Citiprayer For December, 2009
Dear “listeners” in prayer,
Those who receive my teaching letters will not be surprised when I say that I am moving into new areas of under-standing as it relates to prayer. My own life experience has moved me to a place where I am free to explore the meaning of prayer outside the regular venues of traditional prayer. What I am discovering has been liberating and fulfilling. I am trying to share some of my discoveries with you in the teaching articles each month.
It is not my intention to offend or upset anyone by relating my personal growth in a more satisfying approach to prayer. But if you desire to go higher in your experience of prayer, I hope that my insights may be an encouraging help to your progress.
I am blessed to report that those who are helped financially by your gifts through Citiprayer are seeing growth in the vision of united, believing prayer. As the year closes, it is a good time to say that I appreciate those who do give to this vision. I also want to restate my position that no one should give for any motive other than a sense that you are being obedient to what the Lord is leading you to do. If your giving is in any way a burden and not a blessing, then I want to release you to enjoy the freedom that is ours in Christ.
May you know special joys in this season of the celebration of the coming of our Savior.
One with you in the Life of Christ,
Bob
Beyond Prayer Requests
By Wayne Jacobsen
“I don’t think I can pray that way for you.”
You’d thought I’d just cussed by the way the mouths around the table soundlessly fell open. The woman who had just asked us to pray that God would keep her teenage daughter from moving in with her boyfriend was perhaps the most shocked of all.
My home group had just finished dinner together and sharing about our lives from the past week. With obvious distress, Kris had told of her daughter’s plan to move in with her boyfriend that weekend.
I’ve got to warn you now that I have a low tolerance for prayer requests I don’t think God will answer. They breed a fatalistic attitude about prayer: Let’s hurl up a request and hope for the best. Mostly I’ve kept that to myself at times like this, but had grown increasingly uncomfortable with my silence.
Once they all caught their breath, I explained. “I think all of us here can understand why you want God to stop her from doing that, and if anyone here feels that’s what God wants, you’re free to pray that way. I’m wondering, however, that if we do so we will be asking God violate someone’s will and I think that is more to do with witchcraft than prayer.”
I could see Kris was about to lose it in frustration or anger so I hurried on. “What I would pray is that God would reveal himself to your daughter and let her see clearly the choice she is making. And I would pray that God will show you how to trust him and love your daughter even if she makes the stupidest mistake of her young life.”
I had hardly finished when Kris blurted out through her tears, “That’s exactly what I need.” We gathered around her and what could have been an innocuous exercise in prayer became a marvelous discovery of how God works in difficult situations.
How am I deceiving myself if I believe that whenever I get what I want it is an answer to prayer? -Oswald Chambers
THE NEW COVENANT PARADIGM OF PRAYER
[Continuation of NEW CREATION PRAYING – CALLING WHAT IS IN HEAVEN TO MANIFEST ON EARTH, November, 2009].
Everybody prays. Whether it is a formalized religious petition or a simple “O, God” escaping the lips of a professed atheist in a moment of crisis, instinctively, human beings feel weakness and dependency that cry out for help. This “prayer instinct” is timeless and universal. It is a residual unconscious memory of the time our first parents communed with God in the paradise of their innocence as children with their Father. But the further man wandered from that garden following his choice to “go it alone” and be his own “god” by knowing “good and evil” in his alienated mind, the deeper he fell into the pit of superstitious fear of the God he once knew. Pagan rituals replaced intimate communion.
Into this perverted religious context, God in His mercy sent the corrective blessing of the Law that came through Moses. Instead of a capricious God made in the image of fallen man, “I AM” revealed Himself as ONE who could be trusted to manifest Himself in ways consistent with His Nature as the Source of all reality: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord Our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” [Deut. 6:4] The commandments laid down by Moses were meant to reform the behavior of the people and deliver them from the superstitious fears of the pagans who “…suppressed the truth by their wickedness, so that “their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” [Rom. 1:18,21].
The Law was God’s preparatory school for the coming of Christ to the consciousness of mankind. “What then was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come” [Rom. 3:19]. After generations the law developed the consciousness of the “chosen people” to a new level that should have been ready to receive the Word made flesh in Jesus. Sadly, only a small remnant of the favored nation responded as God desired. As John, the Lord’s beloved disciple observed:
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God –
Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God…
We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace and truth” [Jn. 1]
Those who have received him and entered into the “New Covenant that is in his blood” experience again the communion God desires for His sons. We no longer “pray” to the false god of our mind’s own making, but pass through the “veil” of flesh into the Holy place of union with God in Christ. Paul’s instruction in the way of faith has everything to do with the new paradigm of prayer. Meditate with understanding on the significance of his words recorded in Romans 10:5-10 concerning the “righteousness” [the right way] of relating to God by faith:
…the righteousness that is by faith says: ‘Do not say in your heart, ‘who will ascend into heaven,’ (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘who will descend into the deep?’ (that is to bring Christ up from the dead”).
New Covenant faith prayer is not bounded by laws of physical limitations – space and time, but operates in the Spirit realm.
But what does it say? “The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Those who pray “in the Spirit” by faith, do not make up their own prayers! Rather, as we wait upon the Lord in the Silence, the Word of God “planted in you” [Js. 1:21] by “the anointing you have from the Holy One” [1 Jn. 2:20] releases you to enter into the intercession being continually made within us by the Holy Spirit [Rom 8:26]. Knowing by faith that Christ is alive in our very own consciousness (heart), we “confess” with our mouth that Living Word which is proceeding from the Mouth of God. This “saves us” from the futile way of pagan prayer so prevalent around us.
May we begin to realize our union with Christ [Jn. 14:20] in heavenly places! If we really believe that “God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” [Eph. 1:4], and if we trust that “no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” [Ps. 84:11] , we can stop asking as the pagans do for “things” God promised to “add to us.” Instead, we can seek that Kingdom where God reigns within us [See Matt. 6:32,33]. Then with all God’s children we may pray that His “kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven” and in our hearts! [See Matt. 6:9 and Colossians 3:15-17].
Monday, November 30, 2009
November '09 Newsletter by Bob Yarbrough
Dear “Light-points” of Christ,
You may recall President Bush, ’41 calling for “a thousand “points of light” to serve the common good. The Lord has called and appointed many thousands to be “the light of the world,” to pierce the night of each generation until the dawning of the Day when His Bright Appearing dispels the present darkness.
