When being alone is not alone: 5 Spiritual truths for believers

By Craig Lambert

Based on John 16:33

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Taken from the sermon message on 15th April 2018, Craig Lambert shares five spiritual truths a believer in Jesus Christ can rely on to help you know, love, respect and really trust Our Heavenly Father.

1.    God does every spiritual thing in our lives – we can do nothing spiritual without Him working in and through us through The Holy Spirit. (If we try, it’s carnal or worldly; we grieve and quench The Holy Spirit).

2.    God does all things in His foreseeing wisdom – nothing takes Him by surprise.

3.    God never changes; He is perfect; He is reliable and does not change His mind.

4.    God works above our ‘human’ understanding and much might even look as if it is an accident, mistake, or uncontrolled.

5.    God never abandons or ‘takes His hands’ off His work – we are not an accident, and our lives are not an accident.

Finally, be assured faith will be tested!

Seminar, coming soon: Creation: Why Does It Matter?

Get Answers!

Does God exist? How can anyone believe in religion when science has proved no God is necessary? Is
evolution happening today? If there is a loving God, then why do we die?

Want answers? Get them! Creation Ministries International is coming soon (see details below) with answers to these and many other important questions. Come along and listen to geologist Dr Tas Walker expose the bankruptcy of evolutionary ideas. You'll be blown away to see how the supposed 'scientific evidence for evolution' is really nothing of the sort.

This is an issue that affects everyone. According to the theory of evolution as taught in schools and universities, there is no need for God - everything made itself. If that's true, it means there is no spiritual realm - you don't have a spirit and there is no afterlife. So 'spirituality' is just an 'evolutionary trick of the mind'!

But the Bible gives a very different picture about our origins. And many scientists now recognize that the scientific evidence, when properly understood, confirms the biblical account.

To find out more contact Pastor Bruce on 0431 853 767.

Date: Sunday 20 May 2018
Time: 10.00am
Venue: Cornerstone Christian Church - meeting at Vienna Woods State School, 12 Heffernan Rd, Alexandra Hills
Title: Creation: Why Does it Matter?

The World Is Against You: Fighting To Keep Our First Love

Article by Tony Reinke

September 20, 2017

Desiring God

Sooner or later the hard truth settles in that this world is out to kill you. Brown rivers swell up in Houston and Bangladesh to wash away everything you own, even wash you away if you don’t watch your step. Even on a calm, pristine beach day, the ocean’s sub-currents are silently trying to grab hold of you, and pull you out to sea, under the surface of the water before you even know what happened.

Forget sharks. The gentle tug of submerged water is our true ocean enemy. Look away for a moment and water attempts to assassinate — one reason why no one objects to bestowing upon the red-clad guardians the exalted title of “Life Guards” at the neighborhood pool.

But dried off and standing on solid ground, we fare little better because the air silently carries around invisible particles to slip in to our lungs and cultivate a little patch of cancer that can kill us from the inside. Or the burning rays of the sun might do the same from the outside.

And then of course there are the much less subtle forms of dangers. About one hundred times a second, bolt-action lightning snipers with an ungratified desire to spite mighty trees and tall steeples, and who occasionally take aim at arrogant creatures who dare to walk about on two legs. Under us, at any moment of the day or night, the ground can rumble and split and we can fall into an earthquake crack in the earth. Whole houses can get sucked down into a sinkhole without warning, or the gigantic white swirl of a hurricane or the wobbly freight train of a tornado can chase us off in a high-speed escape.

The world seizes one ankle and we pull it away and escape. For now. The world — as full as it is of wonder, and it is full of incredible wonders — surrounds us on all sides with deadly dangers.

Death of Love

Likewise, “this evil age” is perpetually trying to kill our loves — not through blunt force, but through coercion by seduction. The world tempts us daily to leave greater loves for lesser lusts.

“The moment we care for anything deeply, the world — that is, all the other miscellaneous interests — becomes our enemy,” wrote G. K. Chesterton. “The moment you love anything the world becomes your foe” (Works 1:59–60).

