The Story of I am Not

Book Review: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, by Donald S. Whitney.  Colorado Springs:  NavPress, 1991.  266 pages.  

Donald S. Whitney’s book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life was chosen to fulfill a requirement for Dr. Reid’s Basic Evangelism class.   Donald Whitney, the  assistant professor of spiritual formation at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written a well-structured, clearly applicable and easily understood book addressing the issues of proper discipleship training in the life of the believer. The title of the book is Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and is published by NavPress of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Dr. Whitney earned his D.Min. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity school, and served as a pastor for 19 years prior to his position at Midwestern. Whitney has also written How Can I be Sure I am a Christian? (NavPress, 1994) and Spiritual Disciplines Within The Church (Moody Press, 1996.)

The basic tenet in this book is derived from 1 Timothy 4:7; "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" (NASB). The entire book is an effort to apply this verse in practical ways. (p.16)  Whitney strives to give us a basic framework for disciplined Christian living throughout the 13 chapters in his book.

Chapter 1 gives us the major reasons for seeking a disciplined life.  Whitney reminds us that freedom is not the opposite of discipline, but in actuality the final reward of discipline. (p.24)  While the initial application of discipline may be difficult, its reward is the gradual assimilation into one’s life, so that discipline becomes the normal daily practice and a joy unto itself, rather than a tedious chore. This in turn leads to the ultimate joy; a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapters 1 through 12 cover each of the author’s suggested disciplines: Bible intake (chapters 2 and 3), prayer, worship, evangelism, serving, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and learning.  Chapter 13 wraps it all up under the title Perseverance in the Disciplines.  Each chapter concludes with two or three life application questions and the author’s answers.

Chapters 2 and 3 cover the issue of Bible intake. With all the available versions of the Bibles that are in print it is surprising that evangelicals largely neglect Biblical intake outside of a 5 to 10 minute daily devotional.  Today it seems that every conceivable type of Bible study is available in the church or for home.  Inductive studies, small group studies, large group studies, thematic studies, Biblical character studies, men’s studies, women’s studies, and on and on.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with studying the Bible in this manner, Whitney reminds us that the oldest and still most effective means of studying God’s Word is to read it.  Of all the methods devised to study the Bible, simply reading it and meditating on what you have read is still the most beneficial

and edifying method of all.  Christians sometime get the wrong idea about meditation.  The word meditation brings up images of chanting, incense and weird body positions, but that is not what Whitney is talking about.  Mediating simply means to concentrate on God’s Word and ponder on how to apply to ones life.  As part of the discipline of Bible intake, we must also memorize Scripture as well.  Jesus said that out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  So if we fill our heart with the Word of God, we will not sin against Him

Chapter 4 covers the always-difficult subject of prayer. Perhaps no other discipline is as difficult to maintain as is a regular prayer life.  We are to pray because God expects us to pray, and Whitney cites many New Testament verses commanding us to pray.  Prayer is neglected because "the problem is primarily one of a lack of discipline:  Prayer is never planned, time is never allotted for praying." (p.69)  He then gives us some effective guidelines for establishing prayer in our lives.  One common-sense idea is that praying daily leads to a better prayer life.  In prayer, like athletics, practice enhances performance.

Chapter 6 covers the discipline of Evangelism. Evangelism is not often thought of as a discipline, possibly because evangelism is often left to those who are called to the ministry.  Many lay people believe that one must have a particular spiritual gift in order to share their faith.  Evangelism is in deed a spiritual discipline.  Discipline is extremely necessary if evangelism is to be effective and consistently practiced.  If prayer is the hardest discipline to maintain, then evangelism is certainly the hardest discipline to begin.  Probably no other discipline creates such terror in the Christian as that of evangelism.  Whitney gives us three rules of evangelism. First, evangelism is expected. The author states "All Christians are not expected to use the same methods of evangelism, but all

Christians are expected to evangelize." (p. 100)  Also, evangelism is empowered. Whitney tells us the power of evangelism is not ourselves, but is the Holy Spirit.