To early Christians Paul spoke of God at work in them as they lived in “a crooked and depraved generation.” He assured them that they were shining like “stars in the universe” as they focused the “word of life” through the prism of their individual persons. [Phil. 2:14-16].
Part of the privilege of our high calling in this generation is be points in which the Light of Christ radiates from us through the spiritual frequency of prayer. In the Old Covenant era, they saw Christ’s Light from afar. Yet of them, like John the Baptist [even though Jesus called him the greatest prophet of that time], it was written: “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light – the true light that gives light…” [John 1:8,9]
In glorious contrast, consider the revelation of our state recorded in Ephesians 5:8-20: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Note that through our union with Christ we don’t just witness light, but we are Light! This spiritual revelation is the basis for the kind of life God means for us to manifest. “Live as children of Light!” is God’s command. If we do, the “fruit of Light” will be produced by the Spirit who is in us: “goodness, righteousness and truth.”
What follows in these verses describes the prayerful life under the New Covenant: By transparent lives that focus on “Christ in us”, we “…find out what pleases the Lord.” This causes us to break fellowship “with the fruitless deeds of darkness.” Our very lives expose the lie of evil. By conscious awareness of the Living Christ in us we reflect heaven.
The constant admonition to our soul is this:
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” [v. 14]
If we live in this continual awareness of our union with Christ we will be “wise” as we “understand what the Lord’s will is.” The community of such “Spirit-filled” hearts will be joyful, thankful and mutually submissive to Christ in one another [based on verses 15-21].
The deepest desire of my ministry is to help everyone understand that under the New Covenant, prayer is abiding in the conscious awareness of our present union with Christ in the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit of Truth that is in you quicken this to your hearts as you meditate on the two lessons on prayer of last month and this month. As the Lord’s face “shines on you” I believe three things will happen in your life:
You will become who you are.
I trust you have believed all that the Word tells us about our standing “in Christ.” We are what He says we are: We are “Light in the Lord.” As we resist the Father of Lies who tells us we are “only poor lost sinners” and begin to “put on Christ” you will begin to see a wonderful transformation as you “put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and be made new in the attitude of your minds, and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness [Ephesians 4:22-24]. You really are a “new creation” – let it be!
You will understand what you know.
As a New Covenant person you have truth in you by the Holy Spirit. John insists, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” Let the Word become flesh in you!
You will “do what you do.”
This phrase is often spoken by gifted athletes. You are gifted by the Spirit to do whatever Christ has called you to do. Just “stop stopping it.” Let it flow! He guides, He oversees, and He rewards!
Shine, Jesus, Shine - in all your servants!
Bob Yarbrough
NEW CREATION PRAYING – CALLING WHAT IS IN HEAVEN TO MANIFEST ON EARTH
“…What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule…”
In our last lesson we wrote of the contrast of New Covenant prayer with previous understandings of prayer. We sought to show how our prayer flows out of an intimate relationship of Father and Son as we realize our union with Christ in the Spiritual realm – “heavenly places.” In this present teaching we want to encourage our hearts to understand how this prayer proceeds from heaven to affect the earth in a redemptive way. Isaiah prophesied about earth-changing prayer when he wrote:
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth…. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice in what I will create…” Isaiah 65:16-18.
The striking contrast of New Creation prayer centers around forgetting “the former things” and beholding what God promises “I will create…” The “former things” are things that appear to be real in the natural dimension. Most “praying” is absorbed with these things so that we are often overcome by what we see with the natural eye and believe with the natural mind. So, our “prayers” are about sin, sickness and strife, and we languish “under the circumstances,” ever ‘burdened with a load of care.”
In preparing our hearts to pray New Creation prayers we must first “…humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand,…cast all our anxiety on him who cares for us,…be self-controlled and alert…, and resist our enemy, the devil, by standing firm in the faith…” [1 Peter 5: 6-9]. Then, as we wait patiently on the Lord, the “veil” of the illusion of mere appearances is taken away, and we begin to “…reflect the Lord’s glory…being transformed into his likeness…” [2 Cor. 3:18]. And Then, a door in our consciousness opens and “the voice…[says] “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” In that Spiritual dimension, beholding “the kingdom prepared for us since the creation of the world” [Matt. 25:14], and praying in the Spirit, we call forth the will of God to be done on earth as we have seen it in heaven!
Having prayed in this way, we turn again to the earthly scene empowered “…to live holy and godly lives, as we look forward to the day of God …[and] in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” [2 Peter 3:11-13]. Though in the natural realm “…at present we do not see everything subject of to him…we do see Jesus” [Heb. 2:8,9], Having become “heavenly minded” we are used by the Lord for “earthly good” as we let the Light of Christ shine through us to the darkness of our world.
Meditate upon the spiritual implication of the prophetic call found in Isaiah 42:8,9 and 43:18,19:
“See, the former thing have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Can you perceive it? Do you know that this New Creation has come? You are the first-fruits and the promise of what is to come. The kingdom of God is within you now and will come forth in the fullness of time! Receive my witness of the Word that comes out of the Silence to encourage our souls:
From the barren desert, the blossoming Rose - the new thing- springs up. Such “offspring” are about their Father’s business, released from earthly ties to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Though the Dragon seeks to devour them as soon as they are born, they will be hidden in the secret place of the Most High for their appointed destiny. Because they call no man ‘father,’ and their Mother is the Jerusalem that is above, they are in the world but not of it, spiritual but not religious.
Because they are begotten by and for the Eternal One, the Father gives himself freely to them. They are becoming springs in the desert and the thirsty are finding refreshing for their souls.
The God of the kingdom of “Was” is gone, forgotten. The Holy Presence of Christ in the eternal “Now” has come. Awake, sleeping ones, rise from your grave, for the light of Christ’s new day shines on you.
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…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.” [2 Cor. 5:16-18]
[Rejoice, Blessed ones in the New Covenant as you pray New Creation prayers; more to follow, God willing. BRY]
You may recall President Bush, ’41 calling for “a thousand “points of light” to serve the common good. The Lord has called and appointed many thousands to be “the light of the world,” to pierce the night of each generation until the dawning of the Day when His Bright Appearing dispels the present darkness.
