TODAY S VERSE: 1 SAMUEL 16:6-7 6 WHEN THEY CAME, HE LOOKED ON ELIAB AND THOUGHT, SURELY THE LORD'S ANOINTED IS BEFORE HIM. 7 BUT THE LORD SAID TO SAMUEL, DO NOT LOOK ON HIS APPEARANCE OR ON THE HEIGHT OF HIS STATURE, BECAUSE I HAVE REJECTED HIM. FOR THE LORD SEES NOT AS MAN SEES: MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE, BUT THE LORD LOOKS ON THE HEART. THIS IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. - AMEN
2017 A VISION OF CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY
CONTEXT
... I HIT A WALL AFTER YEARS OF PERFORMANCE CHRISTIANITY WHERE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, I THOUGHT GOD S OPINION OF ME RESTED UPON MY PROGRESS AS A CHRISTIAN. GOD WAS PLEASED WITH ME, SO I THOUGHT, WHEN I WAS GETTING BETTER AT THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN LIFE THING. WAS I READING? WAS I BEING HOSPITABLE? WAS I IMPROVING AS A DAD AND HUSBAND? WAS I BECOMING A BETTER PASTOR? WAS I BECOMING A BETTER COUNSELOR? WAS I BECOMING A BETTER TEACHER? WAS I BECOMING BETTER AS A WORSHIP LEADER?
WAS I MEETING REGULARLY WITH OTHER BELIEVERS? WAS I GROWING IN MY KNOWLEDGE OF GOD? AND ON AND ON THE LIST GOES. I, I, I, ME, ME, ME. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BECAME ALL ABOUT ME AND MY SUPPOSED PROGRESS. I BELIEVED IN GRACE ALONE THRU FAITH ALONE IN THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS ALONE BUT FUNCTIONALLY, I WAS OBSESSED WITH MY OWN BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION AND THE BEHAVIOR AND OF THOSE AROUND ME. THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS LAW-LADEN PERFORMANCISM. ------------------------------- MIKE ADAMS
SETTING THE TONE
ROMANS 12:1-2 (ESV) 12 I APPEAL TO YOU THEREFORE, BROTHERS, BY THE MERCIES OF GOD, TO PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WHICH IS YOUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. 2 DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND, THAT BY TESTING YOU MAY DISCERN WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD, WHAT IS GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT.
RENEWING OUR MIND
CULTIVATING AN INNER LIFE VS. CULTIVATING AN OUTER IMAGE
EASILY OFFENDED QUICK TO CRITICIZE OR JUDGE ANXIOUS AND IRRITABLE HAVE A HARD TIME RESTING NO GRACE FOR OTHERS (FAMILY)
THE GREATEST DECISION YOU CAN MAKE IN 2017 AND BEYOND IS TO PLACE A HIGH VALUE ON LIVING UNDER AND IN SCRIPTURE.
A DEAD THING CAN GO WITH THE STREAM, BUT ONLY A LIVING THING CAN GO AGAINST IT. --------------------- G.K CHESTERSTON
4 BUT GOD, BEING RICH IN MERCY, BECAUSE OF THE GREAT LOVE WITH WHICH HE LOVED US, 5 EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN OUR TRESPASSES, MADE US ALIVE TOGETHER WITH CHRIST BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED 6 AND RAISED US UP WITH HIM AND SEATED US WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS, 7 SO THAT IN THE COMING AGES HE MIGHT SHOW THE IMMEASURABLE RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN KINDNESS TOWARD US IN CHRIST JESUS.
8 FOR BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED THROUGH FAITH. AND THIS IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, 9 NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE MAY BOAST. 10 FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND, THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM. EPHESIANS 2:4-10
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE
THE DISCIPLE OR APPRENTICE OF JESUS, AS RECOGNIZED BY THE NEW TESTAMENT, IS ONE WHO HAS FIRMLY DECIDED TO LEARN FROM HIM HOW TO LEAD HIS OR HER LIFE, WHATEVER THAT MAY BE, AS JESUS HIMSELF WOULD DO IT. AND, AS BEST THEY KNOW HOW, THEY ARE MAKING PLANS TAKING THE NECESSARY STEPS, PROGRESSIVELY ARRANGING AND REARRANGING THEIR AFFAIRS TO DO THIS. ALL OF THIS WILL, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, HAPPEN WITHIN THE SPECIAL AND UNFAILING COMMUNITY HE HAS ESTABLISHED ON EARTH. ------------------- DALLAS WILLARD
1. STOP TRYING TO CHANGE YOURSELF THROUGH BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. LET THE HOLY SPIRIT DO THE WORK.
RESOLUTIONS, REVOLUTIONS, GOALS, OR THE GOSPEL?
THE TRUEST MEASURE OF OUR GROWTH IS NOT OUR BEHAVIOR IT S OUR GRASP OF GRACE A GRASP WHICH INVOLVES COMING TO DEEPER AND DEEPER TERMS WITH THE UNCONDITIONALITY OF GOD S LOVE. OUR MAIN PROBLEM IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT THAT WE DON T TRY HARD ENOUGH TO BE GOOD, BUT THAT WE HAVEN T BELIEVED THE GOSPEL AND RECEIVED ITS FINISHED REALITY INTO ALL PARTS OF OUR LIFE.
GUILTY PEOPLE DO NOT ACT BETTER; FORGIVEN PEOPLE DO. --------------------- C. S. LEWIS
2. STOP LIVING BY YOUR FEELINGS AND START LIVING OUT OF FAITH
FEELINGS ARE NOTORIOUS LIARS, ESPECIALLY IN MATTERS OF FAITH. --------------------- EUGENE PETERSON
FEELING VS. GOD S WORD
JESUS, HELP ME TO BE A MAN/WOMAN AFTER YOUR OWN HEART.