Christians fear failure in evangelism, which to most means rejection of the Gospel. But that is not failure; not faithfully sharing Christ is true failure.  We are not called to save, we are called to share the Gospel.  Conviction and conversion is the work of the Spirit. Success is measured by how faithfully we share the Gospel, not by how many notches we put on our evangelical gun belt.  "Evangelism is a natural flow of the Christian life." (p. 106)  One of the best pieces of advice Whitney gives for initiating a witness opportunity, especially with strangers, is offering to pray for them.  This can often turn the conversation quickly to spiritual matters, presenting an opportunity for a Gospel presentation.

In chapter 7, Whitney states this sobering message:  Spiritual gifts are for using in service. If God didn’t intend for your gift to be used, there would no longer be any purpose for your life. Why would God allow us to live beyond any usefulness to Him? In His wisdom and providence He has gifted each believer to serve and kept each of you alive to serve. (p.125).  Too many believers live as if they are here to be a blessing to God, rather than to serve God.  We must all remember that we are called primarily to be a blessing to others.

Overall, this book is well written and applicable to the Christian walk.  I agree with the disciplines chosen for this book.  There is no more important discipline than consistent, meditative and prayerful intake of God’s Word.  Without this, the other disciplines are not possible.  People, particularly Americans, always want a foolproof "system," and the previously mentioned types of Bible study programs appeal to different needs.  Yet simple daily reading of the Bible remains the most effective means for learning its content.

This book is not without its problems, however. Especially in his chapters on stewardship and fasting.  When discussing giving, the author seems to limit proper Biblical giving strictly to finances and not to the giving of time, resources or gifts. Yet when discussing fasting, the author concedes that it "does not always deal with abstinence from food." (p. 160)  Abstinence from other activities, like people, media and sleep qualifies as well. Whitney seems to be inconsistent in his application of stewardship and fasting. These disciplines are more closely related than they may appear.

   Slightly troubling as well is his hermeneutic in a couple of Biblical expositions.  In evaluating Jesus’ fast for forty days and nights in Matthew 4:2, Whitney states that since the body can’t live more than three days without water, Jesus must have drank some during this time, though not stated in the passage. Yet when discussing Moses’ fast in Deuteronomy 9:9 and Elijah’s fast in 1 Kings 19:8, he states that their fasts without water required "God’s supernatural intervention into the bodily processes and are not repeatable apart from the Lord’s specific calling and miraculous provision." (p.161)  Surely Whitney is not saying that God "supernatural intervened into the bodily processes" of Elijah and Moses, but not into the Lord Jesus’?

Despite some minor flaws, this is a much needed book in Evangelical circles today. It reads crisply, addresses key discipleship issues, and is very convicting in areas such as prayer, stewardship and evangelism. This book is recommended to be read by every Christian who desires a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Book Review: Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures

In Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures, Gibbs and Bolger The only way the church is going to turn the tide of Postmodern is be proactive and critically engage it.  This is the approach that makes the most sense biblically.  Jesus chose to fully engage the people of His time.  He took the time to ask the tough questions.  He always asked the questions that would go way beyond the surface.  As pastors, we need to know what our students are involved in and ask the tough questions.  For example, this summer I did a message series called “MySpace”  We took six weeks to look at the who, what, when, where, why, and how of MySpace.  MySpace is an internet blog site where students can set up a profile, post media, and blogs about themselves.  As I began to research this topic, I looked for our students that had a MySpace account, and I was shocked.  Some of the students had revealing photos, lied about their age, and used profanity fluently.  I e-mailed these students and asked to be added to their friends list.  Within one hour, I had a student at my house. He asked,” How did you find out about MySpace?  He was embarrassed that I had found his site.  He puts on a very spiritual front at church, but his site was far from it.  Others were excited that I took time to enter their world.  If we critically engage the post-modern world, we will truly see change.  As youth pastors, we must lead the charge in an evangelical revolution to reach a lost generation.  In our reading we had several examples of how to engage postmodernism.

     They looked at the importance of developing a Postmodern theology.  They help the reader discover how each person through the truth of God’s word, denominational ties, church tradition, and experience develop the basis for their theology.  They close with several methods of developing a sound theology that will communicate the truths of God and reach the Postmodern mind.