To early Christians Paul spoke of God at work in them as they lived in “a crooked and depraved generation.” He assured them that they were shining like “stars in the universe” as they focused the “word of life” through the prism of their individual persons. [Phil. 2:14-16].
Part of the privilege of our high calling in this generation is be points in which the Light of Christ radiates from us through the spiritual frequency of prayer. In the Old Covenant era, they saw Christ’s Light from afar. Yet of them, like John the Baptist [even though Jesus called him the greatest prophet of that time], it was written: “He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light – the true light that gives light…” [John 1:8,9]
In glorious contrast, consider the revelation of our state recorded in Ephesians 5:8-20: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” Note that through our union with Christ we don’t just witness light, but we are Light! This spiritual revelation is the basis for the kind of life God means for us to manifest. “Live as children of Light!” is God’s command. If we do, the “fruit of Light” will be produced by the Spirit who is in us: “goodness, righteousness and truth.”
What follows in these verses describes the prayerful life under the New Covenant: By transparent lives that focus on “Christ in us”, we “…find out what pleases the Lord.” This causes us to break fellowship “with the fruitless deeds of darkness.” Our very lives expose the lie of evil. By conscious awareness of the Living Christ in us we reflect heaven.
The constant admonition to our soul is this:
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” [v. 14]
If we live in this continual awareness of our union with Christ we will be “wise” as we “understand what the Lord’s will is.” The community of such “Spirit-filled” hearts will be joyful, thankful and mutually submissive to Christ in one another [based on verses 15-21].
The deepest desire of my ministry is to help everyone understand that under the New Covenant, prayer is abiding in the conscious awareness of our present union with Christ in the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit of Truth that is in you quicken this to your hearts as you meditate on the two lessons on prayer of last month and this month. As the Lord’s face “shines on you” I believe three things will happen in your life:
You will become who you are.
I trust you have believed all that the Word tells us about our standing “in Christ.” We are what He says we are: We are “Light in the Lord.” As we resist the Father of Lies who tells us we are “only poor lost sinners” and begin to “put on Christ” you will begin to see a wonderful transformation as you “put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires, and be made new in the attitude of your minds, and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness [Ephesians 4:22-24]. You really are a “new creation” – let it be!
You will understand what you know.
As a New Covenant person you have truth in you by the Holy Spirit. John insists, “You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.” Let the Word become flesh in you!
You will “do what you do.”
This phrase is often spoken by gifted athletes. You are gifted by the Spirit to do whatever Christ has called you to do. Just “stop stopping it.” Let it flow! He guides, He oversees, and He rewards!
Shine, Jesus, Shine - in all your servants!
Bob Yarbrough
NEW CREATION PRAYING – CALLING WHAT IS IN HEAVEN TO MANIFEST ON EARTH
“…What counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule…”
In our last lesson we wrote of the contrast of New Covenant prayer with previous understandings of prayer. We sought to show how our prayer flows out of an intimate relationship of Father and Son as we realize our union with Christ in the Spiritual realm – “heavenly places.” In this present teaching we want to encourage our hearts to understand how this prayer proceeds from heaven to affect the earth in a redemptive way. Isaiah prophesied about earth-changing prayer when he wrote:
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth…. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes. Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice in what I will create…” Isaiah 65:16-18.
The striking contrast of New Creation prayer centers around forgetting “the former things” and beholding what God promises “I will create…” The “former things” are things that appear to be real in the natural dimension. Most “praying” is absorbed with these things so that we are often overcome by what we see with the natural eye and believe with the natural mind. So, our “prayers” are about sin, sickness and strife, and we languish “under the circumstances,” ever ‘burdened with a load of care.”
In preparing our hearts to pray New Creation prayers we must first “…humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand,…cast all our anxiety on him who cares for us,…be self-controlled and alert…, and resist our enemy, the devil, by standing firm in the faith…” [1 Peter 5: 6-9]. Then, as we wait patiently on the Lord, the “veil” of the illusion of mere appearances is taken away, and we begin to “…reflect the Lord’s glory…being transformed into his likeness…” [2 Cor. 3:18]. And Then, a door in our consciousness opens and “the voice…[says] “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” In that Spiritual dimension, beholding “the kingdom prepared for us since the creation of the world” [Matt. 25:14], and praying in the Spirit, we call forth the will of God to be done on earth as we have seen it in heaven!
Having prayed in this way, we turn again to the earthly scene empowered “…to live holy and godly lives, as we look forward to the day of God …[and] in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” [2 Peter 3:11-13]. Though in the natural realm “…at present we do not see everything subject of to him…we do see Jesus” [Heb. 2:8,9], Having become “heavenly minded” we are used by the Lord for “earthly good” as we let the Light of Christ shine through us to the darkness of our world.
Meditate upon the spiritual implication of the prophetic call found in Isaiah 42:8,9 and 43:18,19:
“See, the former thing have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
Can you perceive it? Do you know that this New Creation has come? You are the first-fruits and the promise of what is to come. The kingdom of God is within you now and will come forth in the fullness of time! Receive my witness of the Word that comes out of the Silence to encourage our souls:
From the barren desert, the blossoming Rose - the new thing- springs up. Such “offspring” are about their Father’s business, released from earthly ties to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Though the Dragon seeks to devour them as soon as they are born, they will be hidden in the secret place of the Most High for their appointed destiny. Because they call no man ‘father,’ and their Mother is the Jerusalem that is above, they are in the world but not of it, spiritual but not religious.
Because they are begotten by and for the Eternal One, the Father gives himself freely to them. They are becoming springs in the desert and the thirsty are finding refreshing for their souls.
The God of the kingdom of “Was” is gone, forgotten. The Holy Presence of Christ in the eternal “Now” has come. Awake, sleeping ones, rise from your grave, for the light of Christ’s new day shines on you.
“So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…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.” [2 Cor. 5:16-18]
[Rejoice, Blessed ones in the New Covenant as you pray New Creation prayers; more to follow, God willing. BRY]
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Psalm 62:5-8
Psalm 62: 5-8
v.5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
v.6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
v.7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
v.8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
v.5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
v.6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
v.7 My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
v.8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Truly Christ-Centered Leader Development by Malcolm Webber, Ph.D.