To love something genuinely is to immediately face all the second loves that are making an attempt at killing your first love. It is the wink of the adulteress to the married man. It is the invitation from a clique to abandon a true friendship. It is the ignoring of the familiar gifts around you, in search of the next thing to charge on your credit card. Worldliness kills because it exchanges loves. The world becomes your foe.

To Love Is to Fight

This is why true love must fight. “In every romance there must be the twin elements of loving and fighting,” writes Chesterton. “In every romance there must be the three characters: there must be the Princess, who is a thing to be loved; there must be the Dragon, who is a thing to be fought; and there must be St. George, who is a thing that both loves and fights.” The same is true of all our loves. In fact, “To love a thing without wishing to fight for it is not love at all; it is lust” (Works 15:255).

A man who has stopped fighting for his marriage will not fight against the lure of adulterous flirting, because he is driven by the passivity of lust, not the earnestness of love. Which means that true love must be fought for.

Misdirected Love

Theologically speaking, this is why to love the world is to lose the love of God. It’s a horrible trade, but we do it all the time.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15–17)

Misdirected love is the root cause of worldliness. Worldliness sucks the sap from our greatest love until it becomes a dried-up branch.

So we can love and treasure the day Christ will return. Or we can love the world. But we cannot go on trying to love the world and love the day of Christ’s return (2 Timothy 4:8–10). In the same way, we cannot love darkness and love the light (John 3:16–21). Love for the light will die once the heart falls in love with the darkness. And this is how the world proves to be our love-killer.

Heart of Worldliness

When we talk about worldliness, primarily we are not talking about the substitutes of adultery and materialism and money. We are not simply warning against television shows too graphic and media too lewd and skirts too short. All of those things are secondary matters. Curing the true heart of worldliness is not in the forbidding or what is forbidden; mending the true heart of worldliness must always begin with finding a core love worth fighting for — a love so precious that we will guard it with the proper holy jealousy it deserves.

The problem of worldliness only emerges with any real clarity in our lives once we have discovered our “first love,” a fundamental love, a central love for our Savior Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:4).

If talk of worldliness falls into hard times and does not surface much in our thoughts and conversations, it is not a sign that the dangers have disappeared. It is a sign that we have grown careless with the exclusivity of delight in Christ at the center of the Christian life. And once the jealous love is gone, the danger of worldliness grows more deadly and more invisible at the same time.

Tony Reinke (@tonyreinke) is senior writer for Desiring God and author of 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You (2017), John Newton on the Christian Life (2015), and Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books (2011). He hosts the Ask Pastor John podcast and lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and three children.

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This post was shared from the Desiring God website. Original publication at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-world-is-against-you

It Is Impossible To Read The Bible

Article by John Piper at Desiring God

July 16, 2017

Originally posted at: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/it-is-impossible-to-read-the-bible

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE BIBLE

Reading the Bible should always be a supernatural act.

By “supernatural act,” I don’t mean that humans are supernatural. We are not God, and we are not angels or demons. What I mean is that the act of reading, in order to be done as God intended, must be done in dependence on God’s supernatural help.

The Bible gives two decisive reasons: Satan and sin. That is, we have a blinding enemy outside and a blinding disease inside. Together these two forces make it impossible for human beings to read the Bible, as God intended, without supernatural help.

It seems to me that thousands of people approach the Bible with little sense of their own helplessness in reading the way God wants them to. This proverb applies as much to Bible reading as to anything else: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6). At every turn of the page, rely on God. That is a supernatural transaction.

If more people approached the Bible with a deep sense of helplessness, and hope-filled reliance on God’s merciful assistance, there would be a far more seeing and savoring and transformation than there is.

Blinding Enemy Outside

Satan is real. His main identity is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). His way of lying is more by deception that bold-face falsehoods. He “is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).

Jesus described how Satan takes away the word: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:19). How does that happen? It might be by sheer forgetfulness. Or Satan may draw a person from Bible reading to an entertaining video, with the result that any thought of Christ’s worth and beauty is quickly lost in the ash of fire and skin.