Jesus came into the human culture in order to serve.  John’s gospel gives us the idea of Incarnational ministry which can lead us into cross-cultural ministry.  By becoming like Christ, we will be open to cross-cultural interaction and ministry.  Christ moved out of His culture to talk to the Samaritan woman in John 4.  It was not the normal for Jews to associate with Samaritans.  But there was Jesus, moving beyond the norm.  We also can see this example of Jesus moving from place to place.  He didn’t stay in the town He was born, but He moved beyond.  His ministry continued throughout different communities.

In order to fulfill God’s missionary purpose we need to join Him where He is working.  It should not be a sense of duty, but a passion for those who are lost.  We should have such a passion for God’s glory to be revealed that we willing to go to great lengths to share with others.  We should have the purist of motives and work together to accomplish the task.  We should integrate evangelism and social interaction into every event we plan.  Our passion should be like a wild fire that spreads when fanned by the wind of the Holy Spirit.

The Message of the Gospel declares the victory that Jesus had over death, Satan, and sin.  They were each defeated by His first coming, and will be destroyed at His final coming.  Our mission as Christians is to share the Gospel with the entire world.  We make up God’s Kingdom on earth, and we have been given the mission to enlarge the borders by bringing others to a saving knowledge of Him.  Prayer is our weapon against Satan, through prayer we can undo Satan’s work in the lives of believers.  Prayer will help us to know where God is working, and we can join Him there in Kingdom work.

The biblical meaning of Kingdom is the right to rule, rather than referring to royally-owned interstate.  The Kingdom of God refers to the exercise of His authority, and His right to rule based on His might, power, and glory.  The mystery of the Kingdom of God is that the Messiah would not just come once but twice.  The kingdom has already arrived in Christ’s coming.  It has been established in the heart of every believer.  Jesus has given us the task of enlarging the Kingdom through sharing the Gospel and being on mission for Him.  The second coming will be a time of judgment in which He will purge the earth of sin and evil.

The Kingdom of God is achieving a progressive victory over satanic forces to rescue people of all nations from the power of sin in their lives.  Christ’s first coming destroyed Satan’s power base, and Jesus won victory over sin, death, and hell.  Between His comings, we the church are working to undone Satan’s work on earth.  The second coming of Christ will destroy Satan, and Christ will come in His full glory to judge the earth and establish His Kingdom.

In order for God’s Kingdom to continue to grow, we need to be in a state of constant prayer.  Our prayers need to be specific and strategic.  We need to pray for people to be delivered from idolatry and strongholds in their lives.  Prayer is not some mystical magic, but it a source of communication with God.  It allows us to be in tune with His Kingdom purpose, become equipped for every good work.  We also need to pray for those who have never heard the Gospel.  Our prayers will prepare the way for the gospel to be shared and received.

The establishment of God Kingdom requires us to go to battle.  We do not battle against flesh and blood, but against the evil forces of this world.  Satan was defeated by Christ’s death on the cross, but he still tries to wreak havoc on those who believe.  Satan tries to prevent us from sharing the gospel.  We must put on the full armor of God, and stand strong because the King of Kings and Lord of Lords goes before us in this spiritual battle.

    Jesus came to provide grace and mercy for mankind.  He came to establish His kingdom in the hearts of men.  He taught that His mercy and forgiveness was for all nations.  Because of He did not come in with an iron fist, He was killed.  The people misunderstood how the kingdom of God would be established.  They knew when the Messiah came, he would establish His kingdom, and it would have no end.  They assumed it would be by force and not by grace and mercy.

Jesus acted with a strategic purpose.  He wanted to create a dynamic, multiplying movement capable of evangelizing the world.  He chose to reveal the gospel first to the Jewish people.  Many rejected Him, but there were some who embraced Him as Messiah.  He used the disciples who were Jewish to help spread the gospel.  Jesus had a heart for the Gentiles as well.  On several occasions during His earthly ministry he reached out to Gentiles.  From the woman at the well to the Roman Centurion, He proved that the salvation He would bring through His death, burial, and resurrection was for all people.  Jesus chose to focus on a few believers and empower them to take His message and purpose to all the earth.  He wanted to reproduce His character in them so that they might be witnesses not only with their words, but also with their lives.  He also wanted them to reproduce the structure He had established.  Through the disciples, the church was formed.  The church was to be structured so that believers would be filled with the character of Christ.

