle on our gauge pointing towards “empty” then it’s time to surrender our fears to God and let Him fill us with “sufficient courage.”

Beth asked “What would you be like if you were operating at full courage? What do you have to lose?”

For me, operating at “full courage” means that I’m finding my confidence in Christ and developing the potential God has given me. I’m relying on Him to work through me and to use my spiritual gifts for His glory. I’m not looking to other people to define me or make me feel worthwhile because God is enough for me. When I’m operating at “full courage” I experience joy because of God’s incredible love for me, not because circumstances are lining up according to my plans.

A few years ago I encountered a season of failure that caused my confidence to falter and my faith to stall.   Looking back, I see how Satan capitalized on my insecurity to diminish my effectiveness in advancing God’s kingdom.

Over the course of a year I developed friendships with two different women who were struggling personally and seeking me for wisdom and encouragement. As my relationship with each of them grew, natural opportunities to share the gospel arose. Both seemed interested and excited to learn more- whether it was attending church or meeting with me regularly. It was exhilarating to have them ask spiritual questions and to point them toward Jesus. And then, without warning, each of them cut off relationship with me within a few months of each other. No return phone calls or texts; no answers to my e-mails. If I happened to bump into them around town they were cool and distant.

I continued to pray for both of them, but I was confused and bitter—disillusioned that I’d put myself out there only to have the relationships end abruptly with no explanation.

For several years, I shied away from reaching out to others, assuming there was something I’d done wrong to turn them off. I could only see my perceived failure. Satan had cut me off at the knees and robbed me of my courage and confidence.

So, two years ago when a new friend began asking spiritual questions, I was wary and hesitant. Her persistence won me over and I began sharing more of my faith with her. Eventually she plugged into Bible study with me and later coaxed me into starting a Bible study with her to reach other women in our community. (I’ve written more about this story in the post “Being Open Handed is a State of Mind” in April 2013).

Because of my perceived failures in the past, I turned to God, asking for His guidance, wisdom and courage. Instead of relying on my own abilities and previous experiences, I sought Him with each plan and decision along the way.   He taught me to trust Him one step at a time and to rely on Him for my confidence instead of my own skill or the approval of others.

I’d grown to expect rejection and was not prepared to have so many of the women we invited say “yes” to joining us for a Bible study. My co-leader and I moved forward with our plans in obedience. We didn’t worry about failure because we trusted God would provide whatever outcome He thought best.

In the last year, ten of us have been meeting weekly to study the Bible. For most of the women, this is the first time they’ve ever studied Scripture in their lives. Watching them grapple with God’s word, apply it to their lives and see Him at work has been like watching flowers bloom in a garden. Seeing their growth has filled my courage tank and made me realize the joy that comes from being used by God. My “failures” from a few years ago made me rely on God so much more than I ever did in the past.

A few weeks ago our group members gathered with our husbands, kids and some additional friends to host an event for Stop Hunger Now. The women in the group were eager to respond to God’s love by doing a service project together. I was overcome with joy watching as our kids laughed together wearing hairnets and packing food for the needy. Around fifty people came to help. A year ago, most of these women hadn’t even read the Bible, yet now they were advancing God’s kingdom in their families as they reached out to the hungry across the globe.

I’m glad I didn’t take a “no” from the devil when I felt discouraged after being rejected by my two friends. Looking to God to redeem my failure paved the way for His kingdom to be advanced. God has an amazing way of using setbacks to further His Kingdom. Our job is to let Him do it.

If you’ve been in a season of failure, click on the link below and be encouraged by Jason Gray’s song “Nothing is Wasted.”

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.   (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

IMG_1187For more information on Stop Hunger Now, or to host a meal-packing event, go to: http://www.stophungernow.org

Advance!

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Last week I had my first experience seeing Beth Moore teach in person at a Living Proof Live event in Stockton, CA. I was impressed as she described praying that God would give her a specific word for our group of 5000 that weekend. God delivered some powerful answers to her prayers and used her to inspire the crowd in mighty ways.

Her theme for the weekend was “Advance!” based on this verse: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” (Philippians 1:12)

She admonished us to advance in the gospel personally so that we could advance the gospel in the lives of others. Using the acrostic “A-D-V-A-N-C-E” she led us through a series of key points to make Paul’s message in Philippians applicable to our lives today. I always absorb information more thoroughly by taking notes and reviewing them. I’ll be using my next few posts to share the key points from her three talks and then I’ll add my own thoughts about them.

Here are the first two parts of the acrostic:

A- A Kingdom is Coming.

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”   (Matthew 24:14)

God’s kingdom is a present reality and a future reality. When we share the gospel, we participate in spreading His kingdom on earth.   To advance the gospel, we must know God’s word and then pray for open doors to share it with others. Whether we have the gift of evangelism or not, this is part of our call as followers of Christ.

Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to further His kingdom when we say: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,your kingdom come, 
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10) Asking for God’s will to be done on earth allows us to claim territory for Him. As hearts and minds surrender to Christ, we advance His Kingdom and the world around us changes for the better. We also add to the ranks of the souls who will celebrate in God’s forever kingdom.

Furthering the kingdom is about living out the gospel first with our deeds and then with our words. When our actions toward others align with God’s will and word, we bless them and spread His kingdom. Mother Teresa said it well: “Spread the love of God through your life but only use words when necessary.”

D- Dare to Advance It

The Greek word for “advance” is “prokopen” which Beth explains as “to beat or drive forward as if with repeated strokes, hence to go forward or further, make progress, proceed.” She connected this to the example of clearing dense brush in a jungle using a machete. Similarly, we use the sword of the Spirit to hack through the darkness to advance the Kingdom of God. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

If we don’t advance in our knowledge of the word of God, we won’t understand the access we have to God’s incredible power. Without these things, we can’t further God’s kingdom. Bible study doesn’t sound quite so tame when it’s described like that.

Don’t let all this talk about hacking through darkness scare you! Spreading God’s kingdom isn’t about hitting people over the head with a Bible. It’s about loving them. Here are few ideas for advancing the kingdom:

-Show compassion to a hurting world

-Give mercy instead of judging people

-Be honest about your own sin and brokenness with God and others

-Forgive people when they don’t deserve it

-Allow time in your day to be interrupted, to listen, to show kindness

-Say “no” to selfishness and self-absorption

None of these things can be done on your own strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and equip you, then advance!

Every time I hear Jason Gray’s song “With Every Act of Love” it inspires me to further the kingdom of God on earth.   It makes me realize simple acts of love lead others to want to know Him. This is how we advance the gospel.

Click on the link to hear “With Every Act of Love.”

**Special thanks to my son for creating the scene of the advancing Lego army for this week’s photo.

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Depositing God’s Truth in Your Spiritual Bank

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Recently at our Focused Living Bible Study we had the privilege of hearing from three women in three different life stages.  They all shared specifics about how they’ve seen God take them “Deeper Still” in their relationships with Him.   All three had fantastic messages to share and we were blessed by their authenticity and candor.   It just so happens that the last woman to share was my mom.  During her talk she highlighted how much she values studying the Bible to keep aligned with God’s truth.  She told us that she started formally studying the Bible in 1974 and has continued ever since in a variety of different classes and groups.  My mom admonished us to see studying God’s word as an opportunity to make deposits in our “spiritual banks,” pointing out that truths we learn now can sustain us in the years to come.  Isaiah 55:10-11 says pretty much the same thing:

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it without watering the earth 
and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty,
 but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Our Bible study is wrapping up another challenging and inspiring study, but before I add my workbook from Faithful, Abundant, True:  Three Lives Going Deeper Still to the growing collection on my shelf, I’d like to reflect on what I’ve learned.  Spending time looking back is an opportunity to make a deposit in our “spiritual banks.”  Writing down the truths we’ve learned will bless us in the years to come and imprint them more deeply into our memories. 

Truths Taught by Kay Arthur

-Don’t Shrink Back

Kay taught us about God’s faithfulness and encouraged us to make time for God’s word and to keep from entangling ourselves in the affairs of the world.  Referring often to the book of Hebrews, she reminded us not to “shrink back” and to continue growing deeper with God.

Hebrews 10:35-39  “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For, ‘In just a little while, he who is coming will come
 and will not delay.’  And, ‘But my righteous one will live by faith.  And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.’  But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

-Handle God’s Word Correctly

Kay reminded us of the value of God’s word and the importance of learning to use and handle it correctly.  She pointed out that studying the Bible is not just about getting us through our issues, but changing us from the inside out.

2 Timothy 2:15  “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

-Abandon Unbelief to Find the Rest of Faith

Kay also taught is that having faith means resting in the word of God.  We cannot have the rest of faith if we have unbelief in our lives.  If we truly believe God can do what He says, then we will trust Him and find rest, unlike the Israelites who doomed themselves to wandering in the desert for forty years because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 3:16-19 & 4:1-2  “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.”

Truths Taught By Priscilla Shirer

-God Is Able

Priscilla Shirer showed us that God is able to surprise us in the midst of our impossible situations.  She encouraged us to remember that knowing Who we’re dealing with changes the way we pray.  When we pray, we can be confident knowing God has the power to do what we ask.  She also encouraged us to pray: “God, do this, or do something better!”