Or Satan may simply blind the mind to the worth and beauty of Christ, which the Scriptures reveal. This is what Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 4:3–4:

Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

“The god of this world” is Satan. He is called “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30), and John says that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). It is this enormous blinding power that puts us in need of a supernatural deliverer. The thought that we could overcome this satanic force on our own is naïve.

No Divine Power, No Open Eyes

When the risen Christ sent Paul “to open the eyes [of the Gentiles], so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18), he did not mean that Paul could do this in human strength. Paul made that clear: “My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:3–4). That is what it takes to overcome the blinding effects of Satan.

Let it not be missed that the specific focus of Satan’s blinding work is the gospel. That is, his focus is on our reading — or hearing — the heart of the message of the Christian Scriptures. Satan “has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Satan would be happy for people to believe ten thousand true facts, as long as they are blind to “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.”

Let them make A’s on a hundred Bible-fact quizzes as long as they can’t see the glory of Christ in the gospel—that is, as long as they can’t read (or listen) with the ability to see what is really there.

Satan Loves Some Bible Reading

So, Jesus (Matthew 13:19), Paul (2 Corinthians 4:3–4), and John (1 John 5:19) warn that Satan is a great enemy of Bible reading that sees what is really there. Bible reading that only collects facts, or relieves a guilty conscience, or gathers doctrinal arguments, or titillates esthetic literary tastes, or feeds historical curiosities — this kind of Bible reading Satan is perfectly happy to leave alone. He has already won the battle.

But reading that hopes to see the supreme worth and beauty of God — reading that aims to be satisfied with all that God is for us in Christ, reading that seeks to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) — this reading Satan will oppose with all his might. And his might is supernatural. Therefore, any reading that hopes to overcome his blinding power will be a supernatural reading.

Complicit in Deception

When we speak of the power of Satan over the human heart, we are not saying that all spiritual blindness is the sole work of Satan. We are not implying that Satan can take innocent people and make them slaves of deceit. There are no innocent people. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We are complicit in all our deception.

There is a terrible interweaving of satanic influence and human sinfulness in all our blindness to divine glory. No one will ever be able to scapegoat at the judgment, claiming, “Satan made me do it.” Our own sinfulness is another source of our spiritual blindness that puts us in need of supernatural help, if we hope to see the glory of God in Scripture.

Mind of the Flesh

Paul tells us in Romans 8:7–8: “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

These are very strong words: “It does not submit to God’s law [God’s instruction, God’s word]; indeed it cannot.” This is our rebellion prior to, and underneath, all satanic blinding. Before Satan adds his blinding effects, we are already in rebellion against God. And, Paul says, this rebellion makes it impossible (“cannot”) for us to submit to the word of God.

This inability is not the inability of a person who prefers God but is not allowed to cherish him. No. This is the inability of a person who does notprefer God and therefore cannot cherish him. It is not an inability that keeps you from doing what you want. It is an inability to want what you don’t want. You can’t see as beautiful what you see as ugly. You can’t embrace the glory of God as most valuable when you feel yourself to be more valuable.

Ignorance Is Not Our Deepest Problem

One of the implications of this pervasive human condition is that ignorance is not our deepest problem. There is a hardness of rebellion against God that is deeper than ignorance. That is why every natural attempt at enlightenment is resisted. This hardness of rebellion cannot submit to God’s revelation.

Paul issues an urgent call to all Christians at Ephesus to decisively turn away from this condition, which, he says, is typical of their Gentile roots:

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorancethat is in them, due to their hardness of heart. (Ephesians 4:17–18)

Notice the relationship between “ignorance” and “hardness of heart” as Paul describes it: “ignorance due to their hardness of heart.” Hardness is more basic. Hardness is the cause. This is our deepest problem. Not ignorance.