The Great Commission is listed five times in Scripture.  It is Jesus’ last command to all believers.  We must share the Gospel with all nations.  All authority has been given to Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit we have the ability to share the greatest news of all time.  When the Holy Spirit indwells our lives, we have the power to be effective witnesses for Him.  That means not only with our words, but our lifestyle as well.  We have a mission that has been given to us by God.  We must stay focused and work toward a goal to share the Good News with everyone until the whole world has heard the Gospel.  We should also be mission minded.  In order for the mission to be completed, people must go and tell.  If we can’t go ourselves we need to be willing to support the one who do go.

The ultimate purpose of Christ’s ministry on earth was to seek and save that which was lost.  Salvation cannot be attained apart from Christ.  The idea of Universalism is an empty one.  God’s forgiveness is available for all, but it is not automatic.  Although Jesus’ death on the cross was the final sacrifice to atone for sin, we must consciously accept the gift of grace He extends to us.

Jesus commanded us to not only seek and save the lost, but to also teach and disciple believers.  He wants us to teach them to observe His commands, and trust and obey Him in every situation.  In our churches today, I believe this part of the Great Commission is forgotten.  If we don’t disciple new believers, they will not know the true pleasure of living a life devoted to Christ.  It would be like helping to deliver a baby, and then leaving it in the crib to fend for itself.  In order to change our world, we need to teach and disciple all nations so that all people will be able to live a life devoted to Christ.

The central message that we need to share with all nations is that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  He is God’s one and only son.  Faith must not be based on what we see or feel, or the culture in which we live.  Our faith must be in the person of Jesus Christ and His atoning work on the cross.  Jesus is unique among all other religious leaders.  He is alive and at work in the lives of believers, unlike Mohammad or Buddha whose bones are in their graves.  In order for the uniqueness of Christ to be fully displayed, we must live a life that points others to Him.  The world is looking for a genuine person to put their faith in.  We may be the only Jesus that anyone sees.  It is up to us grow the kingdom through a uniquely devoted life to the only one by which we might be saved.  That person is Jesus.

The gospel message is intended to be a global message.  We need to have a passion for the lost.  We need to be broken for those around us who need Christ.  Not out of a sense of legalistic obligation, but out of love and genuine concern.  People matter to God.  We need to see them through the eyes of Christ.  When we truly see people’s need for the life changing power of Christ, then and only then will we share the way He wants us to.  As ministers, we are not in a profession, but in a passion led ministry.

 

Book Review: Ministry in the Image of God: The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service

Ministry in the Image of God:  The Trinitarian Shape of Christian Service
 By Stephen Seamands                                                           
 © 2005, Downers Grove, IL, Intervarsity Press.  ISBN 978-0-8308-3338-2           

 

CHAPTER TITLES & MINI-SUMMARIES 

1. Trinitarian Ministry:  Why it Matters:  As Ministers, we need to recognize the working of the Trinity in the task and motivation of ministry.

2. Relational Priesthood:  The Nature of Trinitarian Ministry:  The Trinity helps us view the relational aspect of ministry through the lens of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3.  Joyful Intimacy:  The Heart of Trinitarian Ministry:  We must be open and honest with God in order to create intimacy with him.  Also if we can connect with others on more than just a superficial level, we can attain true intimacy as we minister to the local church.

4.  Glad Surrender:  The Heart of Trinitarian Ministry:  The surrendering of our lives to serve Christ is a human expression of the attitude of how each member of the Trinity relates to the other.

5. Complex Simplicity:  The Mystery of Trinitarian Ministry: The Trinity sounds simple, but the Trinity is man’s feeble effort to define the attributes of God.  This mystery helps provide a frame-work for service and ministry.