Truly Christ-Centered Leader Development
By Malcolm Webber, Ph.D. www.LeadershipLetters.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God’s ultimate purpose in all things revolves around His Son:
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him. (Eph. 1:9-10, NKJV)
The Son of God, Himself, is the final and complete revelation of God (Heb. 1:1-2). He fully reveals the Father (John 1:18; 16:15; 17:10, 26; Col. 1:19). Everything is “under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:27). All things were created through Him and for Him, and all things are held together by Him (Col. 1:16-17). In everything, He has the preeminence (Col. 1:18).
Accordingly, the biblical model of leader development revolves specifically around the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Healthy leader development must be entirely Christ-centered, Christ-focused, Christ-absorbed. The Son of God is all in all!
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Col. 2:9-10, NKJV)
In previous Letters, we have examined both the goal and the process of Christian leader development. In everything, leader development must revolve around the Son of God.
First, the goal of leader development must be Jesus Christ. All five of the necessary elements of healthy leadership are connected directly to Him:
Christ (John 15:5; Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:6). Apart from union with Christ, we will accomplish nothing of any eternal value. “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Community (Eph. 1:23; 2:21-22; 3:16-19; 4:11-16; 5:31-32). Spiritual maturity is a corporate experience. First, Christ builds community; the leader’s union with Christ will be expressed in the leader living together with others in the Community in self-giving love, in true servanthood. Second, community builds Christ; it is in nurturing and accountable relationships with others that the leader will fully experience the indwelling life of Christ.
Character (Phil. 1:11; Is. 64:6). Human righteousness, apart from His indwelling life, is “filthy rags” in God’s eyes. True righteousness “comes through Jesus Christ.”
Calling (1 Cor. 3:11-13; Gal. 1:1). Neither man nor ministry should be first; in all things, Christ must have the preeminence. Today, so much is done in the church to serve either man’s need or his ambition; but God is only glorified through His own vision, He is only pleased with what He initiated.
Competencies (2 Cor. 3:5-6; Phil. 3:4-11; 4:13; Col. 1:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:11; Zech. 4:6). All of man’s greatest accomplishments are “rubbish” compared to that which comes from Jesus’ indwelling life.
We could build our emerging leaders to shine brilliantly in every human capacity, but if we have neglected to bring them into deep union with Christ, from Whom the whole person is properly built, they will ultimately experience failure in both life and ministry.
Second, the process of leader development must be Jesus Christ. He is the Source of power in all four of the Dynamics of Transformation:
Spiritual (2 Cor. 3:18). There was a veil in our hearts of separation between us and God. In Christ, God has removed this veil. Now, inwardly, we can see Him, we can hear Him, we can touch Him. As we look inwardly at Him we are transformed into His likeness, by His Spirit, from one realm of glory to another.
Relational (Eph. 4:16). Corporately, we are united with the eternal self-giving fellowship of the triune Godhead. The Father loves the Son who loves the Spirit who loves the Father and the Son – through us! It is “from Him [that] the whole body… grows and builds itself up in love.”
Experiential (2 Cor. 1:8-9; 12:7-10). Challenges and sufferings take us beyond our own strength and we are forced (often for the first time) to look away from ourselves and to truly rely, with deep surrender, on Him; that is how we are changed.
Instructional (2 Tim. 3:16-17). “All Scripture is God-breathed” – this is not only a proof text for the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture; it is a revelation of specifically how the Word changes us. Our interaction with the Word of God must go beyond human intellectualism. It is through the breath of His Spirit upon His Word that we are transformed.
Our training programs might harness the latest and greatest of human wisdom and methods, but if we do not bring our emerging leaders into face-to-face encounters with the Son of God (1 John 1:1-3) – through spiritual, relational, experiential and instructional dynamics – their lives will not be transformed.
Thus, leader development must revolve around Him in everything.
It is an extraordinary and utterly disastrous error to ignore, neglect or assume the intentional centrality of the Son of God in practical Christian leader development in both its goal and process. Jesus, Himself, is the Goal and He is the Process.
Today, in many nations, Christian leaders are returning to their first love – to Him. Burned out and frustrated, they are recognizing that they have been absorbed in His work more than in His Person, and that they are much better equipped in knowledge about Him than in living union with Him.
Of all of the many necessary paradigm shifts that Christian leader development is currently undergoing, this is the deepest, the most profound, the most vital.
Let us return to the centrality and the preeminence of the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, in Christian leader development. He, Himself, is our Process and our Goal; He, Himself, is our Journey and our Destination.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. (Rom. 11:36)
Distribution:
You may distribute the Letter to anyone you wish, in any form you wish, as long as the Letter is distributed in its entirety (including entire footer) and at no charge.
All content © 1998-2009, Malcolm Webber, Ph.D., Strategic Global Assistance, Inc. All rights reserved.
By Malcolm Webber, Ph.D. www.LeadershipLetters.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God’s ultimate purpose in all things revolves around His Son:
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth – in Him. (Eph. 1:9-10, NKJV)
The Son of God, Himself, is the final and complete revelation of God (Heb. 1:1-2). He fully reveals the Father (John 1:18; 16:15; 17:10, 26; Col. 1:19). Everything is “under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:27). All things were created through Him and for Him, and all things are held together by Him (Col. 1:16-17). In everything, He has the preeminence (Col. 1:18).
Accordingly, the biblical model of leader development revolves specifically around the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Healthy leader development must be entirely Christ-centered, Christ-focused, Christ-absorbed. The Son of God is all in all!
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Col. 2:9-10, NKJV)
In previous Letters, we have examined both the goal and the process of Christian leader development. In everything, leader development must revolve around the Son of God.
First, the goal of leader development must be Jesus Christ. All five of the necessary elements of healthy leadership are connected directly to Him:
Christ (John 15:5; Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:6). Apart from union with Christ, we will accomplish nothing of any eternal value. “Apart from me you can do nothing.”
Community (Eph. 1:23; 2:21-22; 3:16-19; 4:11-16; 5:31-32). Spiritual maturity is a corporate experience. First, Christ builds community; the leader’s union with Christ will be expressed in the leader living together with others in the Community in self-giving love, in true servanthood. Second, community builds Christ; it is in nurturing and accountable relationships with others that the leader will fully experience the indwelling life of Christ.
