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click here for a graphic file depicting a simplified outline of salvation
The Value of Adversity
By Thomas À Kempis
“These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith
is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise
and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:7 NLT
It is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing.
It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vain-glory.
When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.
When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good.
Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ.
Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.
--Adapted by Mark Tabb from “The Imitation of Christ” (chapter 12).
What are you worried about?
...an email message from Rick Warren's Ministry.
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before
you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when
Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (Msg)
The starting point for overcoming worry is to realize it is useless. It does you no good to worry. It is 'stewing without doing.' Worry has
never changed anything. Worry cannot change the past. Worry cannot control the future. Worry only makes you miserable today.
Worry has never solved a problem, never paid a bill, and never cured an illness. It only paralyzes you so you can’t work on the solution.
Worry is like racing a car engine in neutral - it doesn’t get you anywhere, it just uses up gas. 'An anxious heart weighs a man down.' Proverbs 12:25
On top of that, worry exaggerates the problem. It plays on your imagination. Have you ever noticed that when you worry about a problem it gets
bigger? Every time you repeat it over and over in your mind, you tend to add details - amplifying it so you feel worse. What’s the solution?
Instead of worrying, talk to God about what’s worrying you. He is someone who can do something about it.
IF YOU SPENT AS MUCH TIME PRAYING AS YOU DO WORRYING - YOU’D HAVE A LOT LESS TO WORRY ABOUT!
A Life of Love
...an excerpt from Rick Warren's 'The Purpose Driven Life.'
"Love means living the way God commanded us to live. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is this: Live a life of love." -- 2 John 1:6 (NCV)
Life is all about love. Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn on earth is how to love. It is in loving that we are most like him, so
love is the foundation of every command he has given us: "The whole Law can be summed up in this one command: ‘Love others as you love yourself."**
Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task. That’s why we’re given a lifetime to learn it. Of course, God wants us to love everyone, but he is particularly
concerned that we learn to love others in his family.
Why does God insist that we give special love and attention to other believers? Because God wants his family to be known for its love more than anything else.
Jesus said our love for each other--not our doctrinal belief--is our greatest witness to the world. He said, "Your strong love for each other will prove to the world that
you are my disciples."** In heaven we will enjoy God’s family forever, but first we have some tough work to do here on earth to prepare ourselves for an eternity of
loving. God trains us by giving us 'family responsibilities,' and the foremost of these is to practice loving each other.
The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.
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Bible Study Notes
These notes were taken from a seminar at Promise Keepers at the ESA in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, July 27th.
Many people believe that to be a spiritual 'Superman' you must read your Bible through in a year and pray for at least an hour a day. Whether that is Biblical or not is up for debate, but
Buddy Owens believes that many of us take the wrong approach to these disciplines. Bible Study and prayer aren't separate activities, set off from each other in a proverbial vaccuum.
Instead, Bible study and prayer are the two parts of a conversation. Reading the Bible is God speaking to you, while prayer is the communication back to God (as well as He to you).
So, Buddy Owens proposes that a believer should start their time with God with a reading from the scripture, letting God start the conversation.
Next, Buddy underscored the importance of reading for depth and not for distance. Although it is great to read the Bible through in a set period, sometimes the meaning gets lost in the
reaching of a goal. Instead of trying to run a marathon with scripture--in which you will gain a lot of knowledge--one should take leisurely strolls with the Word, taking in the full
depths of its truth and meaning. He used the illustration of a tea bag in a glass of water to point out that as we let the Word of God dwell richly in us, permeating our being, we will
be transformed into a being that looks more and more like the Word. It takes time for the tea bag to change the water in a glass, as it takes time for the Word of God to change the soul
of a man.
Now we get to the meat of the session. Buddy Owens outlines a strategy for a conversation with God, incorporating both sides of the dialogue. He uses the illustration of a Sunday drive,
comparing our time with God to a leisurely drive in the country.
How to Have Conversation with God
- Fill Your Tank
Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you in a fresh way, so that you will be ready for what God has to say to you. The Holy Spirit is God dwelling within us, giving us an understanding for the deep things of God.
- Choose Your Road
Choose a passage of scripture. It could be a book of the Bible that your pastor taught from on Sunday. It could be a passage dealing with a subject that has interested you lately. The important thing is to choose a passage for a reason, rather than at random.
- Slow Down and Enjoy the Scenery
Find out the background of the passage. Understand the author and the reason that he wrote it. Most study Bibles will have this information. If yours does not, try a web search or check out a Bible commentary from your church or the public library.
Secondly, slow down when you read. This allows the scripture to soak in. It is a good practice to read at the pace it would take you to write the words. If you find this difficult, try reading the scripture aloud.
- Pull over at a Scenic Point
Pick a verse from the passage that stands out to you. Read that verse (or part of a verse) over and over, emphasizing different words in the sentence or phrase. Repeat the verse aloud.
- Take a Picture of Yourself
Ask yourself, "What do I look like in regards to this verse?" Personalize the verse, inserting your name or your circumstances where appropriate. Assess yourself in light of the truth of the Word.
- Send Home a Postcard
This is where your reading transitions into prayer. Use the scripture that you just read as a springboard for conversation with God. Ask Him what He thinks about this issue. He is a personal God, so talk to Him like you would a person, yet with a special awe and respect.
- Proceed to the Next Viewpoint
If you're still thirsty, drink again from His living Water!
As you read and pray, remember that God longs to speak with you! He wants to spend quality time with you. There is no better way to spend your time than with the Lord. It is the only thing that lasts throughout eternity.
May God bless you in your pursuit of Him. He has pursued you since the beginning of time.
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Notes on Accountability
This is a passage from a Chuck Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministries article on accountability.
"A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."* --Ecclesiastes 4:12, NLT
by Charles W. Colson
I urge all Christians not only to attend church services regularly but also to establish small groups of other Christians to whom they are accountable. I’ve seen this simple practice work wonders in my own life. In fact, I would never have developed real Christian maturity merely by staying home, reading religious books and attending church once a week--no more than an athlete can develop by shooting baskets alone in the driveway. We’re all parts of a larger Body, and as parts we can’t operate alone. Nor is the Body fully formed when some of its parts are not fully integrated.
After I became a Christian, I was surrounded by some loving Christian brothers. I credit my early spiritual growth to that prayer group. They made it clear from the beginning that they would meet with me regularly, and we agreed that I wouldn’t make decisions without them.
Why is this necessary? Even if Christ lives in you, and even if you’re a committed disciple, there will be times when temptation will be nearly overpowering. We need to remember that we’re self-deluding creatures who are fully capable of rationalizing the worst sins, even as Christians. Remember the story of David and Nathan? David, a man after God’s own heart, couldn’t see his own considerable sin, so Nathan told him the story of a man’s obvious sin. David was enraged and told Nathan the man should be punished. Only then could Nathan say, "You are the man!"
A group can tell us when we’re off base. A group has the wonderful ability to get us to focus on God rather than on ourselves. We may resist this, but without a group we will likely never recognize how out of focus we’re becoming.
Let me be the first to admit that over the years I’ve been tempted to sin, and I’ve done things wrong without even knowing it. Because the human heart is deceitful, the accountability of a small group is indispensable.
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