6.  Gracious Self Acceptance:  The Particularity of Trinitarian Ministry:  The uniqueness of each member of the Trinity allows ministry to be shaped and colored in special ways to accomplish God’s mission.

7.  Mutual Indwelling:  The Reciprocity of Trinitarian Ministry:  The fact that we are filled with the Holy Spirit allows us to allow every member of the Trinity to work in and through us.

8.  Passionate Ministry:  The Impulse of Trinitarian Ministry:  The work of the Trinity helps to control the heartbeat and origin of the ministry that we fulfill.

 

SUMMARY:

In Ministry in the Image of God, Seamands explores the impact of the Trinity on the function of ministry.  He begins looking at the need to recognize the working of the Trinity in the task and motivation of ministry.  He points out the fact that the Trinity helps us view the relational aspect of ministry through the lens of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We must be open and honest with God in order to create intimacy with him.  Intimacy is something that I think is misunderstood.  In our society, intimacy is equated with sex.  I believe that true intimacy occurs when we really get to know people, and we are known.  We each long to be understood and accepted.  If we can connect with others on more than just a superficial level, we can attain true intimacy.  I think we can really experience God when we are honest with Him.  He knows us and longs for us to know Him.  Seamands also points out that the surrendering of our lives to serve Christ is a human expression of the attitude of how each member of the Trinity relates to the other.  The Trinity sounds simple, but the Trinity is man’s feeble effort to define the attributes of God.  This mystery helps provide a framework for service and ministry.  The uniqueness of each member of the Trinity allows ministry to be shaped and colored in special ways to accomplish God’s mission.  The fact that we are filled with the Holy Spirit allows us to allow every member of the Trinity to work in and through us.  Finally, Seamands closes with the thought that the work of the Trinity helps to control the heartbeat and origin of the ministry that we fulfill.

KEY IDEAS: 

             The overarching idea is that the Trinity should be fleshed out in our ministry on a daily basis.  For example, the Father is expressed in our theology or the way we view God.  The Son is represented in our view of the Gospel and how it is shared and preached.  The Holy Spirit should be the fuel that powers our ministry in the present and into the future.  Seamands outlines seven main characteristic of the Trinitarian lifestyle as:

1.              Relational Personhood: The Nature of Trinitarian Ministry

2.              Joyful Intimacy: The Foundation of Trinitarian Ministry

3.              Glad Surrender: The Heart of Trinitarian Ministry

4.              Complex Simplicity: The Mystery of Trinitarian Ministry

5.              Gracious Self-Acceptance: The Particularity of Trinitarian Ministry

6.              Mutual Indwelling: The Reciprocity of Trinitarian Ministry

7.      Passionate Mission: The Impulse of Trinitarian Ministry

 

GREAT QUOTES: 

“The primary purpose of the Trinitarian grammar is not for comprehension or communication, but communion with God.” (p.12)

“The Trinity not only reveals that persons are essentially relational, it also discloses characteristics that define healthy interpersonal relationships.” (p. 35)

“No Trinity is conceivable without the lamb, without the sacrifice of love, without the crucified Son.” (p. 79)

As we apprehend God’s triune self-revelation, we also acknowledge and gladly confess that we do not full comprehend God.” (p. 103) 

The Trinitarian circle where the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit indwell and are indwelt by one another is open, not closed.  We have been invited into the circle to participate I the divine dance. (p. 145)

 

SUGGESTED READING:

Knowing the Name of God: Trinitarian Tapestry of Grace, Faith, and Community, Roderick Luepp

Beholding the Beauty of the Lord, Henri Nouwen

These Three Are One:  The Practice of Trinitarian Theology, David Cunningham

The Promise of the Trinity, Colin Gunton

 

REFLECTION AND REACTION: 

The Trinity is man’s feeble effort to define the attributes of God. The Bible points to the fact that the Trinity refers to the triune personalities of God.  If you look to the early Church Fathers, the Trinity was an issue that they spent a lot of time trying to wrap their minds around. It is still true today. We must develop a clear theology of the Trinity and be able to articulate it well, if we are going to communicate this major tenant of our faith with those who are seeking to join mankind’s conversation with the God who created them.  We hold to the substance of the Trinity, but have no clue how to articulate it.  God did not give us much information on how God can be three and one, but I think that the more we get to know Him and really follow Him it will become clearer.  For example, I knew my role as a son as I was growing up.  I dreamed one day of being a husband and a father.  I knew that I would reach that goal one day, and believed I could be all three (Son, father, and husband), but until I became intimately involved in each of those areas I really did not understand those roles.  It is the same with God.  The more we understand the role of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the better equipped we will be to do ministry.