Ephesians 3:20-21  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

-An Abundant Life is Not Free of Difficulty

Priscilla reminded us that God’s abundance is not about experiencing peace because of our circumstances, but in spite of them.  We can experience the fullness of God even in the midst of our impossible situations.  He is the only dependable constant in our lives in a world that is ever changing.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

-Don’t Just Learn About God; Believe His Word is True for You Personally

Priscilla pointed out the importance of translating the head knowledge we gain from studying God’s word into heart knowledge that causes true life-transformation.

Hebrews 12:1-2  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Truths Taught By Beth Moore

-We Must Activate the Mind of Christ

Beth emphasized that anyone who accepts Christ has the ability to have the mind of Christ.    She says,  “Our challenge is to learn how to activate His mind in our thought processes regarding the reality of our experience.” (p.108)

1 Corinthians 2:15-16  “The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,  ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”

-Discernment Doesn’t Happen By Accident

When the Holy Spirit resides within us, we possess the potential for great discernment, but it is like a muscle that must be exercised to grow stronger.  We grow in our discernment through “prayer, pursuit and practice.”  (110)

Hebrews 5:13-14  “Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

-God’s Spirit Fills Us to the Extent We are Willing to Yield

God will only take us as far as we are willing to let Him go on our spiritual journeys.  Without obedience to Him, we prevent ongoing growth from occurring.

John 14:15-16  “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

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That is quite a bit of truth to absorb in six weeks of study!  I feel like I just made a huge deposit in my “spiritual bank.”  How about you?  What truths do you want to savor and remember before you move on to the next study?  If you’re not attender of Focused Living, what things are you learning right now that you want to remember later?  Make a comment below and share with us (click on “leave a comment” at the top of this post and the comment field will appear at the bottom of the post).  You can also make a comment on Facebook if you prefer.

I’ll close by making Paul’s prayer for the Philippians in 1:9-11 my prayer for you:

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” 

Click on the blue sign below that says “Watch Vimeo”  to see the “Deeper Still” testimonies of the three women at Focused Living.

Boosting Your Spiritual Metabolism

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October, November and December are months filled with celebrations in my family.  It seems we’re continually enjoying birthday dinners, Halloween candy, Thanksgiving delicacies and Christmas treats at a fairly steady pace for a long stretch of time.   Although we generally try to eat healthy food, it seems there is always an excuse for a “splurge” during those months.  This December, my husband and I realized that our “fun splurges” were becoming a regular part of our diet.  By the end of the Christmas holidays, we were both feeling the effects of too many months of making bad choices with food.  It was time for a change.

My meal planning and cooking had been on autopilot for quite a while.  I’d chalked it up to a busy schedule, but the truth was, I was getting pretty lazy. We were eating the same four or five meals all the time and making things interesting by eating plenty of unhealthy snacks and desserts in between.  We didn’t feel good physically and often criticized ourselves for the bad food choices we were making.  Then, we’d do the same thing again the next day.

Driving home from a visit with family over the holidays, I began perusing a book that outlined a twenty-eight day plan for eating healthy, cleansing our bodies and rebooting our metabolisms.  It sounded a bit daunting, but after some serious thought, we decided the health benefits were worth the effort.

To implement this plan required full buy-in for both of us.  We had to commit to following all of the guidelines of the plan for twenty-eight days.  There was no way to eat on autopilot anymore.  I was checking our book so much that the pages were dotted with splotches of food from reading recipes while I cooked. I had to write meal plans for the week in a spiral notebook and check it frequently.  My husband would regularly ask, “Is this in the plan?”  I’d grab the book to check, not trusting my memory to guide me.

Having to think about meals so much required more effort than our old ways of interacting with food.  We had to be intentional in planning menus, preparing ahead and anticipating possible challenges along the way.  However, we were also seeing the benefits of the plan and were feeling great.  I’d never given so much thought to what, when and how I was eating until then- but my metabolism seemed to be responding well.

I realized a striking similarity between our new eating plan and our spiritual lives.  We can’t go on autopilot.  We can’t just check off our thirty minutes reading the Bible and praying in the morning and then move on with the day.  Instead, we need to be in tune with God’s Spirit and connecting with Him at regular intervals throughout the day to get the strength and wisdom we need.   My eating plan required healthy snacks and meals at regular intervals to fuel my metabolism and keep it burning.  Our spiritual metabolisms also need regular fuel to function fully. I’m finding Beth Moore’s words to be true:  “Dependable discernment comes only by walking in the Spirit, and walking in the Spirit comes only by walking and talking with God Himself…The Spirit of God fills us only to the extent that we yield to His authority and welcome His Presence.  (Beth Moore, Faithful, Abundant, True: Three Lives Going Deeper Still p. 138)