Character (Phil. 1:11; Is. 64:6). Human righteousness, apart from His indwelling life, is “filthy rags” in God’s eyes. True righteousness “comes through Jesus Christ.”
Calling (1 Cor. 3:11-13; Gal. 1:1). Neither man nor ministry should be first; in all things, Christ must have the preeminence. Today, so much is done in the church to serve either man’s need or his ambition; but God is only glorified through His own vision, He is only pleased with what He initiated.
Competencies (2 Cor. 3:5-6; Phil. 3:4-11; 4:13; Col. 1:10-12; 1 Pet. 4:11; Zech. 4:6). All of man’s greatest accomplishments are “rubbish” compared to that which comes from Jesus’ indwelling life.
We could build our emerging leaders to shine brilliantly in every human capacity, but if we have neglected to bring them into deep union with Christ, from Whom the whole person is properly built, they will ultimately experience failure in both life and ministry.
Second, the process of leader development must be Jesus Christ. He is the Source of power in all four of the Dynamics of Transformation:
Spiritual (2 Cor. 3:18). There was a veil in our hearts of separation between us and God. In Christ, God has removed this veil. Now, inwardly, we can see Him, we can hear Him, we can touch Him. As we look inwardly at Him we are transformed into His likeness, by His Spirit, from one realm of glory to another.
Relational (Eph. 4:16). Corporately, we are united with the eternal self-giving fellowship of the triune Godhead. The Father loves the Son who loves the Spirit who loves the Father and the Son – through us! It is “from Him [that] the whole body… grows and builds itself up in love.”
Experiential (2 Cor. 1:8-9; 12:7-10). Challenges and sufferings take us beyond our own strength and we are forced (often for the first time) to look away from ourselves and to truly rely, with deep surrender, on Him; that is how we are changed.
Instructional (2 Tim. 3:16-17). “All Scripture is God-breathed” – this is not only a proof text for the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture; it is a revelation of specifically how the Word changes us. Our interaction with the Word of God must go beyond human intellectualism. It is through the breath of His Spirit upon His Word that we are transformed.
Our training programs might harness the latest and greatest of human wisdom and methods, but if we do not bring our emerging leaders into face-to-face encounters with the Son of God (1 John 1:1-3) – through spiritual, relational, experiential and instructional dynamics – their lives will not be transformed.
Thus, leader development must revolve around Him in everything.
It is an extraordinary and utterly disastrous error to ignore, neglect or assume the intentional centrality of the Son of God in practical Christian leader development in both its goal and process. Jesus, Himself, is the Goal and He is the Process.
Today, in many nations, Christian leaders are returning to their first love – to Him. Burned out and frustrated, they are recognizing that they have been absorbed in His work more than in His Person, and that they are much better equipped in knowledge about Him than in living union with Him.
Of all of the many necessary paradigm shifts that Christian leader development is currently undergoing, this is the deepest, the most profound, the most vital.
Let us return to the centrality and the preeminence of the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, in Christian leader development. He, Himself, is our Process and our Goal; He, Himself, is our Journey and our Destination.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. (Rom. 11:36)
Distribution:
You may distribute the Letter to anyone you wish, in any form you wish, as long as the Letter is distributed in its entirety (including entire footer) and at no charge.
All content © 1998-2009, Malcolm Webber, Ph.D., Strategic Global Assistance, Inc. All rights reserved.
Friday, November 20, 2009
3900 Marbles
A friend forwarded me an email that struck a chord in my heart. I thought I would pass it along to my fellow blog readers. Blessings!
3900 MARBLES
The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles.' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....
' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'
'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'
'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'
'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'
'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.
3900 MARBLES
The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles.' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....
' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'
'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'
'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'
'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'
'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
ITINERARY for TEXAS TRIP
This schedule continues to be a work-in-progress…check back periodically for updates.
Monday, November 9
Fly into Austin at 2pm
7pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent in Belton, Texas. Hosted by Steve Burke of The Lord Will Provide ministries.
Address
Grothway Square
2427 N Main Street
Belton, TX
Tuesday, November 10
12pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
7pm—“Fire & Lightening” in Waco, TX (Mark & Patty Short)
I will be ministering as the Holy Spirit leads.
Address
Worship Room at Budget Printing
630 Texas Central Pkwy. Ste. 102
Waco, TX 76712
Wednesday, November 11
12pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
7pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
Thursday, November 12
At this point I don't have anything scheduled.
Friday, November 13
10:30am—Tom Dooley flies into Austin airport
11:30am—lunch with Barb Bucklin and key leaders in Austin
Evening—still in the works...check back later for update info.
Saturday, November 14
12pm—Luncheon & Leadership Training followed by prophetic ministry as the Lord leads. Waco, Texas.
By Invitation Only
7pm—Temple Tabernacle Church: Brian Francis Hume
Address: Temple Tabernacle Church
4903 Midway Dr.
Temple, TX 76502
Sunday, November 13
10am—Temple Tabernacle Church: Dr. Tom Dooley
4:40pm—Tom departs from Austin airport
Monday, November 13
9:35am—Depart from the Austin airport
Monday, November 9
Fly into Austin at 2pm
7pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent in Belton, Texas. Hosted by Steve Burke of The Lord Will Provide ministries.
Address
Grothway Square
2427 N Main Street
Belton, TX
Tuesday, November 10
12pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
7pm—“Fire & Lightening” in Waco, TX (Mark & Patty Short)
I will be ministering as the Holy Spirit leads.
Address
Worship Room at Budget Printing
630 Texas Central Pkwy. Ste. 102
Waco, TX 76712
Wednesday, November 11
12pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
7pm—THE JOURNEY under the Tent
Thursday, November 12
At this point I don't have anything scheduled.
Friday, November 13
10:30am—Tom Dooley flies into Austin airport
11:30am—lunch with Barb Bucklin and key leaders in Austin
Evening—still in the works...check back later for update info.
Saturday, November 14
12pm—Luncheon & Leadership Training followed by prophetic ministry as the Lord leads. Waco, Texas.