This is the condition of all mankind, apart from the saving work of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9–10). And it makes reading the Bible impossible — if our aim is to read the way God wants us to read. We cannot prefer the light when we love the dark. “This is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). Our problem is not that there is insufficient light shining from the Scriptures. Our problem is that we love the darkness.

God’s Word Radiates His Wisdom

The Scriptures are radiant with divine wisdom. This wisdom shines with the glory of God — and shows us the glory to come, which is the way Paul describes his own inspired teaching:

We impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. . . . We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. (1 Corinthians 2:6–7, 12–13)

The problem is that apart from the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, we are not “spiritual,” but “natural.” Reading the inspired Scriptures must be a supernatural act if we are to “accept the things of the Spirit of God,” and if we are to “understand what is spiritually discerned.” Without God’s supernatural aid, we are merely natural and cannot see the glory of God in the Bible for what it really is — supremely beautiful and all-satisfying.

What I'm Doing This Summer

Article by Christine Hoover at Grace Covers Me

June 12, 2017

Originally posted at http://www.gracecoversme.com/2017/06/what-im-doing-this-summer.html

WHAT I'M DOING THIS SUMMER

Several of my friends who live out of state have asked me recently how this (now past) school year has been for me. "It's been good," I say every time, and I mean it every time. "It's been full and rich and at times overwhelming, but above all it's been really good."

When I think about what's been good, I think about my husband. He astounds me with how he uses his gifts and influence, how hard he works, and how much he cares for those he pastors while at the same time caring for me and for our children.

When I think about what's been good, I think about my children, who are now 14, 11, and 9. In many ways, it's been a challenging year with one of our boys, and I've felt my powerlessness and helplessness to know how to parent him without the help and direct intervention of God. I've prayed through tears and at times frustration, and I believe by faith that He continues to unfold a miraculous work.

When I think about what's been good, I think about our church. I would choose to attend our church even if my husband wasn't the pastor, and I'm well aware some pastor's wives can't say that. Our church is certainly not perfect, but it's full of love and the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Word. We have the best people around, who care for others and reach out to their neighbors and serve with joy.

When I think about what's been good, I think about the women in my life from all ages and stages whom I call my friends. They pray hard, ask important questions, mourn when mourning is called for, and celebrate wins. I'm so glad God has given me the friends He has.

And, finally, when I think about what's been good, I think about writing. Sometimes just before I fall asleep at night, I remember suddenly that I've gotten to write a few books--my long time dream--and I whisper, "Thank you, God."

However, none of these good things have come this year without struggle and large doses of uncertainty and insecurity. Sometimes the good things have come with a side of longing: I want more undistracted time with my dear husband and ease regarding my friendships. I want more time to savor the good, and I want a heart that sees the good so clearly.

To put it frankly, this year I've felt overwhelmingly busy because of the goodness. I know that sounds funny, but it's true. My husband and I talk all the time about "stewarding the abundance," and that's just what it is. We've been given abundant opportunities and relationships, and it's difficult to know what and who to give our primary attention to beyond our children.

It's there, in the intersection of abundance and choice, where I see my sinful desires for my own kingdom and my own glory and my own way. More and more this year, I've found it difficult to quiet myself before God or to remember that I'm His servant rather than entitled to certain circumstances.

I too often forget to turn in gratitude toward Him, knowing all is from His hand. Instead, I want to meet the expectations of others so they'll approve of me, and I want more successes that I can call my own.

In other words, I've allowed life to get noisy, and I feel like I've lost sight of some important things. I don't even know what those things are exactly; I just know that I've lost them.

For that reason, I will be using this summer to get quiet and still. Kyle has had a pastoral sabbatical lined up on the church calendar for some time now, and it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I realized how much we need it. We need renewal in every sense of the word, and that's something only God can give. So this summer, whatever I've lost sight of, I want to find in Him again. I want to wait on the Lord for instructions regarding how He'd like me to "steward the abundance," because I can't for the life of me see the forest for the trees right now.