There is an obvious comparison between eating healthy and maintaining spiritual well being.  Both require constant vigilance.  We need to be intentional with our efforts to connect with God instead of becoming lazy spiritually or relying on others to keep us growing in our faith.  Beth Moore uses the story of the Israelites and Moses from Exodus 20:18-21 to illustrate this:

When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”  Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”  The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

Beth explains:  “That’s how a lot of people still want their religion today.  We still say in effect, ‘I’m not looking to be close to the Father God and to get to know Him intimately through His Son Jesus Christ.  I just want someone to tell me what to do and what not to do and I’ll go on with it from there’…What people with this mind-set don’t understand is that they’re missing the most satisfying love relationship of their entire existence…We will never live one single day in the Spirit accidentally.  It simply cannot happen…You show me a godly woman, and I’ll show you a woman who pursued God”  (Beth Moore, Faithful, Abundant, True: Three Lives Going Deeper Still p. 137 & 139).

Not surprisingly, the Bible has quite a bit to say about staying tuned into the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:25 tells us:  “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”  Our job is to match the cadence of our steps to those of the Holy Spirit.  We can only do this through consistent time in God’s Word and prayer.

Over the past few years as I’ve learned more about the Holy Spirit, I’ve incorporated a few regular phrases into my prayer life.  They help me keep in step with the Spirit and remain intentional in my pursuit of Him.  The first is: “God, pour out your Spirit on me today.”  When I pray this, I imagine God taking a pitcher of water and pouring it over my head so that everything around me is soaked with His Spirit.  Although I know that His Spirit already resides in me, asking for more of Him increases my capacity to be filled and used by Him.   Ephesians 5:18b admonishes us to be “filled with the Spirit.”  The footnotes in my study Bible explain this verse well: “The Greek present tense is used in this verse to indicate that the filling of the Spirit it not a once-for-all experience.  Repeatedly, as occasion requires, the Spirit empowers for worship, service and testimony.”  (Zondervan NIV Study Bible p. 1832)

Another regular prayer of mine is “God, align my heart with Your Spirit.”  Essentially, this means asking God to make me want the things He wants.  This is what it means to pray “in Jesus’ name.”  In John 14:13-14 Jesus says  “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  When we ask in Jesus’ name, it acknowledges our desire for God to be glorified by our requests.  It’s not like a closing salutation for a prayer; it is a statement of wanting our wills to align with God’s and to ask in prayer for the things we know He wants.

Just like I read my meal-planning book throughout the day, we have to consult the Bible regularly to stay aligned with God’s will and Spirit.  We have to be actively engaged in studying His word, praying and seeking Him.  We can’t base our faith on memories of the past. That would be like cooking on autopilot and making the same default meals over and over.  God has something new to show us all the time.  He wants to keep our spiritual metabolisms moving to ingest new truths so that we can use our gifts to bless others and honor Him.

“I am the Lord; that is my name! 
I will not yield my glory to another
 or my praise to idols.  See, the former things have taken place, 
and new things I declare; 
before they spring into being
 I announce them to you.”  -Isaiah 42:8-10

Maybe it’s time to think about your spiritual metabolism.  Are you on autopilot cruising along spiritually without giving much thought to your need for the Spirit?  Is there an area you need to surrender so that you can obey God more fully?  It may seem daunting, but once you address these things, you won’t want to go back to autopilot again.  God has too many great things in store for you and will give you exactly what you need to live walking in His Spirit.

I’ve attached a link below to a song that is a little older.  It is called “Rushing Wind” and is by a Christian musical artist named Keith Green who passed away in a plane crash in 1982.  Although it may not sound as current as some of the songs I usually include, I hope it will bless and inspire you.  I first heard it as a freshman in college in 1988 and it is still one of my favorites.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqhS17wt_pE

The Aftermath of Being “Punked”

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Beth Moore told a story in Faithful, Abundant, True:  Three Lives Going Deeper Still about a time when she was duped by a woman with a testimony that seemed too amazing to be true.  When Beth learned that she and her ministry had been deceived, one of her staff members said: “We’ve been punked!”

I decided to look up the word “punked” online to see some of the definitions for this slang term that has become popular in recent years.  Here are a few of the definitions I found:  punked:  A way to describe someone ripping a person off, tricking, teasing; humiliated completely, as in disrespected; putting oneself in a position of being open to ridicule; having been lied to or fooled.

Like Beth, I still wince when I think of a few times that I’ve been “punked” by Satan through hard circumstances with others.  While I’ve never had someone “punk” me in such a deliberate way, I’ve experienced my fair share of pain.  What I chose to do with the pain often led me down a path of being spiritually attacked. People may hurt us intentionally or unintentionally, but it is really Satan who does the “punking.”  First Peter 5:8 says it clearly:  “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  When we’re hurt, we can either draw closer to God or look for unhealthy ways to cope that leave us spiritually vulnerable.