By Invitation Only
7pm—Temple Tabernacle Church: Brian Francis Hume
Address: Temple Tabernacle Church
4903 Midway Dr.
Temple, TX 76502
Sunday, November 13
10am—Temple Tabernacle Church: Dr. Tom Dooley
4:40pm—Tom departs from Austin airport
Monday, November 13
9:35am—Depart from the Austin airport
Thursday, September 17, 2009
You are INVITED...
I've been invited by Pastor Jeff and Theresa Light of Novum Baptist Church to minister at their first night of revival on Sunday, September 27. They are precious friends of our family and I consider it a true honor to be able to minister to their flock at Novum Baptist Church in Reva, Virginia. Reva is located a few miles south of Culpeper. The service is scheduled to start at 7:00pm and conclude at 8:30pm.
I want to invite friends who are within a reasonable distance of Reva to prayerfully consider joining us that evening. However, more importantly, I would earnestly covet your prayers leading up to the service for myself, and for those in attendance. Pray that I may speak precisely what the Father would desire, and to preach with an unction from Heaven. Apart from the anointing of God's Spirit, there is no reason anyone should show up to hear a weak man preach. Lastly, but not least, pray for receptive hearts to be in attendance. Pray that the Spirit of God would do such a deep work that lives would be forever changed for the glory of God.
Click here to see the schedule for the whole week of revival services and for contact info.
For His Glory,
Brian Francis Hume
I want to invite friends who are within a reasonable distance of Reva to prayerfully consider joining us that evening. However, more importantly, I would earnestly covet your prayers leading up to the service for myself, and for those in attendance. Pray that I may speak precisely what the Father would desire, and to preach with an unction from Heaven. Apart from the anointing of God's Spirit, there is no reason anyone should show up to hear a weak man preach. Lastly, but not least, pray for receptive hearts to be in attendance. Pray that the Spirit of God would do such a deep work that lives would be forever changed for the glory of God.
Click here to see the schedule for the whole week of revival services and for contact info.
For His Glory,
Brian Francis Hume
Upcoming Revival Service at Novum Baptist Church
NOVUM BAPTIST CHURCH
1629 Novum Church Rd, Reva, VA 22735
(540) 547-3357 (Church Bldg) (540) 987-9523 (Pastor)
Pastor Jeffrey D. Light
HOMECOMING & REVIVAL SERVICES
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND
++Our Choir Will Offer A Special Selection At Each Service++
Sunday, September 27th
11:00 Combined Homecoming Worship, Pastor Jeff Light
12:30 Homecoming Fellowship Meal, All Welcome!
7-8:30 PM First Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: BRIAN FRANCIS HUME
[ ] Guest Musicians: “The Harbor Lights”
Monday, September 28th, 7-8:30 PM Second Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: ADAM MEISBERGER
[ ] Guest Musicians: “Immersed”
Tuesday, September 29th, 7-8:30 PM Third Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: HENRY EZEKIEL “ZEKE” LAM
[ ] Guest Musician: “Adam Meisberger”
Wednesday, September 30th, 7-8:30 PM Fourth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: HAGAZI KEBEDE
[ ] Guest Musician: “Lisa Lyons”
Thursday, October 1st, 7-8:30 PM Fifth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: JOHN S. FARRAR
[ ] Guest Musicians: “Kenny, Patty, & Marie”
Friday, October 2nd, 7-8:30 PM Sixth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: KAMAL SALEEM
[ ] Guest Musicians: “The Sheads Family”
A nursery will be provided for the convenience of those with younger children. We will also serve light refreshments following each of the services. In addition to the special music, the Novum Choir will also present a special selection each evening. Novum is located in the Reva area of Madison county, on Route 605. Please contact Pastor Jeff Light at (540) 987-9523 if there are any questions.
1629 Novum Church Rd, Reva, VA 22735
(540) 547-3357 (Church Bldg) (540) 987-9523 (Pastor)
Pastor Jeffrey D. Light
HOMECOMING & REVIVAL SERVICES
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2ND
++Our Choir Will Offer A Special Selection At Each Service++
Sunday, September 27th
11:00 Combined Homecoming Worship, Pastor Jeff Light
12:30 Homecoming Fellowship Meal, All Welcome!
7-8:30 PM First Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: BRIAN FRANCIS HUME
[ ] Guest Musicians: “The Harbor Lights”
Monday, September 28th, 7-8:30 PM Second Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: ADAM MEISBERGER
[ ] Guest Musicians: “Immersed”
Tuesday, September 29th, 7-8:30 PM Third Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: HENRY EZEKIEL “ZEKE” LAM
[ ] Guest Musician: “Adam Meisberger”
Wednesday, September 30th, 7-8:30 PM Fourth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: HAGAZI KEBEDE
[ ] Guest Musician: “Lisa Lyons”
Thursday, October 1st, 7-8:30 PM Fifth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: JOHN S. FARRAR
[ ] Guest Musicians: “Kenny, Patty, & Marie”
Friday, October 2nd, 7-8:30 PM Sixth Revival Service
[ ] Evangelist: KAMAL SALEEM
[ ] Guest Musicians: “The Sheads Family”
A nursery will be provided for the convenience of those with younger children. We will also serve light refreshments following each of the services. In addition to the special music, the Novum Choir will also present a special selection each evening. Novum is located in the Reva area of Madison county, on Route 605. Please contact Pastor Jeff Light at (540) 987-9523 if there are any questions.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
August 2009 Newsletter by Bob Yarbrough
Dear praying friends,
We live in a time when the sensual focus of our culture works to anesthetize our hearts so that we are insensitive to the presence of God in our world. As in the days of Paul, when the pagan culture lulled many into a spiritual sleep, the word comes to us anew: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” [Eph.5:14]. We must constantly guard against the dulling of our spiritual insight and our ability to “hear” the Lord’s “still small voice” that guides us. Many, who have come to the light of Christ in salvation, still walk in darkness. Though they “have eyes, they fail to see” the things of God. And having ears to hear, we have become dull of hearing so that we do not receive the things of God revealed to us by His Spirit [cf. Mark 8:18, 1 Cor. 2:9]. Read, hear and be instructed by the following parable from modern life:
“…ears to hear…”
[A musician is playing a violin in a Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.]