            The Trinity has been evident from the beginning of time.  Creation is a perfect example of the Trinity working together to accomplish God’s overall purpose. In Genesis 1:2 we see that the earth was formless and darkness covered the deep waters, and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters.  The Holy Spirit played an active role in the creation account.  A little further in Genesis 1 we get a glimpse of a conversation between all members of the Trinity as they discussed creating man.  In Genesis 1:26, we see the God Head conferring with the other two members of the Trinity as they decide to make man “in our image”.  Jesus also played a vital role in creation.  In John 1:3, we see that God created everything “through Christ”.  Jesus was the agent of Creation.  That is why it is so profound that the very person who played the most active role in Creation came back to give His life to redeem the very thing He created.  The Trinity is one of the basic foundations of the Christian Faith, but also the most misunderstood.  When we look at it against the backdrop of the entirety of Scripture, we can see that each member of the Trinity has a unique role in the Great, Grand Story of God.

     The Holy Spirit is the unifying factor within the Trinity.  What I mean by that is it can be explained by the analogy of a person.  God is the head.  All things originate from the head and thus communicates those things to the body.  The body represents Christ.  Christ is the active part of the Trinity that executes the head’s will.  The Holy Spirit is like the blood that flows through the body unifying the Trinity into one unified being.  The Holy Spirit’s role is to help conform us to the image of Christ.  This process is know as Sanctification, but I like to refer to it as transformation.  It is a process that we go through in order to become more like Jesus. 

 Today we live in a world that is so complex.  The hustle and bustle of our society tends to drown out the inner voice inside us this is trying so hard to get out.  We all long to be free.  Not just free of our worries and cares, but to be totally free.  The way God intended us to be, but how do we get there?  How do we navigate our way through this maze called life?  The key is transformation.  A caterpillar cannot truly be free and become what God intended it to be until it goes through a transformation process and becomes a butterfly.  If that is possible for every part of nature, then why not for us.  The transformation process is not an easy one.  Very few people could explain what it means to be transformed.  In order to begin this journey, we must do an inventory of who we are.  Who are we created to be?  We must be liberated from this hectic, burdensome life, and live a life of freedom that Christ has in store for all of us.  In order to be truly free, we must allow Christ to be in total control of our lives by yielding to the Holy Spirit’s work in our life and let Him have total control of our lives.

 The Holy Spirit allows us to be the “incarnate” representative of Christ on earth.  We will have the same spirit and mind of Christ if we tap into the power and guidance that the Holy Spirit offers thus allowing us to form our Ministry in the Image of God.

 

Book Review: In Jesus Name: Reflections of Christian Leadership

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
 By Henri J.M. Nouwen                                                           
 © 1989, New York, The Crossroads Publishing Company.  ISBN 978-0-8245-1259-0           

 

When we hear the call to follow Christ, it is more than just a physical or mental decision to follow him.  Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus:  Reflections on Christian Leadership, we see that to be a Christian Leader we must surrender all we are to the leadership of Christ.  The problem has been that the purity of simply following Christ gets replaced with ideas of grandeur and success.  In Matthew 4:19, we see that when Jesus called his disciples it was a request to come and follow a Rabbi and teacher.  In the Jewish culture, young men would study the law and the prophets.   Then periodically have interviews with Rabbis to see if they had what it took to be Disciples.  There were several stages that a young man would go through to see if he had “the right stuff”.  If he passed the test, he would follow the Rabbi and take on his “yoke” or teaching.  If he did not pass the test, he would be encouraged to take on the trade of his father.  The fisherman that Jesus called on that shore in Galilee had failed the test.  They were working in the trade of their fathers.  So when the Rabbi came by and said, “Follow Me”, they left all to follow.  They realized that he saw “the right stuff” within them.  This was a physical following.  Peter would later be called to an inward following.  Nowen challenges leaders to get back to heart of their calling, but he goes on to show us that we can not do it in the flesh.