Looking back, it’s clear there were times when I made myself pretty easy prey for that prowling lion looking for someone to devour.  Beth Moore gave a big and extreme example of when Satan used a situation to “punk” her, but we all have situations that can lead to being “punked” by him. It’s just one of the down sides of living in a fallen world.  We can be sure that even if someone didn’t intentionally mean to “punk” us, Satan looks for ways to capitalize on our hurt and use it against us.  Here are a few situations he can use to “punk” us when we’re not staying alert:

-A pastor or ministry leader disappoints you personally causing you to withdraw from Christian community or to stop attending corporate worship services

-A pastor or ministry leader’s sinful nature is suddenly exposed and you stop trusting anyone in a leadership position and cynicism begins to take root in you

-Your tight knit community of friends fractures and goes its separate ways causing you to feel hurt and wary of engaging in deep relationships anymore

-Your spouse, friend or business partner betrays you, leaving you choking on your own bitterness and unable to see past your own problems

-Your teen or adult child seems to do the opposite of everything you taught him, leaving you disillusioned about the Christian parenting tools you thought were foolproof

-The ministry where you’ve been serving seems to be changing in a way that doesn’t fit with your vision so you disengage and stop seeking ways to use your gifts

-You have a difference of opinion with someone you serve with and decide it’s not worth it to be involved in ministry anymore

-A close friendship falls apart and your fear of being hurt prevents you from cultivating new friendships

If you can relate to any of the scenarios above, you are not alone.  What if it’s too late?  What if you’ve already been “punked?”   Here are a few thoughts on dealing with the aftermath and moving back into a place of health and wholeness.

-Don’t let being “punked” make you bitter

Ephesians 4:31 tells us:  “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”  When bitterness takes root in us, it flavors everything in our lives negatively.  Bitter people rarely exude joy, peace, or grace.  It’s hard to share the love of Christ when bitterness plunges its roots deep into the soil of our lives.   Pray and ask God to remove the bitterness you feel welling up inside of you.

-Don’t lose trust in all people because you were burned

In Matthew 10:12-14 & 16 Jesus says:  “As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet…I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”  Being shrewd and innocent means having discernment to know the difference between people who are trustworthy and people who are not.  It is unwise to assume the negative about all people you encounter because of one or two bad experiences.

-Pray against cynicism

Colossians 3:12-14  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Cynicism doesn’t coexist well with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness and love.  It makes us sarcastic, jaded and unable to be authentic in our relationships with others.

-Don’t lose sight of the other good things in your life

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  Sometimes it’s easy to focus on the hurt we feel and to miss all of the other places good things are happening.  Good things and hard things usually co-exist in our lives.  We show wisdom when we can be thankful noticing the good and instead of fixating on the bad.

-Get help to access the tools you need for healing

Matthew 18:15-16 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’”    Often we try to muscle through hard situations on our own when what we need is the help of others.  There was a time when the same person was repeatedly emotionally hurting me.  I was afraid to talk to anyone about it for fear of being a gossip.  When I finally confided in a wise friend, she spoke the truth and reassurance I desperately needed to hear.  Eventually a Christian counselor equipped me with the tools I needed to heal and learn from what I’d experienced.  The ways I grew by facing my pain caused much good to come from a very difficult situation.

-Practice Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14-15 says:  “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  I don’t think I could say it any clearer.  If we love God, then we need to forgive.  This is a choice we make, not a feeling.  Think of forgiveness as a cycle that may need to repeat rather than a one-time transaction.  You’ll feel tremendous relief when you’re able to release your hurt at the feet of Jesus.

-Take time to heal, but don’t withdraw permanently

Matthew 5:14-16 says: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Taking time to heal is healthy and good, but we can’t hide our lights forever.  If you need to push the “pause” button for a while to re-group, that is a good thing, just don’t let it become your new “normal.”  Hebrews 10:25-26 says:  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

-Don’t let Satan sideline you and keep you from using your gifts to bless others

1 Peter 4:10 says: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  If you’ve been hurt while serving in a specific area and want to step back, take some time to pray and see what is next.  Maybe there are some issues you need to confront in your current situation.  Maybe it is time for you to find a new place to plug in and use your gifts.  Just make sure you don’t leave any unfinished business behind before you move on.  Running from a difficult or frustrating situation doesn’t bring healing– it just delays it.

-Put on your spiritual armor

Ephesians 6:10-18  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”  Be aware that you are vulnerable to spiritual attack and access the spiritual armor God gives you to stand firm against it.