He played six Bach pieces for about 60 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After:
3 minutes
A middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes
A three year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
This is a real story. The Washington Post, as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities, arranged the entire scenario. Playing incognito, no one knew the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days prior to this, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the tickets averaged $100 per seat.
The questions raised: In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty; do we stop to appreciate it; do we recognize talent in such an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ....... How many other things are we missing?
And for the awakened heart the question comes: “If I do not have a moment to listen to the Lord of the universe who invites me to know His heart and hear His voice, what am I missing?”
Jesus reminded us that, we, His disciples “… should always pray and not faint…” [Lk. 18:1]. Still many of us “sleep-walk” though the world, unconscious of the presence of the Lord of life! Only by prayerful alertness can we escape the darkness of this present “evil day” through which we are called to walk. As Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” [Mark14:38].
In grateful awareness of God’s love and care,
Bob Yarbrough
ON KNOWING CHRIST AS MY LIFE
“God has chosen to make known…this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” [Col. 1:27].
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” [Col. 3:4].
“But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” [1 Jn. 3:2]
As we continue the teaching of “knowing Christ” as the heart of our gospel [See last month’s letter], we want to emphasize the revelation of the mystery aspect of this truth – that of knowing “Christ in you” as your very life. To state it more dramatically” knowing Christ in you as you! [Your true identity found in your union with Christ by faith]. It was this deeper “knowing” that Paul longed for when he testified: “I want to know Christ… becoming like him…and so, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” [Phil. 3:10,11]. He was longing for Christ to manifest his resurrection life in his earthly body in his lifetime! This is the earnest desire that “groans” in each one of us who have “the firstfruits of the Spirit” [Rom. 8:23].
In the two scriptures above that link our likeness to Him and “when He appears,” the Greek word used by both Paul and John means, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, “to be brought to the light.” It connotes something that is hidden to the natural mind and perception, but “shines forth” when Christ is revealed to the receptive heart. Though it is true that the ultimate “appearing” of Christ is related to the second coming in glory [cf. 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 9:28], it seems clear that believers are to long for and expect “the appearing” of Christ in spiritual encounters of His Manifest Presence. Such a “spiritual experience” was granted to the disciples gathered at the “breaking of the bread” [Lk. 24:30,31] and to John in his lonely exile on the Isle of Patmos. His record of that experience is preserved for us in the book he wrote – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”- the last book in our inspired scriptures.
Because such experiences of His appearing have been counterfeited and abused by “false prophets,” down through the centuries, spiritual leaders have rightly warned believers to be wary of them. But, as everyone knows, the reason that counterfeits exist is because there is something real and valuable that presupposes the “fake” distortion. There are “false apostles,” operating in fleshly deception, who have robbed the Household of God of the great “treasure” to be found in beholding the face of Christ. James warns that “…where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice” [Js. 3:16]. Still, there remains the promise that we may indeed discover this true “…treasure in jars of clay,” our earthly bodies.
It is for those who patiently “…get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in us” [Js. 1:21] that the Holy Spirit comes to reveal the Son in us! The Lord still today, “…makes his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” [2 Cor. 4:6]. For those who earnestly seek Him it is written, that “…we with unveiled faces all contemplate and reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed in his likeness with ever-increasing glory” [2 Cor. 3:18].
In coming to “know” Christ, not simply “according to the flesh,” but revealed in us [cf. 2 Cor. 5:16-17; Gal. 1:15,16] , we come to know our true self, “…created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” [Eph. 4:24]. After that we “…glory in Christ Jesus and …put no confidence in the flesh” [Phil. 3:3]. Having come to “know” ourselves as “…a man in Christ…” we confess with Paul: “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses" [2 Cor. 12:2,5].
True spiritual humility consists in knowing that apart from Him, we are nothing and can do nothing, while at the same time knowing that “…he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” [1 Cor. 6:17]. As boldly as Jesus Christ confessed, “I and the Father are one” [Jn. 10 30], so may we boldly declare what Jesus said of us: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” [Jn. 14:20]. Fixing my mind on Him, seeing Him as He is in me, I come to know in spiritual reality: “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me!” [Gal. 2:20]. Continued….
We live in a time when the sensual focus of our culture works to anesthetize our hearts so that we are insensitive to the presence of God in our world. As in the days of Paul, when the pagan culture lulled many into a spiritual sleep, the word comes to us anew: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” [Eph.5:14]. We must constantly guard against the dulling of our spiritual insight and our ability to “hear” the Lord’s “still small voice” that guides us. Many, who have come to the light of Christ in salvation, still walk in darkness. Though they “have eyes, they fail to see” the things of God. And having ears to hear, we have become dull of hearing so that we do not receive the things of God revealed to us by His Spirit [cf. Mark 8:18, 1 Cor. 2:9]. Read, hear and be instructed by the following parable from modern life:
“…ears to hear…”
[A musician is playing a violin in a Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.]
He played six Bach pieces for about 60 minutes. During that time approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After:
3 minutes
A middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes
A three year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes
The musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
This is a real story. The Washington Post, as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities, arranged the entire scenario. Playing incognito, no one knew the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days prior to this, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the tickets averaged $100 per seat.
The questions raised: In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty; do we stop to appreciate it; do we recognize talent in such an unexpected context?
One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ....... How many other things are we missing?
And for the awakened heart the question comes: “If I do not have a moment to listen to the Lord of the universe who invites me to know His heart and hear His voice, what am I missing?”
Jesus reminded us that, we, His disciples “… should always pray and not faint…” [Lk. 18:1]. Still many of us “sleep-walk” though the world, unconscious of the presence of the Lord of life! Only by prayerful alertness can we escape the darkness of this present “evil day” through which we are called to walk. As Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” [Mark14:38].
In grateful awareness of God’s love and care,
Bob Yarbrough
ON KNOWING CHRIST AS MY LIFE
“God has chosen to make known…this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” [Col. 1:27].
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” [Col. 3:4].