It's hard to get quiet and still, isn't it? The lure of busyness and constant connection is strong, at least it is for me. And what we may find in the stillness may be difficult to face, which is all the more reason to quiet ourselves and submit our hearts to the Lord.

Part of me getting quiet and still this summer will mean no blogging and no social media (except for the occasional personal picture on Instagram). I wanted to let you know that I will be away and also say that I'd be grateful for your prayers for spiritual renewal. I will also be seeking the Lord's direction for this little blog and how God might want me to serve others through writing, speaking, and teaching in the future. If you think of me at all, I'd love prayer for clarity and direction in these things.

Thank you for reading this blog, and thank you for your hearty reception of Messy Beautiful Friendship this spring! I look forward to continuing to serve you when I return at the end of the summer.

Love,

Christine

I'll leave you with some articles I've written elsewhere this spring and other helpful resources for your summer: 

• Hope for Unhealthy Friendships at Desiring God
• Messy Beautiful Friendship on Sara Hagerty's blog
• An interview I did with Melissa Kruger about why I wrote Messy Beautiful Friendship
• Friendship and the Pastor's Wife: A Healthy Perspective at Send Network
• Friendship and the Pastor's Wife: Help Others Have a Healthy Perspective at Send Network
• A Summer Reading Plan for MBF to use with your book club or small group
• Thinking about reading MBF? Download the first two chapters for free to get a taste for the book.

God's Faithfulness For The Unfaithful

Article by Courtney Deagon

June 4, 2017

Originally published at  https://littlefaithblessedgrace.wordpress.com/2017/06/04/gods-faithfulness-for-the-unfaithful/

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Many people claim the Old Testament features an ‘angry God’ or a ‘different God to the one in the New Testament’, but I think this couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole bible is written by God, about Himself; and when we look at each book, chapter and verse through the lens of “what does this say about God/Jesus?”, our eyes are opened by His Spirit to see, know and enjoy more of Him. My quiet times have been a perfect example of this of late.

I’ve been slowly but surely returning to my readings in Ezekiel for my quiet times, and let me tell you – it’s not a bed-time read. There are few books in the bible like the Prophets: so immensely powerful, direct, and densely packed with stark reminders of who God is.

Ezekiel 16 is such a compelling chapter within this awe-inspiring book. It outlines God’s response to Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness, by comparing her to a prostitute. Not only that, He goes on to say:

“Was your prostitution not enough? You slaughtered (my) children and sacrificed them to idols.” (v. 20b-21);

“Samaria (and Sodom) did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.” (v. 51)

The picture God paints of the desires, actions and consequences of the sins of Jerusalem is grotesque and shocking. No words are minced here – we see the full evil of sin through the lens of God’s absolute holiness.

And yet, even after centuries of contempt and unfaithfulness on the part of Israel, God still shows mercy!

“‘So I will establish my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. Then, when I make atonement for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed and never again open your mouth because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.’” (v. 62-63).

And reading this, I was reminded of some gentle words our Lord and Saviour spoke to a woman found guilty of adultery (and facing death as punishment):

“‘… neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.’”

(John 8:11b).

Notice the title of this post refers to the ‘unfaithful’, not the ‘faithless’ – believers are never completely without faith, but the remnant of sin in us means we are still capable of unfaithfulness.

And yet, we have a God and Saviour so faithful, and at the same time, so holy and willing to save – despite our own imperfection and unfaithfulness! I find this so convicting, and so freeing – because this grace God extends to me, He extends to all people. Through our faith in Christ, our continued fight against sin, and knowing God more, we are conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. Praise God!

My Satisfaction And Strength

Article by Melodie Garrad, Cornerstone Christian Church

May 12, 2017

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips

Psalm 63:1, 5

When I’m at university, I’m surrounded by peers who love what they’re studying. They start assignments weeks before they need to, go to every night lecture, and—most baffling, to me—look forward to the six weeks where we go on our full-time, unpaid work placement. Placement is a glimpse into our futures, and in such a difficult industry of 12 hour shifts, 50-60 hour weeks, guaranteed overtime, and no official breaks… I can’t look forward to that.