Just in case you need a reminder if you’ve been “punked”, you are not alone.  You might be wondering how I compiled the list of suggestions above.  It’s all from personal experience.  I’ve let the messiness of life open me up to being “punked” by Satan more than once.  Hopefully, the things I’ve learned will bless you and enable you to avoid having to learn the hard way like I did.

There are many helpful resources to assist you if you’ve been “punked” and don’t want to find yourself there again.  A few books that have made a difference for me are:

Forgive and Forget by Lewis Smedes (Don’t let the title fool you- this book is about learning from your hurt so that you won’t be doomed to repeat it)

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

Safe People by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend

If you have other resources that have helped you, please make a comment and share them with others.

Need a little encouragement right away?  Click on the link below to hear the song “Holding Nothing Back” by Ryan Stevenson. It will remind you that it’s best to keep our eyes on Jesus in the midst of our hurts and disappointments.  There is no better way to safeguard against getting “punked.”

“Take Away” Truths from James

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Have you ever eaten a meal that was so good you didn’t want it to end, even when your stomach was past the point of being satisfied?  Maybe you’ve asked for a take away box so you could savor it later and avoid that uncomfortably “beyond full” feeling.

For me, studying Beth Moore’s James:  Mercy Triumphs has been a bit like eating my fill of an unforgettable meal and still wanting more.  Packed with truth layered on top of truth, the book of James is going to take a while for me to digest.  I predicted that studying it would change us, and in my life, it certainly has.  As we wrap up our final week of study, let’s savor what we’ve learned.   Let’s pack up the truths and take them with us after we answer the final question and write the last verse in our workbooks.  Instead of having the study become a fond memory; let’s allow it to transform our lives so that we can be doers of the word, not just hearers.

In the final week of study, Beth Moore describes the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70.  She says:  “Yet before a single stone was thrown to the ground, a cornerstone was set in place.  Upon it rolled one living stone after another so that, by the time the sanctuary built by human hands was destroyed, another constructed by God’s hand was under way…Look really closely with your minds eye…gaze further and further up that heap until you make it to the stack where the 21st century sets in place.  See us? You and me?  There we are, two living stones”  (p. 204-205).  All that we’ve been challenged to put into practice while studying James is making us living stones- a human temple used for God’s glory.

“You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.  The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.  You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.”  Ephesians 2:19-22

As I think back on the last seven weeks of study, there are a few truths I’ll carry with me in my “to go” box:

–Not just hearing the word, but doing what it says:  I pray God will continue showing me where and how to apply His word to daily life.  Whether it is caring for the needy with compassion or seeking wisdom from heaven, I want to live out the things I’m learning more consistently.

–Taming my tongue:  Since studying and writing about James 2, I’ve become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit prompting me to keep my tongue in check.  I seem to fail daily, but continue striving to let my words be pleasing to God and positive and encouraging to others.  I am much more cognizant about my conversation topics and what things would be better left unsaid.

–Submitting my long and short term plans to God:  I spend a significant portion of time planning and thinking about the future.   I am working hard to submit this to God daily.  In the past few weeks several major disruptions to my schedule have given me a chance to put this into practice immediately.   (God certainly has a sense of humor!)  I’m learning to see interruptions to my schedule as divine appointments where He is giving me an opportunity to serve or bless someone else.

–Surrendering insecurity:  Beth Moore hits me right between the eyes in her Session Five video when she says: “Insecurity is when your own mind turns on you.”  I’ve been reminded that insecurity is just another form of self- absorption.  When I’m consumed with myself and my perceived flaws and failings, I’m incapable of seeing beyond myself to impact others.  My eyes are on myself, not Jesus.  This is an ongoing area that needs to be surrendered in my life.

–Rejecting cynicism:  In her Session Six video, Beth Moore addresses the perils of Christians who fall into cynicism.  I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a Bible teacher speak on this subject and it certainly struck a cord in me.  The trap of cynicism has ensnared me for much of my life. It is convicting to hear it defined as “carnality that thinks it’s smart and that carries an air of superiority.”  The idea that cynicism can be fueled by disappointment with people has also been a reality in my life.  This is an area where I need to be on my guard and continually looking to Jesus to renew my mind.

How about you?  What will you remember long after you’ve closed the James:  Mercy Triumphs workbook and tucked it on your bookshelf? Look back through the lessons and write down the powerful truths you want to remember and apply to your life.  What will you carry in your “take away” box as you move forward?  Post a comment and let others hear what spoke to you from this powerful book.