     In John 20:22, we see the resurrected Jesus talking with His disciples and giving them a blessed gift.  He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit”.  This was a down payment of what was going to happen at Pentecost.  They were sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit at that moment, just as we are the moment we commit our lives to Christ.  When the Holy Spirit was given to them it was an invasion of the soul.  It invaded the very core of their being.  An invasion is a military offensive consisting of all, or large parts of the armed forces of one geopolitical entity aggressively entering territory controlled by another such entity, generally with the objective of either conquering, liberating or reestablishing control or authority over a territory, forcing the partition of a country, altering the established government or gaining concessions from said government, or a combination thereof.   An invasion can be the cause of a war, be used, as a part of a larger strategy to end a war, or it can constitute an entire war in itself.  Due to the large scale of the operations associated with invasions, they are usually strategic in planning and execution.  This invasion ended the war between God and man.  God strategically planned this invasion before the foundations of the world were created.  We have been liberated from the power and bondage of sin.  Our relationship has been restored.  Understanding what we have been liberated from should drive us to follow Christ.  In order to truly follow we must be surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit through prayer and not chase after relevance.  Relevance is defining an issue and then proposing a plausible solution to that problem.  We can only be relevant when we understand that only God can provide the answers the world is looking for.  The main way to tap in to that power and guidance is through prayer and not the latest program on the street.

    Later Jesus restores Peter by asking him a series of questions to check Peter’s motives.  Earlier in the Book of John, Peter vowed to give his life to follow Christ, but later denied him.  Peter was quick to commit the flesh to something that it was not capable of.  After Peter and been broken and come to the end of himself, he realized that apart from Christ he could do nothing.  Now after the Holy Spirit was given and Peter was restored, we see Jesus give a command that he also gives to us today.  In John, 21:19, we see Jesus command Peter saying, “Follow Me”.  Apart from the Holy Spirit, we cannot truly follow Christ.  We must inwardly be broken and surrender daily to the Spirit in order to fully follow Christ and be able to lead others to do the same. We must allow ourselves to be invaded by the Holy Spirit.  Then and only then will we be leaders operating In the Name of Jesus.

 

Book Review: Life Together

Life Together
By Dietrich Bonhoeffer                                                           
© 1954, New York, Harper and Row.  ISBN 978-0-06-060852-1           

 

In Bonhoeffer’s, Life Together, he points out that every move of God happens in the

context of Community.  This move of God is a new wine like that which was poured out in the

power of God’s Spirit on the disciples of Jesus.  But it also requires a new wineskin. The early

church’s way of thinking about the church’s mission and what constitutes success is vastly

different from what we see in the majority of church ministries today. Many younger

evangelicals are rejecting how modern churches tend to measure success.  They now want to

examine the viewpoint of achieving an early church missional focus.

The lack of direction and misguided measurements for success of many churches boils

down to a failure to focus on the mission of the church as defined by its early members. Most

church leaders think their mission is to build up the church out of the life of the community.  In

reality, Jesus calls us to a transformational mission that builds up the community out of the life

of the church.  The younger evangelical sees the church as the agent of change with in the

community much like that of the early church.

The first, second, and third century Christians were about this kind of transformational

mission.  They preached and practiced a Christ-like life in the communities where they lived. 

Being a follower of Jesus wasn’t a separate church function of their lives in which they

participated once a week; it was their life in community with one another. This is what defined

them.  When new believers were added to the church, scripture states, “They devoted themselves

to the apostle’s teachings and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts

2:42, NIV).  These early Christians had a mindset vastly different from our western twenty-first

century world. They saw prayer, walking in the Spirit, working at their jobs, caring for their

families, ministering to those in need, and the rest of their lives not in compartmentalized facets,

but as a whole—integrated and continuous. This is true of the younger evangelicals today.  They

really want to get back to a holistic approach of the Christian life.