After four years at university, I assumed everyone was beginning to drag their feet, and look forward less to the seemingly infinite weeks we spend on placement. But when I see other students on placement or at university, I’m left feeling confused. How do they find these gruelling working conditions satisfying? I remember I once found it satisfying, too, back in my first and second years. I wondered, what changed? I compared myself to them, wishing I could be as happy and fulfilled as they were on placement. I wondered if I’d chosen the wrong career. But I could tell it was more than that.

Many things have changed in my life since I began my degree. I’m now married to a man I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with. I’ve come to terms with changing relationships and dynamics in my friends and family. I’ve moved churches, and taken on new ministries.

These are overshadowed by my greatest change in the last four years. I’ve grown closer to God. Day by day, trial by trial, God has slowly given me a taste of ultimate satisfaction. The more I crave his presence—regardless of how faithfully I pursue it—the less satisfaction I found in the world. I’m learning this now, not because of how satisfied I have been in God recently, but because of how little satisfaction I find in the world. My friends at university are ignorant of the kind of glory and peace God can provide. For them, ignorance is bliss, allowing them to be happy with this broken world. As for me, I know an infinitely greater bliss.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:2), not for work satisfaction or human relationships. I’ve experienced a shadow of God’s glory, and that’s enough to overwhelm my fallen mind. I know one day I will experience it fully. Until then, I’m learning to rely on God alone for satisfaction in this life, because only He can provide pure joy. The tediousness of placement or assignments can’t touch me when I know, and am loved by, the creator of the universe.

As for His plan for me…well, living with roommates while married isn’t something I wanted, and it can make it hard to find time with Sam. But if I had all the time in the world with Sam, it would have been so easy this year to lean on him for strength, instead of God. If I don’t have the strength to carry my burdens, it would be unreasonable to expect him to be able to carry them alone. He’s just another human, fallen and under his own burdens.

I can’t even begin to comprehend how important it is learning this truth now—so early in our marriage—knowing it will shape my relationship with God for the better. The only one who has an overflowing fountain of strength to take the weight is God, and having a busy house full of people is God’s way of saying “Lean on me. Trust in me. I will give you rest, and I will give you strength.”

Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

Why God's Will Isn't Always Clear

Written by Jon Bloom - originally published at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-god-s-will-isn-t-always-clear

April 30, 2017

If God wants us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10), why doesn’t he give us more specific guidance in our decisions?

The Spontaneous 95%

Consider all of the decisions you make during a typical day. Most are quick and spur-of-the-moment. John Piper estimates “that a good 95% of [our] behavior [we] do not premeditate. That is, most of [our] thoughts, attitudes, and actions are spontaneous.” That’s true. And it’s a bit unnerving when you think about it. The majority of the decisions that end up becoming the bricks in the building of our lives are just “spillover from what’s inside.”

Even if we do stop and pray about such decisions, it is very rare that we discern God’s specific leading regarding what we should wear, what or where we should eat, if we should respond to this instance of our child’s sin with correction or forbearance, if we should put off that time-consuming errand till tomorrow, or whether we should check our email again.

The Massive 5%

But what about the other 5% of our decisions?

Some of these are massive and life-shaping. Should I marry this person? How much money should I give away and where? How much should we save for retirement? Should we adopt a child? Should I pursue a different vocation? Should we homeschool or not? Should I pursue chemo or an alternative cancer treatment? Should we buy this home? Which college should I attend? Is it time to put my elderly parent in a nursing home? Should I go to the mission field?

Shouldn’t we expect God to direct us more explicitly in these?

A Concealing Design

The answer is no, not necessarily. Why? Well, the short answer is because he is God, and we are not. “It is the glory of God to conceal things” (Proverbs 25:2). His wisdom and knowledge are unfathomably deep, his judgments are unsearchable, and his ways are inscrutable (Romans 11:33). Considering all the factors in play in the universe, it is likely no exaggeration that there are trillions of reasons for why God directs the course of our lives, and he prefers to carry out his purposes in ways that confound, surprise, and humble humans, angels, and demons.