The Mush Pot

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“Is any one of you in trouble?  He should pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let him sing songs of praise.  Is any one of you sick?  He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.  If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16

 We called it “The Mush Pot,” probably left over from when we played Duck, Duck, Goose as kids.  It started back in my college days when I worked at a Christian houseboat and waterski camp in the summers.    Prior to the start of the season, the camp staff would gather for a weekend of training, prayer and fellowship.  As we shared our hopes and fears about ministering to the many kids who we’d meet over the summer, each of us would take a turn sitting in “The Mush Pot” encircled by the other staff members.  We would lay our hands on the one in the middle and pray.  The Holy Spirit was alive and active in us, prompting our prayers and blessing all of us in the process.  I can remember the butterflies I’d feel in my stomach when it was my turn to sit on the floor of the houseboat while everyone gathered around to lay hands on me.  It was both overwhelming and inspiring to hear the things people prayed specifically for me.  I came away knowing that God would give me exactly what I needed to love the kids and serve Him well.

 My oldest son is now old enough to go to the camp where I first learned this practice, but  “The Mush Pot” tradition has continued to be a part of my life.   Looking back, I can see how God has increased my faith by giving me opportunities to offer and receive prayer.  I can picture intimate and tearful gatherings around hospital beds praying for different friends and family members.  Some were healed, some went home to Heaven, but all of us experienced peace through those sacred gatherings, even in the most clinical settings.   I can also remember laying hands on people to pray for them in different small groups and Bible Studies over the years.  Some of the most meaningful prayer times have happened spontaneously in unlikely places.  I remember crying my eyes out while a friend prayed for me out on the mountain biking trail during a time of grief.   The memories are powerful and tender.  It was an honor and privilege to take part in them.

We don’t need to wait for the “really big” things to ask for prayer or to offer it.  Beth Moore says it well in James:  Mercy Triumphs:  “If it has to do with us, then it has something to do with Him… we have an open invitation to a divine invasion. If we’re willing, God is our song when we are happy, our escape when we are tempted, our hope when we’re despairing, our joy in tribulation, our strength in weakness, and our immortality in dying”  (p. 176).  She goes on to say:  “A pair of hands clasped in earnest prayer is the best means we have this side of Heaven to hang onto Jesus for dear life”  (p. 178).  As far as I can tell, there is nothing that is “off limits” for receiving prayer.  If it’s happening in your life, it is worth asking for God’s intervention.

Sometimes we can be fooled into thinking God doesn’t want to be bothered by our needs and we try to handle things on our own.  We might feel undeserving or awkward asking others to pray for us.  I remember the first time I walked to the front of a church to ask for prayer during Communion.  Struggling with the weight of a painful situation, I needed some comfort and wisdom.  Even though I’d seen other people go forward for prayer, I’d never been one of them. For some reason, that day I just felt prompted to get out of my seat.  The woman standing in front greeted me warmly.  I fumbled through a vague explanation for why I needed prayer and then stood stiffly as she held me close and prayed.  I don’t remember a word she said, but I recall being amazed that she knew what to pray with the small amount of material I’d shared with her.  I returned to my seat relieved and at peace.  My difficulty didn’t end immediately, but calling in reinforcements gave me the strength I needed to persevere in trusting God.  I’d been carrying around the burden all on my own strength when God had been waiting all the time for me to share it with Him.  Having another person pray for me made all the difference.

Sometimes we can also be fooled into thinking that we aren’t “righteous” enough to offer to pray for another person.  However, the Bible makes it clear that if we have accepted Christ and are living for Him, we can claim His righteousness as our own:  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them…We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”  (2 Corinthians 5:17-19a, 20-21).  We have righteousness, what we need to ask for is confidence!  If you find yourself in a situation where a person needs prayer, you may feel awkward or fearful offering.   Let me encourage you to ask God for courage.   There is something powerful about praying for a person in their presence instead of just saying “I’ll pray for you” and doing it later.  Jesus says in Matthew 18:20:  “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

In the Session Five and Six videos for James: Mercy Triumphs, Beth Moore points out two subtle adversaries to our faith:  cynicism and insecurity.   Maybe you’ve watched others walk to the front of the church and have thought:  “That person must really have problems” or “Why do they have to be so dramatic and get up in front of everyone?”  Maybe you’ve known someone needed prayer, but didn’t offer because you thought she would think you were “too religious.”  Cynicism and insecurity stunt our ability to be used by God and rob us of opportunities to be a blessing to others.  I know this from personal experience and pray regularly that God will rid me of those destructive trains of thought.

It’s been over 20 years since I first sat in “The Mush Pot” to be prayed over by my fellow staff members at summer camp.  It’s been less than two weeks since I last laid hands on someone in “The Mush Pot” to pray for God’s intervention in her life.  In all the time in between, I have rich memories of connecting with others through accessing the power of God together in prayer.   I’ve been blessed beyond measure witnessing the powerful and effective prayers offered by followers of Jesus.

Do you have a “Mush Pot” experience you’d like to share?  How has joining with others in prayer blessed you and them?  How have you overcome your fears about praying with and for others?  Post a comment and share your thoughts.