“But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” [1 Jn. 3:2]
As we continue the teaching of “knowing Christ” as the heart of our gospel [See last month’s letter], we want to emphasize the revelation of the mystery aspect of this truth – that of knowing “Christ in you” as your very life. To state it more dramatically” knowing Christ in you as you! [Your true identity found in your union with Christ by faith]. It was this deeper “knowing” that Paul longed for when he testified: “I want to know Christ… becoming like him…and so, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” [Phil. 3:10,11]. He was longing for Christ to manifest his resurrection life in his earthly body in his lifetime! This is the earnest desire that “groans” in each one of us who have “the firstfruits of the Spirit” [Rom. 8:23].
In the two scriptures above that link our likeness to Him and “when He appears,” the Greek word used by both Paul and John means, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of N.T. Words, “to be brought to the light.” It connotes something that is hidden to the natural mind and perception, but “shines forth” when Christ is revealed to the receptive heart. Though it is true that the ultimate “appearing” of Christ is related to the second coming in glory [cf. 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 9:28], it seems clear that believers are to long for and expect “the appearing” of Christ in spiritual encounters of His Manifest Presence. Such a “spiritual experience” was granted to the disciples gathered at the “breaking of the bread” [Lk. 24:30,31] and to John in his lonely exile on the Isle of Patmos. His record of that experience is preserved for us in the book he wrote – “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”- the last book in our inspired scriptures.
Because such experiences of His appearing have been counterfeited and abused by “false prophets,” down through the centuries, spiritual leaders have rightly warned believers to be wary of them. But, as everyone knows, the reason that counterfeits exist is because there is something real and valuable that presupposes the “fake” distortion. There are “false apostles,” operating in fleshly deception, who have robbed the Household of God of the great “treasure” to be found in beholding the face of Christ. James warns that “…where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice” [Js. 3:16]. Still, there remains the promise that we may indeed discover this true “…treasure in jars of clay,” our earthly bodies.
It is for those who patiently “…get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in us” [Js. 1:21] that the Holy Spirit comes to reveal the Son in us! The Lord still today, “…makes his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” [2 Cor. 4:6]. For those who earnestly seek Him it is written, that “…we with unveiled faces all contemplate and reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed in his likeness with ever-increasing glory” [2 Cor. 3:18].
In coming to “know” Christ, not simply “according to the flesh,” but revealed in us [cf. 2 Cor. 5:16-17; Gal. 1:15,16] , we come to know our true self, “…created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” [Eph. 4:24]. After that we “…glory in Christ Jesus and …put no confidence in the flesh” [Phil. 3:3]. Having come to “know” ourselves as “…a man in Christ…” we confess with Paul: “I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses" [2 Cor. 12:2,5].
True spiritual humility consists in knowing that apart from Him, we are nothing and can do nothing, while at the same time knowing that “…he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.” [1 Cor. 6:17]. As boldly as Jesus Christ confessed, “I and the Father are one” [Jn. 10 30], so may we boldly declare what Jesus said of us: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” [Jn. 14:20]. Fixing my mind on Him, seeing Him as He is in me, I come to know in spiritual reality: “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me!” [Gal. 2:20]. Continued….
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Andrew Strom | HOW FLEETING IS LIFE
Most of you will have heard the sad news of the passing of two pop icons in one day yesterday. Farrah Fawcett was 63 and died after a long battle with cancer. Michael Jackson the "prince of pop", aged only 50, died in even sadder circumstances. How tragic that even the vast machinery of fame cannot shield its many lost sons from a lonely, miserable existence and an unhappy end.
No doubt Farrah Fawcett could look back on the glory years when young women around the world imitated her hairstyle and her "look". I can remember as a kid watching "Charlie's Angels", though I have to admit far preferring "The Six Million Dollar Man" as a 10-year-old. She will be remembered as a battler to the end, an icon of her era. But oh, how fleeting is life. And oh, how empty is fame. And oh, how pointless is earthly success when eternity stretches before all.
Michael Jackson could have looked back on years of pop gloryand superstar fame - when his dance moves dazzled the whole world. But then came the surgeries, the bizarre behaviour, the ugly allegations, the court cases, the hundreds of million$ of debt.
Like another famous "prince" of pop (actually - his father in law -Elvis Presley), he seemingly died unhappy and alone, his "comeback" unrealized, his fame a chain around his neck, his death a shock in one still so young. Elvis died at 42, and now his son-in-law Michael at 50. Fame seemingly does not take good care of its own when they pass their "use-by" date. And so the ephemeral idols of our shallow culture continue crashing down."
"For what is your life?" asks the apostle James. "It is a vapor thatappears for a little time, and then vanishes away."
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity... All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."
If it is one thing we can learn from the life and death of every 'icon'on this planet, it is that we all must live with eternity in view, not the fleeting charade of this present world. As Leonard Ravenhill so eloquently asked, "Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for?"
A sad day.
Send feedback to - prophetic[at]revivalschool[dot]com
God bless you all.
Andrew Strom.
No doubt Farrah Fawcett could look back on the glory years when young women around the world imitated her hairstyle and her "look". I can remember as a kid watching "Charlie's Angels", though I have to admit far preferring "The Six Million Dollar Man" as a 10-year-old. She will be remembered as a battler to the end, an icon of her era. But oh, how fleeting is life. And oh, how empty is fame. And oh, how pointless is earthly success when eternity stretches before all.
Michael Jackson could have looked back on years of pop gloryand superstar fame - when his dance moves dazzled the whole world. But then came the surgeries, the bizarre behaviour, the ugly allegations, the court cases, the hundreds of million$ of debt.
Like another famous "prince" of pop (actually - his father in law -Elvis Presley), he seemingly died unhappy and alone, his "comeback" unrealized, his fame a chain around his neck, his death a shock in one still so young. Elvis died at 42, and now his son-in-law Michael at 50. Fame seemingly does not take good care of its own when they pass their "use-by" date. And so the ephemeral idols of our shallow culture continue crashing down."
"For what is your life?" asks the apostle James. "It is a vapor thatappears for a little time, and then vanishes away."
"Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher of Ecclesiastes, "All is vanity... All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again."
If it is one thing we can learn from the life and death of every 'icon'on this planet, it is that we all must live with eternity in view, not the fleeting charade of this present world. As Leonard Ravenhill so eloquently asked, "Are the things you're living for worth Christ dying for?"
A sad day.
Send feedback to - prophetic[at]revivalschool[dot]com
God bless you all.
Andrew Strom.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)