There is a tremendous glory that God displays when, without tipping his hand to us in advance, we suddenly recognize that he was working his will all along when we couldn’t see it. And he is also merciful to withhold information from us that he knows we aren’t ready to know, even if we think we really want to.

A Revealing Design

But one reason why God usually doesn’t give us specific guidance in our sometimes perplexing decisions is that he places a higher priority on our being transformed than our being informed in order that we will be conformed to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). That’s why Paul writes,

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. (Romans 12:2)

“God doesn’t always make his will clear because he values our being transformed more than our being informed.”

What does this mean? It means that God has a design in the difficulty of our discerning. The motives and affections of our hearts, or “renewed minds,” are more clearly revealed in the testing of ambiguous decision-making.

In Scripture, God reveals to us everything we need to know to live godly lives (2 Peter 1:3) and to “be complete [and] equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). But the Father is not seeking workers, but worshipers (John 4:23). And he knows that if he made his will for our specific decisions more explicit more often, we would tend to focus more on what we do rather than what we love. Like the Pharisees, we would tend to focus more on our actions, rather than our affections.

But in decisions that require discernment, the wheat is distinguished from the tares. When we’re not quite sure, we end up making decisions based on what we really love. If deep down we love the world, this will become apparent in the pattern of decisions that we make over time — we will conform to this world.

But if we really love Jesus, we will increasingly love what he loves — we will be transformed by renewed minds. And our love for him and his kingdom will be revealed in the pattern of small and large decisions that we make.

The Pattern of Our Decisions

I say “pattern of decisions” because all of us sin and make mistakes. But conformity to the world or to Jesus is most clearly seen in the pattern of decisions we make over time.

“Conformity to the world or to Jesus is most clearly seen in the pattern of decisions we make over time.”

That’s one reason why God makes us wrestle with uncertainty. He wants us to mature and have our “powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (Hebrews 5:14).

The wonderful thing to remember in all of our decisions is that Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He laid down his life for us so that all of our sins are covered — including every sinful or defective decision. He will never leave us or forsake us. He has a staff long enough to pull us out of every hole and a rod to guide us back when we stray.

And someday, if we truly seek to love him and trust him, we will see that he really was leading us through the confusing terrain of difficult decisions all along.

Jon Bloom (@Bloom_Jon) serves as author, board chair, and co-founder of Desiring God. He is author of three books, Not by Sight, Things Not Seen, and Don’t Follow Your Heart. He and his wife live in the Twin Cities with their five children.

FACING FAILURE

Blog Post by Vaneetha Rendall Risner

April 27, 2017

Originally published at: http://danceintherain.com/2017/04/27/facing-failure-2/

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I’ve been thinking a lot about failure, especially in these weeks after Easter. Even as Jesus moved toward the cross with courage and strength, the men around him crumbled, plagued with regret and shame.

As I look at my own life, I realize that I am no different than those men. I do things I regret, make bad decisions, hurt people I love. And when I do, I am faced with the same choices that the men in the Gospels faced. I see parts of myself in Pontius Pilate, Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter, each of whom displayed a different response to moral failure.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, so when the crowd wanted to crucify him, Pilate tried quieting them to prevent a riot. But when his efforts failed, he released Jesus to be crucified. Pilate rationalized his actions, publicly declaring, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” (Matt 27:24), but that was a meaningless declaration. Pilate was responsible for Jesus’ death, no matter how he tried to justify it.

Then there was Judas, one of the twelve, who betrayed the Lord. We don’t know why he betrayed Jesus, but we do know that Judas never acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah, referring to him as “Rabbi,” and not “Lord.” After his failure, he went back to the chief priests and elders, but not to his friends or community. Scripture doesn’t mention him with other disciples after he left the Last Supper. Alone, riddled with guilt and shame, Judas hanged himself in desperation.