So the emerging church in the first century tended to see prayer and faith and worship

and loving others as Christ loved as an integrated whole.  Church wasn’t a weekly event,

separate from their daily living. They were the church. That is what defined them.  The Younger

Evangelicals do not want to just think and talk about Christ one day of the week in a building

somewhere. They don’t think in terms of participating in a church program or just attending a

series of events. They want to experience the totality of what Jesus was all about and model it

daily before their children and within their community. They understand the mission Jesus gave

them as a journey, a relational pilgrimage of becoming more and more like their Lord, a mission

that is to be lived out in every aspect of their lives within their community locally.  It is an

experiential relationship with Jesus that transforms their attitudes and actions. Their corporate

prayer and worship in a fellowship is borne out in the attending to the physical and emotional

needs of people by caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, and befriending the outcasts and

rejects of society. Their mission is to raise up transformed followers of Jesus by seeing people in

their community redeemed spiritually as well as restored physically, relationally, economically,

etc.

As I read this book, I could not help but think of my own Christian walk and how it has

evolved over the years.  When I first came to Christ, I was a real legalist.  Things had to be done

a certain way or you were going to hell.  I did not give anybody any slack.  I was not really

interested in serving people.  I just wanted to tell the truth of the Gospel and not really move to

much farther beyond that.  That was until I had a unique experience happen to me in college. 

When I was in college, I accepted Christ and got involved in the local Baptist Student Union

(BSU).  After I was there for a few months, I volunteered to lead a Bible Study on Campus.  One

day I was running late, so I grabbed my materials and ran up the hill to the building where the

Bible Study was being held.  As I approached the top of the hill, A homeless man started toward

me.  When I saw him, I moved to the other side of the street.  So he moved to the other side of

the street.  I switched sides a few times, but he always followed me.  In my mind I said, “I do not

have time for this.  I am late.  Maybe I can give him a few bucks and he will leave me alone.” 

So as I approached him, I pulled a few dollars out and handed it to him.  As he took the money,

he grabbed my hand.  He would not let it go.  He said’ “Before you go, I have a quick question to

ask you”.  I thought, “Ok here comes this guy’s sob story.”  He asked me “Do you know Christ?” 

My heart sank.  He said, “I see college kids go by all the time and I wonder if they know Jesus.” 

At that moment I felt 2 inches tall.  Here I was going to teach a Bible Study about Christ and

missed an opportunity to minister to someone else.  As we talked, he told me that it was hard to

share with people because he did not have a bible.  I had some with me so I gave him one.  I

walked away changed that day.  As I read Life Together, I really began to identify with the

description that Bonhoeffer gave of living together in a community of Christ Followers.  I really

see how I have incorporated some of his ideas into my own ministry.

I believe God is raising up a new breed of Christ followers who want nothing more than a

mighty move of his Spirit.  God is calling each of us to return to the purity of the early church. I

believe that people around us need to experience a face-to-face encounter with God, be united as

a body in continual prayer, and engage their communities with a culturally relevant message and

lifestyle.  We must heed the call of the apostle who said, “I plead with you to give your bodies to

God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what

he has done for you, is that too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world

[not even the behavior of the religious world], but let God transform you into a new person by

changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do…” (Romans 12:1-2,

NLT).

I have realized that instead of leading people to say the prayer of accepting Christ, it is

more about coming out of our upper rooms of prayer empowered by God’s Spirit to lead them to

a face-to-face encounter with God and a spiritual formation process played out in the cycle of

believing, behaving, and belonging.  This establishes a grid by which we measure our lives in

relationship with Jesus.  Rather than focusing on church attendance, donations, and the number

of programs and events, I see that my journey must focus on getting to know Jesus intimately

for who he really is and becoming shaped and formed by the power of God’s Spirit in very

specific areas of my lives.  In doing so, I will be better equipped to fulfill the “zip-code” ministry

that God has called me to.