Committing Our Calendars to God

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“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.  What is your life?  You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’”  James 4:13-15

As a born planner, this has never been one of my favorite passages of Scripture.   I am alternately irritated and inspired by people who thoroughly live “in the moment.”  I like schedules and lists.  My mom can attest to the fact that once I started elementary school, I planned all my birthday parties.  The guest lists, invitations, games, favors and food were carefully selected months in advance.   Now that I am a mom, I jokingly refer to myself as “Julie the Cruise Director” because of all the planning I do for my boys.  (If you didn’t watch “The Love Boat” in the 70’s and 80’s, just ignore that example and read on).  When my older son was two or three, he would wake up, rub his eyes and say, “What do you have for me today, Mom?”  I hope eventually I can show God that same kind of trust daily.

The compulsion to plan sometimes arises out of fear or the need to control.  We think if we can plan something well enough, we can avoid what we fear.  Similarly, we think if we have control over something, we can avert mistakes or failures.  We have the illusion of control over our lives, but James reminds us that God is the only one with real control.  It’s not a sin to make plans, but it’s important to entrust them to God.  I’m learning to ask for His leading instead of telling Him to bless my unilateral decisions.  People often quote Jeremiah 29:11,  “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  However, my favorite part of this passage comes in verse 12:  “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  This requires time, patience and trust.

God has bigger and better plans than we do.  Beth Moore says it well in James: Mercy Triumphs:  “God is the one with the real plan….We have all sorts of plans jotted on our calendars pertaining to the next year, but they’re mostly based on theory.  His is the only day-timer based on certainty.  That’s one reason why spending time with God in His Word in the morning is so vital.  He wants to prepare us for the reality of our upcoming day.  Not our theory”  (p.152).   Abiding with Him closely is the best way I’ve found to surrender my plans and to let Him shape them.  Many mornings I come to Him fretting over something and leave feeling grounded and at peace.  That doesn’t necessarily mean He gives me a clear-cut answer, but He does change my perspective.  I don’t have to know the details of what the future holds because I know God will be with me, no matter what.

If you are not in the habit of spending time with God daily, let me encourage you to give it a try.  Pick a length of time that feels reasonable, but that will stretch you a bit too.  One day isn’t enough, 365 might be too ambitious.  Maybe it’s two weeks; maybe it’s the forty days of Lent (which starts on Feb. 13 this year).  Just pick an amount of time and commit to seeking God daily for the duration.

If you are not a morning person, pray and ask God to give you the self-discipline to get up earlier.  Plan ahead by turning off the TV or computer; close your book or iPad instead of staying up late.  That way you can wake up to be with God first thing in the morning.  Ask Him to help you make it a priority.  He honors our desires to spend time with Him and will enable you to follow through.  Starting your day with God puts you in the right frame of mind to face whatever comes your way.   It is even more important than your need for coffee or a hot shower in the morning.

Not sure how to start?  There is no “magic formula” so don’t worry.  Some people like the ritual of doing the same thing at the same time in the same place every day; others like to mix it up.  The good news is that God is there with you in it, no matter what you choose to do.  Here are a few ideas to try:

-Start by praying and asking God to reveal Himself to you and to show you what He wants you to learn

-Read a devotional to get your mind focused.  There are many to choose from; two of my favorites are Jesus Calling by Sarah Young or My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

-Read the Bible; if you are involved in a study I think it is OK to incorporate your homework into this time as long as you are using it as a way to hear from God and not just trying to check it off your “to do” list.  If you’re not in a study, try reading the passages mentioned in the devotional so you can see their context.  Another idea is to choose a book of the Bible and to read through a small portion daily (start with something in the New Testament).

-Pray:  You can talk out loud, pray silently, write your prayers in a journal or put on Christian music and sing your prayers.  Consider mixing up your routine by getting up early some mornings and taking a walk while you pray; try listening to worship music on headphones and using it to prompt your prayers.  When you pray, start with praising God for who He is and thanking Him for what He’s done.  I used to think prayer was just asking Him to do what I wanted, but I’m learning that it’s more about aligning my heart to His.  Sometimes I intentionally don’t ask anything about specific situations and just spend time thanking or praising Him.

-Listen to music: throughout your day, try listening to music that focuses your thoughts on God and reminds you of His truth.  If you are not one who follows Christian music, listening to KLOVE at 107.3 FM or The Message on satellite radio are great places to start.

Most importantly, DO NOT beat yourself up if you miss a day!!  We have a God of grace and He is not keeping a record book logging the minutes of the time you spend with Him.  If you miss a few days, don’t give up!  Keep trying.   You will be blessed and God will be honored.

Post a comment and share what you’re learning about submitting your schedule to God!