Peter was one of Jesus’ closest friends.  Jesus warned Peter that he would deny him, but Peter insisted he would be faithful, even to the point of death. It must have been humiliating for Peter when hours later, after the casual question of a slave girl, Peter swore and for the third time denied ever knowing Jesus. But even after his heartbreaking denial, Peter remained in community, as he and John both raced to the empty tomb. Because he repented and sought forgiveness, Peter could unashamedly proclaim the gospel of forgiveness and grace.

Why did these men respond to failure so differently? 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

Pilate showed no grief. Judas displayed worldly grief. Peter had godly grief. What kind of grief do you have when you fail? Which of these three men do you most identify with?

Pilate denied his moral failure. I have done that. I shift blame. Rationalize. Even lie to protect myself. I contend that it wasn’t my fault and that I had no other choice. I justify my actions and proclaim my innocence. But in the end, I am left with the guilt that I am so desperately trying to deny.

Judas was defined by his failure. He did not go to Jesus. His friends couldn’t speak into his life because he withdrew from everyone. I do that too. I pull away from others in my shame, putting up walls so I don’t have to admit my weaknesses. Sometimes I have turned away from God in frustration, blaming him for not helping me. I have given in to weakness and fear and have wanted to give up.

Peter turned to the Lord after his failure. He repented and sought restoration with the Lord. And he stayed with his friends, even though it must have felt humiliating at first. I sometimes feel hesitant to tell my friends my failures. But I’ve found my vulnerability always strengthens my relationships. And then, paradoxically, my exposed failures no longer feel like weaknesses but somehow reflect strength and courage.

I wish I could say that I always respond to my failure like Peter, repenting and openly admitting my mistakes. My first response to failure most closely resembles Pilate. I try to justify my actions because I don’t want to look bad. So I make excuses and attempt to defend my choices. I have lost my temper and waited for my children to apologize for their 5% culpability before I will own up to my 95%.

I have also responded to other failures like Judas, separating myself from my friends, wallowing in self-pity, being filled with shame but not reaching out to anyone, including the Lord. My failure then feels a lead weight that I can’t throw off.

But thankfully, unlike Judas, I do know Jesus as Lord and he has pursued me until I have repented like Peter. I can testify that the relief and freedom that comes from repentance is incredible. Christ died to atone for all our sins, and in exchange gives us his righteousness. As Peter himself says, “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, and that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…”(Acts 3:19)

Repentance brings times of refreshing from the Lord. And God can turn our disastrous failures into glorious successes. We see that in the life of Peter. Throughout the Gospels, he is an impulsive, fearful man. But after receiving the Lord’s forgiveness, Peter becomes bold and wise. His transformation is evident later in the New Testament, as by the Spirit, Peter and the other disciples turned the world upside down.

So what do we do with our failure? All of us are falling short somewhere in our life right now. The question is not how to avoid failure but what to do with it.

I have choices and so do you. We can make excuses for our actions and deny our mistakes. We can hide from the Lord and our friends, too ashamed to let anyone in. Or we can turn to the Lord and repent. We can let God take away our guilt and shame, so we can walk in freedom and authenticity with others.

Jesus knew that Peter would succumb to temptation. But he didn’t want Peter to lose his faith, because that would be infinitely worse than any failure. Like Peter, even when we are profoundly ashamed of what we have done, God can use our failure to deepen our faith, strengthen our relationships and transform our ministry. As Jesus said to Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:32).

Peter didn’t let his failures ruin him. Through them, after he had turned again, the Lord changed his character and strengthened the early church. He can do the same with us. We need not be afraid of the future because we’ve failed.

Because of the cross, our future is not determined by our failure but by Christ’s absolute triumph.

This is the Gospel. Thanks be to God!

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See more content from Vaneetha Rendall at http://danceintherain.com

BOASTING ONLY IN THE CROSS: THE INFAMOUS 'SEA SHELLS' SERMON

Sermon by Pastor John Piper - Passion's OneDay 2000 Conference

May 20, 2000

Scripture: Galatians 6:14